WINMX Assorted Textfiles/Ebooks.tar/Text - Survivalists - Escaping the electric snare (TXT).zip/(ebook-txt) - Combat - Escaping The Electric Snare - Survival Manual.txt

Text File | 2001-11-27 | 16KB | 287 lines

ESCAPING THE ELECTRIC SNARE by Chris Janowsky (ASG Sept. 96)

Self sufficiency is a major concern with a lot of people today.  It's
your responsibility to be prepared and know exactly what you are doing.
I'd like to share with you some of what I've learned living in Alaska's
mountains.  Out of necessity I built my first cabin when a nice winter
day had actual ambient temperatures of 40 to 50 degrees below zero F.
and I pray I never have to do that again!  I've also seen those temper-
atures drop to 86 degrees below zero F. and stay there for days.

When I wrote my book "Survival-A Manual That Could Save Your Life"
(available from Paladin Press), it was by kerosene light and a wood
stove to keep me and the dogs warm.  For a long time I had no electrical
power of any kind-no electric lights, no electrically powered heat
(furnace) or hot water heater, and no mechanical refrigeration or
freezing capabilities in the summers, when temperatures sometimes
would reach 100 degrees F.  Yet it was a very peaceful and happy time
in my life.

The point I'm trying to make here is, in spite of the hardships, I
did fine, and best of all, I learned some stuff.  A lot of it increased
my self-reliance, and I'm writing about it because it could save your
life and that of your family.

Most of us depend heavily upon electric power to do most everything for
us.  I admit that these days, I use my share of electricity like every-
one else.  But the big difference is, I don't depend on it.  Let's say
that a major disaster hits NOW, whether it be natural or political.  It
is upon you, and right off the bat, you've lost all power to your home.
Because it is a major disaster, you may not have power back for weeks,
months or even longer.

If you have an emergency generator that will power the house and its
appliances, that's fine for as long as you have fuel to feed it.  Then
you are back to Square One.  Remember, this is a serious disaster that
will change everyone's life for a long, long time and although a 72 hour
emergency kit will get you started it is obviously not the long term
answer.

I'll be using myself and my experiences as much as possible for a
reference guide, looking at the ways we need not depend upon electrical
power.  Electricity can be a wonderful gift.  It can do so much for
us in so many ways that it should be used, if at all possible.  But we
should NEVER be wholly dependent upon it.  Remember, as great as
electricity is, it can be removed from us at any time.  Depending upon
electricity is truly a bad move on anyone's part.

Your mindset form here on in will be your most important asset.  When
we at World Survival Institute (WSI) teach a wilderness survival course,
this mindset means everything.  This mindset, this positive winning
attitude, will keep you going and help you now to plan ahead.

Making the right moves toward self sufficiency becomes easier if you
first take the time to recognize the wrong moves that you've made up
to this point.  We've all made wrong moves, and that's OK, it's life.
However, to continue on in the same way is futile and under the right
circumstances, becomes disastrous.  Learn from your mistakes.

Living a wilderness lifestyle and being self sufficient does not allow
for mistakes.  One of the biggest mistakes people make today is waste.
When living a wilderness lifestyle, waste can not be tolerated or you
will soon run out of resources.  For example, right now take a look
around the house and see how many lights are on that no one is using.
If those were kerosene lamps, you couldn't afford to waste the previous
fuel.  How many 100 watt lights do you use where 60 or 70 watt bulbs
would be adequate?  These are things to think about and change now to
help develop that mindset.

As we talk about electricity, let's take my situation right now for
an example.  It's winter as I write this and the ambient temperature
is 60 degrees below zero F.  It's dark a good deal of the time in the
winter months and  it is dark now.  The cabin is warm and dinner is
cooking on the stove.  The next thing you know a major disaster hits
and the cabin has lost all electrical power for an indefinite amount
of time, maybe forever.

But because I'm ready for such a situation, it will take me approximately
30 seconds to be back on line with lights, the cabin will continue to
be heated, and dinner will keep on cooking.  At this point, I really
don't care if the power comes back on because I am not dependent upon
it.

For a test, pick a nice cold night and get your family together.  Make
this spontaneous just the way you live right now with NO special prep-
aration.  Go to the electrical breaker panel without a flashlight and
throw the main breakers off.  If possible, turn off your phones, too.
You've just simulated a complete power outage.  Now imagine that the
outage could continue for a long time if circumstances were out of
your control, i. e., a real disaster.

