Preparedness – Page 2 – The Laughing Wolf

Surprise, Response

The previous post reminded me of one I’ve needed to do for a while. Some of the posts I do are to share knowledge and experience, some to share humor or joy, and some to provoke some thought. Especially if I’m not sure that things are being done and I want to push things while I am here to push them. On the latter, my concerns about the ability of humans to reproduce in space and microgravity are a good example, as I want to be sure it is something being looked at as we urgently need permanent settlements off this glorious mudball ASAP.

Right now, I want to talk a bit about command and control in the face of surprise. It is something I really hope is being looked at by Pete and company as they are taking care of a lot of things; and by the administration from a higher level. In particular, I want to look at nuclear command and control in the current environment.

A lot of our current system traces back to the pre-SAC days when Nightwatch was in Maryland and it was estimated we could have hours of notice. Even as that shrunk down, we’ve kept a lot of the basic premises past what I consider the best-buy date. As a result, I think we really, really, need to look at things and try to come up with something new.

Without going into too much detail (much less things that should not be talked about openly) our current system presumes something on the order of 30-minutes to an hour of warning of a surprise attack on the U.S. SecWar is the second man to the President for all intents and purposes, and is either with POTUS or in touch with him. POTUS is briefed on what is going on, confidence in the intel, etc. and uses the current iteration of the Single (Strategic) Integrated Operations Plan (SIOP) to order a response to the situation.

As we’ve discussed on here before in the “shall we play the game” category, the response is boiled down to a short (less than 200 characters) message that is then sent to the National Military Communications Center (NMCC) at the Pentagon who then re-codes it after confirmation, and sends it out to SAC (new version) and some other interested parties such as the Navy TACOMO planes. SAC then re-codes the order (after confirmation) and sends it out to it’s audience.

All well and good, and the two-man rule applies throughout. Well, all well and good if there is time. Are there alternatives if POTUS isn’t available or such? I’m told yes, though I have no details. Nor do I want them.

The thirty-minute window was predicated on detecting Soviet missiles being launched. Flight time from there to here is roughly thirty minutes. If we saw them fueling (Soviets/Russians use a lot of liquid-fueled ICBMs), longer period for response. That was sufficient: thirty or forty years ago.

Even twenty years ago, depressed trajectory shots from subs not too far off the coast cut that time from detection to impact to about fifteen minutes. The assurances the subs couldn’t get that close, and would be detected if they did, were deafening, though reminding me a bit of toddlers drumming their feet and yelling while having their fingers in their ears.

Today, we have massive container ships plying the waters of our country. If I can figure how to put one or more land-attack cruise missiles into a container for launch, I guarantee you others have as well. When you look at more modern drones, boy howdy are you talking the ability to get things in the air and to target with little or no detection. Iran has the capability (or did) and China has been openly experimenting with it. For all the open, think iceberg and know others have as well, a lot of others.

Thing is, if you launch like that from say a bay (and major trade route) near a capital city, you are potentially talking as little as five minutes from launch to impact. By the time the launch alert (if launch is even detected by anyone other than direct observers) gets to the right people in the military, you already have impact.

One also needs to factor in surface attack. Our borders were incredibly porous for way too long, and it is suspected that a lot more than people and drugs could have made it through. Small delivery van making the rounds in DC, passing in front of the White House, Congress, Pentagon…

I really, really do hope someone is looking at this, and looking to update the system. What we have now was good enough maybe ten years ago. Now, however… Think we need to rethink a number of things including designated survivors. I hope the world is about to get a lot more peaceful; but, you never plan for best case/most optimistic case. I will even go so far as to say we need some new designated survival centers as Camp David, Mount Weather, etc. are too well known.

Just a thought.

Please check out my Winter 26 Bleg!

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, and to start a truly new life, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Avoiding Water Everywhere And Not A Drop To Drink

This post, going over the results of my using the recent winter storm to test some of my preparations and finding them lacking in terms of distilled water, generated some good comments and even several off-line conversations. As noted here, a wonderful person sent me a countertop water distillation machine. Another off-line discussion on water filtration sparked some other exchanges and discussions, with the net result a Zerowater system is now on my countertop as well.

My new water distillation system, with huge thanks to kind person who sent it.

As it turns out, the new Zerowater system is also very much appreciated, as testing has indicated that I don’t need to wait for an emergency to begin filtering my water. In fact, in testing my water I’ve found that it ranges from 500-900 parts per million of dissolved solids. A good municipal system is supposed to test out at 200. I knew there was a reason I didn’t like cooking, even unto boiling pasta, with the tap water. The old joke is that the water in Indiana is a semi-fluid state of limestone, and I’m now thinking that may not have been a joke after all.

Zerowater system during initial set-up and testing.

The Zerowater filters (5-stage) are expensive, so I bought an inexpensive Brita to try and pre-filter the water in order to get the most life out of said expensive filters. Sadly, the Brita only knocks it down about 100 ppm so I am going to look for another, better filter system and hope some of you kind souls might send some via my Amazon Wish List.

The 2.5 gallon water storage unit that I want to upgrade to 5 gallon

I’ve spent about a week now testing the water multiple times, testing out the filter systems, and most of all, testing out the water distillation system. Let’s take a quick rundown on the essentials.

