Weather and climate change

Do I believe in climate change? Well, the answer is Yes and No. I think everyone will agree that the planet has gone through many cycles of warming and cooling. There was the ice age 10,000 years ago and then the Little Ice Age that roughly occurred in the North Atlantic region and Europe from 1300 to 1850. (This was not a true ice age.) NASA says that there were particularly rough times beginning in 1650, 1770, and about 1850. There were intermittent periods of warming between these periods, but millions of people died due to the cold and subsequent crop failures.

The “Yes” part of my answer is substantiated by the above. The “No” part of my answer is that while I agree with climate change I do not think it is impacted by human activity. This is because just one large volcanic eruption can pollute our atmosphere more than humans do in many years. You should be more concerned with Yellowstone National Park blowing up. Volcanic or man-made, these are things beyond our control. America has bent over backwards to help and at great expense to all of us. So please Greta Thunberg, Al Gore, John Kerry, and the like; stop yelling at me until you get China, Russia, India, and many others bad actors to participate. China completes a new coal fired electrical generation plant every week of the year.

So what should we make of the globe warming issue. There are a couple of things. One is that many people plan to bug out to the South because they are afraid of the cold. If you believe in imminent global warming you might want to reconsider. You will not have air conditioning and it may even be too hot and too dry to grow crops. If it is hotter in the South it stands to reason that it will also be a little warmer in the North. You won’t have air conditioning there either, but you can always light a fire in the fire place on those occasions. Science tells us that globe warming will be beneficial to plant growth. So if it does warm up in the more northerly regions the result will be that you can grow even more food and have a longer growing season.

All of this came to mind a few days ago when I noticed the very high temperatures across the northern region of the United States. I believe it was March 11^th, 2024. Here are the high temperatures I noted in the northerly states from the Pacific Ocean to the Great Lakes.

Washington     low 80’s

Idaho               mid 70’s

Montana          mid 60’s

Wyoming         low 60’s

North Dakota high 70’s

South Dakota mid 70’s

Minnesota       low 70’s

Iowa                low 70’s

Wisconsin       high 60’s

Illinois              low 60’s

Overall it was a very pleasant winter in the Great Plains region of the country. Next year could be different, but it does seem like the past three or four decades have been getting a little more comfortable in the northern states. Now, if your follow John Kerry’s church, you should be looking more towards Canada.

No State is perfect. Just take a look at Arizona and note that these are relatively recent dates.

Arizona by the numbers

– All-time highest temperature: 128° F (Lake Havasu City on June 29, 1994)
– All-time lowest temperature: -40° F (Hawley Lake on Jan. 7, 1971)
– All-time highest 24-hour precipitation: 11.4 inches (Workman Creek 1 on Sept. 4–5, 1970)
– All-time highest 24-hour snowfall: 38 inches (Heber (Black Mesa) Ranger Station on Dec. 14, 1967)

Heber Black Mesa Ranger Station is a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Phoenix and is a ranger district on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. On Dec. 14, 1967, this part of Arizona suffered from an unexpected natural disaster in the form of a non-stop snowfall that lasted eight days and came to be known as “The Blizzard of 1967.”

If you are 57 or older you were alive during all of these events. Extremes are everywhere and in every state. But for me I would rather be at -40 with a stack of fire wood rather than +128 with a baseball cap.

Electronics

Here is a short blog to serve as a reminder of the importance of electronics for bugging out, bugging in, traveling, and for use at your survival retreat. Xodus Solutions goes into more detail in Chapter 7 but next time you pass an electronics store stop in and ask a few questions. Inquire about CB radios both for cars and as walkie-talkies. Also see what they have for short wave radios both as a base station and hand held. They should be able to tell you about these things and their intended purpose, range, and costs. You might also inquire about small solar cells to power or recharge these devices. (The origin of the term walkie-talkies comes from WWII GI slang. It was used for the first hand held portable two way radio. – The GI’s came to consider themselves to be Government Issue just like the radio or any other equipment. Hence the slang GI.)

