MEPRO 21 Reflex Sight

This is a very good option for those looking for an optic for their SHTF, WROL, or TEOTWAWKI weapon system. It is a really high quality reflex sight, that requires NO BATTERIES!!!

Now that in of itself is a great thing in a SHTF scenario, but team that with a very high quality, durable combat sight, then you have the whole package.

Here is a link to the sight for a very reasonable price: http://astore.amazon.com/thetactpatr-20/detail/B004O6GFQE

Here is some information from their website:

The Need
Soldiers in the modern battlefield require weapon sights which facilitate quick and instinctive accurate shooting. The need for advanced optical sights is especially vital in close quarter combat where the use of both eyes is critical.

Users
• Military
• Law Enforcement
• Civilian Market - Hunting

Our Solution
The MEPRO 21 provides instant, all-light aiming capability, without batteries. Designed through close collaboration with Israeli Special Forces, the MEPRO M21 is battle proven, simple to use accurately and totally reliable.

MEPRO 21 offers a large 30mm diameter lens which allows rapid target acquisition with both eyes open. This was the first reflex sight in the world designed for close quarter combat, and it can be ordered with optional reticles – dot, triangle, open-x and bullseye.

Illumination of the aiming point is achieved by a fiber optic collector system during the day, and by a miniature self-powered tritium light source at night. Transition between the two systems is instantaneous and automatic to assure good contrast between the aiming dot and the target area.

The MEPRO 21 reflex sight offers users the ability to acquire targets accurately at any range, in any situation, with both eyes open.

The MEPRO 21  is also designed to work in tandem with a magnifying scope like the

MEPRO MX3 - mounted behind it for ultimate accuracy.

Advantages- Always ready for action – no batteries or switches.
- Aim & shoot faster than ever - with both eyes open!
- Self-illumination means always available
- Operates under all weather and temperature conditions
- Large 30mm diameter lens assures large FOV

- Rapid target acquisition means quicker shooting in urban areas

- Quicker shooting in urban areas and rapid target acquisition
- Can be ordered with optional reticles – dot, triangle, open-x and bullseye
- Effective use of sight under extreme conditions such as bad weather,
   firing after physical stress and firing under pressure

I have used this sight, and it works great, I love it and would reccomend it to anyone who needs a top of the line optic that will take the stress, and anything else you can throw at it and keep on going. It is the ultimate for a SHTF sight due to not needing any batteries. It is my opinion that you can not go wrong with this sight.

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Click here for all your prepping/tactical needs: The Tactical Patriot Store

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Herbs and their medicinal uses

 This post is long, but well worth the read. It is a little off of the norm for this blog, but I feel that in an extended SHTF/WROL/TEOTWAWKI scenario, there will not be many forms of traditional medicines. We will have to resort to herbalism to remedy ourselves. Normally I would have said this is some hippie tree hugger stuff, but it is for real, and will be our only way we have of healing ourselves and our loved ones. I feel this information is worth the read. I did not write this myself, and I have given my reference at the bottom of the article, I just felt that I owed it to my readers to post this up and maybe open their eyes to this concept.

Enjoy...


USING MEDICINAL HERBS 
 
Using medicinal herbs should be educational, fun and why not magic. You can treat some of your minor conditions as well as your families, but remember safety comes first.
All you need is a teapot, and a couple of pots or sauce pans, herbal tinctures can be purchased in a herbal store or you can make some with vodka.

Herbal medicine was born at home out of necessity, to treat conditions many thousands of years ago and is as old as humans. It is the medicine of the people, for the people, by the people, available to all anywhere and has evolved from an empirical art into a scientific art. As a trained medical herbalist I use traditional family knowledge, historical information as well as modern scientific information to work with my clients.

Even though most the herbs are safe most of the time, there are some with potential toxicity and it is advisable to consult with a trained medical/clinical herbalist when in doubt, remember that self diagnosis and self medication with herbs is not recommended. If you have a condition that you would normally treat with over the counter medication and would not go to the doctor with, probably can be treated at home with herbs. Any conditions that are aggravated or persistent required professional help.

INTERACTIONS - remember that there are certain risks associated with the combination of herbal remedies and prescription drugs, normally anybody taking a prescription drugs should consult a qualified herbalist before taking herbal remedies, and please never stop taking prescribed drugs without discussing the particulars with the prescribing physician.
 
The following are some of the conditions that can be treated safely at home.
Indigestion, constipation, colds and flu, mouth ulcers sore throats, lack of energy, yeast infections, bladder infections, scratches, minor skin infections, boils and pimples, insomnia, anxiety, fatigue, stress, menstrual cramps, aching muscles, stiff joints, tension headaches. 
 
Some conditions which required professional assistance are:
 
Severe pain in the abdomen and chest
Severe pain in the limbs
Severe headaches
Blood in urine or stool
Coughing of blood 
Fainting
Shortness of breath without cause
Injuries caused by accidents
Persistent diarrhea
Persistent weakness
Persistent coughs
Eye injuries

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT  HERBS
Some type of selection criteria is a must to choose the right herb for the specific herbal remedy required. There are over half a million plants that can be used in  healing remedies, medical herbalist usually use about 350 different herbs in their practice. Some set of guidelines has to be used  to whittle down from half a million herbs to a more realistic number, but how?
 
HERBAL CLASSIFICATIONS
 
Medicinal herbs can be classified in different ways according to needs. They can be listed by:
Alphabetical order - Marigold, Chamomile, Echinacea, etc.
Botanical family (Taxonomic) - Compositae, Rosaceae, Rubiaceae, Laminaceae, etc.
Constituents (Biochemical)- alkaloids, tannins, coumarins, iridoids etc.
Plant parts (Morphological) - whole plant, seeds, root, flowers etc.
Therapeutic effects - tonics, astringents, diaphoretics, diuretics etc.
Geographical - American, Asian, European, etc.

When choosing your herbs for medicinal purposes, the constituents and therapeutic effects are the most important. 

ACTION BASED - it is the easiest way for anyone to begin using herbs. All the herbs have biochemical action/s and specific effects in the body. Knowing these actions and the specific pathology will help you decide which actions are required and then which herbs will deliver these actions.
 
Some of the most used actions are:

Alteratives
 
Herbs that will slowly restore the proper function of the body increasing health and vitality. This may sound  unclear, but their value is certain. They act by altering the metabolic body's processes so tissues can be dealt with a range of  processes from nutrition to elimination. E.g.. Echinacea (Echinacea angustifolia), Blood root (Sanguinaria canadensis), Golden seal (hydrastis canadensis).
 
Anti-microbials 

Anti-microbial herbs can help the body to destroy or resist pathogenic micro-organisms, topically as in skin infections and internally for systemic infections. E.g. Garlic (Allium sativum), Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), Sage (Salvia officinalis).
 
Anti-inflammatory

Herbs/constituents that aid the body to fight inflammation in different areas. E.g. Devil’s claw (Harpagophytum procumbens), Turmeric (Curcuma longa) White willow (Salix alba), Wild yam (Dioscorea villosa), Marigold (Calendula officinalis).

Astringents

Remedies that contain constituents that have a binding action on mucous membranes, skin and other exposed tissue. They contract blood vessels and some body tissues (mucous membranes) with the effect of reducing secretion and excretions. Astringents are sometimes used to stop external or internal bleeding. E.g. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Couchgrass (Agropyron repens), Tormentil (Potentilla tormentilla), Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)

Bitters
 
Very important to the digestive system, these are remedies that have a bitter taste which triggers a sensory response in the mouth that is directed by the nerves to the central nervous system. From there a message goes to the stomach increasing the digestive hormone gastrin, leading to a great range of ramifications of value to the digestive process and general body health. E.g. Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium), Gentian (Gentiana lutea), Centaury (Erythraea centaurium).

Anti-Spasmodic

Anti-spasmodics help by preventing or easing spasms or cramps in the muscles, they also reduce tension in the body, and many of them are also nervines, sometimes they will also ease psychological tension. E.g. Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnata), Valerian (Valeriana officinalis), Cramp bark (Viburnum opulus), Lobelia (Lobelia inflata), Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa)

Carminatives

Carminatives are herbal remedies that have a high content of volatile oils, they are used to stimulate the digestive system to work properly. They are very effective to expel gas and easing griping pains from the stomach and the intestines, they also tone the mucous surfaces and increase peristaltic action (esophagus, stomach and intestine movement, which propels its contents onward). 
They are also used with other herbs to make formulations more palatable, carminatives are also known as aromatics. E.g. Aniseed  (Pimpinella anisum), Caraway  (Carum carvi), Chamomile (Matricaria recutita), Fennel  (Foeniculum vulgare), Ginger (Zingiber officinale), Peppermint (Mentha piperita).

Demulcents

Demulcent are herbs rich in mucilage which can soothe and protect irritated or inflamed internal tissues (mucous surfaces). If they are used on the skin, demulcents are called emollients, which have a protective and soothing action upon the surface of the body. E.g. Corn Silk (Zea mays), Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis), Slippery Elm (Ulmus fulva), Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

Diuretics

Diuretics are herbs that increase the flow of urine from the kidneys, excreting excess fluid from the body, they will not cause potassium depletion or stress the kidneys. As these are herbs which offer some beneficial action in the urinary system, they can also include urinary demulcents and anti-inflammatory herbs. E.g.  Dandelion leaf (Taraxacum off. folia), Celery (Apium graveolens), Corn silk (Zea mays), Couchgrass (Agropyron repens), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium).

