Refilled the kerosene heaters and lamps the other day…this was a task that was on my perpetual “To Do” list that I had been ignoring. It occurred to me that I need to get a second kero heater for the basement to keep the pipes from freezing in the event of a lengthy power outage. A good heater, with a couple extra wicks, is going to be about $150 but thats a whole lot cheaper than frozen busted pipes. And, of course, having spare gear is always nice to have in case anything happens to your primary gear.
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The election is drawing closer and Im still expecting to hear “We interrupt this broadcast for a special report…” at any moment. One thing that I love about living where I am is that if someone nuked NY, or L.A., or even Seattle the immediate effect on me is fairly small. Im remote enough from most of those locations that the only effect to me would be in what government response is (i.e. martial law, new laws, etc). I suppose if Seattle got nuked or something thered be a stream of refugees headed in this direction but even then I’d have about a nine-hour headsup until they got here. On the other hand I do know people who live in what could be called ‘target rich areas’ who would be driving on the roads with the other panicked populace trying to pull their kids out of school and their spouses out of work so they could hunker down together…a scenario I would not want to have to deal with. (Although I *could* if I had to.)
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Which reminds me, I need to pick up some 5-gallon fuel cans, load em up with treated gas and stick ’em away somewhere (with the usual rotation schedule). If anything big did happen, gasoline will be highly prized and if theres a power problem those pumps at the station aint gonna work. Having to leave town in a hurry and only having 1/4 tank of gas is seriously bad mojo for your projected lifespan. Even in a more casual environment, its nice to know you can drive all night if you have to and not worry about gas stations being closed.
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My local Albertson’s has a “10 for $10” sale every week. They mark a a couple dozen items down to a buck each and then promote them. Every week or so it changes to a new group of things. Usually theres at least a few items work for me and my needs. I just noticed they had Chunky soup, in pull-top (very important) cans, $1 ea. Gonna have to pick up a case of that. Toothbrushes also on sale…need a few of those. Canned goods are usually on sale and that gives me an opportunity to stock up. They had 28 oz. cans of pears a while back and I bought a case of them and after chilling them in the fridge they made an outstnding snack. Canned goods…mmmmmmmmmm.

I think one of the hallmarks of ‘maturing’ in your preperations is when you get past the guns-n-camouflage stage (not that there is anything wrong with it) and focus on food even more than you did on guns. Im always touching up and adding a little bit here and there to my stockpile of ammo and guns but for the most part Im 95% done with the gun aspect. I just need to keep buying ammo and pick up another rifle or two. These days Im more interested in energy and food.
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Picked up another book offa my Amazon list….its on water storage, treatment, etc, etc, including pond construction, wells and well pumps, plumbing systems, etc, etc. I’ve actually amassed a pretty respectable collection of books on the various topics the savvy survivor needs to know…first aid, food storage, concrete construction, methods of making ID, radio communications, etc, etc, etc.  Really, information is the best tool you can have…heck, McGuyver never had more than a stupid Swiss Army Knife but he kicked ass because he knew things.

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

If I dont get my ass moving in regards to being more vigilant in my preparing for [insert apocalyptic event here], theyre gonna demote me to Lt. Commander Zero.
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The road to hell is paved with good intentions which means Ive been dropping paving stones like mad. Ive had a bunch of things ive been meaning to do and accomplished none of them. The biggest is that I keep threatening to work on shelving for the bunker and never do it. Then I need to refill the kerosene heater and lamps. And yet when I get back to the house in the evenings Im more likely to plunk my heavily armored ass into a chair and dink around on the computer until bedtime or watch TV. Veddy, veddy bad.
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Post-apocalyptic fiction is always entertaining for me. Im currently reading The Rift… a 1,000 page tome about an 8.9 earthquake in the New Madrid area….home of one of the biggest earthquakes the US has ever seen. Very reminiscent of ‘Lucifers Hammer’ with a blatantly obvious retelling of Huckleberry Finn thrown in. Entertaining though. I always like these kinds of books because it makes me think of possible scenarios, situations or problems Im ight not otherwise have thought of. (Much like how ‘Farnahms Freehold’ makes you think ‘hmm…maybe I should get a wheelbarrow’).
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Gun show in Kalispell this weekend. Perhaps an opportunity to pick up a few more parachute flares.
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A bit less than three weeks to the election. Im doing ok on 10/22 mags, fair on AR mags, not so hot on Glock mags. I am still waiting for ‘the other shoe to drop’ in regards to some sort of high-profile ‘hey, we’re still a viable terrorist organization’ stunt from the usual suspects.

