From MARCH, 1990 ISSUE of "DIRECTIONS: A Magazine for the Survivalist" Copyright (C) 1990 by Live Free, Inc., Chicago, IL All rights reserved. Executive editor: James C. Jones Managing editor: Duncan Long Production and mailing: Marie Jones Back issues (as available): $1.75 Year's subscription (12 issues): $15 Live Free, P. O. Box 1743, Harvey, IL 60426 Your Home -- The Safest Place THE ULTIMATE HOBBY By Kenley L. Snyder, Ph.D. This is the case for building a bomb shelter, as a hobby, right under your existing house. I am not referring to some dugout for fallout protection that, after completed, sits there collecting moss and cobwebs, but an aesthetically appealing permanent extension of the house. Again, not out in the yard or off somewhere in the hills, but directly under the present house structure. Besides the usual motivation associated with a good hobby, this hobby has some special motivating factors. a) Your home is your castle. You hold it dear, have a great deal of emotional and physical involvement tied up in it. Fixing up and improving the home is a well recognized form of satisfaction, especially to those that do it themselves. b) For most national emergencies it would be better to stay put at home rather than chasing off to some place of unknown hazard. As we know, radiation from a nuclear war could be anywhere and everywhere. Besides, how much time will we have? So running away isn't the answer. The answer may be right at home--under your house. The essence of a hobby is to have a visible activity where a person's artistic, creative inspirations can find an outlet. This hobby not only does that, but it has innumerable practical advantages, many of which are itemized further on in this article. THE HOBBY But first, let's introduce this most imaginative and yet interesting and practical of hobbies. The one, that for me, has become the venture of my life. It is the designing and building of tunnels, rooms, and passageways underneath the house. These are made of reinforced concrete, which is bomb/fallout, vandal/sabotage, and water/quake proof. The project involves camouflaged entries, multiple combination doors, secret passages, and aesthetically interesting rooms. It features a complete self-contained life support system including: storage for food, water, medical supplies, tools, and other necessities. There are alternative power and ventilation systems, and furnishings--like radiation detection equipment. Before I give the psychological and motivational underpinnings that make the hobby work, please let me relate my personal experience and achievements with the project. THE PROJECT As a hobby, I have been working consistently on this "project" for fourteen years. During the first several years it was called the "tunnel" because that was the first noticeably completed phase of the project. Now I give it the more generic name of The Project, since the original tunnel is only a small fraction of the whole. Currently one could also refer to it as a subterranean edifice. Our house is quite an ordinary looking tri-level house (with no basement) as viewed from the outside--giving no hint as to what is underneath. However, underneath there are presently eleven rooms, (total of 1000 square feet on four different levels) ranging in size from a 4 X 6 foot storage room to the Base Room which is 12 ft. wide and 39 ft. long, with a 9 ft. ceiling. There is the original tunnel and five other passage ways (an additional 225 square feet). Also, there are nineteen locking doors interconnecting three different entrances (the largest door weights about 6000 pounds). Each room and passage has its own individual decor. Each door is unique with a character of its own, requiring a different method to open. The finished rooms are clean, well lit and ventilated, brightly painted with a radiation resistant epoxy paint--aesthetically appealing as well as functionally practical. Included are such things as a built-in stereo, intercom system, telephone extensions, and two wash areas (one with a toilet). I use a very simple engineering system involving six-inch concrete pilings which later become pillars inside the poured concrete walls. Outer walls and ceilings are fourteen inches (or more) thick with an abundance of steel reinforcement. Inner walls are also made of concrete and steel, thus giving the entire project a honeycombing strength. All concrete is mixed in the Base Room of the project. Each concrete pour is interlocked with a tongue & groove effect to the adjacent walls with a carry- though of the steel rebar. Even though inside the project resembles a maze, externally (if you could see below the ground) it would look like a upside down pyramid extending deep (31 ft.) into the ground. All the standard problems of such construction have been solved quite simply, such as: removal of dirt, taking care of ground water, and mixing and placement of concrete, as well as making sure the integrity of the existing building remains in tact. Everything is designed for a one-man