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by Randy W

One topic that I have not seen a lot of coverage on in recent years is the topic of getting one’s home prepared just prior to running out the door due to a forced evacuation or a “Bug Out” scenario.

If you live in an area susceptible to Hurricanes, tropical storms tidal waves, Wild fires and the like there will certainly be public service announcements, and News programs contain many of the things I am discussing here but in a situation where you do not have a large “ time budget”, due to impending disaster, there are several things that should be addressed (if there is time to do so) prior to evacuating your home. (Please note all of these procedures should be followed if sufficient warning allows for the time to do so).

Personal property and belongings can always be replaced, take care of your loved ones and their safety as the first priority, then if there is time address these measure to prevent your home from sustaining additional non-storm related damaged caused by a compromised utility or system in your home.

First of all, I believe it is essential to leave you home as secure as possible being certain to remove, or secure any pets, cash, jewelry, valuable papers, documents firearms and ammunition. If possible, rare antiques, and valuable should be wrapped, boxed or protected, where they will be out of harm’s way. In case of potential flooding any and all household items that can be moved, should be placed on upper floors of the home rather than left in the basement or on the first floor if applicable. Valuable Items that cannot be moved or taken away should be left out of sight. If valuable electronics or furniture can be seen from an open window then cover all windows and doors with the blinds, or curtains so no one has the ability to see the contents of your home.

If you live in areas where storm evacuations occur such as along the east coast, it is a good Idea to have functional storm shutters installed on windows that face the prevailing direction a storm will usually come from and have plywood (at least ½ inch thick) pre-cut to size to fit all other doors or windows not so equipped. Having plywood precut to size, and properly labeled in advance, can save valuable time and ensure protection is afforded if sufficient warning for such measures is given. If you are forced to leave your home for long periods of time, this practice that will not only protect your windows from windblown objects, wind compression damage, and hail, it will also offer some additional security, protection should the area be overrun by vandals, looters or marauders.

Another good Idea to protect your home prior to evacuation is to learn where the main water shut off is in order to prevent non storm related, water damage. Once the water main has been shut off, it is a good practice to test a low lying faucet to see if the water is off prior to departure (if the is sufficient time to do so). More than one home owner has returned from vacation or a short evacuation to find the exterior of their home in good condition but flooded from a damaged washing machine hose, ice maker water line or other non-storm related, water damage that could have been prevented if water to the home had been shut off.

In rare instances if you should be forced to evacuate your home in winter conditions or for extended periods of time, the water meter should be disconnected and capped, the supply lines should be drained, pressured cleared, and all drains filled with a few cups of RV anti-freeze. This will prevent pipes from bursting in colder climates. While this would be rare in most evacuation scenarios weather related steps should be taken. In most cases of short term evacuations the possibility of frozen water lines would be small, but it is of course weather dependent.

In an event of a possible Forced evacuation there may not be time to drain and winterize the lines but be aware there are conditions where this could be warranted.

One of the scariest cases of having to evacuate your home would be due to a possible wild fire looming in your area. The Local Fire Marshal may ask to have home owners leave their water on with garden hoses at the ready (should the home owner be forced to leave, at least the fire department would be able to douse the roof or siding should here be a save opportunity to do so). Each forced evacuation may be different and the Local authorities will announce their methodology for such an evacuation. This is by no means a comprehensive guide and is just mentioned for educational purposes.

In addition to shutting off water flow to the home in case of a Bug-out, the natural or LP gas supply to the home should be shut off at the meter or the LP tank dome.

There are certain appliances that rely on pilot lights to start the flame when they are placed in use (water heater, gas log, etc.). These appliances will need to be re-lit once the home can be re-occupied. Most modern stoves/ovens, furnaces, and fire places have electronic ignition or igniters and do not need to be relit prior to use. Learn were the shut offs to you gas supply is located (Meter or tank) and educate yourself and others in your family how to shut them off. For most homes the gray colored gas meter will have a pipe coming from the curb (buried at least 2 ft.) carrying the gas to the meter and a pipe running to the ground that will enter the home on one of the exterior walls. Once located, the gas line shut off will generally be on the pipe line coming to the meter from the curb. This valve will look like a brass spool valve with a tab standing out from the spool. This should be turned 90 degrees from vertical or in the horizontal position to shut off gas to the home. In situation where the home is fueled by an LP tank the shut off valve will be in the tank dome and may be a ¼ turn ball valve or a screw valve similar to an outdoor hose bib (water faucet). Each valve application may be different so familiarize yourself with safe and proper procedures prior to performing these precautions. A trained professional, utility employee or contractor may need to be contacted in order to familiarize you with your own home system and how it functions, but do not wait until an emergency to find someone to show you the ropes.

In the event of a storm surge, flood, or even earth quake such precautions could prevent further damage to your home caused by a gas leak and resultant fire. It might even prevent being overcome by gas fumes as you reenter your home. Advanced training in systems functionality may prevent additional non-related storm damage to your home.

One additional potential for non-storm related damage to your home would be your electrical system. It might be possible for it to sustain damage from severe weather. While it takes a Utility employee to shut current off to the home at the Mast head (Location where the lines come into the home). Most new homes do have the ability to shut off the circuit panel using the main shutoff, located in the circuit panel (many times this is the first breaker at the top or bottom of the panel, this will appear at least twice the size other circuit breakers in many cases). In some regions, building codes may also call for an exterior, electrical, main, shutoff, breakers, between the circuit board and the meter.

This is very convenient for the Local fire department in case of a home fire, but unless secured by a seal or padlock can also allow a thief to shut off power to the home in order to bypass security. While contriversial, cutting power to the home at the circuit panel, during extended evacuations, may be a viable option. It is probably lower in priority that the other utilities, but if there is a large windblown objects that strikes the exterior wall or you home an electrical line can be damaged in the wall, causing an ark and resultant fire at this location, especially if the object happens to be metal. In most cases of flood, the utility company will shut electricity off as a main distribution switch to prevent emergency workers from coming in contact with live lines. But do not assume this is the case without first contacting the utility prior to entering your home, after a natural or manmade disaster

Extreme caution should be used when reenergizing the main circuit to your home after a natural disaster due to potential damage to your wiring. Never stand in front of the main circuit panel when activating the main shut-off to the on position. Use a protected stance, off to one side of the panel with as much of your body away from any potential electrical fire ball that may form if a large ark occurs due to a power surge in the panel.

Please consult your utility or a professional electrician if you have any questions about shutting your power off to your entire home and prior to re-energizing the home if you have any concerns, this article is for educational purposes and is by no means an all-encompassing manual.

Many people have returned home to a natural disaster to see their home in ruins due to damage that occurred from non-related storm damage that could have been prevented by following a few simple steps to insure that damage to the systems of their home that we take for granted in normal times. Please do your homework so this.

We have taken time today to explore 3 of the systems in your home that may fail or cause potential damage to your home due to a natural or manmade disaster but this is not all inclusive as there may be other sources that I may have over looked that may be unique to our own situation such as solar array and batteries, Exterior wood furnaces, water or steam heat to your home just to mention a few. Making all of the systems of your home as inert as possible prior to bugging out may prevent additional non-storm related damage occurring to your home in your absence.

