Mountain House statement on low supply.

An interesting notice up on the Mountain House website, brought to my attention by the head of our local meet-up prep group. FEMA posted a Request For Information (RFI) for suppliers of long term foods. This apparently prompted people to start the rumor that MH was the de-facto supplier to FEMA thus the shortage.

The jist (bold is my highlight not the notices):

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) procures and stores pre-packaged commercial meals to support readiness capability for immediate distribution to disaster survivors routinely. The purpose of this Request for Information is to identify sources of supply for meals in support of disaster relief efforts based on a catastrophic disaster event within the New Madrid Fault System for a survivor population of 7M to be utilized for the sustainment of life during a 10-day period of operations.

The RFI was pulled 7 days after posting. Either they got the info they wanted or people panicked prompting FEMA to pull it. Personally, if that gets people to prepare...leave it up!

Costco seems to have a decent supply on hand either in store or on-line. I buy a couple of cases every quarter.
EDIT!: Costco as of today is basically out of MH foods, but has other brands.

End of week news that raises eyebrows.

In case anyone was sleeping and missed the news (not that main street didn't already know) the jobs market is terrible and unemployment rose to 9.2%. Buried in the headlines though was the much more ominous number of declining participation rate (number of work-age people actually in the workforce) which hit a new 25 yr low.



44.6 million people are now on food stamps...an increase of 4.3 million over last year. The US govt with no clue what to do is attempting to divert attention away from the lack of economic improvement to the debt ceiling/budget debate. Granted this is a massive problem, but it cannot be solved on it's own with increasing the number of people in good paying jobs. Though government cannot itself create a job market, it can get out of the way of businesses that can. It can have trade agreements that are more favorable to the US.

An article that really caught my attention was China purchased a massive amount of US corn for August delivery. What made it so massive was they purchased more than a years worth of corn (predicted) for just one month.
A WSJ article.

By TOM POLANSEK, IAN BERRY and SCOTT KILMAN

A Chinese buying spree for U.S. corn is putting on display the ability of Beijing to reshape grain markets as well as the cost of food globally.

China this past week bought 540,000 metric tons of U.S. corn for delivery after August, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than the 500,000 tons the agency forecast that nation would buy in an entire year. The news drove corn prices higher on Thursday and Friday, to settle at about $6.75 a bushel, giving new life to the market after a three-week slump.

Now, traders believe that China is on the brink of buying millions of metric tons of U.S. corn, which would shatter the USDA forecast and keep U.S. grain supplies tight even as farmers tend to what is expected to be a record-large corn crop.

The Chinese "are on the cusp, we believe, of needing a whole lot more corn than they can produce," said David C. Nelson, a global strategist at Rabobank, a lender and investment banker to many of the world's biggest food concerns.

Why do they need so much corn?...their population has suddenly exploded overnight.
So several possibilities popped into my mind.
1. They have had or are predicting to have, a disastrous crop in China.
2. For what ever reason they are propping up the price of corn (corn dropped after it became apparent the US was going to have a banner corn harvest).
3. The Chinese are predicting a global food shortage and decided with the price low, now is the time to pounce. Of course I really wonder in my infinite suspiciousness if 3 weeks ago, when the price dropped, the USDA didn't fudge the US crop number as a favor to China causing the price to drop.
4.....way outside chance...China is preparing for war.

So where does this leave us?.....nothing has really changed trend wise. The economy is still continuing to slowly degrade, and the world become less stable. Really the question is, what will be the tipping point? The house of cards needs to fall so something more substantial can take its place. The present extend and pretend is just making the landing from the fall that much harder. My worry is that it will be so hard that we cannot get back up.

-PS

Vector borne diseases..prevention.

Something many preppers fail to think about...vector borne diseases. The Southeast US seems to be a haven for the little nasty biting bugs, but all across the US, insect vector borne diseases occur.