Perimeter alerts are also discussed in the book and they are another electronic device you may want to consider. These can be used around a camp site if you are in an unknown or dangerous location. They are also useful at your survival retreat. They can give much piece of mind. Options include cameras, sound, and light alerts. Or a combinations of these options if you so choose.

Another gadget that I hope you will never need is a Geiger counter for detection of radiation levels. They are available in hand held sizes and are not very expensive.

This is my take on guns

I know that I am not an expert on guns in general, but I am an expert about “My Guns.”

I can shoot them and I can take them apart for cleaning and I can repair them. In my military days I qualified as “Expert” with M-14, M-16, and the 45 caliber pistol.  As to shotguns, I am a self-proclaimed expert. And, I have many hundreds of dead ducks, geese, and pheasants that will back me up on that claim. I have purchased different guns over the years and each one was purchased for a specific job.  My first one was a used .22 caliber 9 shot revolver. The intended purpose was to kill skunks that were caught in my rabbit traps.  Before that I had to club them and always came home a stinking mess. (Mom made me hang my cloths on the cloths line for a week before she would put them in the washer with other cloths.) With the revolver I usually dispatched them even before they could spray. I wish I had had it sooner when I caught a 72 pound beaver that was very upset with me. Or the muskrat that bit me twice before it got away. Two different “aside” thoughts came to mind while writing this. One is that my Mother made damn good fried rabbit. The other is that I bought that revolver from my 8th grade science teacher after class. I put it in my book bag and carried it home on the school bus. I was 12 years old. This was fine with my father because when I was 10 I took a hunter safety class and got my first (legal) pheasant hunting license. So, I was hunting with shotguns for 2 years before I bought the tiny little revolver. (I still have that hunting license.) Dad finally bought me my own first shotgun for my 13th birthday. It was a .410 gauge single shot. Let me tell you, there is nothing like hunting pheasants with a single shot to make you a damn good shot in a hurry.

I was older (15) when I purchased my next one. It was a Remington 700 chambered for 300 Winchester Magnum shells. I ordered that from a magazine. It came to me just fine, no questions asked. The men I worked with laughed at me saying; what are you going to do with that thing, it will blow a deer in half.  They laughed even harder when I told them I was taking it to Alaska to hunt. It took me some years to do, but subsequently I lived in Alaska for a long time and shot many moose and caribou with that rifle. It was a good choice. I liked it so well that I never even bought a suitable rifle for deer and antelope. I just always take neck shots on those to preserve the meat.

While in Alaska I bought a new .44 magnum revolver. Up there it is considered a good side arm if you get surprised by a bear while hunting, fishing, or you are just out picking barriers. Anything smaller than that you should just be wearing bells. (Which I have heard is occasionally found in bear shit!)

Eventually I out grew the .410 shotgun and purchased a 12 gauge which I use for pheasants and waterfowl. After my Army days I also picked up a .223 rifle which works for fox and coyotes. Oh yea, there was also a .22 rifle I bought to teach the grandkids how to shoot. So there you have it, a gun for every need.

The moral of the story is this: I just demonstrated that I have guns and each of them was purchased for a specific reason. In other words, they are “tools.” It just so happens that my life experiences required a lot of different tools. It just makes me sick when I hear uninformed people say things like….why do people need so many guns. Well, damn it, now you know.

Many of you may have read this hoping for some genuine guidance on what would make a good survival weapon. Well, above you read that each of my guns has a purpose. Shotguns for birds, small rifles for small game, big rifles for big game etc.

For survival it is much the same. What do you need this tool to do for you? The problem is that there are so many circumstances that could occur. For example, are you inside or outside, are there other people around, is it at close range or of some distance? Are there multiple aggressor or do you want to shoot a raccoon in your chicken coop? However, the good news is that you will generally know your current situation and you can try to keep the right “tool” around you for that situation. Just deduce which tool you may need for the job. For example, you are at your survival retreat and you need to do something about that raccoon in the chicken house. Over the fire place hang a shotgun, a rifle, and a pistol. Which do you take? Well, is it daytime or night time? With which of these tools are you most proficient?