In summary, it is prudent to be knowledgeable about the main utility systems of your home and how they can be de-energized or shut off in case of an emergency. The main systems we have discussed today all allow us to live in relative ease and comfort compared to our ancestors of less than 100 years ago, but they also have the potential to cause harm to our property or loved ones if they are not properly shut down in times of emergency evacuations. Electricity, Gas, and water when properly controlled are truly a blessing but when they are not contained or controlled in their proper infrastructure, can lead to additional damage to our home should they be left unchecked during a disaster. With proper knowledge these modern conveniences can be shut off or disconnected in such a way that they will remain in a contained and controlled manner that will allow our homes escape unintended damage that can easily be contained with proper education.

by Oldalaskan

What kind of jobs are available for “Preppers?” This is a very broad statement but I will narrow this down to some of the small business I have created in the years past and maybe you can adapt them towards your needs or likes.

One of the first businesses that I done was when my children were little and that was as a neighborhood ice cream vendor. We started with a 3 wheeled bike with a freezer on the front and sold popsicles in various neighborhoods in town and at special events. I found a website called www.worksman.com there they sell all manner of cycles and carts for street vending. Like I said you could do the neighborhood routes by loading it onto a trailer and transport it and you can get into special events. Here I needed a business license, a “commissary” (this is a pace to store your product and clean the cart) and the blessings of the local health department. In the 1980’s regulations weren’t very strict and I used my garage for my commissary you may get away with it now it depends on your health department.

I had 2 large freezers to store the product that I bought from local wholesalers. Then I could buy an ice cream sandwich for 12 ½ cents and sell it for 75 cents. Otter Pops I bought at a Costco type store for 2 cents and sold them for a quarter. There was a need for an inexpensive item in lower rent neighborhoods. Remember I said I started this when my children were small LOCK the ice cream up. From this I graduated to an old mail truck that I converted by painting the inside white and cutting a hole in the side of it on the curb side of the truck to vend from. I had a wooden door that was on hinges that I could tie back and had pictures and prices of my product on it.

I worked these part-time since I had a full time job and worked the night shift. With the bike setup I had about $4,000.00 invested and it took 2 month’s to recoup my investment, the truck I had about $5,000.00 invested and that took one month to recoup my investment. With the truck I could get around faster and cover more territory.

My next venture was a mobile food truck and for this I converted an old class C motor home which is something I wouldn’t do today but a 20 foot or larger step van is more suitable for this. It will take time and many trips to the health Department to get it licensed but the expense of a commercial truck $50,000.00 or more you might get want to weigh the pro’s and con’s of making your own.

This took me and my 2 sons to operate and we sold Coffee, store bought donuts, nacho’s, hot dogs and it had a small freezer for some ice cream. We worked mostly special events. All of the transactions were in cash nuff said.

Depending on the event you can get one or more turkey fryers, 20lb. propane tanks a 10X10 pop-up tent or a 10X20 carport tent and go to Sam’s club and buy peanut oil, a funnel and funnel cake mix and make funnel cakes or several cans of “Johnny’s” Potato soup mix and add bacon and chopped clams for a very good Clam Chowder and of course a griddle for hot dogs, sausages or other items. Sliced onions and green peppers frying are people magnets.

Another thing to consider if you are doing events or flea markets is to attend the “ASD” Show (do a computer search of ASD SHOW for more information). Here you can buy all kinds of merchandise to re-sell at events or flea markets or contact local crafts people to sell their items at event for a commission.

If you want to really tie yourself down open a thrift store. For this go to your local goodwill store and look around, where are all the women at, in the clothing section. You could buy new clothing and jewelry at the ASD show or go to storage and estate auctions. This second part you could loose a lot of money real fast or make money. The trick is there is none, as in gold mining you must move a lot of dirt to get a nugget of gold and so to in storage auctions. About 50% or more will go into the dumpster but what is left should be saleable. You will have to wash the clothing and make sure it’s in saleable condition. Also you will soon know your market and know what people are buying. I personally know several people who are making a very good living at this. One person has 4 large 5th. Wheel enclosed trailers, 3 full time employees and his wife and him. They have been doing this for over 10 year’s and seem to be doing quite well but like I said they work real hard at it. You could also buy storage and hit the Flea Market circuit. Once again it’s all cash.

If you do the auction thing read up on Commercial Code 2-328 here is just a small excerpt from it and all states have this regulation:

§ 2-328. Sale by Auction.

(1) In a sale by auction if goods are put up in lots each lot is the subject of a separate sale.

(2) A sale by auction is complete when the auctioneer so announces by the fall of the hammer or in other customary manner. Where a bid is made while the hammer is falling in acceptance of a prior bid the auctioneer may in his discretion reopen the bidding or declare the goods sold under the bid on which the hammer was falling.

(3) Such a sale is with reserve unless the goods are in explicit terms put up without reserve. In an auction with reserve the auctioneer may withdraw the goods at any time until he announces completion of the sale. In an auction without reserve, after the auctioneer calls for bids on an article or lot, that article or lot cannot be withdrawn unless no bid is made within a reasonable time. In either case a bidder may retract his bid until the auctioneer’s announcement of completion of the sale, but a bidder’s retraction does not revive any previous bid.

(4) If the auctioneer knowingly receives a bid on the seller’s behalf or the seller makes or procures such a bid, and notice has not been given that liberty for such bidding is reserved, the buyer may at his option avoid the sale or take the goods at the price of the last good faith bid prior to the completion of the sale. This subsection shall not apply to any bid at a forced sale.

Not all auctioneers are alike there are many good honest ones and there are some real crooks be careful. With storage some auctioneers will “Cherry Pick or Stage” the unit. Cherry picking the auctioneer or manager or owner take out high dollar items for later sale and stageing means the good items are set in front where people can see them or EMPTY tool cases or gun cases are made visiable to get higher bids. ALWAYS bid as if the case is empty.

Now for all of you who are thinking of retiring and traveling around the states following the sun, “Snow Birding”, there are several websites for “Work Camping” AKA the Gorkies in the movie RV. You work part-time jobs as campground host’s, maintenance (cutting grass and cleaning the shower rooms) to working at amusement parks and a whole host of other jobs. Some websites for this are; www.workampers.com, www.happyvagabounds.com, www.work-for-rvers-and-campers.com or just do a search for work camping.

My wife & I plan in about 2 years to get a big 5th wheel toy hauler camper and travel around the states helping auctioneers as needed as support staff, Clerks, Cashiers, Ringmen (there is a school for this called the professional ringman institute, look it up PRI.com) and maybe buying at storage auctions and hitting flea markets to sell what we find. Look up www.fleamarketfinder.com for locations all over the US. There are over 20 different auctioneer schools but to get established it will take you several years. Do a search for auctioneer schools, Repperts auction school in Indianapolis is one.

There are also several websites where you can set up your own “timed” auction like E-Bay does look up www.maxanet.com for a good easy one. You can do this on the road or at home with a computer, a digital camera and a credit card service or Pay Pal. The post office will give you FREE flat rate boxes for shipping.

