Survival Chronicles of Jim - Chapter 28 (Interviewing for a Survival Partner)

Things have slowed down for me. I'm taking much less software contracts and my home based healthcare business pretty much runs itself and provides the bulk of income so I have much more time now to enjoy life.

I've took a couple of vacations. An NFL game with my son. But as fulfilling as my business and personnel life has been, Survival Prepping has not been far from my mind.

I have had two women in my life these past six months. Each one lasted about 4 weeks before we went our separate ways. In between, I have met several other women but they didn't generate enough interest in me to ask them out.

I can't help but think that I'm interviewing for a survival partner as opposed to just trying to find a good woman who may make it for the long term.

The last woman I dated saw a couple of my guns and asked me why I had them. Now you know who I am, what I look like, and how I present myself. In a group of two people or a group of 100 people, I would be the last one you would pick out to be a survivalist, or a gun guy.

So I was really surprised at this woman's jump to a conclusion that I was a something like a potential school shooter or some right wing militia type. "That's not something (owning guns) that I like about you", was what she actually said. I should have ended it there, but I didn't.

It was over when I received my package from Silver Saver. When I opened it and looked at the silver rounds, she thought I was a coin collector. On retrospect, I should have said that I was an amateur collector, but NO!, I had to say it's not old coins it's new silver bullion in one ounce rounds.

She asked why I was buying those, so I said it's a little protection against a currency collapse. From the look on her face you would have thought I said I collected child pornography!

Most of my preps are in another city. I have moved temporarily to a larger city to pursue contracts and expand my businesses but, I do have a car load of stuff. About 18 food buckets, some gear bags full of necessary gear and more guns and ammunition she did not see. I imagine what she would have thought seeing that - not to mention the security lapse in having someone know about it all.

Anyway, I'm back to looking for dates, or as I think of it now, interviewing for a Survival Partner.

So on an equal footing with decent looks and boobs, I'm looking for someone who is outdoor oriented, not scared of guns, likes to cook and shares my moderate conservative political stance.

I may have to wait until I move again. The big city is starting to drain me. Even the off prime time traffic is bad - stop and go. I'd imagine it would be wall to wall cars if everybody thought they have to leave town.

I know you have taught me to select places off refugees routes. Locations that had no advantage to hungry people. And a temporary home that had escape routes. I intentionally banked on the big collapse not coming until I was finished here. But a recent report of the Chinese and Russians dropping the US dollar brought me back to thinking about moving back to a place that is more sustainable survival wise, plus near my son.

My son, God Bless Him, finished his bachelor’s degree in business and is now the second manager at a pretty nice restaurant. He actually told me, "Dad, if the collapse hits, I'm loading up my car with all those Number 10 cans of food, coffee and stuff from the restaurant!"

One of the first things I'll do when I move back is to get up to the old cabin and emplace a couple more caches. And like the Survival Cadre recommend, start building my survival team of trusted like minded people.

Is US vulnerable to EMP attack?

Here is a good article from the Army Times. An EMP event would devastate our way of life. Read on an you judge for yourself.  How prepared are you should something like this occur?

"Is US vulnerable to EMP attack? A doomsday warning, and its skeptics

Former CIA Director Woolsey tells Congress of a doomsday scenario in which a nuclear-blast-triggered electromagnetic pulse takes down the US power grid, leading to starvation and death. Some experts decry 'hysteria' over EMPs. This artivle was posted on Christian Science Monitor and you can click on the linbk to watch the video.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2014/0801/Is-US-vulnerable-to-EMP-attack-A-doomsday-warning-and-its-skeptics-video

It is an unsettling doomsday scenario: A ballistic missile is launched from a freighter near America’s shores, setting off a nuclear explosion in the atmosphere. The blast generates electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) that could take out the nation’s electrical grid and bring civilization as we know it “to a cold, dark halt.”

This warning comes from the former director of the CIA, James Woolsey, in little-noticed testimony recently before the House Armed Services Committee.

A nuclear weapon would be detonated in orbit “in order to destroy much of the electric grid from above the US with a single explosion,” he told lawmakers last week. “Two thirds of the US population would likely perish from starvation, disease, and societal breakdown. Other experts estimate the likely loss to be closer to 90 percent.”

This dire forecast included warning of an “increasing likelihood that rogue nations such as North Korea (and before long, most likely, Iran) will soon match Russia and China in that they will have the primary ingredients for an EMP attack: simple ballistic missiles such as SCUDs that could be launched from a freighter near our shores.”

Mr. Woolsey sprinkled in a bit of intelligence as well. “In 2004,” he noted to lawmakers, “the Russians told us that their ‘brain drain’ had been helping the North Koreans develop EMP weapons.”

So, how plausible is this sort of scenario? A number of defense analysts take issue with the idea that an EMP attack on the US is imminent, or even particularly likely. They also suggested the outcome of the attack would not be so dire.

“I think the wild hysteria that’s greeted EMP attacks lately is wildly overstated,” says James Lewis, director of the Strategic Technologies Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

“So if you’re North Korea, and you’ve got a nuclear weapon, and you detonate it over the United States, what’s going to happen next? The answer is hundreds of nukes will descend on you from the US,” he says. “So why would you waste the round? If they’re going to shoot a nuke at us, they’re not going to bother with this EMP stuff.”

What’s more, although Woolsey told lawmakers that “modern electronics are a million times more vulnerable to EMP than the electronics of the 1960s,” Mr. Lewis argues that radiation hardening has been built into many modern electronics, through chips that have become more sophisticated. “Before, there were vacuum tubes, and now you’re using a chip that can withstand a fair amount of radiation,” Lewis says.

So what’s the bottom line? If a country or terrorist group “were crazy enough to shoot a nuclear weapon up over Washington, D.C. [to try to create an EMP], you might be able to fry 30 percent of the electronics in the city,” Lewis says.

Solar flares can create EMPs as well, Woolsey noted, citing a 1989 solar-generated pulse that, he told lawmakers, “effectively destroyed Quebec’s electric grid.” According to an article on a NASA website that looked back at the event 10 years later, the power was out in Quebec for 12 hours.

While an EMP attack may not be likely, the possibility raises some interesting strategic questions, says Paul Scharre, project director for the 20YY Warfare Initiative at the Center for a New American Security.

“If a nuclear-armed actor, instead of actually killing civilians with a nuclear weapon, lights it off at a high altitude,” he asks. “Does that cross the nuclear threshold? What’s the appropriate response? How would we respond? There’s not really a good answer for that.”

Urban Man

Long Lasting Prepping Foods.

