Equipment and Material Questions from Survivalists

I routinely receive singular questions from readers so it has been my practice to save them up, the ones I don't answer via e-mail, and post them with my comments.

1. "Have you seen or tasted Survival Tabs? Are you stocking Survival Tabs as part of your food supply or Bug Out bag?"

UrbanMan's reply: Short answer is no. I haven't seen Survival Tabs since we tested them circa 1984. Great idea, to carry 15 days of survival food in a plastic tub that will fit into a one quart canteen carrier - they even come with a plastic bag so you can transfer the survival tabs into the bag and use the plastic tub as a water canteen, BUT the key point here is that they taste like crap. Again, no, I do not have any Survival Tabs, nor will I be buying any. I have soup mixes, granola bars, nuts, and small food packets for my Bug Out bags.

2. "I did not see you list bandage scissors in your medical kit recommendations. The primary use for bandage scissors is to cut the clothes, such as pants, off of patients to address the wounds and injuries. Do you advocate using a seat belt cutter instead of scissors?"

UrbanMan's reply: I'm not going to go back and check, but every kit I have has either the common bandage scissor, surgical scissors and/or a multi-tool with scissors. Scissors of many types belong in the preppers stocks. From first aids needs, to harvesting vegetables to dressing game - scissors are valuable. The latest and greatest medical scissors will be shortly offered from Leatherman, the creator of the original Multi-tool. Their new product is called the Leatherman Raptor. I got my hands on one a few months ago and this is gem with the standard shears and includes a glass breaker, strap and ring cutter and even a wrench for oxygen tanks. I will be buying at least two of these when they are offered hopefully in May 2013.


3. "I do not have a flint and steel fire starter. I don't see the need if one has boxes of lighters, regular and storm matches."

UrbanMan's reply: Fair enough. I will continue to keep my several magnesium flint and steel fire starters. I also have boxes of matches, cases of MRE's with matvches in the accessory pack, bags of Bic lighters and even a couple fancy storm lighters with can be replaced with fuel. Magnesium starts last a long, long time. My way is to use them wherever I can, saving the lighters and matches. My boxes of regular and stick matches are mainly for barter, but I have enough Bic lighters to trade one where and there if/when the collapse hits and commodities barter replace precious metals to a large extent as we transition to a straight barter soceity. Consider PACE planning, that is Primary, Alternate, Contingency and Emergency measures in all aspects of your collapse survival plan, from material and food supplies, to firearms, to route planning and Bug Out plans and yes even to fire starting. So come on get yourself a megnesium fire starter - you'll enjoy starting fires feeling like Grizzly Adams!

Solar Desalinator - Purifies Contaminated Water

Gary sent a link to UrbanSurvivalSkills.com and I was wondering if anyone out there had any experience with this solar desalinator?  Same principle as a survival solar still.  Heat from the Sun vaporizes the contaminated water, leaving contaminants at the bottom while the purified condensation collects on the underside of the clear plastic top and runs down to be collected. 

While anyone handy can build much the same device, a couple of kits, one always bagged up for immediate Bug Out or cached someplace, may be a handy and effective way to ensure you have this capability.

Four to six liters of pure water per day would require one or more kits per person in order to produce enough water for daily needs.  Anyway the ad:

Our University of Alabama patented solar desalination product uses no electricity, can be taken anywhere and extracts pure water from any contaminated water source. It removes radiation, fluoride, salt, pesticides, bacteria, dirt and other contaminants from any water. Be prepared for disasters, save hundreds on bottled water and utility bills.Our panel is a desalinator, not just a filter. It removes pure water from the contaminated source, one pure h2o molecule at a time.

The panel water is up to ten times more pure than tap water and up to 700 times more pure than contaminated ground water. Use over and over with no filters to clog and nothing to wear out. our panels are made of UV-stabilized, FDA-compliant, food-grade plastic to give you years of trouble-free use.

