Filler

The post on Long Term Prep is about half done, and someday I'll finish my Holster Making series. For now, a philosophical question.

People that get really excited about plug-in electric cars tend to be against (in no special order)- coal, oil drilling, natural gas extraction, nuclear power plants, and hydroelectric dams. The question is, are they underinformed or just stupid?

I'll leave you to ponder that.

Medium Term Prep

I thought about calling this post 'mid-term prep' but that brings back memories of school, and I didn't feel like going there.

In my thought process, medium term prep is for situations lasting from days to months. Of course, many medium term preps can spill over into both long and short term- especially regarding durable tools. This is the focus of the largest majority of people with 'prepper' tendencies (again, by my observation).  Categories of medium term prep include many food items, fuel and equipment, anything involving firearms, and trade and barter goods.

There are many others with many different schools of thought on this subject, and I'm not entirely certain I need to reiterate every point. For one, it would take too long to cover every aspect (indeed, considering how many subjects there are to be covered it could very well be endless); for two there are as many disagreements as agreements on this subject to even attempt an omnibus article. The salient point I have to make is this- anything that requires fuel or upkeep, anything that can be saved or stashed away is medium term prep. MREs may last many years on the shelf, and one may have a full years supply of three squares a day, but without the ability to restock, they will run out. Ammunition is the same story- reloading can greatly increase the time limit of your ammunition, but powder, primers and bullets (cases, too, although on a much longer time scale) are commodities to be used, and the supply will eventually run out. The key, in my mind, to medium term prep is to make them last as long as possible.

There are many doomsday style situations in which we can envision our preps being used, from terrorist caused grid-down to nuclear war, economic collapse to civil war, earthquakes and winter storms. The priority of each prep should be balanced by the severity of need and the likelihood of occurrence. For example- while preps for civil or foreign war on our soil are, indeed, very important, the likelihood of a winter storm that disrupts power is far more likely, and I would balance my preps towards the latter until I felt comfortable with my situation, then deepen my preps to my lower-likelihood situations. A walled compound with a moat and drawbridge, but without a backup generator is a little ridiculous. See to the necessary items first, then see to their security.

One thing that ties medium and short term preps together is access. Medium term preps are, by their nature, mostly stationary. Few people have the wherewithal to carry months worth of food and water with them every day. While it would, ostensibly, be possible, it would mean that pretty much everywhere one ventured would be in a large camper; this would get ridiculously expensive in a short amount of time, using money that would be better spent on supplies. This means that at least a portion of short term prep is geared towards getting back to the place where the medium term supplies are stored, and re-evaluating the situation once that security is regained. Conversely, long term preps tie over into medium term as well. I won't cover my long term preps at this time, but much of it is centered around food supply- decreased access to fresh food is a hallmark of any service disruption. Preparations made for long term, redundant, renewable food supplies can play a key part in making your medium term preps far outlast the length of time you would be able to survive on them alone.

In this manner, medium term preps are a bridge. Things like generators and stored food are put away as a stop-gap, between the immediate emergency and either the restoration of services or the establishment of long term solutions. Medium term security solutions (which deserve their own post) are intended to protect you and your belongings in a period of unrest. They are the difference between ease and hardship, whether the storm to be weathered is of man or of nature. Short term preps are for emergency survival; medium term preps are for surviving after the emergency. As has been seen in the vicious storms in the Northeast over the last couple years, services are not guaranteed within hours of a storm; every hour, every day, that one can fend for themselves, without requiring input from emergency services, frees up those services to help the less prepared, and can help immensely to shorten the overall length of the catastrophe. In the event of a total failure, on the other hand, medium term preps will buy the time needed to fully establish a long-term survival plan. It is vital to have these preps in place- after all, every bandage in your First Aid kit, every fire extinguisher in your home canno carry you through a power outage or a food shortage.

Short Term Prep

An observation on something I've noticed: there's a lot more to prepping than stocking up on rice and ammo.

I look at my preps in stages- Short, Medium, and Long term. These vary greatly in application and type, but a well balanced approach is my goal (while admitting that I am trying to improve some drastic deficiencies in all categories). I define my time ranges a bit differently than some, so I'll sketch them out as I go.

Short- for these purposes, short term prep is my term for for time spans lasting from seconds to hours. Many people consider this the Emergency Preparedness portion of our discussion. These are things like blow-out kits, heat sources, and survival gear. Emergencies don't call ahead- I keep these with me or in my vicinity at all times. Not every emergent situation is a life-threatening emergency, of course- this why most first aid or blow-out kits rapidly run out of Band-Aids but the sterile gauze packs are all faded and old.