First, the countertop water distillation system is a blessing. It is a 750-watt system, and the power draw over the run times isn’t bad IMO. In fact, I doubt my landlord will notice it for a number of reasons. The outside of the unit does not get hot, though it does generate some noise from the durable fan system that cools the condenser coils. On a winter day, the warm to hot air that comes off the system is actually very much appreciated. Oh, it also has a chamber for packets of activated charcoal as a final step in the water production process.

The standard run for the unit, using the manufacturer’s setting, is 3.5 hours. You won’t see much in the first 30 minutes as the system is set for 105 decgrees Celsius. By the end, however, you have more than 3 liters of water in the collection jug/jar/whatever you want to call it. Using filtered water, I’ve had very little scale build-up inside the distillation system. It comes with some cleaner, and the same person who sent it also sent me a jug of citric acid which is what is used to clean it.

I’ve tested the output a few times, and mostly get 000 readings, though one time I did get a 001 reading. It tastes as good or better than the store-bought and the cost is far less. Not all that long ago, distilled water was about 88 cents a gallon. Now it is regularly $1.50 or more a gallon, and stores around here seem to be having issues keeping it in stock, whether in 1 gallon “milk” jugs or the larger 2.5 gallon dispensers. Between drinking, the humidifier, and other considerations, I can use two gallons of water a day.

Which means that if I were using straight tap water for distillation, my pay-off for the unit would be in 4-6 months if I were paying for the water and the electricity. Since my rent includes both, payoff would be within a month or two. Your mileage is going to vary, but if you use a good bit of distilled water I think it a very sound investment.

Provided you have sources of power for it, it is also great for emergencies. There are a number of videos out on it’s use, and I have to admit the one where the person got the water to distill out of an overgrown and abandoned horse trough and got drinkable water was impressive. In checking around, it appears a number of preparedness types are using it, or something similar, as part of their disaster preparedness plans. I’m very glad to have this string in my bow.

Most of my previous preparedness planning has revolved around use of filtration. Sand/gravel filters are not hard to make, provided you have sand and gravel handy. I’ve got some units for camping and such that were part of my plans, along with things like coffee filter units for some initial cleaning. For the record, coffee filters are inexpensive and they can and do remove a fair bit of debris from unclean sources of water. In an emergency or full-up disaster, you want to protect the good filters by using things like sand filters, coffee filter systems, etc. to remove as much as possible before you use the good filters.

For example, if we had lost power and water in the recent storm, the snow is there and part of that water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink thing. Fact is, if you go get a bunch of it into a big pot to melt, you are going to be getting a lot more than just ice crystals. Best option, IMO, is to put the pot on a propane burner or such, melt and boil, and then pour the cooled water through some basic filtration to get rid of as much debris and contamination as possible. Then run it through the good system(s) for drinking. Boiled and light filtered is good enough for bathing, cleaning, etc.

The testing of my water, however, has convinced me that I am much better off using as much distilled as I can, and using filtered water for some cooking and preparation where I had been using tap water. In fact, I’m looking at a 5 gallon tank to replace/augment the current 2.5 gallon tank and at adding a larger non-countertop still that can be run off a variety of burners, or even over a wood fire in an emergency. Both of which are on my wishlist.

I also do want to note that the countertop water distiller can also be used for producing essential oils, hydrosols, and, yes, alcohol. On the latter, I must note that home distillation apparently still requires a federal permit on top of any state and local requirements. I therefore urge you to talk to a lawyer before doing anything that might violate federal, state, or local laws, rules, regulations, etc. I also strongly suggest that if you don’t know what head, heart, and tails are you should stick to water. You can make yourself sick or blind if you don’t know what your are doing.

The best part of my childhood was spent in the mountains of NE Georgia. I knew a couple of people there who knew a thing or two about producing untaxed liquor. They are why I am picky and careful, because they knew people who weren’t. As a result, they had a good pure copper system and did things right. You didn’t have to worry about lead or other things in the system, and the head and tail were not included in the final product. Not saying it was a polished commercial product, but for white lightning it was pretty good. Some of the other stuff floating around, however…

As for me, I plan to find something to replace the Brita that gets more out as inexpensively as possible. That way I can get the longest possible life out of the Zerowater filters. I may go to just tap water in the water distiller, but want to continue to play around with things so that I have not only a good system in place for everyday use; but, also have more strings to my bow for emergencies.

To everyone who has sent things to me via the wish list and such, THANK YOU. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your gifts. Not only are they helpful, they are FUN. Thank you. More soon and will update on things as time goes on.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, and to start a truly new life, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. If you want to know some of what it is going for, read here. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Distilled Water Flows

I’m going to have a longer post here soon in the preparedness category, thanks to a wonderful person who arranged for a counter-top water distillation system to show up on my doorstep. I love it already, and there will be a good post on water filtration and water distillation as the counter-top unit was not the only thing to arrive on my doorstep. For now, to the wonderful person who sent the counter-top unit: thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU! My thanks also to those who shared knowledge, sparked some conversations on filtration and related, and for the other items that showed up at my doorstep: Thank You!