operation. The walls are thick enough to encase all the utilities; i.e. ventilation and water pipes, electrical wires and conduits, etc. Hence, these are not exposed inside the rooms. Provision for utilities at deeper levels are contained in upper walls where appropriate. These would be used in future expansions. (The construction and material handling systems make it easier to go down deeper with the project rather than out horizontally.) The Project has been built in such a way that it is always in an operational mode--both in the sense it can be "buttoned-up" in a short time if necessary, and in the sense that some sort of construction is always in progress. In fact the original tunnel, completed some eleven years ago, was and still is, a secure bomb shelter in and of itself. The above features were developed slowly and laboriously over the years. But I'm convinced they can be done by practically anyone with the motivation. What one lacks in expertise and experience, he can makeup for with study and patience. When you're doing your own thing (at your leisure), you enjoy taking the necessary time to do it right. Financially, the hobby involves only a monthly budget, probably less than $150 per month. If you have some basic shop tools and equipment, you are ready to start. It is "work intensive" where the individual does virtually everything himself, using, for the most part, common off-the-shelf materials. Required skills can be obtained one by one as needed; most materials and tools are readily available at your local building supply and hardware store. The hobbyist does the planning and design work as the situation dictates. (Essentially, no outside contracting is required.) My project could easily supply the life support essentials for fifty or more people. Perhaps a bit shy of food, but with lots of water and fresh air. What has been completed of the project can be used; otherwise it is an ongoing and continuous operation. As a hobby, I usually work on it a couple hours every day. And I hope to still be working on it far into my retirement--which is still twenty years away. That's assuming its "ultimate" function hasn't been required--resulting in the termination of a good hobby, yet the saving of many lives. OTHER PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS Now what would motivate one to such an undertaking? There are several motivating dimensions beyond family defense that are involved: 1. For a busy executive or professional spending much of the day behind a desk, it's a welcome diversion to have a physically demanding and creative hobby. (In my case I'm a college professor of business.) 2. It is an item of conversation and entertainment for house guests--depending on just how secret the project is to remain. (Each school term my wife and I have a party for my college students: the party features a tour of The Project.) 3. It is a meaningful extension to the house for recreation and storage, including safe places to hide valuables and supplies. 4. It is a sanctuary for solitude or outlet for frustrations. (I listen to my favorite music and radio programs while working.) 5. Regardless of the weather outside, it stays an ideal temperature for physical activity, whether summer or winter, about 60 degrees Fahrenheit, with no chill or dampness factor. 6. It facilitates the accumulation of tools and materials that would be helpful in time of emergency. 7. It's an exercise in, and training for, self reliance, sharpens creative and problem solving abilities, and develops survival skills like carpentry and maintenance--all useful in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust. 8. It has value as an investment that, hopefully, one doesn't have to cash in on. 9. It should promote group and family spirit through cooperation on common objectives. The practical aspects of being "under the house" include: a) the hobbyist will feel more like spending time where things are convenient and handy (like bathroom, phone, snacks, tools, heat, family, etc.). b) it will be easier to tie into existing utilities. c) poor weather and climatic conditions will not deter progress. d) storage and work areas can be more easily hidden. e) the house over head gives additional fallout protection. f) in time of emergency, there's easier access to everything in the house. g) the project is strategically located for security of house and personal belongings during an emergency. h) since the enemy will not strike at our convenience, there will most likely be neither time to prepare nor time to go somewhere. We will most probably be at home on that fateful "midnight". I feel most families can find both time and money. Money from lesser priorities and time from the TV. As for experience, if challenged and motivated, they would learn fast. In the engineering, simply "over-engineer" for strength and safety. Therefore, I encourage any able-bodied person to embark on this exciting hobby. MANUAL AVAILABLE If you're interested in exploring this hobby further, I'd like to