Examples:

The Big City where I live has a Saturday Market downtown, which is mostly an artists market, with food stands and craft brewers, street performers and panhandlers. From a situational awareness standpoint, it's a mess, but its quite a bit of fun, all the same. Our last sojourn to this land of hipsters, ne'erdowells and bums was an outing with My Lovely Wife's parents, and my Father-in-law managed to very slightly injure his hand while using, most unfortunately, a portable toilet. Of all the injuries I've sustained in my life, those while using the bathroom facilities are the most awkward; one is quite embarrassed to tell of it, yet they are of great concern to prevent infection. Perish the thought of what nasty little germs are living in the porta-Johns of the Saturday market. Despite his mild protestations (it really was fairly minor, though bleeding freely at the time) we adjourned to the nearest flat surface, and his cut was shortly disinfected and a small bandage applied. Time involved: less than 45 seconds. Life threatening probably not (although we will never know what infection may have occurred without cleaning). Having a blow-out kit in my pack meant more time to enjoy the day and quickly erased a minor inconvenience.

The next example involves my own parents, and happened this past weekend. Four years ago, approximately, my mother very badly broke her ankle, which resulted in some surgery and a lot of therapy. Since that time, she has had trouble with blood pooling in her foot and ankle; circulation problems, coupled with scar tissue and half a junk drawer worth of hardware in her ankle, has forced some veins to run very shallow in her lower calf. This past weekend, she sustained a cut that, for some reason, bled in a most disturbingly profuse manner. Within a matter of moments, my home kit was produced, pressure dressing was applied, and the situation was soon remedied. Scary? Yes. But soon fixed, and no harm done.

While both these examples deal with minor medical issues, the same level of instant readiness applies to other situations. A minor fire, left unchecked in the absence of a fire extinguisher, can be the difference between the loss of a meal and a few minutes of clean-up or the loss of your home, most of your worldly possessions, and very possibly your life or your loved ones. In cold winters, it takes remarkably little time to die of exposure. The presence of a warm coat and good boots in your car, and a small shovel to dig out with, can be life, with a few minutes lost to extraction or death, either waiting for help that doesn't arrive in time or foolishly trying to walk out, in gear not fit for the situation.

Short term prep means being ready for life to arrive at a moment's notice. Short term prep is having the skill and supplies to turn a life-threatening situation into a momentary inconvenience. It turns an emergency into a nuisance, and a nuisance into nearly nothing. After all, all the year's rice will not avail you if you freeze in your car, bleed to death on a hike, or fail to extinguish an out of control candle.

Peace of Mind and Firearms

One of the very common assumptions that appear to made regarding gun owners and, more specifically, gun carriers, is that we 'want someone to do something' so we can 'have an excuse to shoot somebody'. I've encountered this belief in many, including some among my friends and family, and it needs countered.

Lets begin with some couched projection: I can only speak for myself regarding intangibles such as intent and mindset. That being said, my views on the matter are remarkably similar to those views expressed by others to some degree or another, so I am assuming (based on experience and expressed beliefs of others) that there are others in the community who think and believe along the same lines. I am well aware that there are others in the community that will believe differently, and there is, in fact, a likelihood that there are people in the gun community (and elsewhere) that DO, in fact, long for the opportunity to intervene, or DO wish to be party to an incident. The distribution of these views one will have to establish for themselves.

On to the meat of the matter- I habitually carry on my person a loaded handgun, for the express purpose of defending myself, my family, or others (should I be in a position to do so) from persons with hostile intent. This is done independently of any risk assessment of my activities; if I have reason to believe I am likely to NEED my gun in a certain situation, I should definitely examine my choices leading up to the matter. Put simply, if I think I'm going to need it where I'm going, I shouldn't be going there (I've paraphrased here a sentiment that I have encountered variously around the web- if you were the first one to say it, thanks, it's a great line...).  The notion that I wear my firearm in order to seek out confrontation is without merit, as I have no intention of putting myself, or most especially my family, in such a situation. Further, the notion that I secretly wish for an opportunity to arise that justifies its use is also without merit; that would mean I am wishing harm on others to justify my beliefs, and that is simply not my personality.

I carry my firearm because, while I would hope never to need it, I would prefer to have it on the long chance I DO need it. If, despite all my hopes to the contrary, some situation arises wherein it would be beneficial to be armed, a gun at home in a safe will not avail me. I fervently hope that, at the end of a long and happy life, I can look back and say Thank God I never needed that gun. We do not always get what we hope for. If that day comes, and I am unprepared, I'll bear the weight of that decision the rest of my life; compared to that, a few extra ounces of weight on my belt feels quite light. I can carry that for the rest of my days, and no one will be hurt by it. It is much the same with military small arms. A million rifles in closets, that go unused and neglected, and are never needed to repel invaders or resist a tyrant, cannot be detrimental to the nation- but we will feel their lack quite keenly, if they are ever needed, and are no longer there.

Angst

I've got some. Some days, I read the news and I just want to crawl under a rock and let the world go crazy without me. School shootings, mall shootings, runaway government pushing its nose into every tent. They who still have the power to help themselves scream at the slightest inconvenience, until they get money dumped on them, while others who need help suffer their days in silence, forgotten and ignored. Some days I just want to walk away and let the lights go out. I just want to raise my son, protect my family, and let the chips fall where they may. The truth is, I can't. WE can't. Because when the lights go out, we know who will creep in the darkness. We know, deep down, who will suffer the most; it surely isn't those who most deserve it

No, when the lights go out, the power mad will reign. Our enclaves will surely be accosted from all sides, and no Galt's Gulch or mountain hideaway will be protection. When the lights go out, the cruel will sieze the world in clammy fists, and they will squeeze what they want from it. The tyrants will hold sway, and the weak will suffer. And we, who prepare, who warn of the danger, who set ourselves against oppression, will be like candles in the darkness- few, bright and fragile.