At the moment you hear the ruckus in the chicken house you already know these things. So you grab the appropriate tool and get the job done. What if you are escaping a riot using your car and all you have is a pistol. Well, that’s the only tool at your disposal so there’s not much to think about. Do your best with it. You see, there are just too many variables for anyone to give good advice on this subject, despite the fact that many think they can.

Consider this:

Are you man or woman, large or small, old or young, brave or vary timid, proficient with many guns, just one, or maybe none. Let’s try a combination of these options. The setting is that you are in a gun store wanting to know which gun is right for you. In this case: You are a young woman, actually rather timid but you tell the salesman you are moderately brave, and that you have never fired a gun. He sells you a 9mm semi-automatic. You go to the range and fire it; the boom is unexpected and too loud.  It feels like your hand may be fractured and the front site is resting on your forehead. Or maybe he sells you a .22 or .32 caliber revolver and then the “know it all’s” at the firing range laugh and say, what do you think you’re going to kill with that little thing. (Now if you were to point it at them and say “you – asshole” they will think better of your little gun.)

The only way to buy guns is to know yourself and what you can handle.

The only way to know this is to go to a gun store and shoot some guns there in their range.

And remember these are “tools” and you may need more than one for the job(s). So give consideration to the choice you make regarding your long term shelter. Is it sheltering in place, camping in the forest, or at a secure survival retreat with many others? Then buy a “tool” for each job you might encounter. If you only buy one, choose wisely and practice with it.

BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO NEVER SHOOT A TARGET YOU CAN’T IDENTIFY. IT MAY BE SOMEONE YOU LOVE BUT YOU DIDN’T EXPECT TO BE THERE.

Recommended list of topic specific books you should consider

While Xodus Solutions offers a wealth of detailed information, it is not a comprehensive “Bible” as so many claim their books to be. Our mission was to explore all of the major components from early prepping to long term survival. We provided the big picture in detail so you could get your head wrapped around this vast subject.

For example, due to the importance of food and all of its intricacy’s, we elaborated on how much we require, storage issues, containers, and preparation equipment.  But still, we did not elaborate on how to garden or proper canning methods for your produce. Instead we recommended that you purchase books that are dedicated to these subjects and written by experts on those subjects. They are, and should be stand-alone books for your survival collection.

It is the same thing from medical advice to knot tying pamphlets.  Get these books from experts on these subjects.

Recommended topics to consider include:

Canning, pickling, smoking, dehydration,

Gardening

Water purification

Hunting, fishing, and trapping

Field dressing game

Butchering

Foraging

Off-grid living in RV’s

Specific off-grid projects

Raising Chickens or other livestock

Any how-to books of interest to you

Bush craft if you plan to survive in the wilderness

Health:

Medical / First aid

Drugs, vitamins, and antibiotics

Sanitation

Oral health

Shelter: (see the Shelters button on Xodussolutions.com home page)

How to build a tiny house / cabin

Electric code book so you can do wiring projects

How to build basic wood frame structures

Basic plumbing

Books not recommended:

Military manuals

Any-thing that tells you it is a “must have.”

Survival Fiction – unless you believe in zombies

Books about deadly skills

Books about booby traps

Books about how to fight

Urban defense – this is a three word book. “Buy a Gun”

Urban survival – I am dead set against this concept. It is only good for a few days. If you live in an urban apartment or in a house in the suburbs it is just a matter of time.  If you read Xodus Solutions you know there are other options available.

I have a friend that has collected gold and silver for a very long time.  It is his survival stash and he maintains that it will get him anything he needs when the time comes.  If you are of the same persuasion please rethink this issue.

First of all, in a dire situation, I would not want to do this type of transaction unless I knew that the person I was dealing with would never track me down and rob me. Second, I would never carry it in a quantity beyond the amount of the transaction I was about to enter, and I still would not want him to know where I live. 