help. I've spent considerable time in developing a do-it- yourself instruction manual on the project. The manual is designed to help develop your "work of art"--yet benefit from my years of first-hand experience. The manual is provided in a three-ring binder. This allows for shop reference, insertion of notes, and the updating of pages. It contains 260 single-spaced, information packed pages. It is practically oriented, covering every aspect of engineering and construction. There are detailed drawings with easy to follow instructions. It shows how to plan and construct each segment of he project form the Tunnel Entry to the Staging Room. This includes such things as: a) making a material handling system, b) taking care of ground water, c) strategy for excavations, d) providing for plumbing and wiring, e) the forming and pouring of concrete, and f) the designing of six different entry doors. The price of the manual is $139.00. This price also makes you eligible to visit The Project and receive free consulting services--as explained in the FOREWORD to the manual. Send a check. Or, if you would first like more information about the manual, I would be glad to send some additional printed material. Simply write: Ken Snyder, P.O. Box 418B, Blaine, WA 98230 Upgrading a Fallout Shelter By Phil Hunter Unfortunately, most of us don't have the money to build an expensive blast or fallout shelter. But there are some inexpensive ways to create a good shelter or upgrade the shielding on an existing shelter. The least expensive way of upgrading a shelter's shielding is by adding dirt to it. If part of the shelter is above ground, consider terracing around it and adding plantings to hide/screen the shelter to help conceal it. Stored water, tools, food, or other materials will also act as shielding. Be sure to place them on walls where they will help to increase protection. Some shelters can be upgraded with sand (or earth) in sand bags. Filling and moving sandbags is a back-breaking job but it's inexpensive if you have access to "free dirt." It's also often possible to add a layer of bricks or cinder blocks to a shelter wall. Lead is one of the best shelter materials. Lead has become almost free for the asking at many automotive stores. Old wheel weights have become almost worthless now that there's no demand for lead in gasoline. Most stores will give you as many old weights as you want if you'll simply cart the old weights off. These wheel weights can be used to fill space in hollow cinder blocks and thereby create a huge amount of shielding for very little money. Best Knife? By Jake Stone How important is a combat knife for survival purposes and which is best? Obviously, this is a matter of personal preference. But historically, the Bowie design seems to have been the best for knife-to-knife combat. (Even the oriental-style "Tantos" and such are similar in concept to the Bowie design.) When picking a knife, remember that you'll likely not be using it ONLY for combat. Therefore, it's wise to purchase a knife that can do a variety of other chores. Many of the "commando" knives that are dagger-like are less ideal for anything BUT stabbing. If you find a need to cut wood or some such task, these's knives are about as good as nothing. If you opt for a commando dagger, then be sure to augment it with a second locking folder or some such thing for "everyday" use. When possible, do your fighting with a gun. A knife fight is not a good way to survive. If gun battles have no second-place winners, knife battles can be said to never have any first-place winners: both combatants are usually pretty chopped up unless one has an element of surprise acting in his favor. Buy a good knife and then keep it sharp, don't use it for a pry bar, and protect it from rust. Do these things and it will serve you well. OF BULBS AND BATTERIES BY JERRY REIMER A crash awakens you from sleep, you reach for the bedside flashlight, snap the switch on, and command a brilliant beam adequate to illuminate and identify any potential adversary. Blinded by the light, the intruder freezes in his tracks--the cat, again. Third time this week. Off goes the beam, and the flashlight is returned to the recharger stand to await its next nocturnal call to duty. And you return to bed, trying to sleep, dreaming of feline homicide. Or... It's the third day on the trail. After fourteen miles, camp is chosen, meals prepared, and then consumed as night falls. Weary hikers, heavy forest, and a new moon. No campfire lounging tonight, only sleep. The familiar pain of a too full bladder awakens you. You grab the lightweight flashlight as you exit the tent and use it to guide your journey deeper into the woods. On the return trip, you note the beam's diminished brilliance. Only a pale yellow glow remains when you reach the tent. How can the new batteries be dead after only three nights? you wonder as you doze off again. Clearly, the demands placed on the two flashlights are significantly different. Yet seldom are the demands of the