What will we do, when the darkness rises? Will we stand fast, and bear as much of the world as we can? Will we turn our backs on the cries of children? Will we stumble, and find in ourselves a mirror of those very ideals we resist? Who are we, in the dark?

I do know this- I cannot turn my back. I cannot turn away from the suffering of others, if I have some means to ease their woe. And so, I will remain, though I feel the tide of darkness rising about our feet. Gather yourselves, and steel your resolve. A shadow grows in the world, and there is much to be done if we are to survive it.

Sourdough, thy name is...

Lenin. At least, thats the name so far. I couldn't help it. Its a twofold joke, the first being that I started it with Red Star brand yeast; the second, thats about as far as I can see a communist culture getting. If left too long without an influx of resources (built by the hardworking farmers and millers), it will generally lose vigor and die. If you get it mixed into the dough, it will eventually cause an uprising, and it generates a lot of hot air and alcohol. So I asked My Lovely Wife who her favorite Commie is, and here we are. Hopefully, this will prove more useful in the long run.

I've now had this starter running for a week or so, and it seems to ne doing pretty well. I've used it to make two loaves of bread and a batch of tasty pancakes, and I've split it twice. The first split I put in the fridge, to see how it wakes up. I think that test will come tomorrow. The second split I gave to a cousin of mine, so we'll see how it fares at their house (they don't bake quite as often as I).

Some observations so far:

It seems to be developing the sourdough flavor more than I expected. Even from the first loaf (about three days in) it had developed to a degree. Since then I baked one more loaf, that I didn't taste, because I gave it away with the starter. I don't know how much flavor it has, but it certainly has the scent of sourdough. In an artisanal sense, this is a good thing. In an EOT situation, this is a bit limiting, as I don't know if I would like sourdough cinnamon rolls, for example. I may experiment later on with ways to reduce the sourdough flavor, but keep the yeast.

Baking and rise are giving good results. I generally eschew formal recipes, basing my bread from the 6-3-3-13 ratio I got from 'Artisan bread in 5 minutes a day'. In this case, I adjusted my volumes down to one loaf, and replaced one cup of water and one cup of flour with a cup of starter. I don't add any additional yeast, not because I am a purist, but becase this is an experiment for EOT breadmaking.

Care- My goal here is to see how easily I can maintain the starter. Feeding a copious amount of sugar, or using fancy supplies are not conducive to my goal. So my care regimin is pretty minimalist. I keep my starter in a quart mason jar, covered with a paper towel secured by a jar ring. Once a day, I feed it at least a half cup of flour and a half cup of water. On baking day, I feed a whole cup (to replace the cup I removed) and place the starter on the back of the stove, to make sure it stays good and warm while it eats. The one quart container lets me keep at least a cup of original starter, the added cup of feeder, and still have room to bubble and grow. If I were intending to bake more than a single loaf, I would transfer the usual cup of starter to a large bowl and double it for a day or so, to build up the supply.

So that's where I'm at with the sourdough project. Overall, proceeding rather well thus far. I'll keep posting as I keep experimenting.

A new Pet

I'm trying a new experiment. One of the things that I work towards on a regular basis is bringing all my various skills close to home. A big part of my prep plan is SHIP (SHelter In Place) rather than SHOW (SHelter Out in Wild) now that we have a young'un. And a big part of that plan is having food sources within walking distance.

I can grow a garden- I learned that last summer, and I'll be growing it a bit this year, and see what I can eke out of it. As it stands, we are still eating last summer's zuchinni, which I froze as it came ready. Meat is a little trickier- that'll be a barter situation at best, right now. And bread...

Oh, bread! I don't know if this is clear, but I love baking bread. Normally I'm a lousy baker, because I'm not real good at following recipes, but bread is a different story. Its a little bit alive, a little bit flexible, and a whole lot of satisfying. My new pet is a yeast culture.

In a technical sense, this is not a true sourdough starter. True sourdough has a level of lacto bacteria (related, I think, to the makers of sauerkraut), which is what makes it 'sour' tasting. My starter, on the other hand, is domestic. My goal is to see if I can maintain a yeast culture from a regular batch of bread.

To get it started, all I did was add a little water and scrape down the mixing bowl I made my last loaf of bread in. Next, I gave it a little flour and put it in a jar. Three days later, I have grown it from a tablespoon or so into about a quart of starter.

This stuff grows FAST! Because of the amounts involved, and the way the yeast processes things, starter increases in a geometric progression. Start with a quarter cup, which doubles by itself, then match it on the next feeding. Now you have a whole cup, which doubles to two cups. Feed it two cups, and those 4 cups double to eight cups. This is why its recommended to use or discard half of your starter with every feeding, else you would soon be adding flour by the bag and have starter measured in barrels, not cups. So, since the initial few feedings have gone well, I'm going to try my hand at baking with it. I'll let you know how it turns out!