What the heck are vector borne diseases?!
These are diseases that are transmitted to humans via insects (or some cases mammals and birds)...usually fleas (ex. plague), ticks (ex.Lyme disease) and mosquitos (ex. West Nile and Malaria). These diseases typically run rampant in third world countries due to lack of sanitation and countrywide insect control program. More and more though, they are showing up in the US. Florida had it's first case of Dengue fever in more than 75 yrs. Since this is such a broad range...I'm going to stick to insect borne disease.
CDC Division of Vector Borne Diseases.

So what happens if there is an economic collapse here in the US...even partial? Florida has a very aggressive anti-mosquito program usually handled by counties and municipalities. What happens if the spraying and monitoring programs stop? What have you done to prepare? That can of OFF probably isn't enough.

I have 2 suggestions for you to consider adding to your arsenal of preparedness items.
-A Permethrin clothing spray (ex.Sawyer SP657 Permethrin Premium Insect Clothing Repellent Spray). Runs around $14 for 24 oz bottle.


-Insecticide treated mosquito netting (ex.Pramex Long Lasting Insecticidal Net) for each person. Runs around $35 a net. Lasts for 3 yrs.



The clothing spray is very effective at preventing ticks, fleas and chiggers from getting on you.

The insecticide treated mosquito netting has proven to cut malaria cases by as much as 1/3 to half.
World Health Organization suggestion on mosquito netting...HERE

Though many think of malaria and the plague as non-US diseases, these and others will be quick to show up as spray programs, health provisions and sanitation rapidly decline.

Semper paratus
-PS

Wildfires...

As many of you know it has been brutally hot and dry in Florida. The result has been water tables in many areas at all time lows and wildfires.



- Information on all active wildfires can be found HERE.
-Important tips on evacuation plan....HERE.
-How to make your yard more fire defensible against wildfires.HERE..the garden hose won't cut it.

Homeowners and neighborhood guide in pdf. HERE.


Be careful out there folks and hopefully mother nature will see fit to dump some rain on us. Though most people aren't fans of tropical systems...it is a natural event that is necessary to recharge our aquifers.

Will Radiation from Japan be a problem here?

Just in case you have been under a rock and missed the whole Japan quake/tsunami/nuclear plant meltdown in progress.

The 2 isotopes we should worry about are Iodine 131 and Cesium 139. I-131 being the nastier of the 2 since as it decays, it releases gamma radiation. This type of radiation penetrates just about anything quite easily except for bunkers etc.. I-131 is very damaging to mammalian cells, cause mutations to out right destruction. This is the main culprit for radiation sickness. Cs-139 emits beta radiation which isn't quite as nasty but can still cause problems over the long term, localized damage and even surface skin burns.

So back to the question...Should we in the US and more specifically Florida worry about possible radiation from this?
Probably not.
BUT we should still be careful and check things out for ourselves. Yes, I'm weird and have 2 radiation survey meters. Typical background radiation for my area ranges from 0.0007 to 0.0020 uSv/hr. But what happens if things change? What happens if certain natural and man made events come together? Suppose things continue out of control and more radiation is released? The key for us will be the weather. Will the radiation be swept up into the atmosphere and transported across the pacific and get dumped on us (most likely from rain)? The potential danger is, such an event could cause small pools of concentrated radiation.


Unfortunately, the US as a whole is badly prepared for nuclear radiation problems. The study shows:

The authors asked public-health departments about their preparedness to monitor the human health effects of any released radiation from these kind of incidents. Across the different methods of monitoring, between 70% and 84% of states reported having completed minimal to no planning. Some 82% of states reported no or minimal plans to collect biological or clinical samples to assess the impact of radiation exposure.

Probably one of the best books in dealing with a nuclear disaster is Bruce Clayton's 'Life After Doomsday'. Though it deals mostly with the impact and subsequent survival of nuclear war, the explanations of radiation effects, and necessary preparations still apply.
Hopefully, this won't become an issue, but it is always good to be ready, just in case.

Survival Rations...