flashlight considered when a failed bulb is replaced. Or perhaps the bulb has been replaced with a new krypton bulb (that "rivals the sun," they claim). What are some of the technical specifications surrounding flashlight bulbs and how do bulbs affect battery life? Not all bulbs are created equal. Flashlight bulbs are described by their mounting base style; usually threaded or flanged. They are rated by the voltage (V) needed to operate them and by how much current (milliAmperes) they use while operating. Listed below are the specifications of the more common flashlight bulbs. Threaded Voltage Current -------- ------- ------- 222 2.25 250 mA 243 2.33 270 mA 14 2.47 300 mA 40 6.30 150 mA 46 6.30 250 mA Flanged Voltage Current ------- ------- ------- PR4 2.33 270 mA PR2 2.38 500 mA PR6 2.47 300 mA PR3 3.57 500 mA PR12 5.95 500 mA PR13 4.75 500 mA PR15 4.75 500 mA Krypton Voltage Current ------- ------- ------- K-1 2.40 600 mA K-2 2.40 830 mA K-3 3.60 800 mA Flashlight batteries are constructed in specific sizes-- the familiar AA, C, and D--and are available in either single use or rechargeable (ni-cad) types. The single-use cells, of carbon- zinc, alkaline, or whatever, all deliver 1.5 volts each. Stack two together to get 3 volts, three deliver 4.5 volts, etc. Ni-cad batteries provide around 1.2 volts each. Two together make 2.4 volts, three, 3.6 volts, etc. Obviously, the bulb voltage needs must be met by the batteries. All batteries are rated according to their capacity: how much energy they store. Large batteries are rated for the number of hours they can deliver 1 ampere (ampere hours). Smaller batteries are rated in milliampere (1/1000 ampere) hours (mAH). Obtaining the mAH ratings from the various manufacturers is difficult, despite their universal claims of outlasting all the others! The mAH ratings for ni-cad batteries are more widely published, and typical ratings are as follows: Battery Volts Current ------- ----- -------- AA 1.2 V 500 mAH C 1.2 V 1200 mAH D 1.2 V 4000 mAH By dividing the mAH rating by the current used by a bulb, an estimate of battery life can be made. (For example: 1200 mAH C battery divided by 300 mA bulb equals 4 hours of battery life.) When all these ratings are considered, the importance of selecting the proper bulb can be realized. Generally, for a given voltage, the bulb with the highest current will produce the greatest light, but for the least amount of time. Thus, any bulb that uses twice the current of another bulb will only operate for half as long on the same batteries. (For example: two AA ni-cads have 1.2 V x 2 for a total of 2.4 volts at 500 mAH; paired with a PR4 bulb rated at 2.33 V and 270 mA, we have 500 mAH divided by 270 mA for a time of 1 hour, 51 minutes. Of course, using long-life alkaline cells will provide light longer than the ni-cad example indicates.) Installing a high current bulb in a rechargeable flashlight that's used around the home is probably a good choice, based on the need for bright light for relatively short periods of time. In the field situation described at the beginning of this article, a little light goes a long way and inadvertently using the wrong bulb can result in no light surprisingly quickly. As with all equipment, choose what you purchase based on knowledge and individual needs--even when it's as "insignificant" as a flashlight bulb. Copyright (C) 1990 by Duncan Long All rights reserved. STOCKPILING FOOD--SOME IDEAS BY DUNCAN LONG The US has enough food stored away to feed its people for some time. But these stores of food are quickly becoming depleted as the government buys less surplus food from farmers and gives greater amounts of food to the poor. Coupled with the poor yields of the last few years of various crops worldwide, things are getting a little shaky when it comes to food worldwide. Even if our country continues to have plenty of food, distribution of food reserves during a time of extensive emergency would take a great deal of time and might be next to impossible in areas where roads and railroad lines were torn up. Thus, a major earthquake, strike, or acts of terrorism could bring on a food shortage in just a few days. This is because, most urban grocery stores have only enough food on their shelves to supply their customers for four days or less. And that's a couple of days IF there's no a panic run. This likely wouldn't be the case if the public panicked following a major emergency and stripped the shelves of the stores in their area. Adding to the problems, people in areas of widespread disaster might panic and actually fight over food that was air-lifted in. How can you avoid being trapped in such a situation? The best way is to have some food reserves in your own home to tide your family through the few weeks of scarcity following a major emergency. It's best to have too much rather than not enough. Having too much would enable you to share food with your neighbors if necessary and will keep you from being overly dependant on relief help, especially during