Simple Home Tests to Determine Whether Your Bullion Is Real or Fake

"Here is a very informative article from one of my readers. Jerrell asked if I would post it in efforts to help readers identify whether or not your precious metals are real. Jerrell is from Money Metals Exchange. Money Metals Exchange, is the national precious metals dealer that was just voted #1 in the U.S., partly because they publish a large amount of high-quality content."                                                                                                                                                -Urban Man

Simple Home Tests to Determine Whether Your Bullion Is Real or Fake

Just about all bullion investors worry about counterfeits. Those concerns are magnified when someone is buying for the first time. Stories about fake coins from Asia and gold bars drilled and filled with Tungsten have been in the headlines recently. But the truth is, counterfeiting is just about as old as the concept of money itself.

Fortunately, making phony coins or bars isn't easy. The equipment involved is significant – it takes far more than a color printer and the right paper. And making fakes good enough to pass a few simple tests is darn near impossible.

Some testing equipment, such as mass spectrometers and sonogram machines, are expensive and impractical for the typical person to use.

However, here are some lower budget ways you can determine whether or not the bullion you hold is genuine:

Size and Weight

Gold and silver are extraordinarily dense metals – much denser than just about any base metal (even lead and mercury in the case of gold). That means just about all fakes that weigh correctly will be too large in diameter and/or thickness. Or they will be underweight in order to achieve the right diameter and thickness. Simply comparing the diameter and thickness of the coin in question with others known to be genuine could be enough to put you at ease.

If not, an inexpensive set of calipers and a jeweler's scale are a good way of checking. Every coin or round is produced with close tolerances in terms of diameter, thickness, and weight. You can find these dimensions on the “Specifications” tab on our coin and round product pages.

Investors might also consider Fisch Testers. Genuine coins will be both small enough in diameter and thin enough to fit through a slot in the tool, while remaining heavy enough to tip the tool on its 

fulcrum. Simple and very effective.

Sound or “Ping” Testing

Authentic gold and silver coins chime when struck and the difference is notable versus base metals.

Base metal coins will sound duller and their ring will be shorter -- much like the difference between clinking crystal versus glass champagne flutes.

Try balancing the coin on your fingertip and strike it with another coin. This video provides a good demonstration.

Investors with an iPhone can also install the CoinTrust application and test a short list of the most popular gold and silver coins by gently spinning them on a hard surface with the phone’s microphone positioned nearby.

Android users can install the Bullion Test app. Choose the coin from a drop down list, press the microphone button, then balance the coin on your fingertip and strike it with a fingernail or another coin. Results are instant and accurate.

Magnetism

The above video on ping testing also references another simple technique for using a magnet to identify fakes. Gold and silver are non-magnetic. Placing a strong magnet on a coin and tipping it to watch whether the magnet slides off, as it should, or sticks, like it would to a counterfeit, requires only an inexpensive magnet and a few seconds. (Note that some base metals used in counterfeiting are also non-magnetic, so we suggest doing this in conjunction with some other techniques listed.)

Thermal Conductivity Testing for Silver

Silver is one of the best conductors of thermal energy found in nature. That makes it easy to test silver bullion using nothing more than an ice cube. Place an ice cube on top of a silver bar, coin, or round, and you should see it begin melting almost instantly as heat is quickly transferred. Holding a coin or round between fingers or in the palm of your hand makes the results even more noticeable as the silver rapidly cools to your touch.

Acid Testing

Investors can purchase inexpensive acid test kits for gold and silver. Watching the color change in a drop of acid can reveal whether or not a sample is genuine. However, acids should be handled carefully. Your items can be permanently discolored.

Since bullion coins, rounds, and bars are valued for their metal content, not their beauty, discoloration is unlikely to reduce the value of your bullion by more than a small amount. But it’s still wise to use acid testing sparingly and with caution.