I have been mentioning storage auctions a lot REMEMBER you can loose your shirt at these if you don’t know what you are doing. Go to a few and just watch and listen to the people talk before you pull the trigger and buy one. What are some of the items you can find at storage auctions? Well it depends a lot on your area. In Indianapolis you will find a lot of antiques and glassware, here we find a lot of outdoor gear, camping, ammo, tools, guns, military (2 military bases here) and a LOT OF JUNK. I plan to have one or two areas in my camper to for storing my firearms, ammo and 30rd. magazines out of sight and hidden. We also don’t plan on going into California, New York and a few other anti-gun states.

For a TEOTWAWKI event, if you have some wood, one-inch chicken wire, hardware wire and other supplies stockpiled then growing chickens and rabbits could be very lucrative. Rabbits breed well and you don’t have to worry too much about inbreeding. Having 2 or more does and a buck will within 3 months supply you with 10 or more rabbits (30-32 days gestation and 8 to 12 weeks food ready or for breeding with an average of 5-6 kits per litter or more) and within 10 months by eating only the excess males you will have rabbits to sell or barter as meat or if you like the people or you are in a community setting for breeding. The same can be said for chickens but you will need a rooster and one rooster for about 10 hens will work otherwise the roosters will try to kill each other. You can sell or barter eggs and meat chickens or as layers. If OPSEC is a problem Rabbits are quite and Roosters crow. I mention these since they breed and get to market weight quite quickly as compared to Sheep, goats, pigs or the larger animals.

You could grow excess vegetables in your garden by “stacking or layering” the grow boxes. 32 gal. trash cans or excess automotive tires can be used for growing potato’s, read up on the “rain gutter grow system” RGGS.com, grow seedlings to barter for transplanting and you can grow a host of items in your house during the winter with a south facing window or windows. Many plants are self-pollinating and don’t require insects for pollination or as with carrots, lettuce, beets, turnips and such no pollination unless you need the seeds.

If things look like it ill last for years then set up a part of your garden to produce extra seeds for barter for the next growing season that’s if anyone will be around. Our ancestors here in the country did this.

I could go on with ideas like this for another two or more pages, but if you have a little imagination these few suggestions could make you a very good side income or supplement your retirement income and remember if you do what you love you will never work a day in your life.

by Tia G.

Growing up, I had the pleasure of never seeing a roach, except on T.V. I grew up with the assumption that only dirty people had roaches. When I moved to Texas, I found out how wrong that assumption was. Even the cleanest of homes can get infested with roaches and it doesn’t take much.

My first apartment in Texas appeared to be clean. Nice neighborhood, clean grounds, the apartment itself looked and “smelled” clean, all the stuff you look for when moving into an apartment. I didn’t know the signs to look for, or even that I needed to look, for a roach infestation.

Within a week I saw my first roach. It was huge and it flew right into my hair. I found out later it was a wood roach or a palmetto bug. Did I mention it flies? After an hour-long shower, and scrubbing my hair a dozen times, I was fine. After all, the bug was outside and I was inside, so I was safe-right? Wrong!

My first-midnight foray into the kitchen proved just how wrong I was. There were roaches everywhere on the floors and counters. Of course, I didn’t have any kind of bug spray, I didn’t even have a flyswatter. I went around with a flip-flop smacking all them I could catch while doing the “ewwwe dance.”

The next morning I stormed the manager’s office complaining. I was practically laughed out of the office with the advice to go and buy some roach spray. I keep a clean house, and this is probably some kind of a fluke, some roach spray should get rid of them, so I believed. That started my two year battle with them.

You can name any brand of roach spray, gel, trap, bait, and fogger, and I will guarantee that I have tried it. I moved into a different apartment that sprayed on a weekly basis. I cleaned, and cleaned, and cleaned some more. All food was kept in an airtight container or in the fridge. Nothing seemed to help. When I sprayed, it was like they spread.

When when I used the baits, they seemed to multiply. When I fogged, they would disappear for a day or two, and then would be back in full force. It got so bad I was seeing them not only at night but during the day.

My breaking point happened over two events. I went to make a pot of coffee and there were roaches crawling all over and in my coffee pot (to this day I still drink instant coffee) and my daughter got up from the table during breakfast, came back and there were roaches all over her food. I freaked out.

I had tried everything I could think of to get rid of them and nothing was working. How do people live like this? How do people get away from them? I tried moving and they just packed themselves into my stuff and moved with me. I keep my house clean as can be, I even tried pouring straight bleach on the counters and they seemed to enjoy playing in it.

After having my little breakdown, I had a thought pop into my head. “Know thy enemy.” No one said that it only applies to people. So what do I know about roaches? They are creepy and nasty. They carry disease, and would probably survive a nuclear holocaust. Time to do some research.

I learned so much about them, things I never wanted to know. It confirmed that I NEEDED to get rid of them, but that the approach I was taking would NOT work. Here are three things that told me I needed to find a different way:

1) Roaches can eat and survive off of pretty much anything. From that microscopic crumb that got left behind, to the glue on book bindings, stamps, and envelopes. They will also eat body parts that they shed and other dead roaches. So in essence, they can feed each other, and don’t need the food you have in your home.

2) Just like we build immunities to antibiotics and other medications, roaches can become immune to the chemicals we spray on/feed them.

3) They can hold their breath for an obnoxious length of time, 40 minutes. That means when you start spraying, unless you are hitting them directly they hold their breath and scurry off to a safe location, usually in another room. It works the same for the foggers, they hold their breath until they can find a pocket of fresh air the chemicals cant reach. So in spraying all the roach sprays, I effectively spread them throughout the apartment.

With those being some of my biggest problems, how do I work around it? An internet search on getting rid of roaches brought up so many sites selling pesticides, and all the exterminators, that I would never find what I needed that way.

I did a search on “alternative ways to kill roaches” and it came up with mixed results.

Where I struck pay dirt was when I looked up “natural ways to kill roaches.” On site after site, three things kept popping up. Diatomaceous Earth (DE), boric acid, and baking soda.

Here Are My Results For Each:

Diatomaceous Earth: I found that it does kill roaches if you can actually get it on them. The problems were that you do not want to breathe this stuff in so it really limited where all you could place it, and the roaches avoided it. Where it really helped was that I was able to put it in the dog and rabbit food. It was safe for my pets to eat and yet kept the roaches out.

*****NOTE: if you buy DE make sure you buy the FOOD GRADE as the stuff they sell for pool filters is very toxic to people and pets.

Boric acid: I first tried Borax as I had some in the house. The problem with the borax is it caked really easy and would not work. I then bought the both the powder and tablet form of boric acid. I believe this to be the reason I am now roach free.

The powder form I found at the dollar store for $3 a bottle and the tablets I found at a grocery store for around the same price. I put the tablets under all appliances, in the back and corners of my cabinets, and anywhere I didn’t want loose powder.