Oh, the distillation unit can also be used to create essential oils, hydrosols, and more. Let me also say some new items have shown up on my wish list. 🙂

More soon.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, and to start a truly new life, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. If you want to know some of what it is going for, read here. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

A Bit More On The Plan

I was hoping the storm might be less than the hype, but from some reports I’m seeing from Texas and beyond don’t look good. I still hope it is far less than the breathless warnings (which are reminding me uncomfortably of early COVID days), but as with anything where the weather guessers give large ranges, we will see what we get. May it be on the low side for all.

A part of me has halfway thought of a quick run to the store, but I fear that way lies madness, not to mention last-minute shoppers gone mad. If I went, it would be for some more heavy cream, a couple of extra gallons of distilled water for the humidifier, and maybe more chocolate. At least I’m not in the boat of someone on X who had to admit she had already eaten all the peanut butter M&Ms she had bought for the storm…

There have been some inquiries as to some of preparations, so thought I might share a couple of plans as they may help others.

We rarely have power outages where I am right now, but they do happen. Since we are a block away from a major hospital, tends to get back on pretty quick. Think the worst in the last few years was several hours, but you never know.

For heat, I have an emergency room heater that runs off propane, and enough propane to run it for several days, as well as enough propane to run the camp stove for several days. I also have a grasshopper stove that uses a different type of propane tank, as well as a butane portable chef’s stove I can bring into play. A goal of mine is to come up with some more large tanks and long hoses so I can run the camp stove and heater off the large tanks. That’s a matter of money, which is tight right now.

For light, I have two hanging lampada that are part of my home shrine; big church candles in the fireplace; lots of other candles at need; multiple good battery-operated camping lanters; multiple not-as-good camping lanterns to fill in the cracks and/or to loan to the landlord and housemate for use upstairs; a solar-powered lantern that is nice (thank you Beege!); and a couple of other options at need. So, bedroom, bathroom, and in between are well lit no matter what.

In terms of batteries, I have both rechargeable and regular batteries. The rechargeable can be done via a solar system I have, via a car adapter at need, and by regular electricity when it comes on again. I also have a solar-powered UPS that will run some basic electronics (or more) and the landlord has a UPS on the wifi and fiber-optic router so we should stay online.

If the power goes out, I plan to move items from the refrigerator into the area between the old garage door and the new interior wall. Problem may be keeping such from freezing. Items in the freezer can go into the big coolers and outside since temps are likely to be around zero.

I remember years ago a bad storm hit Northeast Georgia and a friend and her then-husband were trapped for a good while without power. They had a fireplace, which helped; but, it was so cold in their house that they had to open the door to the freezer to keep the food frozen, and open-and-shut the refrigerator to keep things cold and not frozen. Not going to get into the tale of the flying squirrel that froze to death in one of their toilets…

I have a fair bit of distilled water in place as I use it for cooking, drinking, etc. City water is mostly used for cleaning and such. City water has only gone out once, and not in winter, so we should be good but I do have plans in place should it go out. As long as it is on, if the power goes out, DRIP THOSE FAUCETS! Do not let the lines freeze. Make use of the hot water while you have it and be prepared to boil water at need afterwards until the system is flushed.

Oh, if the water does go out for you, remember the line: yellow is mellow, if brown it goes down. Save your flushing water for absolute need, and remember that you will need to still be able to wash and/or sterilize your hands.

Before I forget, I want to thank Kate of SmallDeadAnimals and Spudislander35 over on X for bringing back some good memories last night. Hard to believe in some ways that I got into preparedness and such while still in high school. My science fair competition project was designing a shelter for a fair sized group of people and a solid core of human knowledge to ride out a full-scale nuclear exchange for five years (or so). With what I’ve learned since then I would pretty much start over from scratch on the design, though it wasn’t bad.

That project led to other things, including getting to do planning (and even some implementation) for the office I was part of at the U.S. Arnold Engineering Development Center and being it’s liaison to Emergency Management/Disaster Preparedness there. Which helped lead to yet more down the road.

Last night also brought back some good memories of dinners and talks with Jerry Pournelle (and the ever gracious Roberta), and with Dean Ing. I think Dean and I were on a panel together at a North American Science Fiction Convention with Doctors for Disaster Preparedness (an organization I wish were still around).

May it be a weekend of good memories for us all. Remember, make the most of any time together as we know not what the future will bring.

Meantime, be prepared. Keep your family and friends close, and your things where you can find them in the dark.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, and to start a truly new life, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. If you want to know some of what it is going for, read here. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Be Careful Out There, Take ???

This post was shared at Instapundit a few days ago, and it made me rethink some decisions I made a couple of weeks ago. The important part of that decision was that I wasn’t planning on making yet another ‘be vigilant’ post here. Frankly, most of you who are regular readers live that already; quite a few of those who come in here from various Instapundit and other links also tend to be in that category; there are a few out there who want to or do live so far in the red it’s scary; and, there are a very small number who are so far on the other extreme that reality can’t even be piped in.

To be honest, I’m not worried about most of you being prepared (you are) and being aware of your surroundings (you live it). What I am worried about are those for whom the regular alerts and notices are a great excuse to clock out.