A Word about Tungsten Fakes

Some of the hardest to detect counterfeit gold products involve tungsten. Tungsten’s density is close to that of gold, and it is relatively inexpensive. Here are some of the best ways to avoid problems:

Avoid large gold bars. 10-ounce and larger gold bars are among the easiest to tamper with as they can be drilled, filled with tungsten, and then plugged again with gold. This is more difficult with units 1 oz and smaller. Tungsten is extraordinarily hard whereas gold is soft. This means tungsten is very difficult to use in minting or fabricating small items. It is brittle, and stamping it with a design will result in coins with less detail unless it has been plated with a thick layer of gold.

Ring testing as outlined above should still offer defense against tungsten fakes.

If the deal is too good to be true, it probably is. Never buy gold bullion below its melt value unless you know and trust its origins.

Buy silver. No metal shares a similar density to silver, making it even more difficult to make good counterfeits than with gold. Plus, the financial incentive is lower.

Recently some of the more prominent mints and refiners have begun employing technology to mark products with seals that assure authenticity. For example, Sunshine Minting rounds and bars carry a seal that reads “VALID” when viewed using their proprietary lens and oriented correctly.

Investors can expect this sort of technology to be more widely used in the coming years. (Note: the lens carries a cost of around $20.00 and needs to be purchased separately from the metal itself.)

As mentioned above, the best defense against fake bullion is to buy from a reputable dealer. Money Metals Exchange sources products directly from well-regarded mints and refiners and employs good quality controls. That is why we can confidently stand behind every product we sell – guaranteeing authenticity, weight, and purity.

Clint Siegner is a Director at Money Metals Exchange, perhaps the nation's fastest-growing dealer of low-premium precious metals coins, rounds, and bars. Siegner, a graduate of Linfield College in Oregon, puts his experience in business management along with his passion for personal liberty, limited government, and honest money into the development of Money Metals' brand and reach. This includes writing extensively on the bullion markets and their intersection with policy and world affairs.

"Urban Man says buyer beware!"

Urban Man

The Coming Collapse

"Here is an interesting article I just read. You read it and you be the judge.- Urban Man"

Crash in September?

Very possible say's Bob Rinear. Most people, prepper advisers or financial analysts know that a collapse is coming. Most won't go on record predicting a specific time frame. Well, Mr. Rinear comes as close as I've seen with is article below. But in any event, it's hard to prep and prep hard day by day, week by week and month b month. It is helpful to get "spun up" in a controlled manner to have a date to be finished or at least situated for. This article does that,...gives us until September of this year to be ready.

"Crash in September?"

 
If you've been reading us for any length of time you know that I've mentioned that we might see some interesting events in the September/October time frame. That has prompted people to ask “why then?” which is a very good question. But the reasons for my observations will cause some people to question my sanity. That’s okay, it’s been done a million times before.

Let me lay out some ground work before we get into some pretty interesting discussion.

Every one of you lives through cycles, and most of them we don’t even pay attention to, they’re just “the way it is”. For instance you know with NO doubt that when you go to bed tonight, that tomorrow the sun will rise. It has for billions of years and will continue to for billions more.

That’s a cycle. You also have no problem declaring that as sure as the sun will rise, your winter will be followed by spring, which is followed by summer and then autumn will appear. That’s a never ending cycle as the earth makes its travels around the sun.

Then there’s the cycle of the zodiac. As the earth circles around the sun, the stars we observe in the night sky change. As the seasons progress it appears as though we’re traveling through the different constellations, again this is a cycle as it looks like the sun passes through the 12 star signs. Then there’s the 26000 year cycle of how the earth (which spins like a top) wobbles on its axis, only to return to where it started.

In economics, there’s many many “cycles” that have been observed, from the typical “boom/bust” to the longer wave theories. Take for instance the “Kondratieff wave”. It was developed by a Russian economist named Nikolai Kondratiev, and as Wikipedia has noted, his economic theories got him into so much trouble with the Russian government that he was eventually executed because of them. 

This is how it works….

Kondratiev’s analysis described how international capitalism had gone through many such “great depressions” and as such were a normal part of the international mercantile credit system. The long term business cycles that he identified through meticulous research are now called “Kondratieff” cycles or “K” waves.