I put the powder in a very thin line around all baseboards, on my bookcases, and anywhere else I needed a large area covered. I would sprinkle it all over my floors and counters at night before going to bed, cleaning it up in the morning. It was not a quick success by any means. It took a couple of weeks for me to notice a difference and a couple of months before I completely stopped seeing them. The trick with boric acid is to put it in very thin lines otherwise the roaches will go around or jump over it.

Note: be very careful using boric acid on and around areas that you prepare food. It is toxic.

Baking soda: here is where I started and had my least amount of success. The roaches were not interested in the baking soda by itself. When mixed with sugar (which is the most recommended) it became a hard sticky mess, at least in my high humidity area. It did work if you changed it out every day so the mixture would be fresh, but you couldn’t spread it out like with the boric acid.

It took about six months of trying all the different techniques and finding the one that worked in my home. In the end, although I believe it to mainly be because of the boric acid, I used a mixture of the three things.

I used the DE in the pet food, the boric acid pretty much everywhere else, and I would fill bottle caps with the baking soda/sugar mix and put them up as bait stations throughout the house in problem areas, making sure they walked through the boric acid to get to them.

I have now been roach free for 4 years. Even now, and after moving into a house, I keep lines of boric acid down behind the baseboards, and the tablets in my cabinets and under appliances. I still buy DE to mix with the animal food. The boric acid, as long as it is kept dry, will last for years. Some easy measures to take so that if/when SHTF and sanitation becomes an issue, it is one less thing for us to worry about.

Well, folks, it’s that time again! Last weeks segment did well with over 150 comments posted. Let’s see if we can pass 200 comments this week.

But before we get started, let’s talk about the changes here, what you can expect and why. I think you’ll love the change and get more out of it.

Five days a week (Monday through Friday) I will get up at 6:00 o’clock, drink a cup of coffee, eat breakfast, pour another cup of coffee and then head to my home office where I will scour the internet for the most 10 recent and vital news and happening from around the world and post those in a ten-point list with my thoughts and options.

This will be a HUGE time-saver for you because I’ll be the one spending several hours each morning putting this all together for you in a form that is easily skimmed over and digestible in the short amount of time.

You will be educated and entertain – I will cut through the clutter and noise of the internet and deliver to you what you need to know each day, including links to the original stories where you can go to read more if you’re interested in doing so.

No bots. No computer algorithms. Just me, each day’s import news, and you. You will be informed, you will be entertained, you will laugh, you might cry, or you might get pissed off by what you learn, but one thing is sure – you won’t want to miss it!

And in this same column (Monday through Friday) I will be posting a daily photo, this will not be a stock image but a photo that I’ve taken for you and publish for your entertainment and enjoyment. 

And that’s not all! Nope, I’m not done yet, there will also be a scripture of the day and maybe even a quote of the day…  

And every Saturday (yes, I’m posting early this week) there will be a new segment of “What Did You Do to Prep This Week”… This is all going to be a great change for the better.

Thank You!

Okay, now that we have that out of the way, I’d like to thank you and give a huge shoutout to Susan H and Barbara H for their generous contributions this week. It’s good folks like you that keep this site going! Thank you! 

If YOU would like to send a monetary contribution then you can easily do that by clicking on this link – this one right here – click it.  Be sure to leave a note in the PayPal form to let me know if you want me to include a shoutout to you here in next weeks segment. 

Click Here to Send a Donation

Okay, let’s get on with this weeks “what did you do to prep this week” after all this is why you’re here reading this right…

First of all, the property that I told you all about last week that I had thought about trying to buy didn’t work out so as of right now I will be staying where I am. Where I am now is a great place; however, I wanted more land to homestead. And I’ll probably move to a larger parcel in the future, but not right now. Maybe next spring. 

When I put my current place up for sale, I will post it here like I did with my other p, and then you all can come look at it if you’re interested in moving to Tennessee. 

As for preps this week – I read “The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History” it’s great. If you are interested in real history and not the crap that you were taught in school, then you need to read this book!

Click Here To Read The Reviews at Amazon.com

I’ve been a fan of the show “The Dukes of Hazard” since I was a teenager and I always loved and wanted one of the Buck Knives like the ones that Bo and Luke Duke carried on the show.

So I bought the one below at a local fleamarket… what do you think?

Click Here to Check Price and Availability at Amazon.com

Harvested a five-gallon bucket full of squash. And as you can see, more are growing rather quickly.

I also bought a few boxes (5 to be exact) of .22 CCI ammo and ordered “One Month Basic Food Kit” from Valley Food Storage, but I’ve not received it yet.  I’ve never ordered from them before – if you have then, please post a comment below about your experience. Thanks.

Click This Button to Checkout Valley Food Storage

Well, folks, that’s it for me this week. What about you? What did you do to prep this week?

‘Could 2019 be the year humans open the first portal to a shadowy dimension which mirrors our own world? 

Scientists in Oak Ridge National Laboratory in eastern Tennessee hope so, and have completed building equipment they are to test this summer which may allow us the first glimpse of a parallel universe which could be identical in many ways to our own, with mirror particles, mirror planets and possibly even mirror life. 

That is according to Leah Broussard, the physicist behind the project, who described the attempt to reveal a hidden shadow world as “pretty wacky” in an interview with NBC last week. 

The discovery of a concealed mirror world may sound like science fiction from the Stranger Things series, but it has been repeatedly suggested by physicists as a tempting means of explaining anomalous results. However, as yet, hard evidence such a realm exists has refused to manifest itself. 

One set of anomalous results, and the ones which inspired the research, date back to the 1990s, when particle physicists were measuring the time it took for neutron particles to break down into protons once they were removed from an atom’s nucleus. 

Two separate experiments saw the neutrons broke down at differing rates, instead of decaying and becoming protons at exactly the same rate, as was expected. 

In one, the free neutrons were captured by magnetic fields and herded into laboratory bottle traps, and in the other they were detected by the subsequent appearance of proton particles from a nuclear reactor stream. 

Those particles fired out in the stream from the nuclear reactor lived on average for 14 minutes and 48 seconds – nine seconds longer than those from the bottle traps. 

It may sound like a small difference, but it has troubled scientists. 

But the existence of a mirror world offers a credible explanation: That there are two separate neutron lifetimes, and it could be that around 1 percent of neutrons could be crossing the divide between our reality and the mirror world before crossing back and then emitting a detectable proton. 

The new experiment will fire a beam of neutrons at an impenetrable wall. On the other side of the wall, a neutron detector will be set up, which normally would expect to detect nothing.’ 

Read more: Scientists attempting to open a portal to a parallel universe 

‘Nearly 4 years ago, I wrote an article entitled, “Lasers and Electronic Warfare To Be Used in New World of Drones and Anti-Drones,” wherein I detailed the trend toward using directed energy weapons in warfare. Unfortunately, it appears that much of the speculation at that time about whether or not this was merely the military-industrial complex looking to fund more boondoggle projects that would never see the light of day actually has become reality. 

Fox News reports: 

If swarms of enemy small attack boats armed with guns and explosives approached a Navy ship, alongside missile-armed drones and helicopters closing into strike range, ship commanders would instantly begin weighing defensive options – to include interceptor missiles, electronic warfare, deck-mounted guns or area weapons such as Close-in-Weapons System. 