Expectorants

Expectorants are herbs that aid the body to remove excess mucous from the lungs by stimulating the cleansing activities of the lungs. E.g. Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Elecampane (Inula helenium), Marshmallow (Althea officinalis), Pleurisy Root  (Asclepias tuberosa), Wild Cherry (Prunus serotina).

Nervines

Nervines are plant remedies that have a beneficial effect/s in the nervous system, some of the different types of nervines are: tonics, relaxing, stimulating, antispasmodics, antidepressant, analgesic.
 
Nervine tonics - Oats (Avena sativa), St. Johns Wort (hypericum perforatum), Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora).

Nervine relaxants - Vervain (Verbene officinalis), Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata), Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia).

Antispasmodics - Valerian (valeriana officinalis), Viburnum (Viburnum opulus).

Anti-depressants - Rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis), Oats (Avena sativa), Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

Analgesics - Jamaican Dogwood (Piscidia erythrina), Wild lettuce (Lactuca virosa), Wild Yam  (Dioscorea villosa).

Energy enhancers

Energy enhancers are herbs that strengthen, and tonic herbs which support the adrenal glands, thyroid and nervous tissue. E.g.. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus), Gotu kola (Centella asiatica), Kelp (Fucus vesiculosis), Ginseng (Panax ginseng).

Circulatory stimulants

Herbal remedies which dilate the blood vessels, strengthen the heart and enhance circulation. They can direct the action to a specific area of the body, limbs or central organs, these herbs could be warming in nature.  E.g. Ginger (Zingiber officinalis), Prickly ash (Zanthoxylum spp.), Rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis), Cayenne (Capsicum minimum).

Uterine tonic 

Herbs that strengthen and tonify the uterine muscle and lining, some will improve the circulation to these organs, useful to restore normal menses. E.g.. Black Haw (Viburnum prunifolium), Partridge Berry (Mitchella repens), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Ladies Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris) 

BUILDING YOUR FORMULA
Building formulas is educational and fun. Normally we use more than one herb, as the synergy of the herbs will be stronger acting for the condition, at the same time don't use too many herbs in a formula as it is more effective to give more quantity of a few herbs than very small amounts of many herbs.

In most cases you will find that between 4 or 6 herbs will accomplish the objective, and will give you the herbal actions required for most cases.

The first step would be to find the herbal actions required for the condition, remember don't treat the symptoms, try to find the causes of the problem. If you want to treat the symptoms they can be treated parallel to the cause ( with a second formula), specially if you need to take care of some relief, while the main formula works.

Once you have identified the actions required, make a list of the herbs that you know have these actions, if you see herbs that appear in more than one category those will be ones to use. There will be other herbs that are more specific to the condition or body area required, these specific herbs are also good candidates to be used in the formula.

Traditionally a herbal formulation should contain:

• 2 to 3 parts of specific herbs particular for the condition 
• 1 part of herbs which are relaxing/soothing for the affected area or to the nerves in general 
• 1 part of herbs which are tonic & strengthening to the affected area or system. 
• 1 part of herbs which will aid the eliminative/alternative/depurative areas concerned.

Proportions in the formulation can be adjusted to provide more potency to some herbs, you can also enhance actions by the herbal synergy's of the formulation, usually the herbs have several actions that will help clear the condition and to give more versatility while making formulation.
All you need is some practice and interest and you will see how the formulations can be made without too much problem. Remember you can have fun while doing it.

EXAMPLE OF FORMULA BUILDING
 
Your brother will be  going through final exams soon at the university, he has anxiety, is tired, and is lacking concentration, he also has stomach acidity from the tension, and needs help to be at his best for the approaching exams. 
 

You could use the following actions: Energy enhancers - Gotu kola (Centella asiatica)  Nervine relaxants - Vervain (Verbene officinalis)  Nervine tonics - Oats (Avena sativa)  Circulatory stimulants - Rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis)  Demulcents - Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

Formula Amounts 20% 25% 20% 15% 20%

DOSAGESThere are important factors to take in consideration when trying to establish the dosage for a herbal medicine. 
 

• The first factor is: Type of herbs used in formula , potency, toxic levels if any?
• Type of condition, is acute?, severe?, normally the worse or acute the condition the more medicine you will give.
• Body size, weight, height, we will not give the same dosage to a football player weighing 250 pounds, as we would give to a frail older person.
• Absorption, distribution, elimination, are very important, an older person will required less dosage than a 30 year old, as age slows the absorption, distribution and elimination. Also the digestive condition will affect the dosage, constipation and sluggishness will require lower dosages as herbs will remain longer in the system just like with older people.
• Diarrhea will require larger dosages as herbs will not remain long in the system therefore absorption may be limited. HI metabolic rates and fevers may require also higher dosages. 

Usually the best time to take herbal medicines is half hour before meals, to maximize absorption. Remember that dosages may vary from herb to herb.

TEAS: usually 3 cups a day of tea will be a normal dosage. For preparation use 1 teaspoon of total  herb/s per each cup of tea to be prepared. Try to prepare the tea daily, rather than a big batch to last for several days, as teas tend to get mouldy very quick.

TINCTURES: the strength of the tincture is important here, normal therapeutic strength for medicinal herbs is 1:3 to 1:5, if so use i tsp. (5 ml) three times a day.

CREAMS/SALVES/INFUSED OILS: these can be applied often during the day, unless the area to be applied is painful.

CHILDREN DOSAGES:
 
Babies 1 to 5 years old, 1 to 5 teaspoons for a tea.
Children 5 to 12 years old, one quarter to half adult dose, after 12 year old they usually get adult dosages.

The above dosages are suggestions for normal conditions, please read the instructions of the herbal medicines to be given to children and provide the dosages recommended, when in doubt consult a qualified Medical/clinical herbalist. Also consult the children section in this site for more detailed information about herbal tincture dosages for children.
 
 



HERB'S QUALITY
In order to have an effective herbal medicine, the quality of the product is of the upmost importance, whether dried, tincture, salve, cream, or infused oil, if the herbs are not of excellent quality the medicine is not going to be as effective as expected.

The herbs should be organic if possible, sometimes it is very hard to find all the herbs required organic, so do your best to find them. If not available, non-organic herbs have to have the proper characteristics of the herb, such as:

The color of the dried herb should be the same as when the herb was fresh, brown herbs may denote improper drying process and may be oxidized. The smell of the herb should have the same characteristics of the smell of the fresh herb. Herbs should look clean and free of debris. If processed (powder, cut) the herb should look clean and properly processed.

Buy your herbs from reputable stores that have a quick inventory rotation to make sure that the herbs have not being sitting in the store forever, when in doubt question the store staff as to origin and quality of the herbs to be purchased. Prepacked herbs may have been in a bag too long, buy  bulk herbs when possible.

The same goes for other medicinal products like tinctures, salves, creams, and oils, buy from reputable companies, check for the expiry dates before purchasing, if in doubt ask questions about quality and products ingredients.

Tinctures should always be marked on the label for strength (ratios of herb to alcohol) as well as alcohol content, which is the alcohol % that is the best to extract the active constituents of the herb, so it should look something like this on the label (example):

Marigold
(Calendula officinalis)
1:5 (strength)   90% (alcohol)In tinctures the strength is very important as it will determine the effectiveness of the product for medicinal use as well as the dosage, therefore always follow the label instruction for dosages or the advice of your medical/clinical herbalist.

HERBAL REMEDY'S STORAGE
DRIED HERBS
 
All dried herbs are sensitive to heat, light, oxygen and water. Herbs have to be stored in airtight glass containers to retain their freshness, to stop humidity (molding), and to stop the dissipation of the herb's constituents into the air.

Amber glass jars are excellent to store herbs, if you can not find any, store your herbs in any glass jar, paper bags or plastic bags that are not airtight as plastic fumes will contaminate your herbs. As soon as you place your herbs in a glass container put a sticker with the name of the herb and the date.
I don't like my herbs to touch metal during storage or while making a tea, as they may react with the metals and oxidize, thus I don't recommend tin cans to store them. Regardless of the way that you store your herbs, they will slowly lose their potency and ultimately become worthless, don't use any herbs that are more than 8 months to a year old.

TINCTURES
 
Normally tinctures are purchased in dark glass bottles, so store them away from the sun light in a dark cool place, as they contain alcohol they do not need refrigeration, if your tincture is not made with alcohol, follow the recommendation on the label.
Alcohol tinctures last 4 to 5 years if stored correctly, but refer to the expiry date on the label to be sure.

SALVES, CREAMS AND INFUSED OILS
 
These types of herbal remedies are more prompt to loose their properties or become rancid or spoiled, be sure to refer to the labels expiry date, if there is no expiry date use your sense of smell and look at the product to see if there is any separation of the ingredients.
If unsure do not use it and buy a new one, the following is a basic time table for normal expiration time of well made products. Remember ultimately, the ingredients, quality and the manufacturing process of the product determines the shelf life.

SALVES - 2 years
CREAMS - 2 years
INFUSED OILS - 1 year

HERBAL REMEDIES USAGE
 There are many ways to use herbal remedies and they vary in strength and ease of use, also the condition to be treated and  the purpose of the herbal medicine may dictate which type  of  remedy should be used.