The K wave is a 60 year cycle (+/- a year or so) with internal phases that are sometimes characterized as seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter:

Spring: a new factor of production, good economic times, rising inflation

Summer: hubristic ‘peak’ war followed by societal doubts and double digit inflation

Autumn: the financial fix of inflation leads to a credit boom which creates a false plateau of prosperity that ends in a speculative bubble

Winter: excess capacity worked off by massive debt repudiation, commodity deflation & economic depression. A ‘trough’ war breaks psychology of doom.

Well according to K wave theorists, we’re in the winter phase, something that should last until about 2020, with a serious depression hitting before then.

Of course there are many other examples of “waves” or cycles, including Elliot waves, Kress cycles, Proprietary cycles, energy wave cycles, etc. But there’s another one that’s making headlines lately and it’s called the “Shemitah” which is based on Biblical interpretation.

The basic idea is this…when God told Moses how things had to work, there was a “rest period” on the 7th year of the cycle. So you’d sow and reap for 6 years then let the ground lay “fallow” or dormant on the 7th year. It also corresponded with the dismissal of debt. Every 7th year on the last day of they cycle month of Tishri, all debts had to be discharged, which tended to lead to economic upheavals. In fact the last day of the cycle has it’s own name called Elul which is the 29th day.

Well, the Shemitah years get a lot of press simply because they’re very interesting. I personally don’t believe in random coincidence, I believe in synchronicity which I can best describe as “coincidence with a purpose”. Well, when you look at the years that correspond with the Shemitah, you do indeed see some incredible correlations. Almost every major economic “shaking” has landed in a Shemitah year cycle, with the bulk of the big events clustered around a 3 week period at the end of a Shemitah cycle year.

So what have we seen happen in Shemitah cycle years? Well the biggest stock market crashes on record happened during them. On September 17th, 2001 (which was Elul 29 on the Jewish calendar), we witnessed the greatest one day stock market crash in U.S. history up to that time.

At the end of the next Shemitah year in 2008, another horrifying stock market crash took place.

On September 29th, 2008 the Dow plummeted 777 points, which still today remains the greatest one day stock market crash of all time. (Barring “flash crashes” of course) Oh and guess what? It landed on Elul 29, the last day of the calendar. But it wasn't just 2001 and 08 that gets interesting. 

The market crash of 30/31, was another “record” time for the period. The recession/market melts of 1973, 1980, 1987, 1994 and 2001 come to mind. All of them were Shemitah years. The mind boggling event of 9/11 was at the last week of a shemitah year in the month of Tishri. That’s quite the coincidence.

I could go on an on about the Shemitah because frankly there’s simply too many events to ignore the fact that because of or in spite of, things tend to happen in those years. For instance this year Elul 29 will fall on September 13th, but that’s a Sunday right? Right. 

However that means the market stops trading on 9/11 ( we've seen a total halt to all trading on 9/11 once before) however the Globex global markets do trade on Sunday evening the 13th. Wait it gets even stranger….On Sept 13th, the Biblical Elul 29 we also get a Solar eclipse. The last time that happened where a solar event landed on Elul 28 at the end of a cycle we got the 1987 “Black Monday” the following days.

So am I saying I think something really wicked could happen this Sept/October because it falls on a Shemitah cycle and Tishri month? Not exactly. When you look at markets you have to have an “assemblage of information” to make your decisions. Just like when we enter a trade we want a stock with 1) a reason it might want to go up 2) a defined level it must cross to prove it wants up and 3) a flat to rising market to help it. Well when looking at the big picture, we also have to line up more than one thing. So consider the following….

This September is indeed the end of the Shemitah cycle and Tishri is the last month of that cycle. Things do tend to happen on or around those dates. We have a Solar eclipse scheduled to happen on that very same day. Interesting. Then we add in the Kondratieff cycle which says we’ll be in the “winter” of the big cycle, often leading to recessions/depressions, etc.

The Kress cycle says that the end of 2014 – the 2017 period, should cause shaking. The Armstrong cycle suggests trouble as it peaks in October of 2015 and leads to massive trouble by 2020. The Elliot wave cycle suggests a period of turmoil.

All these interesting cycles suggest some trouble on the way. While you can’t place 100% confidence in ANY humanistic cycle, when you add up how many of them point to troubles, you should at least take note. But it isn't simply moon cycles or K cycles or Shemitah’s that have me pondering some autumn troubles. We've got global Geo-political issues that are coming front and center too.