 

 

 

 

Article from Minq.com on long lasting foods for the prepper. Or as they say "Indestructible Foods That Would Outlast The Apocalypse".

http://www.minq.com/food/4337/16-indestructible-foods-that-would-outlast-the-apocalypse?cont=6884337f#slide/1/0

Ramen Noodles. You'll find Ramen noodles in any college dorm room, and if he wanted to, a freshman could buy a pack and not eat them until graduation and be fine. Ramen noodles last for ten years or more, because these pasta noodles are completely dried. Flavoring can be added, similar to other soup dishes.

Urban Man's comment: Ramen is cheap and comes with itr's own flavoring packet. Great base for added vegetables or edible plants foraged in the wilderness. Tip - dump Ramen and flavoring into a zip lock bag; place in patrol pack and eat cold at the end of the day.

Maple Syrup. If your maple syrup is 100% pure, it will last forever. Like honey, it may crystallize over time but it will still taste amazing. You can even freeze it in an air-tight container. Now we just need to find a way to make pancakes last forever too.

Urban Man's comment: I'll have to think about this.

Bouillon. If you ever need to hide out in a bunker for a while you can use bouillon cubes to flavor your food. Beef, chicken, and other flavors of bouillon can be stored for years!

Urban Man's comment: I have Bouillon coming out of my ears. One of the best things to stockpile. Can simply use to make a soup. Can add edible plants or vegetables harvested.

Hot Cocoa. This favorite drink will definitely keep up morale. Instant hot chocolate will last forever if it is kept in a dry air-tight container. The same goes for instant coffee!

Urban Man's comment: Stock both!

Alcohol. Unopened bottles of wine or other distilled spirits can be stored for up to 30 years or more. Some alcohols tend to age and acquire a taste improvement over time, but still require proper storage.

Urban Man's comment: Great item to have for barter, especially hard liquor.

Peanut Butter. Some types of peanut butter available on grocery shelves do not need refrigeration. This type of peanut butter can last a long time, for a year or longer. The oil in this food helps to keep it fresh.

Urban Man's comment: Every stand along bucket of mine has PB in it.

Salt. Salt is a mineral that has long lasting qualities. It is often used as a preservative, that draws in moisture from other foods. Salt's dryness prevents bacteria from spoiling food.

Urban Man's comment: I also have tons of salt strored, both plain salt and table salt.

Hard Tack. Hard tack is a type of cracker, that is used by military troops. It is a tough cracker, that stays edible for long periods of time. Although hard tack has a bland flavor, it is very filling.

Urban Man's comment: Learn how to make this item. Stock flour!

Rice. Rice is a staple, that you can store indefinitely. Your long term storage environment needs to be oxygen free and cold to allow your rice to stay fresh for up to 30 years. Be sure to keep your storage containers sealed air tight, and use storage lids that are made for this type of long term storage.

Urban Man's comment: Nothing needs to be said about rice - every prepper in the U.S. has stored rice.

Soy Sauce. Soy sauce is one of the most versatile flavor enhancers today. Your soy sauce can be stored indefinitely, and should remain unopened until you are ready to use it.

Urban Man's comment: I prefer to have other seasoning like Garlic Salt, Black Pepper, and other meat seasoning.

Honey. Honey is a whole food, that can be easily stored. You will need to properly seal your storage containers in order to avoid any humidity. The low water content in honey allows it to preserve naturally.

Urban Man's comment: Honey - the only food that won't spoil.

Dried Beans. Beans that are properly dried can last up to 30 years. You can store your beans in number ten cans with the oxygen removed. Your storage areas should be dark and away from outside air.

Urban Man's comment: Nothing needs to be said about beans - every prepper in the U.S. has stored beans as well.

Powdered Milk. Powdered milk is a food staple that has an indefinite shelf life. It can be stored easily for emergencies. Powdered milk is a decent cooking and baking ingredient.

Urban Man's comment: I have powdered milk in vacuum sealed container.

Corn Syrup. Corn syrup can last indefinitely, if you keep it stored in an air tight container. This type of sweetener is a whole food that can be added to your other stored dishes. It has its own nutritional qualities, including daily carbohydrate requirements and antioxidants.

Urban Man's comment: Well, this is one thing I don;t have - corn oil, but it makes sense as corn oil is 100% disgestible energy.

Canned Foods. Canned foods today can last for over 30 years, but you need to keep your cans sealed completely. Foods that are preserved in cans can be used for emergencies. Once the can is open, you will need to cook the food inside.

Urban Man's comment: Stored in pantry - use the concept first in, first out (to cook/eat). Everyone should, at a minimum, quadruple what they normally keep in can goods. This will be the first foods eaten as they are heavy and hard to move in bulk, and generally won't last as long.

Vinegar. Some varieties of this condiment can be stored for long periods of time. It contains a low pH content, and it is often used as a preservative for other foods. Vinegar can be an effective cleaning agent.

Urban Man's comment: Good idea. I don’t have vinegar stored, but now I will start.

Sugar. Cane sugar can be stored for extended periods of time as well. Bacteria does not grow on sugar because its content has little moisture, and cane sugar is a natural sweetener for other foods. You can remedy any lumps in your stored sugar, by heating it in a microwave on a low power setting, for one to two minutes per cup of sugar.

Urban Man's comment: What serious prepper doesn’t have sugar stored?

Corn Starch. Corn starch is used to thicken sauces and gravies. You can use it in puddings, and it stays fresh for a long time with proper storage. It needs to be stored in a cool and dry space, with a tightly sealed top on its storage container.

Urban Man's comment: Another thing I don’t have and will have to think about.

Pure Vanilla Extract. Vanilla extract is a dried plant that can last for a long time in storage. You will need to seal your vanilla extract and place it in a cool dark location. This form of flavoring is added to your other foods, for an improved cooking taste.

Urban Man's comment: Another thing I don’t have and will have to think about.

America & Islam: A Brief History

 

 

 

 

 

America & Islam: A Brief History

By Guido Volante

 

The following is a little history lesson most Americans do not know. The enemy

we face today is the same enemy we've faced before. We were at war with the Islamists

once before, and it was Thomas Jefferson who defeated them when he became

President. Where are the Thomas Jefferson's of today? He would be turning over in his

grave if he knew that they now have a foothold on our shores. Please read and share

with others.

 

Most Americans are unaware of the fact that over two hundred years ago, the

United States had declared war on Islam, and Thomas Jefferson led the charge!!! Here

is a little history. Including how the term ‘Leatherneck’ came to be.