There are internal and external herbal remedies, the strongest and fastest way to get herbal remedies into your systems is by using tinctures, teas are generally not as strong as tinctures but occasionally are necessary as we shall see.

INTERNAL REMEDIES
There are many ways of making internal remedies, but as with all of them, it is very important how you make them so you can end up with a high quality herbal medicine.
Types of internal medicines:
1. Tincture preparations
2. Water-based preparations
3. Syrups, lozenges, elixirs and other liquid formulations
4. Fresh or dried herbs

TINCTURES
 
Medical/Clinical herbalists use this type of medicine more often, as it is stronger than water extractions, easier to take, and they have a long shelf life, if store correctly they can last up to 4 years. 

They are made by macerating (soaking) a dried or fresh herb in a mix of water and alcohol for 2 weeks, it is shaken daily for those 2 weeks and then is strained and placed in a dark bottle. Normally tinctures are made with alcohol but occasionally glycerin or vinegar  can be used.
Tinctures are made according to descriptions in a Pharmacopoeia, different plants have different requirements for the alcohol strength required to extract the active constituents of the plant, most of the herbs use 25% (e.g. Dandelion), some need 45% (e.g. Echinacea), 60% (e.g. Boldo) or up to 90% (e.g. Myrrh, Marigold).

In Canada, due to taxation, alcohol is very expensive so Vodka can be use to make tinctures, vodka’s alcohol content is 45% so most of the tinctures can use it.
Tinctures may also be made with vinegar as the acetic acid in the vinegar will act as a preservative and solvent similar to alcohol.

Glycerin based tinctures have several advantages,  are child friendly, can be taken by people that can not take alcohol, and are easy on the digestive tract. There are a few disadvantages: resins or oily materials don’t dissolve as good as in alcohol, and the strength of the tincture is not as good as in alcohol based one. 

 The standard strength of a tincture is 1:5, (one part of died herb to 5 parts of the water alcohol mix), other tinctures are made at a ratio of 1:2 or 1:3, or a weaker 1:10. I prefer a tincture that is, 1:3 or 1:4 as this is the best therapeutic strength for most herbal medicines (except for restricted herbs).
A herbal prescription is usually made with 4 to 6 herbs,  which synergistic-ally work better than a single tincture. A normal dosage of a herbal formulation is 5 ml taken 3 times a day (depending on the herbs used).

WATER BASED PREPARATIONS
INFUSIONS 
 
If you know how to make tea you can make an infusion, it is the easiest way to prepare a herbal medicine at home. You use this method to prepare leaves, flowers and any soft part of a plant 
Place 1 teaspoon of the dried herb or 3 three teaspoons of the fresh herb in a cup, and pour over 1 cup of freshly boiled water. Steep it 10 min. then strain off and drink. Lemon and honey may be added but don't use milk. 

Take 3 cups of the tea a day, the cooled infusion can also be used as a skin wash, for skin infections or inflammations, or as a mouth wash and gargle for sore throats, mouth ulcers and oral infections. 
If  you are combining 2 or more herbs to make your infusion you would generally use equal parts of each herb to give a total of 1 teaspoon to 1 cup of water, unless otherwise indicated. 

DECOCTIONS
 
When the herbs to be used are hard such as, roots, seeds, barks, stems and particularly thick or tough leaves, it is better to make a decoction as the cell walls are very strong and they required a stronger method to extract the active constituents.

The proportions are the same as for the infusion (1 teaspoon to 1 cup) but the herb is placed in a glass, enamel or stainless steel pan, covered with the cold water and brought to a boil. Keeping the pan tightly covered allow it to simmer for 5 to 15 min then strain off and drink. 

You can use a decoction and infusions in the same way, and dosages are usually the same. If you are making a mixture of soft and hard herbs, make a decoction of the hard herbs first, then use the decoction to pour over the soft part to make an infusion.

USAGES OF INFUSIONS/DECOCTIONS 
 
As a tea taken internally. 
As a skin wash for inflammations, infections or blisters. 
As a douche or enema. 
As a hair rinse for scalp conditions. 
As a mouth wash or gargle for sore throats or mouth infections. 
As a hand or foot bath. 

JUICES
 
This is one of the most effective ways to take herbs internally, as you are getting absolutely all the goodness from the plant. Juices are made from fresh plants, and a good juicer is essential (and they are not cheap): I recommend the Champion. The main drawback with juices is that they start oxidizing as soon as you make them and lose their potency. They can be preserved in the fridge for a few hours but the best way to preserve them for longer periods is to combine the juice with an equal part of glycerin (available from the health food store). This will give them a shelf life of around 6 months. 

Dosages of juice required will vary according to the herbs used, a general guideline is one 5 ml. teaspoon 2 - 3 times a day for the juice and glycerin mixture, or proportionately less for children.

CAPSULES 
 
If you don’t like to be bother with making teas, or if the tea taste is not very good, you can make capsules. They are very easy to make by grinding the herbs to a fine powder (a mortar or a coffee grinder works well). This guarantees that the cell walls are largely broken down, and helps in the digestion and absorption of the herb, then use the powder to fill empty vegetable or gelatin capsules. 
The size of capsules should be “00”, holds about 0.5 grams, they are available in health food stores, normally you can take 2 to 3 of these capsules a day.

Capsules should not be used for children, nor where the action of the herbs is to promote and enhance digestion, many of the digestive herbs are bitters and work by reflex responses to their bitter taste. 
How to make a capsule:

 Place the powdered herbs in a small flat dish and take the halves of the capsule apart.
 Move the halves of the capsules through the powder, filling them in the process.
 Push the halves together and close them.

EXTERNAL REMEDIES
The skin is the largest organ of the body, and one of the great abilities of this organ is absorption, several methods of herbal medicine have been developed to take advantage of this fact.
There are creams, salves, baths, liniments, oils, compress and poultices. These remedies are very effective and versatile to treat innumerable conditions, as a sole remedy or combination of internal and external therapy.

CREAMS
 
You have to start with a good cream base, preferably unscented and able to accept the herbs in liquid form without loosing its consistency, then you can add up to 10 or 15% (total amount) of tincture, essential oils or infused oils desired, a little at a time while stirring the mix well and then store in jars.

SALVES /OINTMENTS
 
Semisolid preparations, which can be applied to the skin. There are many ways of making salves depending  on the final use intended, they may vary in texture, from very thick and greasy to softer more cream like texture.

Any herb can be used for making ointments, the following are only some examples of great value for external use.

Marigold (Calendula  officinalis)
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) 
Arnica (Arnica montana) 
Plantain (Plantago major)
Chickweed (Stellaria media) 
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) 
Slippery elm (Ulmus fulva) 

The easiest way to make a salve is by using Vaseline or a similar petroleum jelly as a base. This easy method has a disadvantage of being an inorganic base, but the advantage is that it is very easy to handle and available anytime, so it can be made very quickly.

The simple method to make a salve with Vaseline is to simmer 2 tablespoons of the desired herb/s in 200 grams of Vaseline for about 15 minutes stirring well, sift  it through a cheese cloth or fine gauze, pour the liquid into a jar and seal it after it has cooled. 

To make a more professional salve, use 500 ml of an herb/s infused oil, place in a stainless steel pan and gently warm the infused oil, add aprox. 60 g. of bees wax (grated), once it is melted place in jars, if you have time this is the preferred method to make a salve properly.

BATHS
 
Any herb that can be used internally can also be used in a bath. Herbal baths are very effective for babies as well as adults. Baths are very relaxing, healing and soothing, you can prepare an infusion and poured it into the bath water, or you can place the herbs in cheese cloth and place it in the hot water, usually 30 grams (total) of herb/s is enough. You can also use Essential oils in your baths.

Bath suggestions
 
To aid your sleep - Hops (Humulus lupulus), Linden flowers (Tilia europea), Lavender (Lavandula off.), Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis).
General tonic - Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis). 
Hyperactive children - Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) , Catnip (Nepeta cataria)
Rheumatic joints - Mustard, (Brassica nigra) (2 teaspoons)

For a relaxing and exquisitely scented bath, infusions can be made of:
Linden (Tilia europea), Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), Rosemary  (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Other ideas are :
Relaxing bath – Lavender (Lavandula off.), German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita), Linden (Tilia europea) 
Children relaxing bath -  Roman Chamomile (Matricaria recutita),  Linden (Tilia europea), Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)

INFUSED OILS
 
Infused oils can be used directly on the skin, as a massage blend, or to make salves or creams, they are very versatile and easy to make.

Use a clean dry glass jar, pack the herbs to be used loosely inside of the jar, if using fresh herbs make sure that they have being picked when there is no dew or rain on them, they have to be dry.  Fill the jar to the brim with a carrier oil such as almond oil or olive oil, tightly close the jar, and leave it to stand on a window sill (facing the daily sun) for about 2 weeks, shake it and turn it daily.

At the end of this period strain the oil and store it in a tightly closed bottle/jar and placed it in a cool dry place (don't forget to put on a sticker with the herb/s name and the date).

Use these oils to treat skin afflictions, by using different herbs you can make oils useful to treat conditions such as shingles, arthritis, psoriasis, eczema, scars, etc.

POULTICE FOMENTATIONS AND COMPRESSES
 
Very useful when you have to apply herbs directly onto the skin, to treat a skin condition, to soften tissue, to alleviate pain or inflammation. Specially effective in treating joint problems such as arthritis, as they will increase the blood supply to the joints which sometimes can not be reached by internal medicines. 