the first "panics" that may occur when food finally arrives in your area after an emergency. When developing a food storage plan, remember that purchasing food when it's plentiful and storing it for an emergency is NOT hoarding (even though some government workers and TV commentators might have you believe otherwise). Storing food during a time of plenty is not hoarding. It's stockpiling; and that is just as wise (perhaps more so) as putting money aside for a family emergency. Now, up front, it is necessary to remember that many of the US Government's "Presidential Executive Orders" passed under Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan empower the government to confiscate any "excess and surplus real and personal property." The broad wording of these executive orders allow them to take effect during a major earthquake, war, or almost anything which the President decides is a national emergency! This means that it is likely your food--as well cash or gold coins, firearms, ammunition, or most anything else--which are not needed at the moment to keep you alive will be confiscated if the government is able to do so. (You might certainly argue that such laws are unconstitutional. But your arguments will be mote if a national guardsman has his gun barrel at your belly while your house is being ransacked. Therefore, the prudent will take steps to keep food storage and other preparations "low key" and even give thought as to ways of keeping supplies out of sight during fast searches of your home. These executive orders also are rather interesting in light of recent attempts to take firearms out of the hands of individual citizens...) So a word to the wise: When you're storing away a few extra cans of food and what not, remember that being able to keep the food for yourself is essential for your survival. (Several good ways to create secret hiding places, are given in THE BIG BOOK OF SECRET HIDING PLACES by Jack Luger. It's available from Paladin Press, P. O. Box 1307, Boulder, CO 80306 for $12.) Another important point to remember is that foods have a finite life. After this life expectancy is exceeded, the food may still be eatable, but its nutritional value slowly drops over time until it becomes almost worthless as far as nutritional content is concerned. One way around this problem is to "rotate" stored food, implementing it for everyday meals before it becomes out dated and replacing the stores with new food as the old is used. Of all types of stored food, canned foodstuffs have the shortest shelf lives. After just half a year, most start to taper off in their nutritional content. The only exceptions to this are canned meats and non-citrus fruits; these can be stored for up to a year before their contents start to lose food value. So, while canned food is the easiest to store, the cheapest, and most readily available, it's also the quickest to become outdated. Some readily available foods have storage lives of nearly a year. These include bouillon, instant cream, nuts, and cereal. Hydrogenated (or antioxidant treated) fats/vegetable oil also generally last about a year in storage with vegetable oils lasting longer than lard or similar products. Olive oil lasts the longest of all the oils and may be used after several years if care is taken to keep it cool and away from exposure to the light. (Olive oil also appears to be healthier to use in cooking as far as cholesterol buildup in your blood is concerned as well.) Most pasta products (dried spaghetti, macaroni, noodles, etc.) have shelf lives of two years. All types of flour will also have shelf lives of two years. The big plus of pasta and flour is that they are VERY inexpensive and they can be used to create a wide variety of food with the addition of a few simple ingredients and spices. Food that can be stored for several years are freeze-dried and dehydrated foods. Both have storage lives of five to six years and taste better than many canned foods. Of course the catch with these foods is they're much more expensive than other foods. For many, however, this higher price is worthwhile simply because it does away with the need to rotate food every few months. When purchasing dehydrated or freeze-dried foods, be sure to date them. This will enable you to quickly tell when it's time to replace it. Freeze-dried and dehydrated foods also need water and a few minutes before they can be reconstituted into an edible form. This, coupled with the need to heat them to make them palatable, can create problems in some survival situations. (Just be sure to store extra water for the food and have a way of heating the water.) A good source of freeze-dried and dehydrated foods are Nitro-Pak, 11018 E. Rosecrans Ave., Suite #300, Norwalk, CA 90650. If you'd prefer a local source of such foods, check a sporting store. These foods are becoming popular with campers and hunters in many areas of the country. Many supermarkets also carry a few of these products; the most common are dried fruits and nuts, instant soup, and