Survival rations (SR) should be part of every preppers stock. SR's are different from your standard stock of food in that they provide nutrition in only the most dire situations. Mainstay 3600 emergency food rations are that type of food. Each bar provides 400 calories for a total of 3600 calories per package. The rations are US Coast Guard approved and they recommend 3 bars per day per person on land and 2 bars per person at sea. Thus each package provides a minimum of 3 days of nutrition per person. A case comes with 10 packages or 30 days worth of nutrition for 1 person. A case goes for ~ $53. The rations have a 5 yr shelf life. Each 24 oz package is about 5inx5in by 1in thick.
Ok, sounds semi-spiffy, but how do they taste? Not too bad actually...something similar to a lemon bar. The big aspect is that the bars do not make you thirsty, something many rations cannot claim, but key in getting a USCG approved ration.

Sanitation...the stinky problem.

I thought I would start the new year off with something usually overlooked....sanitiation during times of disaster. Many stock up on loads of TP and then really don't think about the issue after that. So what to do when the water stops running and the TP runs out? This is a subject many don't like to breach, but it a daily issue that must be addressed.

Sanitation after a disaster is a huge issue. The potential for disease outbreak is massive...the present situation in Haiti is a great example.

Bugging In:

People on sewer systems, especially low lying coastal areas face a serious issue. Though toilets can be flushed by pouring water into the tanks, when flushed it goes no further than your area lift station holding tank. With the power off these lift stations stop working and the holding tanks fill up. Either the waste will begin to flood the streets or it will back up into your house. Neither is a good option. Those on septic systems can continue to flush...though this is a huge waste of water.

If it is a short term disaster solutions are easy...probably the simplest is the 5 gal toilet. Available for purchase from several suppliers or you can make your own. This is also a good option for those bugging out via BOV.

A longer term solution is a 55 gal drum that can be constructed into a composting toilet if you are feeling really adventurous. Additionally a small septic system can easily be constructed.

A great book for waste composting...-The Humanure Handbook: A Guide to Composting Human Manure, Third Edition - Joseph C. Jenkins .

Bugging out:

Ok so you have to bug out. If going BOV, most think heck I'll just pull over and go (which is exactly what the masses will do). This again sets up the potential for disease spread as well as water contamination. With the BOV you can carry a 5 gal bucket...but I suggest you have one with the bottom cut out...dig a hole and presto..mini loo. But is is good to be responsible..a great book that addresses going in the wild and applies to any mode of bugging out.

-How to Shit in the Woods, Second Edition: An Environmentally Sound Approach to a Lost Art - Kathleen Meyer

Holy Smokes I'm out of TP?!...now what?

Fortunately, someone has already done a study. Though a bit on the 'bold' side, they try several different substitutes...I'll let you read and decide for yourself.

I'm a slacker...

credit

Yea, I know I haven't posted in a while, and I'm lacking a decent excuse, but get ready...a bunch of reviews are coming, and I might even make an attempt at the dreaded video posting...at the very least it should be hilarious...or not.

-PS

The Madness of a Society.

This video is a bit political (with some religious undertones) but drives home the serious problem this country will shortly face. I know I'm 'preaching to the choir' on this, but it clearly shows the problem.
There is one silly aspect in the video referencing the contrail off CA that was initially mistaken for a missile...other than that it is right on as far as the masses are concerned.

Gear Review S.O. Tech Mission Go Bag and Mission Bag Extended

S.O. Tech has 2 products I like, Go Bag Extended and Mission Go Bag. I was looking for something in the bailout bag arena. Something to basically get me home should a sudden disaster occur. Something I could easily stash in my truck that was much smaller than a standard bug out bag. I think these fit the bill. these certainly aren't cheap items...but you get what you pay for.



The Go Bag Extended is perfect for compact carbines (broken down) with side pouches for spare mags, loops for attachments and larger pockets for other necessities.
In mine: AR-15, 6 spare mags, 2- G21 mags, IFAK, water container, water filtration, energy bars, weapons cleaning kit, Wiley goggles, RMJ Loggerhead, shemagh, survival tin fishing kit.


The Mission Go Bag is similar to a messenger bag, but with plenty of pockets inside....the problem is I tend to over stuff it.
Glock 21, 2 spare mags, 2-AR-15 mags, water, silver coinage, binos, notepad,multitool, knife sharpener, knife, flashlight, blowout kit, radiac meter, stripped MRE, gloves.