They can be made from a piece of cloth, compresses can be applied hot or cold, poultices are always applied hot. 

Compresses are made using an infusion or decoction of the herb/s, in which you soak a piece of flannel or towel,  you can bandage it around the area to be treated, normally a compress is refreshed every 15/20 minutes, the application can last from 1 to 4 hours. Herbs commonly used for compresses are : Chickweed, Comfrey, Marigold, Mullein, Plantain, Slippery Elm, Chamomile.
Poultices are made by packing fresh or died herbs in a muslin bag or folded flannel soaked in boiling water, then bandage it in place (make sure that it is hot but not burning), as poultices have to remain in place for 1 to 4 hours, keep it warm by using a water bottle or heating pad. Herbs commonly used for poultices are: 

Comfrey (fractures ulcers), Chamomile and Hops (muscle pains and neuralgias).

Article from: http://www.infoherb.com/Using_herbs.html

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HK91 and PTR91 review

Personal - My personal first choice for caliber, inexpensive magazines and reliability, UGLY but funky-retro space-gun cool. Made for large individuals with large hands with heavy winter clothing on (short butt stock). My favorite trick with the HK91 here at the heretic abode is to add a bit of braided para cord to the charging handle, it makes a quick grab even with thick winter gloves.


Function - Reliable function second only to the AK, so reliable that it is often referred to as the "Kraut Kalashnokov" or the "AK of the West". I have personally fired my HK91's in sub-zero temps, and also sopping wet with slime in 100 plus temps with the only malfunctions based on ammo. Weak charges will stove pipe, and bullets over 190 grains can cause excessive recoil and shake the next bullet out of the magazine in front of the bolt causing a double fed or have a cartridge folded in half by the bolt face as it turns sideways.

Design flaws - No bolt hold open, poor ergonomics for small hands and arms, poor heavy trigger (without modification), fluted chamber engraves brass this does not make it un-reloadable contrary to stories you hear on the internet. The PTR91 “GI/Special edition” will have the odd brass chewer that dents the side of the case - an ejection port buffer fixes this and changes the direction of ejection to forward 2-3 O’clock.

Rifle has extremely violent fired case ejection - woe to anyone on the right of the shooter to catch one on the noggin! (I have a scar on my forehead from a friend who moved while shooting from a bench).

Felt recoil is higher with this delayed blow-back system.

Press-formed sheet steel construction is heavier than some other metals (and stronger) and because it is formed into shapes a large enough blow or crushing force to the steel can cause deformation that can lead to malfunctions, most knocks can be “ironed out” some with common tools and severe dents with special internal forms. With decades of military service including Africa, the design holds its own in even the worst of conditions and care, including possible dents.

There is some debate that states it is possible that the G3/HK91 was specifically designed to work with brass cased cartridges, and that firing steel cased ammunition can damage rifle parts and excessively wear the throat of the barrel. It is possible that if the steel case shows signs of excessive amounts of hot gas jetting past the flutes in the chamber and into the case shoulder this could erode the metal in that area. There was some indication that the German engineers actually designed the G3 rifle to handle not only full power cartridges but also cheep steel cased ammo with a very wide range of acceptable powder burn rates in the 4895 category.

Quality - While the construction of the frame is of relatively inexpensive precisely formed steel, contrary to internet ignorance "stamped steel" does not equate to low quality but rather inexpensive production, most car frames are made of formed steel, even the "muscle cars" of US production were of formed steel. Both the HK and PTR clone's internal parts are very high quality construction, interchangeable and examples of first world production. The last of the PTR rifles to arrive in the collection had a Rheinmetall AG bolt carrier!

Caliber/Ammunition - .308 an accurate and effective cartridge, one of my favorites, easy to reload, but is a large full power cartridge and some consider it excessive in recoil (this recoil is heightened in the HK system). .308/7.62 is one of the most popular cartridges for rifles in the US and high quality commercial and surplus ammunition is widely available. While on a related subject the HK91/G3 uses one of the best designed and reliable .308 box magazines ever produced, currently there are several high quality choices the older steel (heavy but very tough), aluminum, and then the polymer magazines (the only magazine from this company I would recommend and the Thermold magazines count for US compliance parts).

Use - Accuracy out of the box will be good to excellent (suffering somewhat from the heavy "drop proof" pull of the original trigger), the trigger can be adjusted or worked by companies like Williams Trigger Specialties (an excellent "set trigger" I use is available) and Bill Springfield. There are services available where the action can be stiffened and attachments such as the SuperTune to dial in loadings. The HK91 uses the least expensive detachable magazine available in the US market, there are steel, polymer, and aluminum magazines readily available. I am on my original locking rollers and have cooked off thousands of rounds (over 7k) on my current original HK made rifle. A must addition to this rifle on top of the para-cord handle is the Tac-Latch to replace the removed magazine release from the back of the magazine well (the Tac-Latch returns the rifle to the easy either-hand/two hand operated magazine release).

Current production - PTR is considered the highest quality clone in current production, repair parts are widely available, but HK stopped official production years ago forcing the existing HK produced rifles in circulation into the "collectable" market.

I consider this rifle a first and primary choice for a current MBR, high price is a possible concern with the true HK build collectable rifles, but when considering the inexpensive magazines, the total price can be lower than expected (I consider 8 a minimum of magazines per rifle). Because the Special Edition “GI” PTR91 clone is the least expensive .308 except the .308 AK from Saiga and the used magazines are so inexpensive it is difficult to find a better deal.

By Mountain Prepper

How our cities might explode

This is a really good read, long, but worth it, please take the time and read it. I did not write this, and I give credit to the author just below. I just knew I had to post it after I read it.

From Matt Bracken:

In response to recent articles in mainstream military journals discussing the use of the U.S. Army to quell insurrections on American soil, I offer an alternate vision of the future. Instead of a small town in the South as the flash point, picture instead a score of U.S. cities in the thrall of riots greater than those experienced in Los Angeles in 1965 (Watts), multiple cities in 1968 (MLK assassination), and Los Angeles again in 1992 (Rodney King). New Yorkers can imagine the 1977 blackout looting or the 1991 Crown Heights disturbance. In fact, the proximate spark of the next round of major riots in America could be any from a long list cribbed from our history.

We have seen them all before, and we shall see them all again as history rhymes along regardless of the century or the generation of humankind nominally in control of events. But the next time we are visited by widespread, large-scale urban riots, a dangerous new escalation may be triggered by a fresh vulnerability: It’s estimated that the average American home has less than two weeks of food on hand. In poor minority areas, it may be much less. What if a cascading economic crisis, even a temporary one, leads to millions of EBT (electronic benefit transfer) cards flashing nothing but ERROR? This could also be the result of deliberate sabotage by hackers, or other technical system failures. Alternatively, the government might pump endless digits into the cards in a hopeless attempt to outpace future hyperinflation. The government can order the supermarkets to honor the cards, and it can even set price controls, but history’s verdict is clear: If suppliers are paid only with worthless scrip or blinking digits, the food will stop.

STEP ONE: FLASH MOB LOOTING

In my scenario, the initial riots begin spontaneously across affected urban areas, as SNAP (supplemental nutrition assistance program) and other government welfare recipients learn that their EBT cards no longer function. This sudden revelation will cause widespread anger, which will quickly lead to the flash-mob looting of local supermarkets and other businesses. The media will initially portray these “food riots” as at least partly justifiable. Sadly, millions of Americans have been made largely, or even entirely, dependent on government wealth transfer payments to put food on their tables.

A new social contract has been created, where bread and circuses buy a measure of peace in our minority-populated urban zones. In the era of ubiquitous big-screen cable television, the Internet and smart phones, the circus part of the equation is never in doubt as long as the electricity flows. But the bread is highly problematic. Food must be delivered the old-fashioned way: physically. Any disruption in the normal functioning of the EBT system will lead to food riots with a speed that is astonishing. This will inevitably happen when our unsustainable, debt-fueled binge party finally stops, and the music is over. Now that the delivery of free or heavily subsidized food is perceived by tens of millions of Americans to be a basic human right, the cutoff of “their” food money will cause an immediate explosion of rage. When the hunger begins to bite, supermarkets, shops and restaurants will be looted, and initially the media will not condemn the looting. Unfortunately, this initial violence will only be the start of a dangerous escalation.

The ransacked supermarkets, convenience stores, ATMs and gas stations will not be restocked during this period due to the precarious security situation. A single truck loaded with food or gasoline would be perceived to be a Fort Knox on wheels and subject to immediate attack unless heavily protected by powerfully armed security forces, but such forces will not be available during this chaotic period. Under those conditions, resupply to the urban areas cannot and will not take place. The downward spiral of social and economic dysfunction will therefore both accelerate and spread from city to city. These delays, in turn, will lead to more riots with the constant underlying demand that hungry people be fed, one way or another.
Catch-22, anyone? When these demands do not bring the desired outcome, the participants will ratchet up the violence, hoping to force action by the feckless state and national governments.
The “food riots” will be a grass-roots movement of the moment born out of hunger and desperation. It will not be dependent upon leaders or an underlying organization, although they could certainly add to the sauce. Existing cell phone technology provides all the organization a flash mob needs. Most of the mobs will consist of minority urban youths, termed MUYs in the rest of this essay. Which minority doesn’t matter; each urban locale will come with its own unique multi-ethnic dynamic.