Now, attacks such as these will also be countered with laser weapons being added to the equation, bringing new dimensions to maritime warfare on the open sea. 

By 2021, U.S. Navy destroyers will be armed with new ship-fired lasers able to sense and incinerate enemy drones, low-flying aircraft and small boat attacks — all while firing at the speed of light.

As nation after nation becomes wired for war and neutralizes then surpasses each other, new methods must be developed to maintain military supremacy. This is the nature of military conflict and one of the prime reasons why the world seems to have new security threats each and every day. It becomes one endless problem-reaction-solution loop that only serves to benefit those who are invested in each of the three components. 

Now that lasers are being applied to ships, we should be seeing further rollout across the military. Here is a video from all the way back in 2012 which showed where we are probably heading. If this is what is being shown to the public, one can only imagine what is really being planned for the future of warfare.’ 

Good morning everyone… I hope everyone had a great fourth of July Independence Day and didn’t over do it with the hotdogs, burgers, and fireworks. 

Sadly, the main threat to what resemblance to freedom that we have left isn’t from a foreign power but our own government. We live in a country where we have to get a permit or a license for just about everything we do, and or follow a law or ordinance or be fined and or jailed and since 9-11 we have been on a fast downhill slide as far as individual freedom and constitutional rights are concerned. 

Granted we are better off than North Korea for example, however, “our” own government and the powers that be continuously chip away at the freedoms that we still have and will continue to do so no matter who is in Congress, The Senate, and the Whitehouse. 

That’s what governments do… they chip away at freedom while dipping more and deeper into our wallets via taxation and then when the people push back they might back off a little, you know take three steps forward and one step back, and then start again.

It’s never-ending and we have to always be on the lookout for the never-ending encroachments. Sometimes the powers that be will even allow a new president to be elected to calm one political side down for a while so that they think that they have a choice and a say in how things are going while in reality they continue on with their agenda.

It’s like professional wrestling… it’s all a show to keep everyone entertained and pacified while “Rome” burns…   

Okay, now on to the next topic… I still get an email or so each month asking why I stopped posting the original “what did you do to prep this week” segment… so I’m going to answer that for everyone here today all at the same time.

I stopped posting it because it turned into a circus of whining, complaining, and ridiculousness. Every day I’d get emails from the main commenters (probably 70% of the comments were from the same five people), complaining about someone else comment that didn’t agree with them. Ban them or I’m leaving was the general and common thread of the emails.

Oh me oh my, if for some reason the system held their comment for moderation – here came the emails accusing me of “censorship” because their comment wasn’t approved instantly. If you’re going to turn into a dictator and censor comments I’m leaving the site.

And this from people who are supposedly preparing to survive TEOTWAWKI – newsflash, if you can’t deal with a comment in a blog comments sections without falling all apart then you’re probably not going to survive TEOTWAWKI. 

An then there was this one guy who thought that it was his personal mission to reply to EVERYONE else’s comments with his opinion. And even when asked by other comment posters to stop replying to their comments he still would not stop.

This is also, the same guy who publicly stated in the comments that he purposely avoided clicking on my affiliate links to Amazon.com because he didn’t want me to earn anything for my work here on the blog, even though, clicking an Amazon affiliate link costs the reader NOTHING extra when they order. 

And there were the ones who are horrified at the thoughts of me actually making a couple of dollars from my efforts here. I remember back when I first bought my solar panels and posted a photo of those on the site, several left nasty comments saying I should be ashamed, that I was getting “rich” off them somehow. 

And then there were the ones who when a few loyal readers would send a small donation to help support the site and I’d then thank them publicly for their support in the “what did you do to prep this week” segment, the jackasses would respond with the “here MD goes begging for money again” or the “looks like a scam to me” or other stupid crap.

To be honest I just got sick of all of the bullshit and the whining people that came with the segment so I closed it down. And then when I did they really showed their true colors yet again by going to another site and talking about me like a dog in the comments section there.

Some even came back here using different names and posting comments asking others to stop reading this site and to come to the other site… this went on for a couple of months before they “the wolf pack” got tired of trying to destroy me simply because I had decided to shut down their gossip column. 

Anyways, as you can see I decided to post it again today to see how it goes… so feel free to comment below if you have anything to say that you want to share.

As for my preps this week I ordered this, this, and this from Amazon.com – not really prep items but that’s what I’ve ordered.

I’ve also been working in my garden with my three sisters experiment and it’s coming along nicely, however, the weeds are trying to take over, I had hoped that the squash would shade out the weed growth but that’s not been the case. So I’m going to go pull some weeds after I get done writing and posting this.

Also, I’ve been thinking about selling my homestead and moving to another location with more land. While you can do a lot on three acres I could do a lot more on 13 and a half which is what I’ve been looking at buying. 

Oh yeah, for those who think that I’m getting rich running a prepper/homesteading blog I’ll post a couple of screenshots of my recent earnings below…

What did you do to prep this week?

by Seeuncourt

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” – Thomas A. Edison

Whether you want to leave the rat race, get off the grid, retreat from the city, enjoy a simpler life, or become self-sufficient, whatever your motive – to achieve your goals you need an income.  You can work for someone else or work for yourself.  Starting a cottage industry can be daunting but it doesn’t have to be. 

Start by exploring your talents and hobbies.  What are you good at doing?  Could you make money from it?  Then, look at your area; is there a niche market for what you do?  Are you able to create that market?  Starting small is key.  The temptation to “go big or go home” may cause you to invest your precious capital in the wrong areas of your business.

Hawking Your Wares

Begin with an analysis of your area for marketing.  Determine if your local area has a farmers market or flea market and how to participate.  Develop an Etsy or eBay page, or your own website.  Ensure that you are not using colloquialisms or local lore to market your product.  I’ll explain; as a youth, I went to a local restaurant with my father. 

My father is from Tennessee, but I was raised in Iowa.  At the restaurant, the menu read, “Ham n Aigs with Taters”.  I asked my father, “What’s an “Aig”?”  After he composed himself he whispered, “Egg”.  Some local cute-isms are lost on the young or international travelers!  Market accordingly! 

The best and most enduring way to market your product, in my humble opinion, is to donate your product or service.  Your generosity will be remembered and passed on to new customers.  Often your donation can be accompanied by your business card revealing to others how to obtain such a good or service.  Happy and satisfied customers are the best advertisement.

Green Thumbs

If gardening is your forte, attend your local or regional farmers markets.  Take notes on what is there.  Identify the excess and the rare.  See what people like and are taking home.  Tailor your efforts toward what is popular, but not in great supply. 

Some ideas that are surefire sellers:  Herbs, Onions, and Greens.  Nothing says “take me home” like fresh culinary herbs, onions, shallots, garlic, and fresh spinach, and salad greens. 

All can be grown year-round outdoors, in greenhouses and high tunnels, and in cold frames.  Low in overhead, simple to grow organically, and to harvest, they are easily packaged with a simple rubber band at the stems or stalks or in plastic baggies.  Think non-GMO, heirloom, and organic!