If I dont get my ass moving in regards to being more vigilant in my preparing for [insert apocalyptic event here], theyre gonna demote me to Lt. Commander Zero.
=====
The road to hell is paved with good intentions which means Ive been dropping paving stones like mad. Ive had a bunch of things ive been meaning to do and accomplished none of them. The biggest is that I keep threatening to work on shelving for the bunker and never do it. Then I need to refill the kerosene heater and lamps. And yet when I get back to the house in the evenings Im more likely to plunk my heavily armored ass into a chair and dink around on the computer until bedtime or watch TV. Veddy, veddy bad.
=====
Post-apocalyptic fiction is always entertaining for me. Im currently reading The Rift… a 1,000 page tome about an 8.9 earthquake in the New Madrid area….home of one of the biggest earthquakes the US has ever seen. Very reminiscent of ‘Lucifers Hammer’ with a blatantly obvious retelling of Huckleberry Finn thrown in. Entertaining though. I always like these kinds of books because it makes me think of possible scenarios, situations or problems Im ight not otherwise have thought of. (Much like how ‘Farnahms Freehold’ makes you think ‘hmm…maybe I should get a wheelbarrow’).
=====
Gun show in Kalispell this weekend. Perhaps an opportunity to pick up a few more parachute flares.
=====
A bit less than three weeks to the election. Im doing ok on 10/22 mags, fair on AR mags, not so hot on Glock mags. I am still waiting for ‘the other shoe to drop’ in regards to some sort of high-profile ‘hey, we’re still a viable terrorist organization’ stunt from the usual suspects.

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Now, Im not really much of a conspiracy buff but….(pause)…okay, Im kind of a conspiracy buff……but I thought this was interesting.

A few weeks ago the feebies (FBI) said schools should be on the look out for activities at schools that may suggest someone was planninga Chechen-style school attack. Then yesterday the Washington Post (Pravda-On-The-Potomac) says that two dozen Chechens waltzed across the Mexican border into the US. Hmmmm. Then yesterday some pansy-ass senator closes his office based on secret info about upcoming terror attacks.

I would like to point out that if we actually put some teeth into the freakin’ border with Mexico we might not have this problem. But noooooooooooo…..

Less than three weeks to the election. I’m definitely keeping an ear tuned to the news.

Now, Im not really much of a conspiracy buff but….(pause)…okay, Im kind of a conspiracy buff……but I thought this was interesting.

A few weeks ago the feebies (FBI) said schools should be on the look out for activities at schools that may suggest someone was planninga Chechen-style school attack. Then yesterday the Washington Post (Pravda-On-The-Potomac) says that two dozen Chechens waltzed across the Mexican border into the US. Hmmmm. Then yesterday some pansy-ass senator closes his office based on secret info about upcoming terror attacks.

I would like to point out that if we actually put some teeth into the freakin’ border with Mexico we might bnot have this problem. But noooooooooooo…..

Less than three weeks to the election. I’m definitely keeping an ear tuned to the news.

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Trip to Seattle was uneventful Zero-wise although there were a few learning experiences. Small Motorola 2-way radios are ideal for those 2am highway rest-stop breaks….while one person stays in the locked vehicle keeping an eye open, the other person can then use the restrooms knowing that they’ll be alerted if someone else shows up….and forewarned is forearmed. Paranoid? I dont think so…highway rest stops are notorious for evil things happening.
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Mount St. Helen’s didnt explode while we were out there, so thats always kinda nice.
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So Im in the bunker last night putting away the parachute flares and its painfully obvious that my storage needs (and organizational needs) are simply not being met. What I need to do, and I know Im gonna hate this, is completely move everything out of the bunker and start over from scratch in terms of shelving and stacking…..Yeah, thats whats gonna have to be done. Its going to be a mondo pain in the ass but things need to be organized in such a manner that I can tell at a glance whats what and where it is.
=====
The Seattle trip puts me in mind to put together a box of ‘long road trip’ gear that can be added/removed from the vehicle depending on the nature of the lenght of the trip. That is to say, for a trip to Seattle you toss it in the back of the truck, strap it down and go….but for the next six months of around-town driving it can be removed and sit at the house until its needed for the next trip. (There is, of course, a certain amount of gear thats always present in the truck..first aid, sleeping bag, fireextinguisher, etc, etc.)
=====
Picked up five LEO-marked GLock 19 mags yesterday $20 ea. The 20 Ruger 10/22 mags and 10 Glock 17 mags should be here soon as well. What an impotent ten years that was, limited to ten-rounds because somehow cops needed 15-rounds but civillians only needed 10. This reminds me of The Great Primer Scare from many years ago…..a rumour was circulating that the .gov was leaning on the manufacturers to produce primers that would go inert after 6 months…this way people couldnt stockpile ammo. Never mind that its kind tough to make a primer that’ll expire in 6 months and not in 5 1/2 months. Anyway, for a few months you could not buy primers no matter where you went. People were stocking up and hoarding them so theyd be ahead of this new ‘expiring’ primer. Well, the rumour eventually fizzled and availability/pricing of primers went back to normal. But just to play it safe I still have about 15,000 primers sitting on my reloading bench as a ‘reserve’. I plan on doing the same thing with these newly-available magazines….no way Im getting caught flat-footed if those weasels in Washington try this sorta crap again.
=====
A source may have opend up for 26.5mm flares at a decent price. These are needed for my HK flare pistols. Must stay on top of this.
=====
Hunting season approaches!