 

At the height of the eighteenth century, Muslim pirates were the terror of the

Mediterranean and a large area of the North Atlantic. They attacked every ship in sight,

and held the crews for exorbitant ransoms. Those taken hostage were subjected to

barbaric treatment and wrote heart breaking letters home, begging their government and

family members to pay whatever their Mohammedan captors demanded.

 

These extortionists of the high seas represented the Islamic nations of Tripoli,

Tunis, Morocco, and Algiers – collectively referred to as the Barbary Coast – and

presented a dangerous and unprovoked threat to the new American Republic.

Before the Revolutionary War, U.S. merchant ships had been under the

protection of Great Britain. When the U.S. declared its independence and entered into

war, the ships of the United States were protected by France. However, once the war

was won, America had to protect its own fleets. Thus, the birth of the U.S. Navy.

Beginning in1784, seventeen years before he would become president, Thomas

Jefferson became America’s Minister to France. That same year, the U.S. Congress

sought to appease its Muslim adversaries by following in the footsteps of European

nations who paid bribes to the Barbary States, rather than engaging them in war.

 

In July of 1785, Algerian pirates captured American ships, and the Dey of Algiers

demanded an unheard-of ransom of $60,000. It was a plain and simple case of extortion,

and Thomas Jefferson was vehemently opposed to any further payments. Instead, he

proposed to Congress the formation of a coalition of allied nations who together could

force the Islamic states into peace. A disinterested Congress decided to pay the ransom.

In 1786, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams met with Tripoli’s ambassador to

Great Britain to ask by what right his nation attacked American ships and enslaved

American citizens, and why Muslims held so much hostility towards America, a nation

with which they had no previous contacts.

 

The two future presidents reported that Ambassador Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman

Adja had answered that Islam "was founded on the Laws of their Prophet, that it was

written in their Quran, that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority

were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could

be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as Prisoners, and that every

Musselman (Muslim) who should be slain in Battle was sure to go to Paradise."

 

Despite of this stunning admission of premeditated violence on non-Muslim

nations, as well as the objections of many notable American leaders, including George

Washington, who warned that caving in was both wrong and would only further

embolden the enemy, for the following fifteen years, the American government paid the

Muslims millions of dollars for the safe passage of American ships or the return of

American hostages. The payments in ransom and tribute amounted to over twenty

percent of the United States government annual revenues in 1800.

 

Jefferson was disgusted. Shortly after his being sworn in as the third President of

the United States in 1801, the Pasha of Tripoli sent him a note demanding the immediate

payment of $225,000 plus $25,000 a year for every year forthcoming. That changed

everything.

 

Jefferson let the Pasha know, in no uncertain terms, what he could do with his

demand. The Pasha responded by cutting down the flagpole at the American consulate

and declared war on the United States. Tunis, Morocco, and Algiers immediately

followed suit. Jefferson, until now, had been against America raising a naval force for

anything beyond coastal defense, but having watched his nation be cowed by Islamic

thuggery for long enough, decided that is was finally time to meet force with force.

 

He dispatched a squadron of frigates to the Mediterranean and taught the Muslim

nations of the Barbary Coast a lesson he hoped they would never forget. Congress

authorized Jefferson to empower U.S. ships to seize all vessels and goods of the Pasha

of Tripoli and to “cause to be done all other acts of precaution or hostility as the state of

war would justify”.

 

When Algiers and Tunis, who were both accustomed to American cowardice and

acquiescence, saw the newly independent United States had both the will and the might

to strike back, they quickly abandoned their allegiance to Tripoli. The war with Tripoli

lasted for four more years, and raged up again in 1815. The bravery of the U.S. Marine

Corps in these wars led to the line “to the shores of Tripoli” in the Marine Hymn, They

would forever be known as “leathernecks” for the leather collars of their uniforms,

designed to prevent their heads from being cut off by the Muslim scimitars when

boarding enemy ships.

 

Islam, and what its Barbary followers justified doing in the name of their prophet

and their god, disturbed Jefferson quite deeply. America had a tradition of religious

tolerance, the fact that Jefferson, himself, had co-authored the Virginia Statute for

Religious Freedom, but fundamentalist Islam was like no other religion the world had

ever seen. A religion based on supremacism, whose holy book not only condoned but

mandated violence against unbelievers was unacceptable to him. His greatest fear was

that someday this brand of Islam would return and pose an even greater threat to the

United States.

 

This should bother every American. That the Islams have brought about womenonly

classes and swimming times at taxpayer-funded universities and public pools; that

Christians, Jews, and Hindus have been banned from serving on juries where Muslim

defendants are being judged, Piggy banks and Porky Pig tissue dispensers have been

banned from workplaces because they offend Islamist sensibilities. Ice cream has been

discontinued at certain Burger King locations because the picture on the wrapper looks

similar to the Arabic script for Allah, public schools are pulling pork from their menus, on

and on in the news papers….

 

It’s death by a thousand cuts, or inch-by-inch as some refer to it, and most

Americans have no idea that this battle is being waged every day across America. By

not fighting back, by allowing groups to obfuscate what is really happening, and not

insisting that the Islamists adapt to our own culture, the United States is cutting its own

throat with a politically correct knife, and helping to further the Islamists agenda. Sadly, it

appears that today’s America would rather be politically correct than victorious.

Dont' Register Your Guns!

Here is a story I just read that makes a lot of great sense. Read and you be the judge.

"Gun control and further infringements of the Second Amendment are a dangerous and controversial topic in America.  There are those that wish to control people, but an armed populace is not easily controlled.

The pro-gun control liberals in Washington seek to disarm the citizenry.  One of the first steps in disarming people is gun registration.  Second Amendment supporters know that registration leads to confiscation, and confiscation in America will lead to a Second American Revolution.

So gun owners across the nation, but particularly in Connecticut and New York right now, are defiantly opposed and resistant to gun registration.

Now a respected voice on the right, one that has previously been in favor of some gun control, has come out in staunch resistance to gun registration schemes.  Dr. Ben Carson said he no longer believes in gun registration because America’s insane national debt could turn the nation into a third-world country under martial law, a situation in which law-abiding and good people will need to be armed for protection.

Carson, the retired neurosurgeon who has been getting buzz in conservative circles, said that he changed his mind and was against gun registration because of the “sinister internal forces” that could surface in that scenario. He said he “used to think they needed to be registered, but if you register them they just come and find you and take your guns.”

“If we were only concerned about external forces, then we would be okay,” he said. “But there are some pretty sinister internal forces.”

Dr. Carson asked the audience to consider a scenario in which countries around the globe have dropped the dollar as the reserve currency, making note that Russia has threatened to do just that in retaliation for sanctions imposed upon them.