Cut Flowers and Floral Arrangements

This takes a bit more gardening know-how, but if you are a flower image, put them to work for you!  Donate an arrangement to a local church or nursing home.  Include a “donated by” business card with your business details.

More than Whirly-gigs and Lawn Ornaments

If your talents include woodworking consider items picnic tables, vegetable hods, window boxes, bookshelves, storage cubes, vertical gardens, antler mounting plaques, and natural walking sticks (add a hand-carved wood spirit and leather grip!)  Donate a picnic table to the nursing home or a mini-table to the daycare center with a “donated by” card.  Take orders for your creations by posting with pictures on Craigslist or in the free local add paper.  Consider furniture refinishing as a side industry.

A Stitch in Time Saves Nine

Sewing can encompass everything from quilting to mending and alterations to custom tailoring orders.  It can be basic or include machine embroidery.  You are limited only by your creativity and the capabilities of your sewing machine. 

Be aware that some may not be interested in your finished product, but in learning to make their own.  Offer sewing lessons as a mainstay of this industry.  Consider volunteering to teach a basic sewing course to a 4H or homeschool group. 

Investigate how to teach an adult education course through the local school system choosing an interesting finished product.  Consult with local fabric stores and hospitals to determine if they will display finished class products.

Knitting and Crochet

While a fabulous pastime, hand knit and hand crocheted items are not often lucrative given the cost of fiber and the amount of time invested.  This and the influx of cheap china-mart knits make handmade fiber crafts money losers.  Better to offer a class as above with a finished walk away product.

Givin’ the Dog a Bone

We love our pets, thus, the pet products industry is very lucrative if you can create a product that appeals.  All natural dog treats packaged in human-appealing packaging, for instance, are a boon.  Or, hit up the local thrift shop on “fill a bag for a buck” day (or ask for the unserviceable items at a deep discount) and buy blue jeans and fleece coats or blankets. 

Turn these into creative two-sided recycled pet beds.  Stuff them with fabric scraps and cedar shavings for natural flea repellant.  Collars and leashes:  nylon webbing, paracord, leather – plain or covered in bling, these simple to make and high return for investment items are a must-have for dog and cat owners. 

Think of ways to make them original or trendy.  Donate a few of these items to your local animal shelter.  Ask them to post your business cards in return.

Bartleby the Scribner

Tutoring, typing, medical and legal transcription, resumes –put those 65 wpm+ typing skills to work for you!  Legal and medical offices often search for individuals to take on “a la carte” typing jobs.  Canvass your local area presenting a professional business card.  Obtain a “good conduct” certificate from your local PD and indicate that you will present it upon request.  Consider tax preparation as a seasonal side industry.

Are You Being Served?

Process Server and Notary Public:  With a small investment in training and certification or licensure, depending on your area population, you can make a decent wage as a process server.  Upon certification, make your service known to the local courts and attorneys by sending a business letter describing your qualifications and services. 

Include professional business cards.  Consider the dangers that accompany process serving and consider self-defense classes and/or a concealed carry permit.  Hang out a shingle stating you are a notary public, run a newspaper advertisement and post a notice on the community bulletin board.

Think Outside the Box

Do you own a truck and/or a trailer?  Put it to work for you!  Advertise “two grunts moving” on Craigslist, the free add paper, at the local storage units, and farm store.  Offer to move everything from hay bales and firewood to Aunt Fanny’s antique armoire.  Consider the overhead for packing materials, strapping, and added insurance when pursuing this venture.

Show me Angry – Now Sexy

Quality photography and photo products can be produced with a small investment in equipment and software.  If you have a digital camera, a computer, and a working knowledge of Photoshop, you have the makings of a popular business. 

Use your innate creativity to make stunning birth announcements, senior pictures, graduation announcements, holiday photo cards, etc.  Consider specializing in pet or infant photography. 

Add an additional creative niche selling matted photographs.  Take black and white photos of common objects that look like alphabet letters.  Arrange the photos to spell the name of a local popular establishment.  Mat and frame the photo montage and donate to the establishment with a request that they display your business card.

Tis the Season

Some work is only available dependent upon the season or your geographic area.  The key is to observe what is popular in your area and determine how you can get in on the action.  Some seasonal industries include:  cleaning gutters, sealing hot-top driveways, wreath making, gift baskets, rotor tilling/garden preparation, lawn care, leaf raking, camp wood and ice vending. 

Break up pallets (often free for the hauling) into 16-inch lengths, mix hardwood and softwood pallets, including a pack of matches and one commercial fire starter.  Saran wrap into a bundle.  Sell these and ice at or near local campgrounds (with the appropriate vendors’ permits, of course.)

Dressed in Overalls and Looks like Work

Don’t have all of the skills you need?  Explore the enrichment or continuing education credit courses at your local technical or community college.  These are usually offered at reduced price tuition.  Contact the local High School or Cooperative Exchange Office and determine what adult education classes are available in your local area. 

Request to apprentice with a local tradesperson during the “off” season.  Offer to work for free during the high season as payment to learn the trade.  Some trades to consider include butcher, welding and fabrication, and carpenter.

Your choice of employment doesn’t have to be conventional.  You may develop the next big thing.  Above all else, you must make wise choices and believe that you can be self-sufficient.

How about you?  What is your cottage industry success story or suggestion?

by blogRot.

Yes, a Faraday cage should be properly grounded to be more effective at preventing damage to electronics as grounding provides a discharge path for EMP. I’ll cover the why and how below so read on…

Electromagnetic Pulse (aka EMP) or a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from our sun produce high-powered electromagnetic ‘rays’ that are very damaging to electrical and electronics based equipment. Rubbing your bare feet across the carpet generates a significant electrostatic potential that you feel when you then touch something metal like a door handle – that spark is a discharge of roughly 4,000 volts to 35,000 volts.

Lightning cracks across the sky are 10,000 volts and more.  YES, the voltages created from you rubbing your feet and lightning is roughly the same but there is an ‘umph’ factor behind the voltages that I could explain but do not want to have anyone’s eyes cross.

Ever tried to heat up some Earl Grey with your DW’s gold trim porcelain tea cups in the microwave?  Did you notice the fireworks from that boneheaded move?  For comparison, EMP is both similar and different to the above but much more powerful the closer to ground zero one is, and CME could not only be up to EMP powerful but is also sustained – the Earth could be in the sun’s blast zone for hours or days whilst an EMP burst is milliseconds.  EMP from a nuclear detonation can still be higher than 100,000 volts hundreds of miles away.

What this electromagnetic energy does is to create (‘induce’) energy potential (voltage) in equipment even when it is not plugged in.  This is bad, as not only is this not controlled (like plugging something in backward the energy doesn’t go in the correct pathways and it burns up) but also that energy could very easily exceed tolerances of the components of the equipment – something as low as 30V inducement could irreparably damage electronics.

And electronics are everywhere and are needed for/included in electrical systems like your car, generators, central air conditioners, etc.  If that electronic control goes kaput it is hard if not impossible to get that electrical system it controls/manages to work.

Furthermore, the susceptibility of electronic memory components needs to be considered: even if the electronic memory component physically survives the inducement there is a strong chance that the critical programming codes it contains may be altered enough to ‘break’ it!