flavored pasta-style products. (The shortcoming to purchasing foods locally is that you'll attract attention to yourself AND you'll probably spend more money since you won't be able to make bulk purchases.) Perhaps the handiest foods to use in an emergency are the MREs (Meals, Ready to Eat) developed for the US Military. These come in plastic packets, precooked and, as their name suggests, ready- to-eat. All that's necessary is to open them and eat them. They can even be eaten at room temperature, heated up under your arm pit, or heated in a cup of boiling water over a primitive stove. MREs can be eaten right from their plastic bags which makes clean up minimal following a meal. Recent tests conducted by the US Army indicate that MREs stored at 60 degrees Fahrenheit will last for 130 months; those stored at 70 degrees, 100 months; those at 80 degrees, 76 months; and at 90 degrees, 55 months. (As with other food, you can extend the shelf life of MREs by storing them at cool temperatures--a good thing to remember.) Nitro-Pak is the best source of MREs though these, too, are available at some camping stores. Now, if you'd like to just make one big purchase of food and then forget it for the rest of your life, there are a few foods that have nearly infinite shelf lives. Some of these don't have much food value. Among these are coffee, tea, cocoa, candy (that isn't nearly 100 percent sugar), salt, sugar, honey, and spices are in this group. And the taste of some of spices will deteriorate over time. So these aren't going to be the prime part of any sane food storage scheme. There are some other foods that have nearly infinite life that ALSO have good nutritional value. Among these are unprocessed, dried beans, corn, soybeans, wheat, barely, and other grains. (Corn is the exception to the rule; but even it still has a shelf life of several decades.) This shelf life is possible only if you keep your stored grains cool and dry and free of pests. The best way to do this is to purchase the kernels pre-packed in nitrogen-filled containers. Several companies offer these grains packed this way. Among the best sources for grains stored this way is Nitro-Pak. The company also uses tough plastic buckets designed to allow them to be stacked. This allows a large amount of food to be stored in a very small space. (Do take care to secure these containers so they won't topple over and injure or kill someone!) It's also possible to store grains on a do-it-yourself basis if you live in a farming community. But this is a lot of work. If you live in an area that grows grain, you can purchase grains and beans locally and pack them yourself. To do this, you need an inert gas such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide (dry ice) to displace the oxygen in the containers so insect eggs that may be ridding on the grain won't hatch into larvae that eat it. Perhaps the best source of grains and beans are farmers co-ops. When you get the grain, be sure to specify that the grain or beans are for eating so you'll not receive some that are treated with dangerous chemicals for killing insects after planting. While grains and beans store with little problem, getting them ready to eat is a different story. The easiest preparation is to create a soup or gruel. This is easily done by soaking beans (or grains), pouring off the water after several hours of soaking, and then boiling the beans or grain in new water along with spices and flavorings for several more hours. Gruel has never been noted as a great delicacy. A better route with wheat and other grains is to grind them into flour or meal and create bread, biscuits, pancakes, and so forth with them. If possible, purchase a hand grinder when you buy your grain. This way, you'll be set up to grind your supplies and create food, even without electricity. Stone wheels on grinding mills put a little grit into each lot of grain they process; while the chances of this damaging your teeth during a few months or more of use is pretty small, it's still a consideration. Therefore, you'll do well to avoid purchasing one of the cheaper units using a stone and spend a bit more to get a metal "burr" grinding head. One excellent hand mill with a metal burr head is offered by Preparedness Products (130 S. Redwood Rd.,N. Salt Lake, UT 84054). Their mill costs only $57 and comes with a manual showing exactly how to uses it. (One note: when milling flour, the finer the flour is ground, the less laxative effect it will have when to those eating it.) Baking palatable meals from scratch is not easy. So if you decide to store grains and beans for food during an emergency, NOW is the time for you or your spouse to learn the recipes and procedures for turning them into food your family will eat. Buy some cook books and experiment beforehand rather than when a crisis hits. This will also make it possible to determine just what seasonings, oils, and other ingredients you'll need for your cooking so you can have them stored, too. Remember that preparing