Let’s face it: one of the things various enemies (esp. terrorists) have done for a long time is ramp up chatter and such before various holidays. The fact is, we do have to pay attention, bring up plans and preparedness, and otherwise raise the alert even when not officially doing so. Each time there is a price, not just money but in individual alertness. The first times you get an alert (drill or things otherwise don’t happen) you are all-in. You are bright-eyed, bushy tailed, and probably (especially if young) pretty much wanting something to happen. By the twentieth time, this is no longer true and you want something to happen just enough to keep you awake.

So, the enemy ups the chatter and runs probes and such (such as what James Woods noticed pre-9/11) and do nothing. Soon, there is almost no response to the chatter or other, and that’s when you do act. You wait until it is dawn and you know the adversary is asleep, then you act.

For all that I am amazed (and delighted to be honest) that more hasn’t happened (yet) is that we have some pretty good ideas of what we face. It’s not just numbers (I still go with about 4 bat.) but we’ve even got some pretty good ideas of what countries and/or organizations are represented. Even if you don’t go with my estimate, consider that in testimony before Congress it’s been discussed that more than 18,000 known terrorists came in under the Biden Regency. That’s what we know, do you think they are all? Pick your number, make your plans.

That said, I do think we may be approaching a Schwerpunkt on more than one level. I do believe that a color revolution is being attempted here, and that the Seditious Six is but one part of it. Pay attention to Data Republican and Mike Benz, as they and their friends have been unmasking a lot. Keep in mind that it is not just here, but there are things coming to a head in Europe as well. It’s not just the EU autocrats facing challenges, but there is significant pushback to a lot of domestic polices pushed by the EU (even in England, which while out of the EU is still all-in on immigration and more).

I will say that I think Europe is mostly lost, and that absent a very unexpected successful revolt by the people of England, France, and Germany, those countries are toast. There is pushback, but I very much fear it is too late. See my previous writings on this for more. I also am seeing a bulwark rising along an Eastern axis via Poland, Hungary, and portions of the Balkans. Again, see previous as I think that offers the best hope of ever bringing Europe back.

When you have a lot of desperate political types, especially of the godless authority type, you also get a lot a lot of gotterdammerung types who are quite willing to take the world down with them. Thankfully they rarely do, but they can and have done a lot of damage on the way out. Which does raise the stakes on people setting off stupid things here.

So, be prepared. Me, I’m helping harden a couple of potential targets here effectively on the QT. A lot of that is not on active defense but on dealing with the aftermath so as to save as many as possible. In terms of active, I may or may not be encouraging multiple layers of defense (and if some have the idea that they are the only or key layer of defense rather than one of several, well, that can be a good thing). When dealing with politics and those who think active defense is bad, it can be a good thing to have the full number and layers underappreciated.

Where I am acting more openly is on disaster response. If I can push good emergency and medical response, all the better. Being sure there are AEDs, trauma materials, and even upgraded “ouch” (standard first aid) kits is a very, very good thing. If a disaster strikes, and it doesn’t matter if natural or unnatural, it is rare to say that you had too many tourniquets, pressure bandages, airways, etc. From my point of view, you can never have enough of those, Quick Clot, etc.

I am worried that a lot of politicians and the general public are now hearing increased chatter and movement as “wolf, wolf!” and responding (not) accordingly. So, I decided to not say anything. I’ve rethought that a bit, and decided on this.

All I’m going to say for now is “Be careful out there” and keep being your good selves. If you are a new or not-regular reader, pay attention to those who are as most of them have seen the elephant. You would be wise to listen to them. Go back and read the comments on preparedness and terrorism posts as they are a trove of good information.

I’m going to wish all a healthy, happy, and wonderful Christmas and New Year (and for those of you Orthodox like me, a Happy New Year and a Merry Christmas!). May it be a bright and blessed time; may we as a civilization continue to walk the knife edge and avoid the stumbling blocks and snares of the enemies of civilization and Faith. Meantime, keep your friends and family close, and your things where you can find them in the dark.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, and to start a truly new life, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. If you want to know some of what it is going for, read here. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

It’s Not Just Here

Over at Instapundit this moring, Sarah A. Hoyt linked to a good post at Behind The Black on how the left has only a little time left to stop the violence. Sarah noted that she hoped we might yet walk the knife edge and avoid the horrible alternative. She’s right about that, as such will change not just us, but the world.

The problem is, we are not just walking a knife edge here. The President just noted earlier that the violence is because they (the progressives) are out of other options and the public is rather overwhelmingly in favor of the actions being taken (deportation of criminals being but one). Which is why Portland, Chicago, and other locations are trying their best to claim the mantle of George S. James, and Pritzker seems to see himself as Jefferson Davis.

I would argue that he is at least five Jefferson Davis’s, at least in volume. I would further argue that despite their delusions, neither Pritzker, Noisome, nor any others involved are anywhere close to being Gen. Beauregard. I futher agree with Victor Davis Hanson that Pritzker et al are indeed “neo-confederate nullificationists.” If they keep going, they are likely to find out what happened to the real Davis, Walker, and others. The problem is, neither we nor the U.S. will be the same afterwards. The odds are good that if it gets out of hand, it won’t stay limited and no sane person wants Civil War 2.0.