Your Kindle or laptop may survive undamaged but the software it needs to power up and run would be corrupted enough to make it useless and its data irretrievable.

To be honest, until there is a detailed study of a modern-day nuclear detonation near a population center I do not believe the magnitude of EMP effects are truly understood, anticipated or expected – I can only fantasize about what the results are and believed that most experts just don’t know every cause-and-effect nor the true extent of the damage (the good-stuff data is Classified).

Yeah, there was Project Starfish Prime in Hawaii, but that was more of an incidental byproduct and not specifically set up to be monitored – “ugh… Honolulu just called and said their streetlights all went out; did we just do that?  Yes, but let’s call it part of a study so Congress will fund it. Ka-ching!”  I do recognize EMPs and CME events as being catastrophic no matter what.

So how does one protect his precious ham radio, her dc/ac inverter, or their computer from these high energy discharge events?  While some special equipment can be ‘hardened’ by design the chances of you acquiring this military-grade engineering or old-school manufacturing is not expected.  Automobiles and airplanes used to be made without electronics; today nearly everything is and today’s products are soundly engineered using the least amount of material necessary in its construction.

Great for cost savings, but no wiggle room for extra capacity.  Grandpa’s wire wound antenna I inherited in his vacuum-tube based radio weighs more than my entertainment center – this is the old-school manufacturing that I am referring to.

The wiring in those old electrical systems would be considered over-engineered in today’s standards; they were bigger back then and those bigger wires can conduct more power through them before overheating and burning out.  Hardening and modern RF shielding is a whole ‘nuther bag of beans topic-wise, and this is just a brief snippet to show contrast to the other option.

…and that other option is to Shield it.  There is a reason UFO nutters wear tinfoil hats – it is actually sound physics in shielding from electrical waves; however, unless it is properly Grounded then it is useless.  So do you truly know what ‘grounding’ is?

Earth ground is special in that it is ASSUMED to be able to absorb an unlimited amount of Current without changing its potential (Voltage).  Another way of saying it is that earth ground is always ASSUMED to have zero volts, no matter how much current/power it is subjected to.  Electromagnetic radiation continues to propagate until dissipated through earth ground… err… it travels until stopped by the earth.

Let us assume the equipment is plugged into the wall outlet and is exposed to EMP.  This means that is being zapped and induced with ~100,000 volts of energy, more than likely turning whatever was plugged in into a heavy paperweight.  Light bulbs will explode, electronics will pop n fizzle, and if it was already running then it may catch fire.

Not to mention that the power lines are already saturated with its own induced energy, causing further mayhem and destruction.  “But I had it turned OFF” you say; well, unfortunately most On/Off switches only opens one leg of the circuit loop so that induced power will flow through the ‘neutral’ just like if it was running (and destroying it) or it will flow at the speed of light through the ‘hot’ and then to another piece of equipment you have running and THEN back to earth ground.

It still goes ‘poof’.  Or it may even arc the distance across the leads of the On/Off switch.  Multiply this effect by all of the items you have plugged into the walls of your house, then all of the houses tied into your electrical grid.  Many, many ‘poofs’.  Even if the mains breaker on your house trips you’re still left with 100,000v inducement in the house wiring.

“So just leaving it unplugged will protect it, right,” you ask?  Not really.  Let us say you’ve got a nice 1000W dc inverter tucked away on a shelf.  It will still get zapped by 100,000 volts, but that induced energy potential doesn’t go anywhere until that energy potential is great enough to overcome the resistance of air(!) to get to Ground.

And since we know from the paragraphs way up there at the beginning that lighting can arc through the air at somewhere around 10,000, we’re still turning that nice 1000W inverter into a paperweight as that induced energy somehow, someway discharges itself to ground.  Or it might not immediately, and stay at 100,000 volts potential, but then you touch it… ouch, or plug it in.. ‘poof’.

“But I want my eyes even further crossed – what else you got?”  You are masochistic, my friend.  Let us continue to Shielding.

Electromagnetic radiation wants to go to earth Ground – it is its destiny, that’s its sole purpose in the universe, its feelings would be hurt if it couldn’t.  To protect equipment we either need to “hide” it ten feet or more underground or “shield” it before the energy waves find it.

Hiding doesn’t mean putting it in the basement or the storm cellar – you need at least ten feet of earth above your abode; we’re talking underground bunkers here.

By surrounding it with – but not touching – a grounded conductive enclosure the electromagnetic waves and/or static discharges are harmlessly shunted around the sides of the enclosure.  Some dead dude name Benjamin Franklin (I’ve never heard of him either) noted as the discoverer of this but some other dead dude named Faraday codified it, thusly the Faraday Cage.

Almost anything can be made into an effective Faraday cage, provided it is:

• conductive (“Yay!” screams the tinfoil hat crowd),
• properly Earth Grounded (“Hissss!” boos the tinfoils),
• adequately surrounds whatever is trying to be enclosed (“Hey, we need to breathe yo!” the tinfoils’ excuse is),
• whatever is inside is sufficiently insulated from this cage. (“I got nothing.” Me either.)

Microwave ovens are designed and built as faraday cages and continue to function as such even if it doesn’t work anymore.  Ever loose cell phone reception in an elevator?  That is the Faraday cage effect, my friend.  A grounded safe or vault.

Properly grounded tinfoil around a box.  You can use a military surplus ammunition can, drill and tap a hole, screw in a lugged ground wire and clip it to the metal shelf support next to the other ammunition cans you’re using as such, and tie that shelf into earth ground.

“But what about using bird cages, chicken wire, and/or DW’s heirloom spaghetti strainer bowl?”  Depends, and this is where the lack of public information comes in to play.  The spacing of the electromagnetic permeable conduits acts as a wave-guide of sorts and determines what frequency of electromagnetic radiation is rejected, attenuated or passed.  WAIT- Please don’t leave, I didn’t mean to get too technical!

Think of an EMP burst as a golf ball passing through a Faraday minefield of putting holes of different sizes – too small a hole and the ball will roll over it and too big a hole the ball will bounce out and continue on.  Complicate that further by not knowing what size of the golf ball is to begin with.  So it might just be that the hole spacing in a birdcage and chicken wire won’t be able to shield out enough of the EMP.

I can’t say for sure that these materials would be 100% effective against EMP or CME events, but something is better than nothing and this something is *significant*.  I use chicken wire over certain things I’ve got in the shed; if you think the holes are too widely spaced then add another wrap around it.

There is no Prepper Law that says you can’t have DW’s spaghetti strainer covered by chicken wire over a birdcage.  Solid cage is best, next is the smaller the spacing of the holes the better off you are.  Just make sure whatever you use is properly grounded to earth ground.

“So what does properly earth grounded mean?” A good earth ground is a conductive rod that is driven into the ground 10 feet or so – and the depth is dependent on where the damp earth starts; Texas building code is 10 feet so that’s what I stuck to.