and cooking beans and grains takes quite a bit of time. This is time that won't be available for other work. You'll need to weigh your needs and situation carefully before going with one type of storage program or another. Chances are, you'll want to include "a little bit of everything" in your storage program to enable you to create quick meals when time is short. When planning your storage program, also be sure to tailor it to your family's needs. If there are any special foods (like baby formula or low-sodium food) needed by members of your family, be sure to include them in your stocks. The storage life of baby foods can be found marked on their containers. You pet's nutritional needs should also be considered. While it isn't essential that a pet survives a disaster, having a dog or cat conk out is traumatic. Such tragedy you can do without during a crisis. So stock extra pet food in your supplies. As mentioned earlier, food should be stored in cool temperature will remain eatable longer than food in hot areas. If you live in a region that has cold winters, allow the food to be exposed to this cold; in areas with hot summers, try to air condition your stocks to prolong shelf lives. If you do this, for every 15 degrees below 70 degrees Fahrenheit you can keep the food, you'll double its shelf life. How much food do you need to store? Unless you're currently working as a ditch digger, the physical work of defending yourself, preparing food, or cleaning and rebuilding following a major disaster will require that you have a greater caloric intake than you currently enjoy. You'll also require a higher percentage of protein to rebuild muscles that are overworked. So don't skimp on the food you store and be sure a high percentage of protein is provided by your storage program. Figuring the caloric and protein contents to provide balanced meals is outside the scope of this manual. You'd be wise to obtain several good dieting books at a local library and use them to find caloric contents of various foods and learn how to create healthful, balanced meals. Remember that you'll need extra protein and, whenever possible, minimize the fat content of your "emergency diet" and substitute complex carbohydrates for sugars and fat. For "quick figuring", plan on storing at least 3,000 calories per adult per day; 2,000 calories will get you by if you're sitting in a shelter with nothing to do all day. Otherwise, you'll need more. PLANT A TREE, STOCK A POND BY K. SARABOK You are sitting on the porch of your secluded retreat, snug with the thought you have made adequate food stockpiling preparations. The shelves in the basement sag with canned goods and cartons of "Mountain Home" dehydrated food. Garden seeds are stored in moisture-proof containers. Breeding stock of chickens and rabbits are in their cages. Ah, yes. What could possibly go wrong? About that time, you hear a noise behind you. Turning your head, you find yourself looking into the business end of a 12 gauge. Soon your stockpile is heading down the road in the back of a truck. Some additional food stockpiling, planning, and action can greatly reduce your dependence on outside sources and provide a RENEWABLE supply of food with little maintenance required. A supply that can't easily be stolen from you. One generally thinks of tree crops only in the standard commercial fruit varieties, such as apples, pears, plums, etc. While indeed, these should be planted for the annual contributions, there are also others to consider. Some bean or seed pod trees production is nutritious to both man and livestock. The carob tree in Southern California is perhaps the best know of these with its chocolate-like flavor. Carob can be used in most recipes which call for chocolate and is the key advertised ingredient of "Tiger's Milk" candy bars. The fruit of this tree is variously known as carob, carob bean, algaroba, algarroba, karoub, caroubier, locust, sweet bread, sugar pod, and St. John's bread--depending on its geological location. The honey locust tolerates a much wider climate than the carob and produces a sweet pod sometimes reaching a length of twelve inches or more. Like the carob, its pods are readily accepted by both man and various livestock. While the carob favors a climate suitable for citrus and the honey locust a climate suitable for corn to cotton, the mesquite favors the arid Southwest. The mesquite bean or pod was chiefly used as food for livestock, but some Indian tribes employed mesquite bread as a staple food for an unknown period of time. When the pods are beaten in a mortar and sifted, the mass hardens and keeps indefinitely. It can be used as a flour or eaten without cooking. The beans of carob, honey locust, and mesquite keep well with storage in a cool, dry location, such as a basement. (Some think the "manna" mentioned in the Bible may well have been carob or honey locust.) Chief among the native fruits trees which have lost favor are the mulberry and persimmon. What child of rural South hasn't spent a pleasant