“We have a national debt that is so high, and it’s being raised even higher,” he said. “Now, the only reason we can do that is because we are the reserve currency for the world. What if that changes?”

“What if other people come along?” Carson asked, saying China and the U.N have mentioned doing the same. “We would become a third-world nation overnight. Occupy Wall Street would be a walk in the park. And all of a sudden, the things that would be going on in this country which would necessitate marital law… all this could happen very rapidly. We should be really concerned.”

James Taranto, of The Wall Street Journal, asked Carson about his previous stance on gun registration, in which he supported gun control in urban areas to keep “crazy people” from having semi-automatic rifles in high-density cities.

“Do you think the Supreme Court was wrong when it found that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to keep arms in Washington, D.C., and Chicago?” Taranto asked.

“I truly believe in Second Amendment rights,” Carson said. “I would never advocate anything to interfere with Second Amendment rights; however, I do think we have to be intelligent.”

He said his point in saying that was to address situations–like in Detroit–where people with AK-47s are mowing people down.

“We need to engage in a discussion about, ‘Is there something we can do?'” Carson said before saying that “we have to keep in mind that law-abiding American citizens absolutely should have gun rights.”

Dr. Ben Carson is of course correct, the American people must never register their guns.  The people have an inherent and natural right to keep and bear arms, for the direct purpose of keeping their “leaders” in check.  The Framers were well aware of the dangers of a tyrannical government versus an unarmed population, and did their best to ensure such a situation would never occur in America.

Unfortunately, over the years our government has indeed infringed upon our natural right to be armed, and intends to infringe even more.  As stated before, registration leads to confiscation.  A list of registered guns in this country, in the hands of our current “gestapo-like” administration, would certainly result in confiscation and the disarming of law-abiding and good citizens.

Of course, criminals don’t follow laws, so they won’t register their guns, and will remain armed.  And the government will most definitely remain armed, otherwise how will they enforce their gun control laws?

[source: conservativetribune.com]"

Urban Man

Survival Chronicles of Jim - Chapter 27 (Preparing for a Pandemic)

From Urban Man: I continue to receive e-mails asking about Jim and by now you know that Jim is real, just has a different name for the articles that chronicle his journey into the world of prepping as an OPSEC measure. I'm sure you all understand. 

From Jim: Dear Urban Man, I have instituted your vehicle preps - meaning the additional stored water, rifle, cammo netting's and enhanced get home bag in my vehicle.  And actually outfitted my son's vehicle in an alike manner. But I see my traveling for work, or at least the longer trips, to start falling off significantly. I have reduced advertising for my computer services and have even turned down one contract last week. It won't be too long before I stop doing that work altogether, move back to my original city, and rely on my home based business which more than sufficient income for me to live just fine. And I also have my rental properties. Now, I have to stop my routine vacation trips! Went to Cancun a few months ago. But you know that as you called me an idiot for traveling into Mexico. 

One of my rentals is a duplex. I had lived in one of the units until I moved to a larger city to pursue some database contracts. None of my renters knew I owned the properties as I used a friend of mine's husband, who is a handyman, to be my property management. In fact, he is now fully engaged in prepping himself (his wife is still leery) and with his general handyman skills and mechanical knowledge, he is a key part of my survival group - once I move back to that city. 

We talked about medical supplies and material and I can see that I am deficient in that category. I will start purchasing bandages, gauze, medical tape, hydrogen peroxide, Isopropyl alcohol, stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, thermometers, face masks, latex and rubber gloves, 3 mil large black trash bags (for contaminated waste) and some vinyl rain suits for protection against infected people, as well as buying some of the military style trauma packs that you sent me links to. Buying cases of the 4 oz Purell Hand Sanitizer and the 2 Liter pump containers is a good idea too. I will ensure all people in my survival team will carry a 4 oz container of Purell as well as a face mask and latex gloves as a matter of standard procedures. 

I will also start thinking about the security procedures you said I must have when encountering "strap hangers" who will inevitably find me and my group once the collapse hits. I will ensure we can engage these people from protective positions both from firearms but also for infection protection. I will be prepared to rig some kind of decontamination station for me and my people after any contact is made.

I know that with all the recent news about Ebola and the recommended 21 day quarantine process (some say 42 day isolation process) that we will need to implement against any late arising symptoms. I will plan on segregating any people we take in and ensure a separation from new people and my team until we can determine they are disease free. And like you said, this added time will give me a chance to assess these people more closely for their value to potential problems they may create. 

I don't want to sound like a bleeding heart that will expose my security willy-nilly to any people needing help. I will be cautious. But until we bug out to our remote site I can't help but think that even though I am off the main refugee routes out of the city, I know I will get approached by people wanting, even demanding help. I will be very selective in accepting strap hangers. Due to their recent Ebola outbreak, and who knows what may crop up in the future, any people that have ANY symptoms of Ebola or other diseases such as nausea and vomiting; diarrhea; red eyes; any rashes; coughing; bleeding; and sores just won't be accepted. Anybody that I have to detain will be detained from a safety zone of at least 10 feet and no one will be handled without basic protective gear. 

I know that people I turn away may/will become enemies and threats. I intend to minimize that through a low profile but ultimately be prepared to defend ourselves.....against all threats.

Survival Chronicles of Jim - Chapter 26 (Practicing The Routine)

From Urban Man: I have received a few e-mails asking about what happened to Jim from the Survival Chronicles of Jim Chapters. Others ask if Jim is real. Oh yeah, Jim is real. Jim is not his real name, but we all have our secrets. Jim was working for friends of mine as a computer tech on contract and as he contract expired he now is working out of his house as a systems developer or some such computer gobbleygook but it requires him to travel 3.5 hours one way a couple days a week with a one or two night stay over in a hotel. I sent Jim the book "Going Home" by A. American, a good read by the way, so he could see some situations for war gaming if he had to make it back home.I asked Jim to send me an e-mail with my intent of publishing it on this site.

Urban Man,

All set up in my routine now. Still have rental houses to manage from afar and my other home based business, but my software and database work for a major company requiring me to travel 3 1/2 hours by car and staying overnight and sometimes several nights during the week. At least my car is a business expense and tax deductible, not to mention a rolling survival platform, or at least I started developing this concept.

I carry the large bag with rollers and backpack straps (Urban Man's note: a FPG deployment bag) that you gave me. This is my Get Home Bag, a la the "Going Home" novel you sent me. I know you told me to think about keeping my SKS in my vehicle with me, and although I keep all my accessories for this rifle in my Get Home bag, I have yet to take the gun on any of my work trips. Maybe it's an idea I have to get used to. At least I have my Walther pistol. In my Get Home bag I have these items:
Load Bearing Molle Vest with Camel-Bak with mag pouches for my SKS ammunition. I have the conversion kit for the SKS to use those banana magazines, with the the metal lip extension so it locks into place, but have not converted it yet.