The IMF is going to re-balance it’s weightings of the SDR’s this September. We know that China wants in in the worst way. If they get the Yuan included in the basket, it will be one more shot to the stomach of the US dollar, a currency no one seems to want to trade in any more.

The Greeks got an extension of their economic woes put off until June where we’re going to have to endure more back and forth bickering with the European Union. Could that ultimately lead to a Greek exit around September?

I’m on record saying the Fed’s will indeed raise rates this year. While largely symbolic, there will be reaction to it. If it doesn't happen in June, the next likely time slot would be September. Interesting? Maybe. What about Ukraine? There are some who believe that NATO might make a push to get closer to Russia’s borders before the harsh winter season sets in. The month of September has been mentioned a few times. Will Russia sit back and let NATO arms park on their doorstep? Not likely.

Here’s the bottom line folks. We all know this economy is held together with Duct tape, hollow promises, derivatives and printed money. We also know it is going to end one day. We know the world is a very dangerous place with major tensions over Ukraine, Syria and Iran. We know that any number of things could be the “one” that causes a great shaking. From where I sit, the most logical time for something to happen would be the 90 days from August through October. Will it? I have no idea. We could go through the period with nary a hiccup. Or we could see a massive crash. I just find it all worthy of note, and take my guess that we “very well could” see an event in that time period.

Urban Man

Chapter 29: Expanding Knowledge Through Reading

Taking the advice from my Survivalist friends, I have been reading several good books on prepping and survival. Although most are fiction, they are written in such as way that the scenarios can actually take place or are taken from real events.

I recently read Liberators from James Wesley Rawles and found it to be riveting.

What I Learned From Rawles' "Liberators"

James Wesley, Rawles (really have no idea why the comma is before his last name) is the pre-eminscent author of Survival Prepper Books. His series of "Patriots", "Survivors", "Founders", "Expatriates", and the latest, "Liberators", are all educational as well as entertaining. If you simply read these books to get ideas on how to prepare, they are worth it.

This is what I have learned or think I have learned from the latest book "Liberators". I won't go into the story line so I won’t ruin it for some of you who haven't read it.

Precious Metals. I need more "junk silver". I has a decent amount of one ounce Silver rounds and a few ounces of Gold, but minimal junk silver. Junk Silver is older U.S. coinage which contain some percentage of silver. Some of these may have a collectible or numismatic value greater than the value of the silver content. But the idea for preppers is to have some on hand in order to purchase goods, material and services when fiat currency is in free fall or no longer accepted at all. These "junk silver" coins are:

Dollars:

Morgan (1878–1921) -- 90-percent silver
Peace (1921–1928 and 1934–1935) -- 90-percent silver

Half-Dollars:

Liberty Head "Barber" (1892–1915) -- 90-percent silver
Walking Liberty (1916–1947) -- 90-percent silver
Franklin (1948–1963) -- 90-percent silver
Kennedy (1964) -- 90-percent silver
Kennedy (1965–1970) -- 40-percent silver

Quarters:

Liberty Head "Barber" (1892–1916) -- 90-percent silver
Standing Liberty (1916–1930) -- 90-percent silver
Washington (1932, 1934–1964) -- 90-percent silver

Dimes:

Liberty Head "Barber" (1892–1916) -- 90-percent silver
Winged Liberty Head "Mercury" (1916–1945) -- 90-percent silver
Roosevelt (1946–1964) -- 90-percent silver

Nickels:

Jefferson "Wartime" (1942 (partial)-1945) -- 35-percent silver

Manuals and Books on digits. 

I have a decent amount of books on thumb drives and can be opened and viewed on a computer,..e.g..laptop, pda, tablet, nook or kindle. I am lacking military manuals. I have some, but since many are free for downloading, I am going to secure many of these onto thumb drives. 