But, the progressives are not sane by reasonable standards. They see power slipping away, funds drying up, and are already sold on violence being acceptable to force their twisted dreams into something resembling (vaguely) reality.

Big problem is, it’s not just here. Look at all the places where violence has started up after the Trump Gaza peace deal. Bree A. Dail noted it on X and she is right. Look at what is going on in England right now (for all that there is some hope, I truly do think it lost), not to mention Germany and France (strong lack of coverage here). The only places it isn’t flaring up are those countries that have been bucking the EU on forced immigration (cough Hungary cough). It really does look like a large-scale effort at revolution, or if they can’t be successful, ensuring the rest of us go down with them. And, yes, I do think those behind this are just that spiteful.

To add to the fun, consider also that Russia is getting increasingly desperate. Rather, in many respects, Vladimir is getting more and more desperate. Right now, I’m not sure what is going on with the power struggle as there are a lot of smoke and mirrors, a lot of disinformation (most aimed internal IMO), and a fair bit of confusion. If one thing I have heard is true, a long-time trusted advisor to Vladimir has been sacked and if true (note caveat) it is not good as that person opposed the invasion of Ukraine and has also opposed nuclear sabre-rattling and options. If he is indeed gone, that’s not good and Defcon Warning Systems is right with some of their concerns.

For all that I am still in the 20 percent club in regards traditional powers/stockpiles, any attempted use or even strong threat is going to have very bad results. There is no such thing as limited use, and given the growing membership in the nuclear club there is an increased chance of someone responding without consultation. That way lies madness.

But madness can seem at least borderline sane when you are facing a reversal of fortunes on the conventional front, growing manpower problems, growing attacks that are disrupting energy, transportation, agriculture, and more. Add in an unhappy populace and growing restiveness in the ranks of those who would like to replace you and… Desperate people do desperate things, and when your last pipeline to thoughts and information carefully kept outside your information bubble, which is in a silo and both are inside yet more bubbles, and decisions that have no connection with reality are easy to make.

I’m not so sure that the 20 percent club applies to newer nuclear powers either, such as China. Keep in mind that China is facing a lot of challenges and in his own way Winnie the Xi is growing as desperate at Vladimir. I think he’s got a better chance of holding on for now, but he’s fast approaching some go/no-go decisions on everything from Taiwan on to other economic and territorial ambitions. We are ill prepared to deal with any go decisions. Oh, and to add to the fun, if Vladimir and Russia get further into trouble, Xi would be more than happy to reclaim a good and important chunk of the Russian far east for China. They have long wanted it, and the resources, back.

In short, things could get hairy. We’ve been very lucky walking the knife blade so far. Fact is, aside from pointing things out and urging people to not respond to the provocations in a direct way, there’s not much I can do or that any of us can do. We can try to keep cool heads, and urge our leaders to the same. Other than that, the only option is prayer.

And, yes, I do pray not just for us to stay on the knife edge, but for us to get past things and move forward. If we don’t slip, there are some amazing things and times ahead of us. So, I turn the future over to the Lord and pray that he get us through this. I pray for peace, just peace, in the world. Among the several prayers I try to say everyday is one I modified a while back. It was originally done for one country under communism, but I think almost every European country that ended up under communism had it’s own version. Mine is:

Prayer for the Salvation of Earth

O Lord Jesus Christ our God, forgive our iniquities. Through the interceessions of Thy most pure Mother, save the suffering people of Earth from the yoke of the godless authority. Amen.

For those who don’t know, the “yoke of the godless authority” is that of communism, which means communism and socialism of all types as they are simply parts of the same coin. Doesn’t matter if “true” communism, Soviet “socialism” that was communism, National Socialism, or any other facet of the ultra-leftest creed that is envy, despair, and slavery. The woke, aka progressive left, WEF-types, etc. are all of the same coin, and they are all the godless authority who seek to destroy freedom and religion. Hence, my prayer which I’ve been saying since before the last election. I hope you might join me in it.

Yes, things are happening all over and the push to foment violence and violent response is not limited to just the U.S. There are other flashpoints that exist, but they are also linked in many ways to this desperate progressive push.

Against it, let me quote “Hold the Line!” There is likely to be a blood-price paid, but with God’s Grace we can walk the knife edge to safer and better times. Pray that we do, and that we retain cool heads no matter what. I really do need to do a post one day soon on all the good things I see coming if we can but hold the line. We truly can have a golden age, if we can hold on through these interesting times.

Pray, have Faith, and hang in there. As part of that, be prepared. Keep your family and friends close, and your things where you can find them in the dark.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. If you want to know some of what it is going for, read here. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Fox One, RFIDs, Security

Well, I bought my tickets this morning for the pilgrimage next year. Might should have bought last week when they were really down, but did okay on the price. I might could have gotten a bit better deal, but as it is I went through the airline to ensure I got a changeable and refundable ticket, and to ensure a few other things.

The really good deals out there by and large don’t include checked luggage and other delights, and they also often don’t include getting to the originating airport. My ticket includes true round-trip service, checked baggage, flexibility, and more. It does not include seat upgrades and other nice-to-do upgrades. I can live without those, and besides: it’s a pilgrimage and those are supposed to have a certain amount of discomfort to them.