• Silva Compass 
• Spare Fire Starting Kit 
• Green Fleece 
• Gortex Rain Suit 
• Snugpak Sleeping Bag 
• 8 civilian type versions of military meals 
• Pack of assorted nut snacks and granola bars 
• 6 packets of instant soup and a tube of bullion cubes 
• Trauma Medical Kit 
• 2 camouflage ponchos 
• Hammock net that I can use to thread plants into for a camouflage or an impromptu fishing net 
• Small butane stove with one fuel cartridge with cooking pot 
• 40 feet of green para-cord 
• A Small Fishing Kit* 
• Firearms Cleaning Kit 
• Field cap 
• Aviators gloves 
• Empty five quarter canteen so I have extra water carrying capacity 
• Wire saw 

* The fishing kit was an adventure. Not knowing anything, I went into a Sporting Goods chain store and was looking around, not knowing what to get. One of the sales guys helped me but when he asked what I was looking for, I had to tell him "Basically, an small adventure fishing kit in case I have to survive something like a plane crash in a remote area." He looked at me like I was an idiot, but I ended up buying hooks, lead weight, fishing line, and a couple of small, multi-colored lures. I learned that there is a whole culture behind fishing.

I carry that soft computer case you gave me with the molle webbing attachment as my urban Bug Out Bag. I only really have to carry a laptop, x drives, a couple of software discs, and some cables so I have plenty of room for the three boxes of SKS ammunition and my little Walther .22 pistol. I used the extra ammunition pouches attached to the outside of this case to carry bottled water in. Usually I leave the pistol and the ammunition inside my vehicle when I am in a building. I have my little fire starting kit in a zip lock bag, several bags of nuts and a couple nutrition bars, a folding knife and a "AA" Pelican flashlight and extra batteries. I carry 6 one ounce Silver rounds and a roll of old quarters for their silver melt value. Not to mention I rarely travel without several hundred dollars in cash.

Taking your advice I have driven different routes from my house to my work site. On the route that minimizes the high traffic areas and the interstate segments, it will take me an additional 45- 60 minutes of driving time because of all the slowdowns, speed traps, small communities and single lane roads. Like you said this longer driving route will probably become my primary way to get home in any major collapse event due to the most lower chance of traffic jams and refugees.

I haven't bought a suitable map yet nor have I re-conned the best places to lay up whether I was traveling home by vehicle, bicycle or on foot. I'm dating a woman in my home city. While she has a key to my house, I haven't really briefed her on my preparations. She has seen the water dispenser with ten full 5 gallon bottles of water lined up and she said something to the effect that "Gee, you're not going to run out of water soon!"

Urban Man's Comment: After receiving this from Jim, I advised Jim to ensure he carried water with him, other than his bottled drinking water, during his business trips. A five gallon water jug or the equivalent in one gallon containers can be loaded and unloaded for these weekly trips without too much butt pain to ensure at any point during his transit he has water. If he can stay with his vehicle ad make it home, great. But if he is forced to dump his vehicle, he would have the water to fill his water containers and begin the walk (worst case) home. I also advised Jim to store a camouflage net for his vehicle in case he had to pull off his route and hole up because of traffickability issues of threat.

My last advice for Jim is to take the alternate route a few times and stop in these small communities to get the feeling from the population and perhaps make his face known - may come in handy if that becomes his Going Home route....and Jim, take your rifle with you!

Urban Man

U.S. government likely to respond to Ebola pandemic with military force, martial law and forced vaccines

U.S. government likely to respond to Ebola pandemic with military force, martial law and forced vaccines

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/046898_Ebola_pandemic_government_response_executive_orders.html

The U.S. government is putting plans in place right now to invoke extreme emergency actions across the USA in response to an anticipated Ebola outbreak sweeping through U.S. cities. Late last week, the U.S. State Department ordered 160,000 Ebola hazmat suits in anticipation of an outbreak, and President Obama has already called upon the Pentagon to dispatch troops and supplies to Africa.

Earlier this summer, Obama signed a curious executive order that claims to grant federal officers the lawful right to arrest and quarantine anyone who shows symptoms of an infection. Full details of this executive order are explained in this 11-part Natural News article series covering Ebola truths the government isn't publicly advertising.

What else might the government do in a viral pandemic outbreak that threatens U.S. cities? Full details of the spectrum of options are revealed in Episode Four of my FREE online coursePandemic Preparedness, available now at www.BioDefense.com

There, you'll learn:

- Why Homeland Security does not want to admit to national vulnerabilities to biological weapons

- How government doesn't want the public to panic and lose trust in government

- Why the CDC seeks to create as much fear and panic as possible in order to enrich pharmaceutical interests

- Why government is primarily interested in the survival of government, not the survival of the citizens

- The U.S. government already has plans in place to survive massive pandemics: deep underground bunkers already exist for high-level officials

- Extensive plans are already in place for national emergency actions: confiscation of resources, quarantine of citizens, martial law, etc.

- Why quarantines will be enforced at gunpoint with lethal force

- Because most citizens are not prepared, they will become part of the crisis and create a crisis burden on government

- How government becomes a threat by mandating experimental vaccines

- History has proven that we can't trust the safety of government-promoted vaccines

- Scientific fraud has been openly admitted by a top CDC scientist

- If an Ebola vaccine is made available, it will be an experimental vaccine that's not tested for long-term safety

- The vaccine industry already has absolute legal immunity and zero liability from the harm caused by their products

- There are strategies you can use in almost any scenario to increase your odds of survival, even under a medical dictatorship

- Why you need to survive so that you can contribute to the rebuilding of society after the pandemic

- How WE (humans) caused the pandemics! We are the cause of the planetary imbalances that lead to viral outbreaks

Learn all these details and more at the FREE online Pandemic Preparedness course at www.BioDefense.com

Is Global War Plunging Us into a Collapse?