I am just going to re-dedicated myself to storing more as those 16 and 32 gb thumb drive can contain a lot! I need to store some more thumb drives even the very small ones, no bigger than a finger nail, that are easy to conceal. You never know when you need to conceal digital information through hostile people at check points.Some of the books and manuals I'm going to download (already have started) are:

FM 1-02, OPERATIONAL TERMS AND GRAPHICS
FM 2-0, INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS
FM 2-19.4, BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS
FM 2-22.2, COUNTERINTELLIGENCE
FM 2-22.3, HUMAN INTELLIGENCE COLLECTOR OPERATIONS
FM 2-91.4 3/20/2008 INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT TO URBAN OPERATIONS
FM 2-91.6 10/10/2007 SOLDIER SURVEILLANCE AND RECONNAISSANCE FUNDAMENTALS
FM 3-05.70 5/17/2002 SURVIVAL
FM 3-11.4 6/2/2003 MULTISERVICE TACTICS, TECHNIQUES, AND PROCEDURES FOR NUCLEAR, BIOLOGICAL, AND CHEMICAL (NBC) PROTECTION
FM 3-11.5 4/4/2006 MULTISERVICE TACTICS, TECHNIQUES, AND PROCEDURES FOR CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, RADIOLOGICAL, AND NUCLEAR DECONTAMINATION
FM 3-11.9 1/10/2005 POTENTIAL MILITARY CHEMICAL/BIOLOGICAL AGENTS AND COMPOUNDS
FM 3-22.9 8/12/2008 RIFLE MARKSMANSHIP, M16-/M4-SERIES WEAPONS
FM 3-24.2 4/21/2009 TACTICS IN COUNTERINSURGENCY
FM 3-34.214 7/11/2007 EXPLOSIVES AND DEMOLITIONS
FM 3-75 5/23/2012 RANGER OPERATIONS
FM 3-90-2 3/22/2013 RECONNAISSANCE, SECURITY, AND TACTICAL ENABLING TASKS
FM 4-25.11 12/23/2002 FIRST AID
FM 6-02.53 8/5/2009 TACTICAL RADIO OPERATIONS
FM 21-10 6/21/2000 FIELD HYGIENE AND SANITATION
TC 2-22.7 2/18/2011 GEOSPATIAL INTELLIGENCE HANDBOOK
TC 2-22.82 3/21/2011 BIOMETRICS-ENABLED INTELLIGENCE
TC 3-22.10 9/30/2013 SNIPER TRAINING AND OPERATIONS
FM 31-21, GUERILLA WARFARE
ST 31-91B, ARMY SPECIAL FORCES MEDICAL HANDBOOK

Caches. I've got to plan to have better cache material on hand and to upgrade the one Bug Out support cache I have emplaced. A roll of thick mil plastic, some pre-cut section of PVC with caps ought to do. I have many surplus GI ammunition cans on hand and I'll be on the lookout for more if they are cheap, but it push comes to Crunch, I'll be okay with what I have.

I have been getting some food grade feed buckets that contains some type of livestock feed from a friend of mine. It's been about 6 months since I last talked to him, so I'll make a mental not to drop him an e-mail and see if he has any more buckets to give away. These can be used for caches as well, but my biggest use is to storage. 

Plus, I have several 3 to 5 day food buckets ready, full of diverse food items, coffee, rice, beans, honey, peanut butter, hard crackers, bullion cubes, etc. So I don't have to unpack bulk storage items during movement. Besides these buckets work well as seats or small tables and the contents can be emptied to collect water in.

Gear. I need to up my cold weather gear. I have the sleeping bags, ground cloths, long underwear, gloves, hats, neck gaiters but I am lacking in heavier coats and tentage. During a significant enough collapse, you may face a long movement in order to get somewhere safe.

Safes places on your bug out route will likely be remote areas that don't offer much shelter. Cold camps,e.g. without a fire, will possibly be the norm and un-survivalable without decent cold weather clothing.

Ethics. Rawles, based on his pretty deep Christian beliefs, infuses his novels and characters with this belief. Makes for interesting ethical dilemmas. How you treat any refugees who are in need. How you feel about killing - about killing people who would kill you if they had the chance; or killing people who needed killing, but you could avoid killing.

What about lying? Is it okay to lie, perhaps imparting a cover story, to authorities?