I’ve also bought a new wallet. My current wallet is a military ID holder I bought in Iraq back in 2007, and it is starting to fall apart. I’ve definitely gotten my money’s worth out of it.

What I’ve ordered is something that can hold my stuff, including passport, and is RFID blocking. That’s become a big issue overseas (particularly in airports and other transportation hubs) and is starting to be an issue here. I’ve also ordered some RFID-blocking sleeves for my cards, and even put a passive jammer on my Amazon wish list (upper right). The new wallet wasn’t expensive, and it gives me time to check it out well in advance. Plan to slip an airtag into it too.

The RFID scanning is one issue I can fight in advance. Pick-pockets are an issue I will have to deal with there. More than halfway tempted to find my old dummy wallet that I put in my back pocket. Looked real, but nothing much in it other than junk including airline drink coupons (expired) pretending to be cash. Other than the dummy wallet, I never carry anything other than tissues in my back pockets overseas. Front pockets, I’ve been known to put plastic grocery bags in them above contents to deter thieves. One of the best things to do is put the contents in a fanny pack, then wear it in front.

More soon, off to get a few more things done today.

More Medical Thoughts

In the comments to this post, GWB mentions his get-home bag. He was kind enough to e-mail me with more info, and I want to share what he sent:

“Container is a small bag I got with an Ammunition Depot order. I ordered another one, later, when I put together the second bag.

It has a shoulder strap you can disconnect on one end and stow in the open pocket on the back of the bag. It also has a velcro belt loop on the back, and a handle on the top. The main compartment is about 5x6x9. It has a zippered pouch on the front about 3x5x6. On the front of that is a zippered slit pouch. There are molle straps across the front and on the sides and a small bungee cord setup above that smaller pouch.

Outside is where I keep my flashlight (on/in a molle strap) (and which I need to replace).

On the other side, threaded through the molle straps is 100′ of parachute cord, held together at the bottom by a couple of small carabiners (not climbing rated).

Inside that zippered slit pouch are 2 emergency ponchos. Yes, the cheap kind. Useful for all sorts of things.

Inside the small zippered pouch are:

An all-weather 3×5 notebook

A pack of Grime Boss wipes

A Leatherman

A cyalume light stick

A little marker (fine point, bought at Home Depot)

There should also be a lighter/torch in there, but I can’t carry it onboard an airplane in my luggage… so looking for a better solution*

Inside the main compartment is:

A Trauma Pak from Adventure Medical Kits, containing Quik Clot, trauma pad, nitrile gloves, duct tape, triangular bandage, some gauze dressings, a “conforming gauze” bandage, antiseptic wipes, and the resealable bag can be used for sucking chest wounds

3 emergency water supply pouches (the ones for keeping on boats)**

An orange tourniquet (with the write-on label, hence the marker)

A baggie with some larger band-aid type bandages

3 Millennium energy bars (400 kcal each)

A paper bit on “Tips for Survival” by Marvin B Lark (that I can use to start a fire)

2 Burn-Fix 4×4 burn dressings

An un-sharpened carpenter’s pencil (red)

An emergency blanket

A roll-up splint

A large red or orange bandana

A pair of nomex gloves

* I do carry a book of paper matches when I fly, since that seems to be the only thing TSA will allow. Any other suggestions for a non-primitive method of fire-starting I could carry/pack on aircraft are welcome. (Somewhere I have one of those fire-starters that uses air compression to produce heat.)

** The water pouches serve two purposes: drinking and irrigation of wounds. If you cut a small enough corner off the pouch, you can get a decent stream of water when you squeeze it. Not for antiseptic purposes, but get dirt away from the wound and clear off some of the blood.

When I had a car, I had in it what I called a Bailout Bag, as it was intended to get me home or to safety in the event of an emergency. What GWB has put together here puts my old bag to shame, and is an excellent guide for those just thinking about such things.

It has some trauma gear; it has some boo-boo gear; multiple sources of light; the ability to make fire at need; food; and, water. All in a small, easy to store and carry package. There are any number of things that can happen that result in your having to leave your vehicle behind, and having something like this helps ensure you can get home or to safety at need.

All the gear in the world does you no good if it is not with you when you need it. Having smaller kits like this ensures you do have it/have access to it when needed.

Also, note that he has burn supplies in his bag. That’s something I need to add to my pouch and gear. When I did my embeds, the largest burn threat came from EFPs and all the burn cream in the world won’t do much for those. Need to get that back into the system as life today has many other sources where burn bandages and such would be very useful.

In addition to the bailout bag, my car also had a full-sized first aid kit skewed towards use in traffic accidents. Having both gave me flexibility and options, including the ability to pull from the large kit into the small if I did have to bail out.

So, it’s not just one kit. It’s having different kits of different sizes to cover different needs. It’s making sure you have access to at least some first aid gear at all times.

One final thought for your bailout/get-home bag. Consider having some air-activated hand and toe warmers in it. If you have to leave the car behind in winter, such will help protect your hands and feet. If you have to stay in the car without heat, they will help you there too. Just a thought.

My thanks to GWB for sharing this. May it help you in your preparedness.