The only thing you should do ahead of time for this exercise is put
out some pads and pencils.  You should have flashlights with fresh
batteries or, even better, freshly charged flashlights mounted on the
walls in strategic locations.  If you don't, mark it down on those
pads of paper you have laid out.  For the rest of the evening mark
down everything that is letting you down because of lack of power, and
what you can do to change it for the future.  You and your family will
quickly get a good education, and that's wonderful, because this is just
a dress rehearsal for the real thing.  NOW is the time to learn, not
when a disaster has hit.

Let's take a look at the truly bad situation of a long-term power
outage, i. e. weeks or months.  The house has no light and it's only
heating source was a furnace that ran on fuel oil or natural gas.
During major disasters, natural gas lines can rupture and fuel may be
impossible to get.  It really doesn't matter though, because most
furnaces are electrically fired.  Even if you have plenty of fuel for
the furnace, without electricity the furnace has shut down permanently.

The refrigerator and freezer have shut down and food will spoil.  An
electric stove was used to cook the meals, with the aid of a microwave,
but no more; they are also without power.  To make matters worse, the
water mains are shut down, and the sewers are not working.  The people
who live in this house are, to say the least, in big trouble.  They
are in trouble mainly because they were completely dependent upon
electricity.

Many people consider purchasing a large standby generator to safeguard
against this happening.  In a remote area it's just fine to use a large
generator for daily use.  But it can be costly.  The costs are not only
in terms of fuel; they include maintenance and replacement parts too.
So as a backup for the time when a major disaster may hit and you could
eventually lose the electricity from your emergency generator, consider
alternative ways of doing the daily things, ways that don't require
electrical power.

I make my morning coffee in an electric coffee maker but I'm not opposed
to making it in a percolator on the wood stove.  I often use the
microwave because it's convenience, but I don't need it to live
comfortably.  I use electric lights because they are easy, but in all
honesty I prefer kerosene lamps because of their beauty with their
soft light.  I also know that electrical machines are not necessary
to a good lifestyle.

Ask yourself, how many electrical appliances do you really need to
use every day?  Remember, in a disaster fuel may be impossible to
get.  Also, there is the noise from a large generator that can make
you half nuts if it's running full time.  And, even worse, that noise
can be heard miles away alerting everyone in the area of your location
and that you have power/fuel.  The answer is to get off that power
and use alternatives, such as a small whisper quiet generator for
short times to charge batteries that will keep you going.

If you are building a retreat or changing over your present dwelling,
set your mind to the liklihood of not having electrical power available
in some future time.  This possibility and the backup or alternative
energy sources should you choose should be put into your primary design.
Once this has been accomplished, you can add AC power to your plan,
always bearing in mind that someday you might be without it.

Depending upon where you live, heat in the winter is of major concern.
A wood stove that will heat the whole house is essential and should
be your first investment.  Then if you still want to have a furnace,
have at it.  Furnaces are useful and convenient so long as you have
power.  Also, if you are right now looking for property in a remote
area, make sure your building site has easy access to plenty of fire-
wood.

When you install your wood stove, I would also suggest installing a
Stack Robber.  A Stack Robber fits in line with your flue/chimney
pipe and draws off heat that would normally have gone up the pipe.
Stack Robbers assist your stove, which is giving off radiant heat,
by contributing heat through convection, i.e., forced hot air.  This
is accomplished by an electric fan.  Now you don't want to depend on
120 volt AC electric power, so install a 12 volt circuit that can be
activated in seconds and you are back in business.

LIGHTING.  Next let's take a look at lighting.  If you have no alter-
native lighting system, you may at this point consider it.  A couple
of candles or flashlights can get you by for a few hours, but what
if it's a week, months or years?  The system that I use is regular
120 volt AC electrical power.  If I lose that power, I can easily
activate propane lamps all over the house.  These lamps are permanently
mounted on the walls, and propane to run them is piped in from large
outside storage tanks.

I also have another option, a 12 volt DC lighting system installed
throughout the house.  The deep cycle batteries that supply the 12
volt power are recharged by a small efficient (and quiet) 1000 watt
generator or by solar collection panels.  At the same time, the
generator or panels will recharge flashlight batteries and battery
powered tools.

As you can see, a loss of conventional AC power does not have to be an
inconvenience.  When I first built my cabin, I used only propane, 12
volt DC electricity and kerosene lamps.  It was great, and it wasn't
rough living.  I installed various conveniences that made things
comfortable and easy for me.  For example, if you are building, you
might want to use this little convenience:  I installed a 12 volt DC
light just inside the cabin and wired it to a micro switch at the door.
When I opened the door, the light would come on automatically and
illuminate the kitchen.  It made for no more stumbling around in the
dark looking for a light.  Try it, you'll like it.