Basically, the questions of ethics has to be raised within any survival group to find out what individuals beliefs are and what the group norms and procedures will be. Certainly, these may change after the onset of any collapse and the degree and type of threats facing the groups, but this needs to be an area of concern for any group. And it's not simply all having the same religion.

I have many deeply Christian friends, and I would venture that the spread of acceptable ethics are pretty wide between these individuals.

Anyway, while I enjoy the Rawles' novels and the series of novels from A. American (the Home series) and Joe Nobody (the Holding Their Own series), I always read the book from the perspective of placing myself in the character's positions and scenarios and think what would I have done.

It turned out to be a good exercise as I was able to develop the list above on where I should get better in my preps.

Civil Unrest Coming Soon to a Neighborhood Near You

Economist: Financial Collapse Will Cause Civil Unrest to Erupt in America by 2016

 

Rampant corruption combined with economic woes to spark "revolution".  Economist Martin Armstrong is predicting that rising resentment against the status quo as a result of economic inequality is likely to cause a serious political uprising before 2016.

 

“It looks more and more like a serious political uprising will erupt by 2016 once the economy turns down. That is the magic ingredient. Turn the economy down and you get civil unrest and revolution,” writes Armstrong.

 

In making the forecast, the economist cites the case of 90-year-old World War 2 veteran Arnold Abbott, who is being targeted by authorities in Fort Lauderdale for defying a newly passed city ordinance that criminalizes feeding the homeless, an example says Armstrong of how “laws in the USA have simply gone nuts.”
 

Armstrong, who correctly predicted the 1987 Black Monday crash as well as the 1998 Russian financial collapse, asserts that the downfall of the system will be its inability to gauge the anger that Americans currently feel towards their government.

 

“You just cannot make up this stuff. And the Democrats cannot figure out that the people are getting pissed-off at who is ever in office? And what about the police?” asks Armstrong. “Is this just turning into thugs with badges who just enforce whatever law some nut-job politician writes? What if they passed a Herod type law to curb population and decree that everyone must kill their first-born. When does reason ever return to the police force these days? They no longer protect the people – they protect the politicians against the people.”

 

As we reported back in August, the U.S. Army is preparing for civil unrest in the United States. A 132-page document entitled U.S. Army Techniques Publication 3-39.33: Civil Disturbances outlines how troops may be required to deal with “unruly and violent crowds” where it is “necessary to quell riots and restore public order.”

 

Riots which rocked Ferguson, Missouri earlier this year and threaten to reignite should Officer Darren Wilson be acquitted illustrate how single events can spark sustained social unrest.

 

However, more widespread dislocation is only likely to occur in the aftermath of an economic collapse which impacts a huge number of Americans. As we have seen in numerous countries across Europe, including in Belgium just today, crippling austerity measures combined with anemic economic growth have set the stage for violent unrest.

 

In a February 2013 article entitled Why the Banking Elite Want Riots in America, we outlined why the political class is perfectly content to engineer and exploit social unrest as a means of paving the way for the IMF to engage in its tried and tested method of asset stripping and looting a nation.

 

With polls showing some 74% of Americans are already angry or dissatisfied with the government, further economic hardship could prove to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. 

[source: Paul Johnson, InfoWars.com]

Urban Man reply:  I believe this article hits it on the head. Just look how people reacted on "black Friday" sales at the local shopping malls.

Urban Man

This Is Where WWIII Will Start, Says An Expert? You Decide!

Dooms Day Clock is 3 Minutes Before Midnight

The Doomsday clock is now just 3 minutes from midnight - should the rise of conflicts across the Middle East and Ukraine serve as a warning sign that something much more dangerous is approaching?

 

According to Jim Rickards, the CIA's Asymmetric Warfare Adviser, the answer is yes.

 

In a startling interview he reveals that all 16 U.S. Intelligence Agencies have begun to prepare for World War III.

 

Making matters worse, his colleagues believe it could begin within the next 6 months.

 

However, the ground zero location for this global conflict is what makes his interview a must-see for every American.

Take a few moments to watch it below and decide for yourself.

[source: Monday Morning Staff Reports]

 

Urban Man

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