Ham Radio Conditions/MUF

We are starting our Rocky Mountain Survival Search and Rescue (RMSSAR) net. We are hoping that you will join us internationally on HF, and locally on 2 Meters. Please contact me, W7WWD, at rmssar@gmail.com for information on times and frequencies.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Building Your SHTF Gunshot Survival Kit

Building Your SHTF Gunshot Survival Kit


The purpose of survival culture is to assess and address probabilities and uncertainties, and of course, prepare accordingly.  We view assumption as the greatest Achilles Heal of humanity, and disdain attitudes of complacency, apathy, and general stupidity.  For us, wide eyed and naïve ignorance is a fatal disease; one that gestates during the best of times, and strikes mercilessly during the worst of times.  That said, there are some scenarios which even survivalists do not like to think about. 

Being shot, or, hit with indirect shrapnel, is not a problem many of us want to imagine having to deal with.  Some preppers, believe it or not, refuse to acknowledge that fighting may ever occur.  They may think that the coming collapse will be mitigated and that government tyranny will fade away along with the financial structure.  They may have a rather irrational faith in the effectiveness of digital currencies and other questionable technologies in defusing future crisis.  They might even see themselves as “invincible” or untouchable, believing that their training will trump any circumstance.  However, historical precedence cannot be denied.  Most economic disasters over the past century have led to eventual widespread war, internal conflict, surges in domestic crime, government brutality, or, all of these violence prone situations combined.  And, no matter how much training you might have, there is no accounting for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

Ideally, the best method for dealing with a gunshot wound is to not get shot.  Since there is absolutely no way to guarantee such luck (even people who avoid conflict can still be a victim of it), we must set aside some money, and space in our bug-out-bag, for a fast and effective medical pouch designed specifically for a traumatic combat injury.

This means a kit entirely separate from our general purpose medical supplies that is easy to get to not just for ourselves, but also for others who might be trying to save us.  I recommend this kit be standardized amongst those in your survival community so that everyone has the same setup, and understands the functions of each item within the kit.  It is also important to avoid the mistake of centralizing all medical functions into the hands of a single person within your community.  Every individual survivalist should have their own trauma package, or what the military often calls a “blowout kit”, so that their resident medical expert does not have to bear the full burden of purchasing supplies, and redundancy is maintained.  Med gear runs out very quickly during social collapse.  Don’t assume others will have it for you when you need it…

The point of this kit is to stop bleeding as swiftly as possible so that the bullet or shrapnel can be removed and the wound sealed.  There are many premade blowout-style kits on the market today, but from my research, the mark-up on most of them is too high, the items are often substandard quality, and, they are always missing certain vital gear that you will have to buy later anyway.  Building your own is not difficult; here is a list of essential items, all of which are used by EMT’s and Military personnel, to get you started.

Medical Pouch: A small medical pouch with molle straps allows you to keep your trauma kit on the outside of your pack if you wish, clearly marked so that your teammates can find it and use it. 

Battle Dressing:
A large compression bandage usually found in surplus stores.  It may be wise to supplement this battle dressing with a large surgical dressing to ensure heavy bleeding is controlled.  The more blood lost, the more likely the wound will result in shock, and fatality.

Roll Of Gauze:
For wrapping the wound and aiding in compression. 

Medical Tape:
Most veteran medics I have discussed gunshot response with have told me that medical tape is the first item to disappear during crisis.  Stock extra, and make sure all the people you work with have some in their kit.  

Nitril Gloves: These emergency gloves are thicker and stronger than standard latex gloves, and do not cause reactions in people allergic to latex.

Trauma Shears: Very important.  Used to strip away clothing around a wound, cut tape and gauze, cut makeshift bandages, etc. 

Extra Long Tweezers:
All foreign materials and shrapnel must be removed from the wound in order to avoid infection later.  Sometimes, a bullet impact will carry bits of material from clothing deep into the wound channel, and long tweezers will be essential in their removal. 

Combat Tourniquet: Cuts off blood flow to a heavily damaged extremity.  I highly recommend the C-A-T Combat Application Tourniquet widely used by military medics.

Hemostat Forceps: Used to clamp off damaged arteries in order to stop bleeding while repairing a wound. 