Another thing you should think about is battery chargers and recharge-
able batteries.  In a disaster, you may not be able to get replacement
batteries for your flashlights, radios, etc.  Rechargeable batteries
will get you out of this mess and reduce your dependence on outside
energy sources.  There are all kinds of batteries and chargers
available.  Pick the right combination for your lifestyle, and you will
never have to buy batteries again.  Don't forget to check out the
solar battery chargers.  I even have a small 3 1/2 inch by 2 1/2 inch
solar charger for AA batteries that I keep in my survival kit.

Cooking is another concern.  From a survival perspective, electric
stoves are out of the question.  I think a propane gas stove is the
way to go.  They don't need electricity and I also find them easier to
cook with.  At the same time, don't forget the good old wood stove.
With my stove I use the flat surfaces to cook and bake on, so that I
can be cooking up a nice stew while keeping the cabin warm.  Also there
are wood cook stoves available that are both beautiful and easy to
cook on.  And boy, do they help heat up a house!

When we talked earlier about a permanent AC power shutdown and the
problem of food spoiling, the wood stove or the propane stove can
supply the answer.  Either will easily supply heat so you can use
a hot water bath canner or a pressure cooker to can the food before
it goes bad.  By being prepared, even the loss of refrigeration is not
too much of a problem.  You should have a good pressure cooker, and
cans or jars with lids, etc. ready for this purpose.

Many people think they can't do canning over a wood stove with
fluctuating heat, but they are wrong.  I've put up thousands of jars
of salmon over an open fire at my fish camp.  Once you get a system
down, you'll be in good shape.  But be sure to practice beforehand.
After a disaster has struck is the worst time to be learning how to
set up a good canning system.

WATER, SANITATION-Now a bit on water and sanitation in general.  If
you live in the city or suburbs, your water supply can very easily be
interrupted.  Optimally, you should plan on 3 gallons of water per
person per day.  And don't forget your pets.  Remember, too, you need
to be thinking in terms of LONG TERM sources of water, not just enough
to make it through the weekend.  Securing a steady supply of water
is critical, even more than food.

If you are living in a rural area, you probably will have a well or
spring.  But remember that most well pumps run on 120 volt electricity.
Think about installing a 12 volt DC pump with an inverter.  Then you
can run on regular AC power, but have the option of transferring to
12 volt DC power from your deep cycle batteries.  If you live in an
area where there is adequate rainfall, you might want to look into ways
of collecting and storing rainwater, like rain barrels or a cistern.

Also, in your planning, don't forget to include a couple of methods
of water purification, and the necessary supplies (Chlorox, iodine,
water purification tablets).  There are many good water filters that
are hand operated (non electric) on the market today.  Many of these
units will do an excellent job purifying water, but make sure you get
one that can handle the quantity of water you and your family will
require each day.  Don't forget to stash away some replacmenet filter
elements and other spare parts for the unit.  This could save your
health and even your life during bad times; without safe drinking
water you're dead.

How about hot water?  Water can be boiled on the propane stove or
the wood stove to both heat it and purify it.  If you are building
that retreat or converting your present house over, you might want to
consider an On-Demand Heater.  I use one and they are wonderful.  Mine
runs on propane and needs no power.  When I open a hot water faucet,
the burners come on automatically and you have an endless flow of
hot water.  The water is heated instantly as it passes through the
heater coils which shut off instantly when the faucet is closed.  The
unit requires no outside power, only propane and water pressure.

The advantages of this heater are obvious.  We have instant hot water
that won't run out because the water is only heated at the time it is
needed, as it passes through the heater.  By contrast, conventional
hot water heaters are constantly heating, say 40 gallons of water, even
when you don't need it, such as at night.  These tank heaters are
constantly stealing fuel from you.  In a disaster situation you can
not afford even the smallest fuel loss.  With the On-Demand Heater,
I shut off the pilot light when I don't plan to use any hot water for
a while.  It's a habit that keeps me in the right mindset.

Good luck at escaping the electrical snare that has been set for you.
Use the electrical power while you can, but please don't be dependent
upon it.  Plan ahead and get yourself prepared now.

If you need help, or have any questions feel free to call WSI and we
will help you if we can.  Also I've listed below some sources that
you can contact to get you on the right road toward real self reliance.