Some locales will divide upon religious or political lines, but they will not be the dominant factors contributing to conflict. In the American context, the divisions will primarily have an ethnic or racial context, largely because that makes it easy to sort out the sides at a safe distance. No need to check religious or political affiliation at a hundred yards when The Other is of a different color.

We Americans are all about doing things the easy way, so, sadly, visible racial and ethnic features will form the predominant lines of division.
Would that it were not so, but reality is reality, even when it’s is a bitch.
Especially then.

NEXT STEP: FLASH MOB RIOTS

In order to highlight their grievances and escalate their demands for an immediate resumption of government benefits, the MUY flash mobs will next move their activities to the borders of their ethnic enclaves. They will concentrate on major intersections and highway interchanges where non-MUY suburban commuters must make daily passage to and from what forms of employment still exist. People making a living will still be using those roads to get to where they earn their daily bread.

The results of these clashes will frequently resemble the intersection of Florence and Normandie during the Rodney King riots in 1992, where Reginald Denny was pulled out of his truck’s cab and beaten nearly to death with a cinder block. If you don’t remember it, watch it on Youtube. Then imagine that scene with the mob-making accelerant of texting and other social media technology added to stoke the fires. Instead of a few dozen thugs terrorizing the ambushed intersections, in minutes there will be hundreds.

Rioters will throw debris such as shopping carts and trash cans into the intersection, causing the more timid drivers to pause. The mobs will swarm the lines of trapped cars once they have stopped. Traffic will be forced into gridlock for blocks in all directions. Drivers and passengers of the wrong ethnic persuasions will be pulled from their vehicles to be beaten, robbed, and in some cases raped and/or killed. It will be hyper-violent and overtly racial mob behavior, on a massive and undeniable basis.

Some of those trapped in their cars will try to drive out of the area, inevitably knocking down MUY pedestrians and being trapped by even more outraged MUYs. The commuters will be dragged out of their cars and kicked or beaten to death. Other suburban commuters will try to shoot their way out of the lines of stopped cars, and they will meet the same grim fate once they run out of bullets and room to escape.

The mob will be armed with everything from knives, clubs and pistols to AK-47s. A bloodbath will result. These unlucky drivers and their passengers will suffer horribly, and some of their deaths will be captured on traffic web cameras. Later, these terrible scenes will be released or leaked by sympathetic government insiders and shown by the alternative media, which continue to expand as the traditional media become increasingly irrelevant.
Implausible, you insist?

This grim tableau is my analysis of age-old human behavior patterns, adding flash mobs and 2012 levels of racial anger to the old recipe. Early-teenage MUYs today are frequently playing “The Knockout Game” on full bellies, just for kicks, and proudly uploading the videos. They and their older peers can be expected to do far worse when hunger and the fear of starvation enter their physical, mental, and emotional equations. The blame for their hunger will be turned outward against the greater society, and will be vented at first hand against any non-MUY who falls into their grasp while they are in the thrall of mob hysteria. These episodes of mass psychology we will refer to as “flash mob riots”, “wilding”, or some other new name.

THE OFFICIAL POLICE RESPONSE TO FLASH MOB RIOTS

To gear up for even a single “Florence and Normandie on steroids” flash mob street riot, city police departments will require an hour or longer to stage their SWAT teams and riot squads in position to react. Ordinary patrol cars in small numbers will not venture anywhere near such roiling masses of hysterical rioters, not even to perform rescues. Those citizens trapped in their cars cannot expect timely assistance from local or state authorities.

Even in the first days of widespread riots, when the police forces are well rested, it might take several hours to mount a response sufficient to quell the disturbance and restore order to even one major street intersection riot. In the meantime, scores of innocent commuters will have been attacked, with many of them injured or killed and left at the scene. It will be a law enforcement nightmare to quell the disturbance, mop up lingering rioters, restore security, and bring medical attention to the living and get medical examiners to the dead. And each jurisdiction will face potentially dozens of such scenes, thanks to the ability for MUYs to cross-communicate at will using their wireless devices.

The far more difficult challenge for the police is that by the time they are suited in riot gear, armed and geared up to sweep the intersection, it will probably be empty of rioters. The police, with their major riot squad reaction times measured in hours, will be fighting flash mobs that materialize, cause mayhem, and evaporate in only fractions of hours. This rapid cycle time is a clear lesson taken from massive riots by immigrant French Muslim MUYs in their own religious enclaves and bordering areas.

The American flash mob riot will exist almost entirely inside the law enforcement OODA (observe, orient, decide, act) loop. In other words, the rioters will have a much quicker reaction time than the police. Until fairly recently, superior police communications meant that they could use their radio networks as a force multiplier. With their networking advantage and cohesive reactions both within a department and among cooperating local agencies, police could act as shepherds guiding or dispersing a wayward stampeding flock.

Today, the mob has the greater advantage, immediately spreading word of every police preparation by text and Tweet, even in advance of the police movement. Attempts by the authorities to stop the flash mobs by blocking and jamming wireless transmissions will have limited success.

It is at this point that the situation spirals out of control.
The enraged mobs in urban America will soon recognize that their spontaneous street riots cannot be stopped by the police, and then they will grow truly fearsome. For the police, it will be a losing game of Whack-a-Mole, with riots breaking out and dispersing at a speed they cannot hope to match. The violence will spread to previously unaffected cities as an awareness of law enforcement impotence is spread by television and social media. After a few days, the police forces will be exhausted and demoralized. As the violence intensifies and spreads, and in the absence of any viable security arrangements, supermarkets and other stores will not be restocked, leaving the MUYs even more desperate and angry than before. The increasing desperation born of worsening hunger will refuel the escalating spiral of violence.

Nor will violent conflict be only between the inhabitants of the urban areas and the suburbs. The international record of conflict in tri-ethnic cities is grim, making the old bi-racial dichotomy formerly seen in America seem stable by comparison. In tri-ethnic cities the perceived balance of power is constantly shifting, with each side in turn feeling outnumbered and out muscled. Temporary truces, betrayals and new alliances follow in rapid succession, removing any lingering sense of social cohesion.

The former Yugoslavia, with its Catholic, Orthodox and Muslim divisions, comes starkly to mind. The Lebanese Civil War between the Christians, Sunnis, Shiites and Druze raged across Beirut (at one time known as “The Paris of the Middle East”) for fifteen brutal years. Once a city turns on itself and becomes a runaway engine of self-destruction, it can be difficult to impossible to switch off the process and return to normal pre-conflict life. It’s not inconceivable that the United States could produce a dozen Sarajevos or Beiruts, primarily across racial instead of religious divides.

Vehicle traffic by non-minority suburban commuters through adjoining minority areas will virtually halt, wrecking what is left of the local economy. Businesses will not open because employees will not be able to travel to work safely. Businesses in minority areas, needless to say, will be looted. “Gentrified” enclaves of affluent suburbanites within or near the urban zones will suffer repeated attacks, until their inhabitants flee.

Radically disaffected minorities will hold critical infrastructure corridors through their areas hostage against the greater society. Highways, railroad tracks, pipe and power lines will all be under constant threat, or may be cut in planned or unplanned acts of raging against “the system.” As long as security in the urban areas cannot be restored, these corridors will be under threat. Even airports will not be immune. Many of them have been absorbed into urban areas, and aircraft will come under sporadic fire while taking off and landing.

In the absence of fresh targets of value blundering into their areas, and still out of food, MUYs will begin to forage beyond their desolated home neighborhoods and into suburban borderlands. “Safe” supermarkets and other stores will be robbed in brazen commando-like gang attacks. Carjackings and home invasions will proliferate madly. As I have discussed in my essay “The Civil War Two Cube,” so-called “transitional” and mixed-ethnic areas will suffer the worst violence. These neighborhoods will become utterly chaotic killing zones, with little or no help coming from the overstretched police, who will be trying to rest up for their next shift on riot squad duty, if they have not already deserted their posts to take care of their own families.

THE SUBURBAN ARMED VIGILANTE RESPONSE 

In the absence of an effective official police response to the exploding levels of violence, suburbanites will first hastily form self-defense forces to guard their neighborhoods—especially ones located near ethnic borders. These ubiquitous neighborhood armed defense teams will often have a deep and talented bench from which to select members, and they will not lack for volunteers.

Since 9-11, hundreds of thousands of young men (and more than a few women) have acquired graduate-level educations in various aspects of urban warfare. In the Middle East these troops were frequently tasked with restoring order to urban areas exploding in internecine strife. Today these former military men and women understand better than anyone the life-or-death difference between being armed and organized versus unarmed and disorganized.

Hundreds of thousands if not millions of veterans currently own rifles strikingly similar to those they carried in the armed forces, lacking only the full-automatic selector switch. Their brothers, sisters, parents, friends, and neighbors who did not serve in the military are often just as familiar with the weapons, if not the tactics. Today the AR-pattern rifle (the semi-automatic civilian version of the familiar full-auto-capable M-16 or M-4) is the most popular model of rifle in America, with millions sold in the past decade. Virtually all of them produced in the past decade have abandoned the old M-16′s signature “carrying handle” rear iron sight for a standardized sight mounting rail, meaning that virtually every AR sold today can be easily equipped with an efficient optical sight. Firing the high-velocity 5.56×45 mm cartridge and mounted with a four-power tactical sight, a typical AR rifle can shoot two-inch groups at one hundred yards when fired from a steady bench rest. That translates to shooting eight- to ten-inch groups at four hundred yards.