As always, be prepared. Keep your family and friends close, and your things where you can find them in the dark.

Medical Resources, AKA Books!

Unless you are fortunate enough to have an EMT or other medical professional in your family, or have in your circle an 18D, you need one other thing besides as much training as you can get and good kits. That thing is knowledge resources, aka books that you can reference (before ideally) at need. This post is intended to follow up on this post on kits, and a bit on this post on the need to be aware and preparing.

For a true disaster (i.e. something that is lasting 30-days or longer), it won’t hurt to have things like Gray’s Anatomy and some basic diagnostic manuals around. For that matter, it wouldn’t hurt to have some basic public health guides (older ones likely to be much better) as they cover epidemic prevention, where to site and how to build outhouses, and other delights.

For more general use, one of the first books I bought back around 1970 was “Being Your Own Wilderness Doctor.” It was in my pack all through Boy Scouts and afterwards. No idea if my original copy is still intact, but glad to see it is being put out as a classsic, for it is. I used some of the information to treat myself (not sure about others) when we were out away from civilization.

While I’m not a fan of pain, I will admit to having even done some very minor surgery on myself at need. Things that needed a quick fix and could be patched up with bandaids or butterfly clips and (liberal) doses of antiseptic/anti-microbial ointment. Some of the knowing what I could do at need (and what I shouldn’t do) came from that book. Really need to get a new copy and review it to see how it holds up today.

There are a number of books out there now of a similar, but expanded take. Two I’ve seen are “Wilderness First Responder” and “Wilderness Medicine: Beyond First Aid.” Another is “Medicine for the Outdoors.” One of the key things is that they are not just about first aid. They are about prevention, identifying the (real) problem, and then treating. Remember that in any situation you need to accurately assess, stabilize, treat, and evacuate at need. Even better, you need to recognize and prevent potential problems as that is the best first aid you can give in any situation.

For the purposes of the Heads Up post, here are two books that we all (sadly) need to read: “Tactical Combat Care and Wound Treatment” and “Tactical Emergency Combat Care.” Getting and reading the books is a very good idea (adding to my wish list), and if you can get training along these lines, all the better.

Before I do anything else, I do think I need to repost my take on what constitutes an annoyance, an emergency, and a disaster. As I noted in the Preparedness Pays series, there are three types/levels of emergency and they are based on duration. The book-in-progress (sigh, still) breaks it down very nicely, but a rough idea is that 1- to 3-days is an annoyance; 3-days to 4-weeks (or so, forget the exact time frames I used) is an emergency; and anything beyond 4-weeks is a disaster.

A general knowledge of first aid and how to deal with boo-boos will get you through annoyances and even some emergencies. Knowing advanced first aid is essential for emergencies and/or dealing with a mass casualty situation. Having knowledge of (and better yet training in) emergency care and the books to go with it is essential for disasters.

While I mentioned the venerable Gray’s Anatomy earlier, here a few other potential resources: “The Ultimate Survival Medicine Guide,” “SOLO Wilderness First Responder” (would LOVE to take that course), and “The Complete Medicine Survival Handbook.”

One reason I keep pushing wilderness medical is that in a true disaster or emergency (as opposed to an annoyance), you may not have access to “normal” medical care even if in an urban area. I live a block away from a major medical center; but, in the event of an emergency or disaster, I don’t count on it being operational. Too many hospitals have adopted ‘just in time’ logistics which work very well when things are going great. When they’re not going great…

Books are always a good investment, and the right books in an emergency or disaster can make a world of difference on several levels. For the record, I don’t get anything off the links here — I want to be free to recommend what I like and for you to know I’m making recommendations off what I think is good, not what is good for my wallet. It’s why I depend on donations, as your gifts help me keep going and keep the blog going.

Feel free to chime in via the comments with books you recommend in regards emergency medicine. Share what’s worked for you, or even what hasn’t. For all the good books out there, there are a lot of junk books as well. It can be a very good thing to help people avoid them.

Meantime, be prepared. Keep your family and friends close, and your things where you can find them in the dark.

Medical Kits And Training

In this comment, Steve White asks about my trauma kit. Along with a couple of comments over at Instapundit where Sarah A. Hoyt kindly linked me, it reminded me that I haven’t talked much about medical kits and training, or at least not in a long while. It’s important, so let’s take a look at the topic.

We’ll start with the basic trauma kit I carry. It actually is the current version of the medical kit that I wore on my embeds in Iraq. Everyone carried a pouch with clotting pressure bandages, tourniquets, and other delights so that if you were hit the medics could pull from your pouch and not waste time rummaging through other bags, etc. A lot of the troops carried the pouch in the same place on their webbing, to make things faster and easier at need.

Inside my current pouch are a couple of clotting pressure bandages, some standard clotting bandages, kerlix, gloves, a tourniquet (I need to get a couple more to replace one lost to time, when you need them you often need more than one), epi-pen (allergies including to some of the clotting products), some hemostats, paramedic shears, and a CPR mask round out the major items. I also usually have a specific antihistamine in case of allergic reaction short of needing the epi pen.