afternoon camped in a mulberry tree eating the sweet fruit until they were sated? Livestock, principally pigs and poultry, relish the fallen fruit. While its primary use is a fresh fruit, mulberries can be dried and used as a survival ration. Dried white mulberries, partially, but not quite, seedless, are extremely palatable. They once formed the almost exclusive diet of hundreds of thousands of Afghans for many months of the year. (At one time it was noted that the troubles of the beggar and the dog were over for a time when mulberries are ripe, both moving under the mulberry tree and picking up their subsistence.) Mulberries can be of the black, red, or white variety. Due to the fondness of birds for the fruit, planting a mulberry too near the homestead area is not recommended. Persimmons are yet another native fruit which once was a major contributor to livestock feed, as well as the human diet. While dogs, hogs, cattle, and possums relish ripe persimmons, there have been documented cases of indigent families living exclusively off the fruit of a single large persimmon tree for several months. Persimmons do not have the range of mulberries; they grow mostly in the south-eastern part of the country. Due to their high sugar content, mulberries and persimmons can be used for jams, preserves, and jellies. They can also be dried individually or as fruit leather, canned, or even made into wine. Dried persimmons are said to look and taste much like dried figs, a particularly nutritious food source for a large portion of the world. Since most readers will be familiar with nut trees, only a few comments are needed. Nut meat has long been recognized for its ability to round out a vegetarian diet by providing some fats and proteins. Blight-resistent chestnuts have been developed which rival the old American chestnut, the mainstay forest crop for settlers of the Appalachian area. Acorns were once the winter staple of some American Indian tribes with some traveling hundreds of miles to gather them. The acid which makes some acorns bitter to humans can be removed by seeping or boiling the nut meat with several changes of water. Acorn production and palatability vary greatly between individual species of oaks. Nuts have more food value than meat, grains, or fruits. Several nut kernels average about 3,200 calories per pound versus an average of about 800 calories per pound for meats, grains, and fruits. In China, an old custom was to feed babies on milk made of boiled water and the paste of ground walnuts when the mother's milk failed. Other nuts to consider are the almond, beechnut, butternut, chinquapin, filbert or hazelnut, peanut (yes, it is considered a nut), and pinon or other pinenuts in addition to the standard hickories, pecans, and walnuts. If planted not closer than about 45 feet together, all of the previously mentioned trees would permit two-terred agriculture with pasture, hay, or even row crops between and underneath the trees. This would allow livestock to harvest much of their food directly. This spacing would permit 50 trees on a two-acre lot. While not exactly plant and forget, these non-commercial trees are easier to maintain than the commercial ones like the apples, cherries, pears, etc. Production can start in as few as two years from planting, although five is a more realistic goal for sustained yields. To allow for the possibility of a "nuclear autumn", select varieties which will grow in colder climates than normal local conditions. More than one variety of a species should be planted to allow for different production cycles to space out the harvest. Bushes or other low-growing fruits and berries should also be considered. These can include huckleberries, wild cherries, blackberries (some varieties are thornless), hog plums, gooseberries, hawthornes, paw paws, wild and domestic grapes, dogwood berries, black gum berries, and currants. Many of these will produce with little attention and will substantially increase their yield with cultivation. Like trees, ponds should be looked upon as a renewable source of subsistence (with both fish and fowl being available from it). Check with your local water authority and Wildlife Agent to see if grants are available to assist in building a pond. In certain situations, assistance will also be provided in initial or restocking. Care must be taken to prevent one species from taking over a pond, with a balanced ecosystem being your goal. The concept I am recommending can be referred to as low input, sustainable agriculture. Basically, it should be thought of as planting or stocking an insurance policy. Should circumstances cause you to lose your prepositioned stockpile of food, the trees and pond will still be there to provide quite adequate subsistence at little, additional cost and effort beyond harvesting and storage. Recommended reading is Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture by J. Russell Smith (available from the Stockman Grass Farmer Bookshelf, PO Box 9607, Jackson, MS 39286-9607.)