Trip to Seattle was uneventful Zero-wise although there were a few learning experiences. Small Motorola 2-way radios are ideal for those 2am highway rest-stop breaks….while one person stays in the locked vehicle keeping an eye open, the other person can then use the restrooms knowing that they’ll be alerted if someone else shows up….and forewarned is forearmed. Paranoid? I dont think so…highway rest stops are notorious for evil things happening.
=====
Mount St. Helen’s didnt explode while we were out there, so thats always kinda nice.
=====
So Im in the bunker last night putting away the parachute flares and its painfully obvious that my storage needs (and organizational needs) are simply not being met. What I need to do, and I know Im gonna hate this, is completely move everything out of the bunker and start over from scratch in terms of shelving and stacking…..Yeah, thats whats gonna have to be done. Its going to be a mondo pain in the ass but things need to be organized in such a manner that I can tell at a glance whats what and where it is.
=====
The Seattle trip puts me in mind to put together a box of ‘long road trip’ gear that can be added/removed from the vehicle depending on the nature of the lenght of the trip. That is to say, for a trip to Seattle you toss it in the back of the truck, strap it down and go….but for the next six months of around-town driving it can be removed and sit at the house until its needed for the next trip. (There is, of course, a certain amount of gear thats always present in the truck..first aid, sleeping bag, fireextinguisher, etc, etc.)
=====
Picked up five LEO-marked GLock 19 mags yesterday 🙂 🙂 🙂 $20 ea. The 20 Ruger 10/22 mags and 10 Glock 17 mags should be here soon as well. What an impotent ten years that was, limited to ten-rounds because somehow cops needed 15-rounds but civillians only needed 10. This reminds me of The Great Primer Scare from many years ago…..a rumour was circulating that the .gov was leaning on the manufacturers to produce primers that would go inert after 6 months…this way people couldnt stockpile ammo. Never mind that its kind tough to make a primer that’ll expire in 6 months and not in 5 1/2 months. Anyway, for a few months you could not buy primers no matter where you went. People were stocking up and hoarding them so theyd be ahead of this new ‘expiring’ primer. Well, the rumour eventually fizzled and availability/pricing of primers went back to normal. But just to play it safe I still have about 15,000 primers sitting on my reloading bench as a ‘reserve’. I plan on doing the same thing with these newly-available magazines….no way Im getting caught flat-footed if those weasels in Washington try this sorta crap again.
=====
A source may have opend up for 26.5mm flares at a decent price. These are needed for my HK flare pistols. Must stay on top of this.
=====
Hunting season approaches!

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Im being deficient as the Zero these days..Im behind on a few small projects that Ive been meaning to do. I need to refill the lamps and heater for winter, organize the food cupboards, add more bottled water to the freezer, etc, etc. And I need to keep up on my reloading…I’m getting a bit low on .45 and 9mm ammo.
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The girlfriend was reading a book about a (supposedly) upcoming economic upheaval. Theres alot of things to learn when youre Commander Zero and, honestly, economic theory hasnt quite made it to the top of the list yet. (Its there, I just havent gotten to it yet.) My belief is that rather than reptoids, graboids, invading Chinese, asteroid impacts or pandemic plague the one event that will effect a nationwide disaster will be economic. Ceratinly a terrorist incident has nationwide consequences (Patriot Act, for example) but in terms of damage/lives lost it tends to stay localized. Im more inclined to believe that therell be an economic disaster..a depression, devaluation, hyperinflation, whatever. My point being that if you think its tough meeting a mortgage and paying bills now, imagine what its going to be like when you cant find work (or sell your product/skills), theres lines for gas and toilet paper, foreclosures are occuring left and right, and your dollar isnt buying everything it used to. This is why rather than sink $500 into an oil painting for the living room, or $300 into patio furniture Id rather spend it on food, supplies, durable clothing and gold.