A story titled "(Is) World War 3 coming? U.S. Army drafts global warfare, 'total war' blueprint." from the examiner.com resurrects prepper thoughts on the viability of a nuclear war causing the collapse, or at least making us think about the possibility and perhaps re-prioritizing it within your threat list of collapse catalysts.

http://www.examiner.com/article/world-war-3-is-coming-u-s-army-drafts-global-warfare-total-war-blueprint

Is World War 3 coming? If you ask conspiracy theorists, the answer is an unequivocal "yes." As tempers continue flaring between North Korea, China, Russia, Iran West, China, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS or ISIL), and the West, war prognosticators and conservative pundits, who rail on Barack Obama at every juncture, are fanning flames of fear that global armed conflict is imminent, a third world war, if you will. A stunning report charges that U.S. Army brass are preparing for international confrontation as if World War 3 will breakout. Additionally, the warfare blueprint being drafted has "ominous" implications.

The news site, InfoWars posted a telling headline on October 14 titled "US ARMY DRAFTS BLUEPRINT FOR WORLD WAR III," with a snippet teaser sub-headline that read, "There will be boots and plenty of them." The title immediately evokes thoughts of Armageddon from atomic warfare. However, this latest bit of news, rather, offers objective evidence that the Pentagon is laying out a strategic plan to wage global warfare or “total war,” not only on long-standing hostile nations and regimes, but domestic war on its citizenry should the need arise. Could it simply be part of strategic forward-thinking? Info delves deep into the latest developments with but suggests war-planning, even a preemptive strike, cannot be ruled out.

The bold World War 3 predictions come on the heels of a military document released during the Association of United States Army (or AUSA) conference that took place this week. During the yearly event, top brass from U.S. Armed Forces, experts in armed conflict and private sector representatives, who showcase the latest ballistic and artillery systems, get together and talk about the future of the rules of engagement. It's tantamount to a road or trade show.

During the conference, Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Raymond Odierno emerged as the most memorable speaker who talked explicitly about the reduced size of military personnel due to Congress’ impasse over Sequestration. In his opinion, if World War 3 or some other regional conflicts breaks out, he fears the current numbers of reserve and active duty soldiers are not enough to fight a potential ground war or incursion of the homeland.

IW claims that the motives behind any pre-war troop buildup falls in line with the United State's quest for global imperialism. Part of that strategy to be the dominant influence on Earth ahead of another world war involves military prowess, much in the way the Roman Empire during the Gallic Wars under the leadership of Julius Caesar.

"What do these words entail? In the case of a confrontation with another nuclear power, they encompass the implementation of a first-strike doctrine of mass annihilation. In regard to the subjugation and domination of other areas of the globe, they call for massive ground operations to quell popular resistance and enforce military occupation."

World War 3, should the unthinkable occur, will not be sparked by extremist groups like the Islamic State or from rouge terrorists lashing out at Western ideology. Instead, according to the documents, a third world war will be aimed at obliterating modernizing nations that could threaten America’s reach and dominance. Sadly, people have to die as a result of this imperialistic stance, sources suggest.

"First and foremost are 'competing powers,' a category that includes China, followed by Russia. In the case of China, the document evinces serious concern over Chinese 'force modernization efforts,' which it says are aimed at achieving 'stability along its periphery,' something that the US military is determined to block. China's military efforts, it states, 'highlight the need for Army forces positioned forward or regionally engaged,' and for 'Army forces to project power from land into the air, maritime, space and cyberspace domains.'"

A potential breakout a third world war, according to the documents is based on what the Found Fathers feared the most – a standing military, according to InfoWars. Lesser countries over millennium have faced growing threats of coups and the U.S. Army is not immune, as evidenced by legislators' patterns of cowering to military generals.

It's clear from today's story that the writer thinks the United States is adopting a pugilist strategy of global imperialism, even on its own soil. On the other hand, the military document, which some purport to be an indication World War 3 is coming and will break out soon, could be part of the Pentagon’s readiness in the event large-scale armed conflict ensues. What are your thoughts? Is it an apocalyptic sign of what's to come?

Quarantine of Major Cities Possible

The below article, original titled "Quarantines among legal tools available if Ebola outbreak widens" came from Stars and Stripes on line. The 600 pound Gorilla in the room is how will quarantine be enforced? Martial Law within the requisite lethal force authorization and if major cities are quarantined, local law enforcement assets will not be used - they will be quarantined as well. It will be military units, mostly unfamiliar, and unsympathetic to the population they are controlling. 

http://www.stripes.com/news/us/quarantines-among-legal-tools-available-if-ebola-outbreak-widens-1.308566

As the web of infection widens, questions about the U.S. government’s legal authority to contain the Ebola virus are increasing, even as federal officials attempt to keep public panic at bay by diverting the focus from the hypothetical.

Beyond the traveler screening mandates and medical support already underway, federal officials could take several dramatic steps to protect the United States if the virus reaches epidemic levels. That includes quarantines, a ban on travel to or from foreign countries, and the declaration of a public health emergency that would allow the Health and Human Services Department to waive certain federal requirements and tap into a reserve account to fund response.

The federal government’s powers are ultimately secondary to those of the states, which hold the police power function that gives them the legal authority to isolate infected individuals or force them to accept treatment — similar to criminal arrest or civil commitment. In Texas, health officials in Dallas have quarantined the family of the only Ebola victim, Thomas Duncan, in a house until they are sure they didn't pick up the disease, according to local news reports. His fiancee, her son and two men had to miss a memorial service after Duncan died.

If a state or local jurisdiction response doesn't prevent the spread of a disease to another state, HHS can step in under the Public Health Services Act (PL 78-410). But that would mostly be to provide resources and expertise — not to take over, said Gene Matthews, chief legal adviser to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 1979 to 2004.

“It’s not like a military situation, because your troops on this are primarily your state and local health officials, so it has to be collaborative,” said Matthews.

State health officials have the power to quarantine those who are only suspected of infection, and can take major actions such as evacuations or cancellations of sporting events. Governors can call up National Guard units to enforce actions or aid in anything from transportation to security.

A senior National Guard official said this week that he has heard of no direct plans or orders for the Guard’s role in any domestic response to Ebola. The Guard’s medical resources, as well as its experience dealing with bio hazards, could also aid in any response, the official said.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the National Guard Bureau said the force has personnel and resources available to help combat Ebola, both internationally and within the United States. Indeed, the Guard is supporting the current U.S. military mission in West Africa.

“We stand ready to support the needs identified by U.S. government lead agencies,” the spokesman said, adding that the Guard is “actively involved” in the planning process at both the state and federal levels.

The National Guard’s highly trained Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Teams could be a particularly critical capability in the event of any stateside Ebola outbreak. The Guard has at least one of these teams in each state, territory and Washington, D.C.

The state-controlled units, which are made up of 22 full-time personnel, are trained for a range of missions, including providing immediate response to the release of hazardous materials or other disasters that could result in a catastrophic loss of life and property.