Sterile Scalpel:
Used to open the wound channel to allow easier removal of foreign materials. 

Celox Blood Stopper: A coagulating agent that can be poured into the wound to quickly stop bleeding.  Does not need to be cleaned out before the wound is closed. 

Celox Granule Applicator: An injector with plunger used specifically for combat wounds.  Insert the applicator as far into the wound channel as possible, then push in the plunger and slowly back the applicator out.  Celox blood stopper is injected into the core of the wound.

Irrigation Plunger:
Wounds should be irrigated with a non-abrasive sterile solution, such as saline, in order to help avoid infection.

Small Bottle Of Hydrogen Peroxide: Use to sterilize your hands and tools.  Do not use on the inside of wounds.

Halo Chest Seal: The best seal for chest wounds on the market.  Glue on the seal works even when damaged area is bloody or unclean.  Stops all air loss through the chest when a lung is punctured.  Contains two seals per package for a through-and-through gunshot. 

Nasopharyngeal Airway:
Allows for breathing in the advent of airway closure; also keeps ample oxygen flowing into the lungs which aids in preventing shock. 

Sutures:
There are many different sutures on the market, though the needle and thread versions are most common.  Make sure your thread is silk, or any other material that will not cause an allergic reaction or infection.  I also recommend storing Steri-Strip style sutures which can be used in instances where there is no time to sew up the wound.  Your medical expert should also have a Surgical Skin Stapler on hand, which is much faster and less painful than thread sutures. 

Large Instant Heat Packs:
One of the primary concerns with traumatic wounds is “shock” caused by blood loss to internal organs and the brain.  Once a wound is cleaned and closed, there is still a danger of shock, and the patient must be kept as warm and comfortable as possible in order to promote free blood flow.  Standard procedure is to wrap the wounded in a blanket and elevate his legs, however, I would note that a blanket only retains the heat already being produced by the body, which, after trauma, may be reduced.  I recommend storing at least two large instant heat packs in your kit; one to be taped to the chest area, and one taped to the thigh near the femoral artery.  This will add hours of extra heat to the patient’s circulation along with the blanket and may make the difference between life and death.        

Though this list might appear long, all of the items above are small, with little to no weight added to your pack.  I have each of them in my own trauma kit, with space to spare.  Total cost for this kit is around $120 or less, depending on your supplier.  Other items you or your medic should have on hand for post-op on a combat wound are:

Antibiotics: Open wounds are also open doors to massive infection.  Shock is caused usually by blood loss, but it can also be caused by expedient infection that damages internal organs.  Antibiotics are usually needed to prevent this outcome after blood loss is stopped.

Isotonic Saline IV: An IV with isotonic saline can be administered to help replace fluids in the body and increase circulation.

Blood Plasma IV: Some preppers have their own blood or blood-type stored and ready to be administered by IV in case of a combat related injury.  The process for such storage is beyond the scope of this article and I recommend further research with your resident medical expert. 

It’s a sad thing that average Americans are being forced to plan for violent trauma to themselves, their families, and their friends, but this is the reality we will soon be living in.  In Argentina, a moderate economic collapse resulted in social breakdown, rioting, looting, as well as organized pillaging in rural areas.  Combat-related injury and death were common.  In Bosnia, after a full-fledged collapse, snipers infested cities like fleas, and gunshot wounds were the norm.  The U.S. has been sitting on the very edge of a full spectrum collapse since 2008, and regardless of what you might have heard from the mainstream media, nothing has changed since.  The potential for a violent event in your personal life in the near future is very real.  Accept this fact, prepare, and continue to live confidently in the knowledge that if the worst happens, you did everything you could to be ready for it.