You already know how important water is to your emergency kit, and you may already have reserve water with your food and other preparedness gear, at least enough for a few days or weeks. But what about for months and years? And how much water weight can you carry if you need to take the show on the road? Can you be sure you’ll have water pressure at your tap if you need it most to fill up emergency water containers? Is that well or stream water contaminated? Do you have the equipment to remove radioactive isotopes and fallout from your water? Is your regular water filter enough? Water filters are the time-tested preparedness tool, and they work great for short-term use, but they often need a steady supply of replacement components and they can’t remove salt, arsenic and other dissolved contaminants.

When the contaminants are in solution with the water, they slip through even the best filters. To make the most difficult water sources drinkable you’ll need a full-fledged desalination system, but those are usually power-hungry, they foul with the wrong kind of contaminants, or they require single-use chemical pouches. If you live near the ocean, you’ll need a way to convert seawater into drinking water with robust reliability. If you have access to contaminated surface water, you’ll need a way to remove pesticides, arsenic, fluoride and chemicals that are in solution with the water, and which can’t be filtered. There’s a better, long-term, robust solution for your emergency kit! It can convert any contaminated source into pure, delicious drinking water for you and your family for months and years into the unknown using only sunlight.

No replacement filters, no chemicals, batteries, or parts to worry about sourcing into the unknown. Everything you’ll need for years-worth and thousands of gallons of water making is in a single lightweight bag.

Are Foreign Troops Here for Martial Law?

I received this alarming e-mail from a reader called STONE03: "UrbanMan you need to understand that the government is bringing in foreign troops to start martial law. I think the Government is going to use Homeland security and the foreign troops because the US military would be unreliable enforcing martial law and confiscating guns. Go to this link at Before It's News to see the latest breaking news on foreign troops ALREADY in this country! You need to get the word out and put it on your site. OUT STONE03."


UrbanMan replies: Okay Stone, I'm posting it now. I went to the provided link. Bottom line is I know some of it is total bullshit and I suspect all of it is. For the reader here is what is being reported on Before It's News:

"DHS armored vehicles being delivered from Kentucky to Tennessee. What makes this interesting is that the drivers were not AMERICAN military, but rather FOREIGN military troops driving these vehicles."

"When American people spoke to these foreign drivers, they detected they were either Russian or Eastern European/Slavic in background. Many Americans are wondering what this is all about."

"I will tell you exactly what this is all about, from years of research across America, and traveling to Europe to uncover more of the role of foreign troops in America's grim future."

"After I heard that Holloman AFB in Alamogordo, NM, had been turned over to the GERMAN BUNDESWEHR LUFTWAFFE (German Air Force) for their military use and training of German pilots, I decided to go down to Alamogordo to see what was unfolding."

"Six weeks were spent in interviewing both American and German troops in Alamogordo. I also went live on radio with Mike Shinaberry to discuss martial law in America and the role of foreign troops, including German troops. My book then in print, "PREMONITIONS OF AN AMERICAN HOLOCAUST," was also being distributed at that time there. IN fact, the Germans sent one of their military men to purchase a copy of my book at the radio station."

"I came away from that sobering experience very enlightened...and also shaken. I remember thinking, "SO it IS true...everything I have been reading about the NWO and martial law!"

"German military were actually bragging at times to the Americans, that they were indeed there for martial law. One German military officer informed a Christian group out for Sunday buffet after church, that they were there to do the dirty work that the American troops did not want to do to their fellow Americans under martial law."

UrbanMan again: The German Air Force and their Air Defense Missile people have been in the U.S. training, in a permanent fashion, for something like 40 years! I understand that the U.S. Army is moving their Air Defense center to Fort Sill, Oklahoma. So again, the German Air Force has been in this country for decades.

As far as the information -"What makes this interesting is that the drivers were not AMERICAN military, but rather FOREIGN military troops driving these vehicles." - If the government was trying to smuggle in foreign troops to enact martial law, do you think they would have them readily recognizable as foreign troops?

As far as this quote: "German military were actually bragging at times to the Americans, that they were indeed there for martial law. One German military officer informed a Christian group out for Sunday buffet after church, that they were there to do the dirty work that the American troops did not want to do to their fellow Americans under martial law." - Are you kidding me? If the German military actually said that to someone, they were feeding that person's ignorance. As for the speech in church, who actually heard it? I'll bet that was totally fabricated.