Frankly, looking at dates, I need to start buying some new items to replace those headed out of date. Nice thing is, clotting bandages have come a long way. I’m glad a lot of them are now based on things other than shellfish shells, as I’m highly allergic to the shellfish. As I noted to a medic at the time, anaphylaxis is negotiable, bleeding out is not. Use the bandage, get the antihistamine into me, and hope for the best. There are a lot more options out there now, and also prices have come down.

Keep in mind that you do need one or two pressure bandages. The cause of major trauma doesn’t matter, what matters is you or others have taken major damage and getting bleeding under control is essential. You really need to be focused on that before almost anything else. Use tourniquets as needed, and pressure bandages along with clotting agents can keep things under control until proper medical care is available.

This kit is a decent sized pouch, but it is not so big that it is unwieldy to carry. You want something you can carry easily, and in fact it is not a bad idea to have a much smaller kit that can slip in a pocket or such as well as something larger like this. Having an even larger trauma kit at your Church, social hall, or home is also not a bad idea. Keep in mind that many places already have what I call an “ouch” kit, that is a basic everyday first aid kit with bandages, ointment, etc. Those are needed as well, as life is full of ouches.

You really need training for both. There are a lot of opportunities for training for cheap or free. Some places do Red Cross or other training at no- or low-cost, and that is a good way to start. The last time I took such, however, I was disappointed to see that the basic class was more on not-doing than doing, which seemed to be a reflection of both liability issues and ‘waiting for the experts to arrive.’

Fact is, experts are going to take minutes (or hours if they even show up at all) and in the event of trauma you have seconds in which to act. When I was in the Boy Scouts an eon or two back (and my thoughts on current Boy Scouts are best left unsaid), our training was focused around the fact that we may be the experts. This reflected the reality that Scouts were, at the time, intended to augment law enforcement and governments on several fronts, including emergency medical back in the days before paramedics. It also reflected that Scouts were often out in the back-of-beyond in the days before cell phones and the like, and it could be days before someone could be packed out to a place where ‘professional’ help could be contacted.

Side note: the late, great Jerry Pournelle wrote a series of short stories about Scouts (and especially Eagle Scouts) stepping up and doing things post disaster and post-apocalypse. Well worth the read as they are fun and full of practical advice and even planning advice.

So, short version is to get as much training as you can. Not saying everyone should do some version of combat lifesaver, but the closer you get to that the better off you and yours will be. You need to know how to handle the ouches in life for a start. From there, you need to know how to apply a tourniquet, control bleeding (one reason I have a couple of hemostats is that if needed I can use them on an artery or vein as opposed to trying to clamp such with my fingers), clear an airway, etc.

Again, back in the day most of us in my Boy Scout troop knew the theoretical process for performing an emergency tracheotomy with a knife and ball point pen. We also knew how to splint broken bones, reduce and control a compound fracture (where the bone has broken the skin), and a host of other things that would have our current credentialed non-elites screaming in horror and the liability lawyers salivating. My personal opinion is that you need to get as close to that today as you can. There are too many situations where the professionals are either going to be late, or not able to get there at all. That’s when it drops on you. Be prepared.

I will note that it is good to know CPR, and to understand that it is an emergency procedure rather than a medical procedure. I’m a little biased here as I actually got to work with the late Les (Leslie A.) Geddes, who helped revolutionize several parts of the (bio) medical field. In fact, I worked with him on a project to improve CPR. For years, no one had done research on the process, including how much force was needed to achieve the compression called for in the CPR standards. In the field, it was oft said that if the ribs weren’t cracking, you weren’t doing it hard enough. Broken ribs were and are a standard injury with CPR. Also, the success rate with CPR is so low that were it a medical procedure it would have been tossed long ago.

Les did that missing research, and built off the idea a former graduate student had of a system of CPR that used abdominal-only compressions. Much improved blood flow, no broken ribs, much less force needed, and it even caused the patient to breathe on their own without the need for mouth-to-mouth. Sadly, the person who took over the effort when Les passed then tragically passed themselves before much else was done. No idea where the process is, or if it is still even in development. It should be, but that is no guarantee. For me, if we have a rotary impeller moment I would use it even though it is at best experimental. Yes, I was trained on it and even performed it on Les in a demonstration (one of the scariest moments of my life TBH).

All that said, learn CPR as some chance is better than none. If you can, try to lay your hands on an AED unit. There are some organizations that give them out to Churches, schools, etc. for free. A much better alternative if you can get it.

One thing that you also need to keep in mind is liability. Not all states are equal, and I’ve been fortunate enough to mostly live in states that had some form of Good Samaritan law. These are laws that give you at least some protection from lawsuits for rendering first aid. These vary and rarely are true blanket laws. Learn what applies in your state and factor that into your planning. For some people out there have and will sue the person who saves their life. Read just recently about someone who sued the person who gave them CPR because their certificate was out of date. Again (and again) be prepared.

Now, sing it with me: get as much training as you can — even on things you don’t think you will ever need. It could be from how to suture a wound to inserting a urinary catheter. Knowing how to do basic medical care as well as emergency medical treatment is likely to come in handy in life. Find free courses and take them all. Find reduced-rate courses and take as many as you can. Training, and some basic gear, will always pay off.

Be prepared. Keep your family and friends close. Keep your things where you can find them in the dark.