Four hundred yards is a long walk. Pace it off on a straight road, and observe how tiny somebody appears at that distance. Yet a typical AR rifle, like those currently owned by millions of American citizens, can hit a man-sized target at that range very easily, given a stable firing platform and a moderate level of shooting ability.

And there are a far greater number of scoped bolt-action hunting rifles in private hands in the United States. Keep this number in mind: based on deer stamps sold, approximately twenty million Americans venture into the woods every fall armed with such rifles, fully intending to shoot and kill a two-hundred-pound mammal. Millions of these scoped bolt-action deer rifles are quite capable of hitting a man-sized target at ranges out to and even beyond a thousand yards, or nearly three-fifths of a mile. In that context, the 500-yard effective range of the average semi-auto AR-pattern rifle is not at all remarkable.

So, we have millions of men and women with military training, owning rifles similar to the ones they used in combat operations overseas from Vietnam to Afghanistan. Many of these Soldiers and Marines have special operations training. They are former warriors with experience at conducting irregular warfare and counter-terrorism operations in dangerous urban environments. They are the opposite of unthinking robots: their greatest military talent is looking outside the box for new solutions. They always seek to “over-match” their enemies, using their own advantages as force multipliers while diminishing or concealing their weaknesses. These military veterans are also ready, willing and able to pass on their experience and training to interested students in their civilian circles.

Let’s return to our hypothetical Florence and Normandie intersection, but this time with hundreds of rioters per city block, instead of mere dozens. Among the mobs are thugs armed with pistols and perhaps even AK-47s equipped with standard iron sights, and except in rare cases, these rifles have never been “zeroed in” on a target range. In other words, past a medium distance of fifty to a hundred yards, these MUY shooters will have little idea where their fired bullets will strike—nor will they care. Typically, most of the rioters armed with a pistol, shotgun or an iron-sighted rifle could not hit a mailbox at a hundred yards unless by luck. Inside that distance, any non-MUY could be at immediate risk of brutal death at the hands of an enraged mob, but beyond that range, the mob will pose much less danger.
Taking this imbalance in effective ranges of the firearms most likely to be available to both sides, certain tactical responses are sure to arise, and ranking near the top will be the one described next.

THE SNIPER AMBUSH: THE NEW TACTIC OF CHOICE

The sniper ambush will predictably be used as a counter to rampaging mobs armed only with short- to medium-range weapons. This extremely deadly trick was developed by our war fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan, taking advantage of the significant effective range and firepower of our scoped 5.56mm rifles. Tactics such as the sniper ambush may not be seen early in the civil disorder, but they will surely arise after a steady progression of atrocities attributed to rampaging MUYs.

Street intersection flash mob riots will not be the only type of violence exploding during periods of civil disorder. As mentioned earlier, the number and ferocity of home invasions will skyrocket, and they will be very hard to defend against. Neighborhood self-defense forces will be able to protect a group of homes if they are located on cul-de-sacs or in defensible subdivisions with limited entrances, turning them overnight into fortified gated communities. Individual homes and apartment buildings located in open grid-pattern neighborhoods with outside access from many directions will be much more difficult to defend, and the home invasions will continue.

Carjacking and other forms of armed robbery will proliferate to previously unimagined levels, leading to a total loss of confidence in the government’s ability to provide security across all social lines. Stray bullets striking pedestrians or penetrating houses will take a frightening toll, even in areas previously considered to be safe. The police will be exhausted by constant riot-squad duty, and will not even respond to reports of mere individual acts of violent criminality. They will simply be overwhelmed, and will be forced to triage their responses. The wealthy, powerful and politically well-connected will demand the lion’s share of remaining police resources, further diminishing the safety of average Americans.
 
In that context, neighborhood self-defense forces will form the nucleus of the armed vigilante direct action groups which will spring up next in the progression. Suburban anger will continue to build against the MUYs, who are perceived to be the originators of the home invasions and gang-level armed looting raids. Survivors of street ambushes, carjackings and home invasions will tell blood-curdling tales and show horrific scars.

The neighborhood defense teams will evolve into proactive suburban armed vigilante groups (SAVs) out of a desire to preemptively take the violence to their perceived enemies, instead of passively waiting for the next home invasion or carjacking. The SAV teams will consist of the more aggressive and gung-ho members of the self-defense forces, who met and compared notes. Often they will be young men with recent combat experience in the armed forces, who will apply their military training to the new situation. Major intersections and highway interchanges where ambush riots have previously occurred will be among the SAV targets. The SAV reaction times will be measured in minutes, compared to the hours required by major police department SWAT teams and riot squads.

A SAMPLE SNIPER AMBUSH SCENARIO

When word is received that a flash mob is forming at one of their pre-reconnoitered intersections or highway interchanges, the SAV team will assemble. Sometimes cooperating police will pass tactical intel to their civilian friends on the outside. Some clever individuals will have exploited their technical know-how and military experience to build real-time intel collection tools, such as private UAVs. Police will have access to urban security camera footage showing MUYs moving barricade materials into position—a normal prerequisite to a flash mob riot intended to stop traffic. Tip-offs to the vigilantes will be common, and where the networks are still functioning, citizens may still be able to access some video feeds. Sometimes, police will even join the SAV teams, incognito and off-duty, blurring the teams into so-called “death squads.”

The operation I will describe (and it’s only one of dozens that will be tried) uses two ordinary pickup trucks and eight fighters. Two riflemen are lying prone in the back of each truck, facing rearward, with removable canvas covers concealing their presence. Their semi-automatic, scoped rifles are supported at their front ends on bipods for very accurate shooting. A row of protective sandbags a foot high is between them and the raised tailgate.

In the cab are a driver and a spotter in the passenger seat who also serves as the vehicle’s 360-degree security. The two trucks don’t ever appear on the same stretch of road, but coordinate their movements using one-word brevity codes over small FRS walkie-talkie radios. Each truck has a series of predetermined elevated locations where the intersection in question will lie between 200 and 500 yards away. Each truck is totally nondescript and forgettable, the only detail perhaps being the non-MUY ethnicity of the suburbanite driver and spotter driving relatively near to a riot in progress.

By the time the two SAV pickup trucks arrive at their firing positions on different streets and oriented ninety degrees to one another, the flash mob riot is in full swing. A hundred or more of the rampaging youths are posturing and throwing debris into traffic in order to intimidate some cars into stopping. The riflemen in the backs of the pickups are waiting for this moment and know what to expect, trusting their spotters and drivers to give them a good firing lane. The spotters in each truck issue a code word on their radios when they are in final position. The tailgates are swung down, and the leader among the riflemen initiates the firing. All-around security is provided by the driver and spotter.

Lying prone and using their bipods for support, the shooters have five to ten degrees of pan or traverse across the entire intersection. Individual rioters are clearly visible in the shooters’ magnified optical scopes. Each of the four snipers has a plan to shoot from the outside of the mob toward the middle, driving participants into a panicked mass. The left-side shooters start on the left side and work to the middle, engaging targets with rapid fire, about one aimed shot per two seconds. Since the two trucks are set at ninety degrees to one another, very complete coverage will be obtained, even among and between the stopped vehicles.

The result is a turkey shoot. One magazine of thirty aimed shots per rifle is expended in under a minute, a coded cease-fire is called on the walkie-talkies, and the trucks drive away at the speed limit. The canvas covering the truck beds contains the shooters’ spent brass. If the trucks are attacked from medium or close range, the canvas can be thrown back and the two snipers with their semi-automatic rifles or carbines will add their firepower to that of the driver and spotter.

Back at the intersection, complete panic breaks out among the rioters as a great number of bullets have landed in human flesh. Over a score have been killed outright, and many more scream in pain for medical attention they will not receive in time. The sniper ambush stops the flash mob cold in its tracks as the uninjured flee in terror, leaving their erstwhile comrades back on the ground bleeding. The commuters trapped in their vehicles may have an opportunity to escape.

This type of sniper ambush and a hundred variations on the theme will finally accomplish what the police could not: put an end to mobs of violent rioters making the cities through-streets and highways impassible killing zones. Would-be rioters will soon understand it to be suicidal to cluster in easily visible groups and engage in mob violence, as the immediate response could come at any time in the form of aimed fire from hundreds of yards away. Even one rifleman with a scoped semi-auto can break up a medium-sized riot.

Many citizens will take to carrying rifles and carbines in their vehicles, along with their pistols, so that if their cars are trapped in an ambush they will have a chance to fight their way out. If their vehicle is stopped outside the immediate area of the flash mob, they will be able to direct accurate fire at the rioters from a few hundred yards away. Inside the fatal hundred-yard radius, unlucky suburbanite drivers and passengers pulled from their cars will still be brutally violated, but the occurrences of large mob-driven street ambushes will be much less frequent once long-range retaliation becomes a frequent expectation.