The scope of states’ power in health matters comes mainly from a 1905 Supreme Court ruling in which a Massachusetts man challenged whether a city could require residents to be vaccinated against smallpox.

The justices found in Jacobson v. Massachusetts that the collective right of self-defense prevails over individual rights, as long as due process is ensured, such as the right to challenge the government action.

“Upon principle of self defense, of paramount necessity, a community has a right to protect itself against an epidemic disease,” the Supreme Court ruled.

Much has changed since then. Dozens of states modernized their health codes in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Matthews said. Most states now have a game plan for how to deal with a health crisis, and have conducted training exercises for years.

“I’m not laying awake at night thinking about whether some state official has the legal authority, but whether they have the resources,” Matthews said. “It’s now about the money.”

Federal officials have those resources, and an HHS-declared public health emergency could start the flow of money to local health officials.

Although HHS will remain the lead in coordinating response in nearly every scenario, the administration could call on the Homeland Security Department and its Federal Emergency Management Agency to help wrangle resources, provide shelter and assist with transportation if the disease begins to spread.

A presidential disaster declaration, which would open up so-called Stafford Act (PL 100-707) funding through FEMA, is unlikely considering HHS already has the authority to declare a public health emergency and Congress would likely appropriate emergency funding if there is a need.

“That’s a ‘break glass’ and in extreme type of case,” says Marko Bourne, who served as director of policy and program analysis at FEMA during the George W. Bush administration. “There would truly have to be something that is incredibly widespread across the country that was over and above the additional resources and ability provided under the health declaration. Stafford at that point is almost redundant.”

However, President Barack Obama might find it advantageous to declare a disaster and elevate the emergency management agency to a leadership role if public confidence in HHS and state response begins to diminish, said James Jay Carafano, a vice president at the conservative Heritage Foundation.

“When you lose credibility, you’re toast,” said Carafano. “You could potentially see situations where they jump the threshold pretty quickly because they see pressure that they have to do something.”

The federal government can clamp down on travel to and from the United States for public health reasons. That includes stopping American citizens from visiting certain countries, as well as barring foreigners from entering the United States, according to a Congressional Research Service report on Ebola issues.

The secretary of state can prevent Americans from boarding flights to specific countries under the authority to grant and issue passports. The Supreme Court recognized that power in a 1965 decision, Zemel v. Rusk, upholding travel restrictions to Cuba after the United States cut diplomatic ties with the nation in 1961.

The government can’t criminally charge those who do not comply with the travel ban, however. A second Supreme Court decision in 1967, United States v. Laub, threw out a conspiracy indictment against people who arranged travel to Cuba for dozens of American citizens.

Obama could issue a proclamation to deny entry to any class of foreigners if they “would be detrimental to the interests of the United States,” the CRS report states. Government officials can prevent foreigners “with a communicable disease of public health significance” from entering the country under immigration law.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other federal agencies could issue directives to airlines, which can refuse transportation to anyone posing a direct threat to the health under Transportation Department regulations.

The Department of Homeland Security and the CDC maintain a public health “Do Not Board” list, the CRS report states. Airlines cannot issue boarding passes to people on the list, who are considered likely to be contagious with a communicable disease, may not adhere to public health recommendations, and are likely to board an aircraft.

Ebola gives U.S. 'preppers' another reason to prepare for worst

Ebola Protection Kit

Here is a story is just read on Yahoo.com and wanted to share it with my readers. It makes good points as to why we Prepper's should not be concerned with what others think about us. I constantly hear in the news about how Prepper's are just a paranoid group of people always thinking the worst. 

We were told that this issue concerning Ebola would not ever happen here in the U.S. We were deceived and are still being deceived. How many more cases will pop up that we won't know about until the uncontrollable out break begins? 

Doctors are given gag orders not to tell the public about what is happening. Police and emergency crews are being forced to use code words when responding to a possible Ebola incident. Our Government is not protecting us. We must do this ourselves.

"Ebola gives U.S. 'preppers' another reason to prepare for worst

By Jonathan Kaminsky

(Reuters) - With the closest known U.S. cases of Ebola diagnosed about 160 miles away in Dallas, Cary Griffin is taking no chances.

If, as the former correctional officer fears, the virus spreads to hundreds of people, Griffin is headed to the woods.

"I'll do what the English royalty did to survive the bubonic plague," Griffin said, referring to King Charles II's flight to the countryside during the Great Plague of London in 1665-66. "I'm going into the country."

Griffin, 27, of Huntsville, Texas, is among a growing if loosely-defined segment of Americans, known as "preppers," who plan, train and stockpile in preparation for a natural calamity or societal breakdown.

For many, the three cases of Ebola diagnosed in the United States so far since late September represent a new potential disaster and a reason to run to the store.

Preppers are at the extreme edge of concern over Ebola, which has led to a series of false alarms driven by fear. Government efforts to stop the virus spreading from the three worst-hit West African countries, where more than 4,500 have died, include some travel restrictions and enhanced screening at airports.

Chad Huddleston, an anthropologist at the University of Southern Illinois at Edwardsville, who studies preppers and estimates their numbers in the United States in the low hundreds of thousands, said those he has talked to are more concerned with undue public fear than with contracting Ebola.

The virus was diagnosed in a Liberian visitor who was infected in his home country and two nurses who treated him at a Dallas, Texas hospital when he was dying and at his most contagious. Both nurses have been moved out of the state for treatment in hospitals equipped to treat Ebola patients.

U.S. preppers have their roots in Cold War-era civil defense programs, said Vincent DeNiro, editor of Prepper & Shooter magazine.

The movement's profile rose thanks in part to the National Geographic Channel TV show "Doomsday Preppers," and includes strains as disparate as off-grid homesteaders in the Great Plains, wilderness experts in the Mountain West and suburbanites across the country with caches of food and guns.

STOCKPILING AND PLANNING

For many of them, gearing up for Ebola has meant fortifying their stocks of freeze-dried food, water, filtration devices and hazardous material, or hazmat, suits, which experts say can be useless if not taken off properly.

Some are also honing plans to meet teams of fellow survivalists at prearranged locations, or, like Griffin, who has no spouse or children, preparing to go it alone in the wilderness.

Stockpiling has led to shortages of a range of survival gear, from food with a shelf-life in excess of 20 years to impermeable medical suits, according to vendors. At Cheaper Than Dirt, a leading online survivalist retailer based in Texas, dozens of varieties of freeze-dried meals are out of stock, from packets of cheesy lasagna to 60-serving buckets of mushroom stroganoff.