Naturally, the side effect of this is that as I prepare for an economic disaster I wind up being prepared for pretty much most other types as well.
=====
I left the new Eureka Combat Tent set up for the last week to let it air out and to get an overall feel for it. Ive used them before and thats part of what made me decide to get one. Even the girlfriend is impressed with it…apparently she was expecting a canvas shelter half or something. Nice thing is that since this thing is a freestanding tent, it could actually get set up in the bed of the truck. Handy.
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One thing thats been really annoying me as of late is that I dont have a convenient pantry area for my kitchen. The result is that my cupboards are a very disorganzied array of cans, boxes, pouches and assorted food packaging. I need to devise a simple and efficient system for storing the canned goods that are always around. The usual rolling dispenser like you see for pop cans would work. I just need to get one that will fit within the confines of the cabinet. Lately Ive become very enamored with the halfsize (8 oz. instead of 15 oz) cans of vegetables and fruits. They have pull tabs, arent too much for one person and are easy to store. Super WalMart has the usual varieties of corn, pears, tomatoes, onions, beans, etc….a couple cases of each would go a long way towards giving me that warm, fuzzy “Im not gonna stand on a half-mile long line for government handout food” feeling.
=====
Which also reminds me, I need to work on my oft-neglected project of playing in the kitchen to see what kind of recipes I can concoct using nothing but stored/canned food….if it wont keep for six months at room temperature on the shelf, it doesnt get used as an ingredient.

Im being deficient as the Zero these days..Im behind on a few small projects that Ive been meaning to do. I need to refill the lamps and heater for winter, organize the food cupboards, add more bottled water to the freezer, etc, etc. And I need to keep up on my reloading…I’m getting a bit low on .45 and 9mm ammo.
=====
The girlfriend was reading a book about a (supposedly) upcoming economic upheaval. Theres alot of things to learn when youre Commander Zero and, honestly, economic theory hasnt quite made it to the top of the list yet. (Its there, I just havent gotten to it yet.) My belief is that rather than reptoids, graboids, invading Chinese, asteroid impacts or pandemic plague the one event that will effect a nationwide disaster will be economic. Ceratinly a terrorist incident has nationwide consequences (Patriot Act, for example) but in terms of damage/lives lost it tends to stay localized. Im more inclined to believe that therell be an economic disaster..a depression, devaluation, hyperinflation, whatever. My point being that if you think its tough meeting a mortgage and paying bills now, imagine what its going to be like when you cant find work (or sell your product/skills), theres lines for gas and toilet paper, foreclosures are occuring left and right, and your dollar isnt buying everything it used to. This is why rather than sink $500 into an oil painting for the living room, or $300 into patio furniture Id rather spend it on food, supplies, durable clothing and gold.

Naturally, the side effect of this is that as I prepare for an economic disaster I wind up being prepared for pretty much most other types as well.
=====
I left the new Eureka Combat Tent set up for the last week to let it air out and to get an overall feel for it. Ive used them before and thats part of what made me decide to get one. Even the girlfriend is impressed with it…apparently she was expecting a canvas shelter half or something. Nice thing is that since this thing is a freestanding tent, it could actually get set up in the bed of the truck. Handy.
=====
One thing thats been really annoying me as of late is that I dont have a convenient pantry area for my kitchen. The result is that my cupboards are a very disorganzied array of cans, boxes, pouches and assorted food packaging. I need to devise a simple and efficient system for storing the canned goods that are always around. The usual rolling dispenser like you see for pop cans would work. I just need to get one that will fit within the confines of the cabinet. Lately Ive become very enamored with the halfsize (8 oz. instead of 15 oz) cans of vegetables and fruits. They have pull tabs, arent too much for one person and are easy to store. Super WalMart has the usual varieties of corn, pears, tomatoes, onions, beans, etc….a couple cases of each would go a long way towards giving me that warm, fuzzy “Im not gonna stand on a half-mile long line for government handout food” feeling.
=====
Which also reminds me, I need to work on my oft-neglected project of playing in the kitchen to see what kind of recipes I can concoct using nothing but stored/canned food….if it wont keep for six months at room temperature on the shelf, it doesnt get used as an ingredient.

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Im pretty sure I dont need to tell you this, but just in case:

When launching parachute flares –

• Do not look up as you fire it … you’ll get a face full of backblast. Look down at your feet and stay that way until that sucker is waaaaay up in the air
• If wearing eyewear consider the blast might knock it from your face
• Make sure to point flare tube straight up and keep pointing straight up until that baby exits the tube

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In addition to the parachute flares, also tried the handheld signal flares (like steroidal road flares). These babies are great for signalling, put out tremendous amounts of light and heat, and would be an outstanding source of ignition for any arsonistic endeavours you may have.
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God really hates Florida.
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I have a trip to Seattle next week. Need to start packing for the trip. My greatest fear, and what a cosmic irony it would be, is to have TEOTWAWKI occur when Im far away from my happily fortified and stocked house. So, naturally, I’ll bring everything I can that I would need to work my way back to it. Come to think of it, I really need to come up with a ’standard’ checklist of things to bring on the long-ranging trips. Maybe later.
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Im quite happy with the Yugo SKS…I got about two dozen stripper clips for it and they work fine. Its a very handy, robust gun and I hope to get more of them. Ideally, I’d like to have one to keep in the truck at all times with about 20 stripper clips worth of ammo.