For sure, DHS (Homeland Security) is doing some strange and suspicious things, like the humongous ammunition purchase and the fielding of Mine Resistant Vehicles (MRAP's). As to the MRAP's they are surplus from the military. From a few of my DHS contacts, they say there are plans to use them at the land ports of entry where immigrants and visitors come through in case there is a "rush" through there, as well as for situations like Hurricane Katrina to protect relief and rescue employees.

I don't know Stone,...maybe I'm trying to be too reasonable. Maybe I am wearing rose colored glasses,.....I know there are way too many situations to prepare to survive without having foreign troop enacted martial law being the main threat!!

Gold and Silver Prices Sliding - Chance for Preppers

The current slide of Gold (and Silver) prices which now appear at this post time to be possibly be inching  up again, nor reports of Gold scarcity from purchases by foreign governments (read Chinese among others) have nothing to do with the Survivalist's need to have some gold and silver on hand as an essential component of their collapse plan. Let me say that again,....all the hoopla around Gold and Silver, .....as investments, as hedges against inflation, or to protect against deflation of the dollar have nothing to do with the the need for preppers to have some precious metals on hand, be it gold and/or silver bullion, and/or coins for silver melt value just to have some type of buying power after a economic or financial collapse.

It has been reported by several respected financial analysts that China and India alone account for almost 80% of the annual Gold purchases. Add in Russia's new focus on building national wealth through Gold purchases does not leave much for the rest of the world. There have also been reports that the U.S. is vastly overstating the Gold Reserves that the Federal government holds. Nice! In some minds this makes it more likely that the U.S. Government will develop some sort of regulation on physical precious metal holdings and even a confiscation program under the guise of national security, a la F.D.R.

In my mind, damaged as it is, I draw a difference between a economic collapse and a financial collapse. In short, an economic collapse would be commodities driven with shortages (fuels and food among others) and skyrocketing prices driving food riots and the projected government attempts to control the mess. On the other hand a financial collapse would be a collapse of the dollar, a tanking of Wall Street reminisance of the Great Depression, or a possible attack on our banking systems and networks.

I don't expect many people to agree with me on the above definitions, but that's how I have to cateogorize these real threats in my mind and in my speech to predict possible scenarios.

Back to Gold and Silver. So again, the market forces, large foreign government buys and investment advice all have nothing to do with the need for the totally prepared survivalist to have physical gold and/or silver on hand as purchasing power if and when the dollar holds no more value, or is even perceived to hold no more value and people will refuse to accept it for transactions.

I fully realize that most people cannot buy Gold as it is prohibitive expensive to buy much if any at all. Gold closed on Friday 19 April at $1,392.70 an ounce while Silver closed $23.30, so Silver is the poor or average man's precious metal.

Two of the questions I get asked the most regarding keeping cash and precious metals on hand, are:

"How much cash should I keep on hand?"

Well how much can you afford to keep on hand? I know a guy who, every two weeks at payday, takes all his money out of the bank except for the mandatory minimum enough to pay bills. While I don't advocate this, I do admire this guy for the committment he has, as he has been doing this for three years now. No telling how much cash he has at home! And no, you can't have his address.

I believe that upon the imminent and actual collapse of fiat currency there will be people accepting cash for a short period of time,...until food runs out or until it is clear that fiat currency won't be making a comeback anytime soon.

Just like noted financial guru Dave Ramsey advocates an emergency fund, I just think this emergency fund should be partially kept at home if you can take measures to safe guard it.

"How much precious metals should I keep on hand"?

Again, how much can you afford? I have a very small amount of gold. SIlver is the poor man's precious metal and taking last week's closing price of $23.30 and not counting the premium you pay for rounds or bars, 100 ounces would cost you $2,330.00

Starting from nothing, if you bought 2 to 4 ounces a month after a year's time you would be a quarter to half way towards 100 ounces. I think that's a decent target goal. If you can afford mre then go for it. That advantage of buying small amounts at local sources, and paying cash, would keep you under the radar for both robbery and confiscation,...sorry about being redundant,..I should have just said robbery.

So just like that AR-15 you have in the closet and hope to never use for real, Gold and Silver fill an  emergency need as well.  Consider putting some away.