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Report: Farmers Hoarding Food To Protect Against Currency Collapse

Mac Slavo
April 29th, 2013
SHTFplan.com


Which asset is more secure than money in the bank?
The answer is simple.
It’s the asset that will still have value when the money or the bank collapse.
All over the world, when people have been faced with the prospect of having their savings wiped out or confiscated they have turned to hard assets – physical goods they could hold in their possession and trade if necessary – as protection.
Argentina, a country that is no stranger to economic hard times and hyperinflation, gives us a prime example of what becomes money when the system collapses.
At an inflation rate of 25%, while their currency loses significant purchasing power, Argentines have made a mad rush into gold, silver, and other tangible goods that retain their barterable value.
Like many Greeks, who have headed to the countryside to grow their own food in the midst of complete economic destruction, farmers in Argentina are hoarding the one tangible investment they know will not lose value, no matter what their currency does.
With world food demand on the rise, growers in the Pampas grain belt are filling their silos with soy rather than converting their crops into pesos, a currency that hit a new all-time low in informal trade this week.
Considering Argentina’s high inflation, clocked at about 25 percent by private economists, “money in the bank” is not as secure as storing soybeans next to their fields, many say.
“We are going to hang onto our soy. One can see higher prices ahead,” said Jose Plazibat, a partner with the firm of Bandurria and Plazibat Brothers, which farms more than 3,000 hectares near the town of Chacabuco in Buenos Aires province.
With their currency in meltdown and food demand around the world rising, these farmers understand where real value comes from.
  • Their food can’t be lost in the stock market.
  • It’s intrinsic worth cannot be vaporized in a banking collapse.
  • And they do not need to wait for anyone to deliver it to them, as they hold it in their personal possession.
Hoarding commodities – not the paper receipts that represent your ownership, but the actual physical good – is a powerful diversification strategy, and one that is a natural response to times of uncertainty and government run amok:
Argentina is going through the classic stages of economic collapse.
The government seized all pensions. They are destroying everything that gives the people incentive to be a society that emerges from the cooperation of everyone.
When government turns against its own people, even as the USA is currently doing, you end up with deflation insofar as the economy collapses and wages are not available, while hoarding emerges as does barter.
source: Martin Armstrong
This strategy of buying commodities at lower prices today to consume at higher prices tomorrow can be implemented on a micro-economic personal scale in your own home. Doing so, especially with health and nutrition considerations, will not only provide you with long-term cost savings as global currencies continue to lose purchasing power, but insulate you against the possibility of a rush for food in the event of an emergency or widespread economic instability.
Whether you choose to stock your long-term food pantry by going to a grocery store, grow your own food in your traditional or aquaponics garden, learn to preserve it yourself, or prefer to do your own food storage packing, the key is to develop a plan and implement it now.
The US dollar isn’t getting any stronger over the next 10 years.
But the rice, beans, wheat, and pasta you stockpile will still have the same exact intrinsic value a decade from now as they do today.

GMRS/FRS Radios in Emergency.

GMRS/FRS Radios in Emergency.

I have been asked a question regarding the relationship of GMRS/FRS radio frequencies in regard to Ham radio frequencies.  The question was are the FRS frequencies on the 2 meter ham band.  As you can see, the FRS frequencies are closed to the UHF ham band or the 70 cm band.  Ham radios have to be modified to transmit on these frequencies which can be done...outside of the FCC laws, but to stay within the law one must either get a free GMRS license to use the GMRS frequencies or one may use the FRS frequencies at any time without license.

In regard to use for emergency.  These radios are not useful in city conditions over a few blocks unless the antenna is placed in a higher area where the transmitter can "see" the receiver radios or vice versa.  Their power is extremely limited, and the frequency somewhat higher than 2 m ham radios and so transmitting through brick and mortar is somewhat hindered.  Therefore one may be forced to use these radios outside a structure to get any gain.

Many manufacturers falsely claim that they will work for many miles.  This is true in ideal conditions where there are no structures between the sender/receiver like transmitting over still water.  Even so, FM radios are all line of sight, and the curvature of the earth precludes line of sight much over 14-15 miles in good conditions standing on the ground.  Even higher powered ham radios are limited to the 14-15 mile rule unless they use repeaters or are transmitting on top of a mountain or very tall building.
Channel Frequency (MHz) Notes
1 462.5625 Shared with GMRS
2 462.5875 Shared with GMRS
3 462.6125 Shared with GMRS
4 462.6375 Shared with GMRS
5 462.6625 Shared with GMRS
6 462.6875 Shared with GMRS
7 462.7125 Shared with GMRS
8 467.5625 FRS use only
9 467.5875 FRS use only
10 467.6125 FRS use only
11 467.6375 FRS use only
12 467.6625 FRS use only
13 467.6875 FRS use only
14 467.7125 FRS use only

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