THE GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO VIGILANTISM

Where they will be unable to respond swiftly or effectively to the outbreaks of street riots by MUY flash mobs, the police and federal agents will respond vigorously to the deadly but smaller vigilante attacks. These sniper ambushes and other SAV attacks will be called acts of domestic terrorism and mass murder by government officials and the mainstream media. A nearly seamless web of urban and suburban street cameras will reveal some of the SAV teams by their vehicles, facial recognition programs, and other technical means. Some early arrests will be made, but the vigilantes will adapt to increasing law enforcement pressure against them by becoming cleverer about their camouflage, most often using stolen cars and false uniforms and masks during their direct-action missions. Observe Mexico today for ideas on how this type of dirty war is fought.

Eventually, the U.S. Army itself might be called upon to put out all the social firestorms in our cities, restore order and security, pacify the angry masses, feed the starving millions, get vital infrastructure operating again, and do it all at once in a dozen American Beiruts, Sarajevos and Mogadishus.

Good luck to them, I say.
A few hundred “Active IRA” tied down thousands of British troops in one corner of a small island for decades. The same ratios have served the Taliban well over the past decade while fighting against the combined might of NATO. Set aside for a moment the angry starving millions trapped in the urban areas, and the dire security issues arising thereof. Just to consider the official reaction to vigilantism separately, it’s unlikely that any conceivable combinations of local and state police, federal law enforcement, National Guard or active-duty Army actions could neutralize or eliminate tens of thousands of former special operations troops intent on providing their own form of security. Millions of Americans are already far better armed and trained than a few hundred IRA or Taliban ever were. And the police and Army would not be operating from secure fire bases, their families living in total safety thousands of miles away in a secure rear area. In this scenario, there is no rear area, and every family member, anywhere, would be at perpetual risk of reprisal actions by any of the warring sides.

In this hyper-dangerous environment, new laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in vehicles would be ignored as the illegitimate diktat of dictatorship, just when the Second Amendment is needed more than ever. Police or military conducting searches for firearms at checkpoints would themselves become targets of vigilante snipers. Serving on anti-firearms duty would be seen as nothing but pure treason by millions of Americans who took the oath to defend the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights. Politicians who did not act in the security interest of their local constituents as a result of political correctness or other reasons would also be targeted.

A festering race war with police and the military in the middle taking fire from both sides could last for many years, turning many American cities into a living hell. Remember history: when the British Army landed in Northern Ireland in 1969, they were greeted with flowers and applause from the Catholics. The Tommys were welcomed as peacekeepers who would protect them from Protestant violence. That soon changed. Likewise with our tragic misadventure in Lebanon back in 1982 and 1983. Well-intended referees often find themselves taking fire from all sides. It’s as predictable as tomorrow’s sunrise. Why would it be any different when the U.S. Army is sent to Los Angeles, Chicago or Philadelphia to break apart warring ethnic factions?
For a long time after these events, it will be impossible for the warring ethnic groups to live together or even to mingle peacefully. Too much rage and hatred will have been built up on all sides of our many American multi-ethnic fault lines. The new wounds will be raw and painful for many years to come, as they were in the South for long after the Civil War. The fracturing of the urban areas, divided by no-man’s-lands, will also hinder economic redevelopment for many years because the critical infrastructure corridors will remain insecure.

Eventually, high concrete “Peace Walls” like those in Belfast, Northern Ireland, will be installed where the different ethnic groups live in close proximity. That is, if recovery to sane and civilized norms of behavior are ever regained in our lifetimes and we don’t slide into a new Dark Age, a stern and permanent tyranny, warlordism, anarchy, or any other dire outcome.
Dark Ages can last for centuries, after sinking civilizations in a vicious, downward vortex. “When the music’s over, turn out the lights,” to quote Jim Morrison of The Doors. Sometimes the lights stay out for a long time. Sometimes civilization itself is lost. Millions of EBT cards flashing zeroes might be the signal event of a terrible transformation.

It is a frightening thing to crystallize the possible outbreak of mass starvation and racial warfare into words, so that the mind is forced to confront agonizingly painful scenarios. It is much easier to avert one’s eyes and mind from the ugliness with politically correct Kumbaya bromides. In this grim essay, I am describing a brutal situation of ethnic civil war not differing much from the worst scenes from recent history in Rwanda, South Africa, Mexico, Bosnia, Iraq, and many other places that have experienced varying types and degrees of societal collapse. We all deplore the conditions that might drive us toward such a hellish outcome, and we should work unceasingly to return America to the path of true brotherhood, peace and prosperity. Race hustlers of every stripe should be condemned.

Most of us wish we could turn back the calendar to Norman Rockwell’s America. But we cannot, for that America is water long over the dam and gone from our sight, if not from our memories. John Adams said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” If that is true, judging by current and even accelerating cultural shifts, we might already have passed the point of no return.

The prudent American will trim his sails accordingly.

Backpack Survival

There's a lot of confusion about what survival means.
To some, it's getting through the aftermath of an airplane wreck in a desolate area. It can mean knowing when to avoid walking in radioactive wastes. Or, it can mean knowing how to barter with troops in the aftermath of riots, war, and looting. 

To others, survival has to do with avoiding danger and knowing how to deal with it when it breaks into your home in the dead of night.
Survival ideas abound and there are as many definitions and strategies as there are survivalists. Some have good ideas for survival and some have unsound tactics. Bad ideas can mean extra work or trouble in everyday life; bad ideas during a survival situation get you killed. On-the-job training doesn't work when you're dealing with poison and gunfights. 

Or survival. 

One of the most dangerous ideas--as far as I'm concerned--is that of "backpack survival."
A "back-pack survivalist" is a survivalist that plans on leaving his home ahead of a disaster and taking to the woods with only what he can carry out with him. He plans to survive through a strategy that is a sort of cross between the Boy-Scout-in-the-woods and Robinson Crusoe.
The backpack survival- ist plans on outrunning danger with a four-wheel drive or a motorcycle and hopes to travel light with a survival kit of everything he might need to cope with the unexpected. He hasn't cached anything in the area he's headed for because, chances are, he doesn't know where he's headed. Somehow, he hopes to overcome all odds with a minimum of supplies and a maximum of smarts. 

Certainly it is a noble cause; but it seems like one destined to failure. And that's not survival.
(Let's back up a minute. Backpack fever--or bug-outosis--does makes sense when you're facing a localized disaster like a derailed train with overturned poisonous gas cars. A a potential nuclear meltdown, an impending hurricane, or similar disasters where there is a safe place to run to. During such a time, it makes perfect sense to retreat and come back when things settle down.
Likewise, some people have to work in dangerous areas. For them, donning a backpack and heading for a retreat that they've prepared before hand is a viable survival strategy. These people aren't backpack survivalists.) 

Let me make a confession. Yes, I once was a closet backpack survivalist. I had an ALICE pack and had it packed with all I could carry. As I learned more about how to survive, I realized I needed to carry more. Soon I discover- ed that, just for my family to survive for a very few days, I'd need a pack mule and/or a hernia operation...

Something was very wrong.
Probably most survivalists start out the same way. Things are bad so let's bug out. Backpack survivalism is an effort to deal with the possibility of a major disaster.
As backpack survivalists, we make elaborate plans centered around the idea of "bugging out" of the area we live in. 

We hope to travel to an area that is safer than the one we're in and plan on living off the land or on some survival supplies we've hidden in the area. On the home front, we carefully prepare a stock of supplies that we can quickly cart off in a car or van when things start to look bad.
As more and more plans are made and as ever more survival gear is purchased, the survivalist realizes just how much he needs to cope with in order to survive. If he is any sort of realist, he soon amasses enough gear to warrant a truck or--more likely--a moving van just for carrying the survival equipment. (And don't laugh, there are survivalists who have large trucks for just such use.)
Some brave souls continue to make more elaborate plans and some of these survivalists may be able to pull off their plans. Those who have really thought things out and have spared no expenses may manage to survive with a bug-out strategy. But I think there are more logical--and less expensive--ways to survive a large crisis. 

Forget all your preconceived notions for a minute.
Imagine that there is a national emergency and you are an outside observ- er? What happens if a nuclear attack is eminent, an economic collapse has occurred, or a dictator has taken over and is ready to round up all malcontents (with survivalists at the top of the list)? 

Situations change with time. The survivalist movement--and backpack fever--first started up when gas guzzler cars were about all that anyone drove. That meant that a survivalist with some spare gasoline could outdis- tance his unprepared peers and get to a retreat that was far from the maddening crowd, as it were. (Read some of Mel Tappan's early writing on survival retreats. His ideas are good but many have been undone with the new, fuel-ef- ficient cars.) 

With cars getting 30 or even 40 miles per gallon, it isn't rare for a car to be able to travel half way across a state on less than a tank of gasoline. The exodus from cities or trouble spots will be more limited by traffic snarls than lack of gasoline even if the gas stations are completely devoid of their liquid fuel. 

Too, there are a lot of people thinking about what to do if the time for fleeing comes. A lot of people will be headed for the same spots. (Don't laugh that off, either. In my area, every eighth person has confided his secret retreat spot to me. And about half of them are all headed for the same spot: an old missile silo devoid of water and food. I suspect that the battle at the gates of the old missile base will rival the Little Big Horn.) 

No matter how out-of-the-way their destination, most survivalists are kidding themselves if they think others won't be headed for their hideaway spot along with them. There are few places in the US which aren't accessible to anyone with a little driving skill and a good map. 