The licensed electricians I work with say some houses have copper plumbing that acts as the earth ground.  The shield has to be connected to it and you need to make sure the grounding wire is thick enough to handle the ‘funneled’ energy (if you’re covering an entire safe room then tiny 24ga speaker wire will not be sufficient – use a battery jumper cable) and makes a good, solid contact to whatever earth ground you are using as well as the shielding material.

“Properly insulated?” If the equipment you want to shield is actually touching the cage then there is a conductive path for the energy burst to follow that could compromise your equipment; it becomes part of the shield, therefore, it is fully exposed.  Put that inverter in a cardboard box, wrap it in a garbage bag, then put it in that properly grounded junky microwave.  Throw in a desiccant bag for good measure.

“’Conductive’; you keep using this word.  I do not think it means what you think it means.”  Copper is the best common material that conducts electricity and the higher the content of the copper in the conductor the better it does that job.  Aluminum (probably the worst), steel, brass, tinfoil and other commonly available alloys do work but are not as efficient as copper.  But those *do* work as conductors, so don’t disregard them if that’s what you’ve got available.

EMP or CME related puns welcome in the comments; I enjoy electrifying conversations.  (<- see what I did there?  Hah! I kill me!)

by Ron G

Think of this as a primer if you will. It is written to cover the basics that will matter most to you as a prepper. I am intentionally leaving out a lot of technical jargon; there are others willing to throw that out at you.  There will be some terms and concepts that do need to be understood. One I will use a lot is Ground Zero (GZ).

Ground Zero is that point on the surface of the earth directly under, at, or over, a nuclear detonation. Your location, distance, and direction, from GZ is very important.

It’s important that you understand that there are four types of nuclear detonations or “burst”. Sub Surface Burst, Surface Burst, Air Burst, and High Altitude Burst.

All nuclear burst will produce the same basic effects, blinding light, tremendous heat, massive blast wave, radiation, and the electromagnetic pulse. However, the type of burst will greatly determine the degree of each effect upon the target.

A Sub Surface Burst is one that occurs underground in which the fireball produced does not break thru to the atmosphere. The ground will shake and there may be a surface collapse at GZ but on the surface, there will be no radiation or EMP released or blast wave.  Really nothing to be concerned with and I mention it only because they have been used during weapons design testing programs in the past.

A Surface Burst is a detonation on or near enough to the surface where the fireball touches the earth’s surface. This is the one we almost always see in the movies and in illustrations for articles like this.  There will be a brilliant flash of light, a massive fireball, and an intense outward-bound blast wave outward from GZ. As the fireball starts to rise a second blast wave, this time returning towards GZ, arrives and brings with it massive amount of debris.

This debris is forced upward into the fireball and creates the stem of the familiar “Mushroom Cloud”. At GZ there is total destruction and depending on the size, design of the weapon, and to a degree, the terrain, the area of total destruction can be considerable. Large areas of partial and incomplete destruction will extend even further.

Meanwhile, the Mushroom Cloud continues to rise through the atmosphere, the stem discontinues and temperatures inside the fireball start to cool down. As it cools the prevailing winds will start to push the fireball downwind. The material inside the fireball, now radioactive, cools and starts to fall, largest, heaviest material first.

By the time it reaches 30,000 feet the fireball will appear to be just another cloud but this cloud will be leaving behind a trail of radioactive fallout for several hundred miles.

GZ will not be survivable and will be radioactive for a long time. The further away from GZ you are the better your chances. A safe distance downwind will be much further then a safe distance cross or upwind.

An Air Burst is a detonation in which the fireball does not touch the surface of the earth. It has all the other characteristics of a Surface Burst but there is no Mushroom Cloud and most important there will be no significant fallout. What the Air Burst will do however is create a much larger area of destruction. It does this by creating three blast waves.

As the expanding blast wave (or initial wave) strikes the surface of the earth, it is reflected off the ground to form a second shock wave traveling behind the first. This reflected wave travels faster than the initial wave since it is traveling through the air already moving at high speed due to the passage of the initial wave.

The reflected blast wave will merge with the initial wave to form a single wave. This is called a Mach wave. The overpressure at the front of the Mach wave is generally about twice as great as that at the initial blast wave.

If you have trouble picturing this try thinking of a ripple hitting the edge of a calm pond. This deflected wave becomes a second wave. The third wave will be the displaced air mass returning to GZ.

These types of detonation will double the area of destruction without the messy fallout. You can see the military advantage of this type of detonation. GZ will not be survivable but will not be radioactive for long. The distance from GZ you will need to survive the destructive blast are much greater but fallout will not be an issue.

Last of all is the High Altitude Burst. A detonation above 100,000 feet is a High Altitude Burst. No blast damage. No fallout. Your personal physical threat from this would be the potential flash blindness from the initial burst. The purpose of this type of detonation is the Electro Magnetic Pulse.

Lets review. A Sub Surface Burst is really not a military option. Surface or Air Burst, if you are at or are too close to GZ you are either toast or soon to be toast. If it was an Air Burst fallout is not a threat. If it was a Surface Burst and you are located far enough up or cross wind you should be in good shape. If you are downwind…

Fallout.  Fallout is material that was made temporarily radioactive in the fireball through a process called ionization. It has a known decay rate.

There are multiple layers in the atmosphere; each layer is capable of having different wind speeds and directions. As the fireball becomes a fallout cloud and raises and lowers thru each layer the winds in that layer will have an effect. Lower levels will have less effect while upper levels will have more. In predicting where the fallout will go it helps to be a weatherman.

Generally, Continental US weather patterns flow from the South to North and West to East. But, there are seasonal variations. Understanding Highs and Lows and where you are in relation to them, would be useful information.

Knowing that your westerly winds are the lower part of an upper-level low that is moving south you can determine that the fallout will mostly travel south and east. (I once had to explain why surface winds have no effect to an Air Force General. The Major who ran the DoD weather school just sat there and grinned.

Fallout Protection is all about Time, Distance, and Shielding. The longer it takes for fallout to arrive the less there will be. If you are in a safe space, the longer you wait to go out the less you will be exposed to. The greater the distance between you and fallout that has arrived the less radiation you will be exposed to.

The more mass between you and the fallout the less radiation will reach you. I think everyone understands these concepts well enough.

The next thing topic is very important. Targeting in Nuclear War.

In an all-out war the first strikes will be against an enemy’s ability to strike back. Missile Silos, Bomber and Submarine Bases, and Command and Control Centers will be the first targets. Major military bases, seaports and manufacturing centers would be secondary.

In a nuclear war, most targets are going to be hit with Air Burst. Let me say it again. In a nuclear war, most detonations are going to be Air Burst. (ICBM Silos and Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado will be exceptions to this). The fallout will be a problem, but probably not to the extent most of us think. Nuclear Winter? Forget about it. Totally made up bull!

One last thing, if you are outdoors and see an unexplainable, sudden, intense, flash of light and cannot identify the source, immediately drop to the ground, close your eyes, and cover your ears and open your mouth. You want to protect against flash blindness and the oncoming overpressure of the blast wave.

Remember, there will be a second blast wave in the opposite direction, so don’t be in a hurry to get up. Of course, you may be far enough away that the wave(s) may never get there. Count that as a blessing.