I certainly don’t object to having a supply of precious metal in reserve but consider the follow scenario.

You would like to purchase some food with silver.  The seller has food but still, it is in limited supply for him as well. If he begrudgingly agrees to sell you some it is going to be very expensive. However, he may be more willing to sell you food in a barter situation where he can obtain something he badly needs.  Therefore, having prepper items to trade would be far more practical than giving up a large quantity of silver for a small amount of food.  Still, using silver or gold could be advantageous if you are trying to buy a small tractor or some item that will help you survive in the long term.  This will be particularly true it is a non-perishable, reusable item.

Sadly, the majority of our society is either under prepared or not prepared at all.  This makes it easy for you to come up with a vast number of items that will be in demand.  If you have extras of these items you are ready to barter.  You could store a large quantity of just one high demand item such as a barrel of salt or sugar.  But consider this; rather you are the buyer or the seller, what if the other person does not have something the other one wants.  Hence, no trade is to be made. However, if in addition to your salt you have a supply of extra items to barter you will be more likely to get a deal.  This will be just about anything that you can imagine that would be needed in desperate times. One way to look at this is to consider the same items you purchased for your own preparations.  Those will likely be the same types of items others will be in need of as well.  Additionally, this means that you will have spare items should one of yours break or wear out.  Other good items that don’t take up much space could be extra nails, screws or a raft of other non-perishables that you may run out of for your own use.  Just over buy on an array of items. If you don’t need them – barter away!

And why you should not consider this option for anything except very short term survival.

Two well trained and well fed dogs are off their leash and see each other nearby in the park. The likely outcome is that they will run together, sniff butts and start to play.

This time, two very hungry dogs see each other but you throw a meaty T-bone steak between them and there is going to be a fight which the bigger dog is going to win.

Two civilized and well fed humans meet in the park.

The likely outcome is that they ignore each other, or nod, smile, or maybe use a friendly hand gesture.

This time, two very hungry humans (and therefore uncivilized) meet in the park and you throw a hot off the grill sizzling T-bone steak between them.

The likely outcome is…….that’s right, you guessed it.  The larger and/or armed human gets the steak.

The point is that you apparently understand human nature.  So why are you planning to stay in that apartment or suburban home anywhere near a large city?  You know human nature, so you must know that it will eventually come to this if some horrible event does occur.

If there is a city-wide, regional, or national disaster that lasts for more than a few days and people have no electricity, water, or sewer, you are in big trouble.  People will roam the streets and clean out the food stores. Next they will start kicking in doors and that’s that.

Maybe you have a safe room and you can hide in there. That will save you but not your food and water storage.  It is the same with trying to defend your home in the suburbs. There are entire books written about how to defend your home.  Well, do you have walls made of ¼ inch steel? Can you weld steel over your doors, windows, and roof?  Even if you can, you need to know that an AR-15 or AK-47 will go through your exterior wall, probably through another interior wall and may even exit out of the back of the house unless it hits an appliance. A 30 caliber hunting rifle will go through a ¼ inch steel plate and exit out of the back of the house.  A large game hunting rifle such a 7mm will go through that same steel plate, through several interior walls and through the same steel plate on the back of the house even if it does have to go through your refrigerator to get there.  The fact is that none of you will have bullet proof houses.  So it comes down to this; if someone walks around your house and empties a couple of 30 round magazines into it you are probably done for even if you are trying to fire back. Speaking of firing back, if I am the bad guy I’m thinking…yea, please break out your window in an attempt to take a shot at me.  Then I’ll know exactly where you are and I’ll drill you right through the wall.

And then there is burning you out or gassing you out etc. For city dwellers, other than a riot or civil unrest, sheltering in place is a bad idea in my opinion. Please don’t try to do this unless you absolutely must. By the way, there is not a word said in the Xodus Solutions book that attempts to frighten people this way. Some of you already know this information but for others, well, it just needed to be said.