Supplies such as hazmat suits and protective gloves - sometimes called Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) gear - are running low, said Richard Smith, general manager of The Survival Center, an online retailer in Washington state, about 1,500 miles from Texas. Smith boasted of snagging last week the final wholesale personal protection suits and respirator masks to be had on the West Coast.

Using hazmat gear without proper training is of limited benefit, said magazine editor DeNiro, who has encouraged his readers to stock up on at least six months of food.

"Buying NBC equipment and not learning how to use it properly is like buying a gun and ammunition and never practicing with it," he said.

Many preppers, who have focused their planning on everything from solar storms and earthquakes to nuclear holocaust, are skeptical of government - a view that dovetails with concerns, voiced by lawmakers and medical experts, that U.S. authorities mishandled the response to the virus when it emerged at a Texas hospital.

At a prepper and self-defense school in south Florida, fear over Ebola has meant a rush of students, about 54 in the past two weeks, to take a primer course on how to avoid contracting the virus, said David D'Eugenio, founder of the HomeSafety Academy in Lake Park.

"For the past week, I can't even tell you what our hours are like with all the people coming through," he said.

An avid prepper and retired firefighter in West Palm Beach, Florida, Bob Boike, who attends D'Eugenio's school, believes that an Ebola outbreak in the United States will likely be averted, but he is taking no chances.

Boike, 58, who co-leads of a team of 32 preppers and their families, with multiple secret locations provisioned to last them a year or more, has stocked up on water and canned food, having already socked away an ample supply of masks, gloves and other medical supplies, he said.

“This is our insurance for if and when there is societal breakdown,” Boike said."

Urban Man

Water: Finding, Collecting, and Treating for Survival

Here is a very useful and informative article I recently read on zombease.com website. The link is list here:

http://zombease.com/water-finding-collecting-and-treating-for-survival/

Finding, Collecting, and Treating for Survival such as a Zombie Outbreak or major earthquake, local water sources may become tainted, unavailable, or inaccessible. City waterworks may be damaged and stop pumping the precious fluid to our homes, businesses, parks, etc. But even if the water supply becomes tainted or is difficult to access, with a little care and patience you can collect enough to survive and use it safely.

FINDING WATER:

Accessing water might not be as simple as turning on a tap, but you’d be surprised at the number of locations you can find it, if you take the time to look.

Rural Areas: Homes in rural areas often have wells or creeks on or near their property, giving them easy-to-access and likely safe water supplies. Other water sources in rural areas include, but are not limited to: watering troughs, silos, rain collection barrels, and man-made or naturally occurring ponds.

Urban Areas: There are plenty of places to collect water from in the city, even if the local waterworks have been shut off. Hoses, rain barrels, buckets, natural water sources, public fountains, old tires, water heaters, and toilet tanks are just a few of the many places water may be hiding out in an urban environment.

Wherever and whenever you might be looking for water it’s important to keep your eyes open and be creative. Next time you’re out and about, take a look around you and see if you can spot at least two alternate sources for a bit of the wet stuff. And remember that you must filter and purify ALL found water before consumption.

COLLECTION:

The most basic method for collecting water comes in the form of transfer from one source or container to another. This can be done a number of ways, but typically the use of a bucket or other pail-like device is recommended. You should never siphon water with your mouth and a hose from an unfiltered or untreated source, you are just as likely to become ill by doing this, as you are by direct and intentional consumption. Using a pump siphon to transfer water for treatment later is a fantastic and relatively easy way to move large amounts of water fast.

Always draw from the clearest and cleanest source that you can, and NEVER use water that has inorganic materials floating on the surface, is dark or oddly colored, has any odor at all, or shows any other signs of possible contamination. But if there is just a bit of dirt or sand in the water it should be fine after a little care is taken.

UrbanMan's note: Your survival kit should always contain collapsible expedient water containers.

MAKE IT SAFE TO DRINK:

Unless you want to pay an uncomfortable, and possibly deadly price for drinking even just a few gulps of tainted water, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. All found water, unless from a sealed and reliable source, needs to be both filtered and treated before consumption.

Filter: You will need to remove as much dirt and debris as possible from the water before moving on to the next step. If the water is cloudy it’s best to let it settle naturally over the course of 12 – 24 hours, but you may be in a rush and pouring it through a coffee filter, handkerchief, or other fine material, into a clean container will work as well. Make sure to change and/or clean any filters you use as they begin to show signs of contamination or discoloration.

The water should now be safe to use for washing clothes and gear, but not for drinking, personal care, bathing, or cleaning cookware, you’ve got another step before that.

The use of a well-made commercial filter allows you to skip the next step and go directly to consumption. Incredibly useful and capable of filtering 100s of gallons before the filter needs to be replaced we recommend the Katadyn Hiker Pro for those of you with the available income.

TREAT IT:

Treatment is a crucial step in the purifying process and should never be skipped. Now that you’ve filtered your water and it isn’t cloudy anymore, you’ll need to kill any germs left-over that may be in the water. Treatment by boiling or with bleach are the most widely agreed upon methods to safely purify questionable water, and luckily you only have to do one or the other before it’s safe to drink.

Boiling: Evaporation during boiling can be a problem if you don’t have a covered container, and the need for fuel can make this a tricky task for some. But while this method has it’s drawbacks, it remains highly effective when done properly.

All questionable water should be boiled for no less that 3 – 5 minutes for proper sanitation, but a period of 10 minutes is the best way to guarantee safe consumption (because boiling water at high altitudes takes longer, you need to add 1 minute of boil time for every 1000 feet above sea level that you are located). After the water is done boiling, it’s important to let it cool before taking a drink.

Boil treated water can safely be stored in clean and resealable containers for up to one year.

Bleach: A highly effective method, though dangerous if not done properly, bleach is a wonderful tool for treating questionable water. Use plain liquid bleach with no additives or additional ingredients. Never use scented, color safe, powdered, or boosted bleaches when treating water.

To treat water with chlorine bleach, simply place the water into a clean container and add exactly 16 drops for every gallon of water (this is most easily done with an eye-dropper). Stir the mixture well and let it rest for 30 minutes. If the water does not retain a slight bleach smell, repeat the addition of drops per gallon and let it rest for another 15 minutes. If it still does not retain a slight bleach smell, the water is too highly contaminated and will not be usable. At this point, it’s time to get a new batch of water and try again.

•1 quart bottle 4 drops of bleach

•2 liter soda bottle 10 drops of bleach

•1 gallon jug 16 drops of bleach (1/8 tsp)

•2 gallon cooler 32 drops of bleach (1/4 tsp)

•5 gallon bottle 1 teaspoon of bleach

Bleach treated water can safely be stored in clean and resealable containers for up to one year.