Too, there are few places which aren't in grave danger during a nuclear war or national social unrest.
Though most nuclear war survival books can give you a nice little map showing likely targets, they don't tell you some essential information. Like what the purpose of the attack will be. The enemy may not be aiming for military targets that day; a blackmail threat might begin by hitting the heart of the farmland or a number of cities before demanding the surrender of the country being attacked. The target areas on the maps might be quite safe. 

And the maps show where the missiles land IF they all enjoy 100 percent accuracy and reliability. Anyone know of such conditions in war? With Soviet machinery!? Targets may be relatively safe places to be in. 

Added to this is the fact that some areas can be heavily contaminated or completely free of contamination depending on the wind directions in the upper atmosphere. Crystal ball in your survival gear? 

But let's ignore all the facts thus far for a few moments and assume that a backpack survivalist has found an ideal retreat and is planning to go there in the event of a national disaster... What next?
His first concern should be that he'll have a hard time taking the supplies he needs with him. A nuclear war might mean that it will be impos- sible to grow food for at least a year and foraging is out as well since animals and plants may be contaminated extensively. 

An economic collapse wouldn't be much better. It might discourage the raising of crops; no money, no sales except for the barter to keep a small farm family going.
With large corporations doing much of our farming these days, it is not unreasonable to expect a major famine coming on the heals of an economic collapse. Raising food would be a good way to attract starving looters from miles around. 

Ever try to pack a year's supply of food for a family into a small van or car? There isn't much room left over. But the backpack survivalist needs more than just food.
If he lives in a cold climate (or thinks there might be something to the nuclear winter theory) then he'll need some heavy clothing. 

Rifles, medicine, ammunition, tools, and other supplies will also increase what he'll need to be taking or which he'll have to hide away at his retreat site.
Shelter? Building a place to live (in any style other than early-American caveman) takes time. If he builds a cabin beforehand, he may find it vandalized or occupied when he gets to his retreat; if he doesn't build it before- hand, he may have to live in his vehicle or a primitive shelter of some sort.
Thus, a major problem is to get a large enough vehicle to carry everything he needs as well as to live in. 

History has shown that cities empty themselves without official evacuation orders when things look bad. It happened in WW II and has even happened in the US during approaching hurricanes, large urban fires, and nuclear reactor problems. 

So there's a major problem of timing which the backpack survivalist must contend with. He has to be packed and ready to go with all members of his family at the precise moment he learns of the disaster! The warning he gets that warrants evacuating an area will have to be acted on quickly if he's to get out ahead of the major traffic snarls that will quickly develop. A spouse at work or shopping or kids across town at school means he'll either have to leave them behind or be trapped in the area he's in. A choice not worth having to make. 

Unless he's got a hot-line from the White House, the backpack survivalist will not hear the bad news much ahead of everyone else. If he doesn't act immediately, he'll be trapped out on the road and get a first-hand idea of what grid-lock is like if he's in an urban area. Even out on the open road, far away from a city, an interstate can become hectic following a ballgame... Imagine what it would be like if everyone were driving for their lives, some cars were running out of fuel (and the occupants trying to stop someone for a ride), and the traffic laws were being totally ignored while the highway patrol tried to escape along with everyone else. Just trying to get off or on major highways might become impossible. If things bog down, how long can the backpack survivalist keep those around from helping to unload his truck-load of supplies that they'll be in bad need of? 

Telling them they should have prepared ahead of time won't get many sympathetic words.
Even on lightly-traveled roadways, how safe would it be to drive around in a vehicle loaded with supplies? Our backpack survivalist will need to defend himself. 

But let's suppose that he's thought all this out. He has a large van, had the supplies loaded in it, managed to round every member of his family up beforehand, somehow got out of his area ahead of the mob, is armed to the teeth, and doesn't need to take an interstate route.
When he reaches his destination, his troubles are far from over. 

The gridlock and traffic snarls won't stop everyone. People will slowly be coming out of heavily populated areas and most of them will have few supplies.
They will have weapons (guns are one of the first things people grab in a crisis according to civil defense studies) and the evacuees will be desperate. How many pitched battles will the survivalist's family be able to endure? How much work--or even sleep--can he get when he's constantly on the lookout to repel those who may be trying to get a share of his supplies? 

This assumes that he gets to where he's going ahead of everyone else. He might not though. If he has to travel for long, he may discover squatters on his land or find that some local person has staked out his retreat area for their own. There won't be any law to help out; what happens next? Since (according to military strategists) our backpack survivalist needs about three times as many people to take an area as to defend it, he will need to have some numbers with him and expect to suffer some casualties. Does that sound like a good way to survive? 

What about the local people that don't try to take over his retreat before he gets there? Will they be glad to see another stranger move into the area to tax their limited supplies? Or will they be setting up roadblocks to turn people like the backpack survivalist away?
But let's just imagine that somehow he's discovered a place that doesn't have a local population and where those fleeing cities aren't able to get to. What happens when he gets to his retreat? How good does he need to be at hunting and fishing? One reason mankind went into farming was that hunting and fishing don't supply enough food for a very large population nor do they work during times of drought or climatic disruption. What does he do when he runs out of ammunition or game? What happens if the streams become so contaminated that he can't safely eat what he catches? Can he stake out a large enough area to guarantee that he won't depleat it of game so that the next year is not barren of animals? 

Farming? Unless he finds some unclaimed farm machinery and a handy storage tank of gasoline at his retreat, he'll hardly get off first base. Even primitive crop production requires a plow and work animals (or a lot of manpower) to pull the blade. No plow, no food for him or domestic animals.
And domestic animals don't grow on trees. Again, unless he just happens to find some cows waiting for him at his retreat, he'll be out of luck. (No one has packaged freeze-dried cows or chickens--at least, not in a form you can reconstitute into living things). 

Intensive gardening? Maybe. But even that takes a lot of special tools, seeds, know-how, and good weather. Can he carry what he needs and have all the skills that can be developed only through experience? 

Even if he did, he might not have any food to eat. Pestilence goes hand in hand with disasters. Our modern age has forgotten this. But during a time when chemical factories aren't churning out the insecticides and pest poisons we've come to rely on, our backpack survivalist should be prepared for waves of insects flooding into any garden he may create. How good is he at making insecticides? Even if he carries out a large quantity of chemicals to his retreat, how many growing seasons will they last? 

Did he truck out a lot of gasoline and an electrical generator with him? No? Do you REALLY think he can create an alcohol still from scratch in the middle of no-where without tools or grain? Then he'd better write off communications, lighting, and all the niceties of the 20th Century after his year's supply of batteries wear out and his vehicle's supply of gasoline conks out.
I'm afraid we've only scratched the surface though. 

Thus far things have been going pretty well. What happens when things get really bad? How good is he at removing his spouse's appendix--without electric lights, pain killers, or antiseptic conditions? Campfire dental work, anyone? 

How good is he at making ammunition? Clothing? Shoes?
I think you'll have to agree that this hardly seems like survival in style. Even if our backpack survivalist is able to live in the most spartan of conditions and has the know-how to create plenty out of the few scraps around him, he'll never have much of a life ahead of him. 

Camping out is fun for a few days. Living in rags like a hunted animal doesn't sound like an existence to be aimed for.
The bottom line with backpack fever is that, with any major disaster that isn't extremely localized, running is a panic reaction not a survival strategy. Running scared is seldom a good survival technique and backpack fever during any but a localized disaster (like a flood or chemical spill) looks like it would be a terminal disease with few, rare exceptions. 

So what's the alternative?
A number of writers, from Kurt Saxon to Howard Ruff, have already suggested it but I think that it bears a retelling.
What they've said is this: get yourself situated in a small community that could get by without outside help if things came unglued nationally or internationally. Find a spot that allows you to live in the life-style you've grown accustomed to (and a community that allows you to carry on your livelihood) but which has the ability to grow its own food and protect its people from the unprepared (or looters) that might drift in from surrounding cities during a crisis. This spot has the ability to carry on trade within its borders and has a number of people who can supply specialized products or professional skills. 

An area with two thousand to five thousand people in it along with a surrounding farm community would be ideal but sizes can vary a lot according to the climate and city. Ideally such a town would have its own power plant with a few small industries along with the usual smattering of doctors, dentists, and other professionals. 

This type of community isn't rare in the US. It's quite common in almost every state. You could probably even take a little risk and commute into a city if you must keep your current job. (In such a case a reverse backpack survival strategy just might work--you'd be bugging out to your home.)
Western civilization stepped out of the dark ages when small communities started allowing people to specialize in various jobs. Rather than each many being his own artisan, farmer, doctor, carpenter, etc., men started learning to master one job they enjoyed doing. Each man become more efficient at doing a job and--through the magic of capitalism--western culture finally started upward again.
A small modern community like the one suggested above, when faced with a national economic collapse or the aftermath of a nuclear war, would eventually lift itself up the same way. It would give those who lived in it the same chance for specialization of work and the ability to carry on mutual trade, support, and protection. Such small communities will be the few light spots in a Neo-Dark Age. 

Which place would you rather be: in a cave, wondering where the food for tomorrow would come from, or with a group of people living in their homes, working together to overcome their problems? Even the most individualistic of survivalists shouldn't find the choice too hard to make. 

The author of this article, Duncan Long, is well-known as the writer of many gun, self-sufficiency, and survival books. His firearms books are listed (along with other interesting books) in a free catalog available from Paladin Press, P. O. Box 1307, Boulder, CO 80306 (303) 443-7250. 

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