COPYRIGHT (C) 1989 by Live Free, Inc., Chicago, IL. All rights reserved. Excerpts from DIRECTIONS: A MAGAZINE FOR THE SURVIVALIST. April, 1989 issue. If you enjoy the articles below, you'll LOVE DIRECTIONS: each issue has 12 pages of information on self- sufficiency and survival. For information on subscribing to this newsletter and/or becoming a member of Live Free, see notice at the end of this document. SURVIVAL GEAR: FROM DOWN UNDER [While every survivalist will want to create a personal survival list, we're including this one in this issue since it's a bit different and may spark a few ideas for our US readers--DL] RECOMMENDED SUPPLIES FOR INCREASEDSELF-SUFFICIENCY BY CARL TURNEY (Western Australian Survival Skills Association, P. O. Box 698, West Perth, WA 6005 Australia) Tools that can make tools (but MUST be manually powered): lathe, drill press, grinder, file, drill bit, hot forge. Tools that can make things (but MUST be manually powered): table saw, plane, hammer, screwdriver. Seeds that can grow food and medicine: grains, vegetables, fruits, yeast (alcohol), mold (penicillin). Animals (that can reproduce) for food and service: cattle, horse, dog, cat, rabbit-like (small, "create" protein, breed). Rural hobby farm (or larger) for living, retreating, cultivating: appropriate size, good location, fertility, privacy, defensibility. Water (both in storage and perpetual supply): jugs, drums, tanks, wells, springs, dams (after low radiation). Food in storage: full nutritional balance, long-term storage, palatability, compactness. Books on survivalist preparations and self-sufficiency: nuclear war, food preservation, security, medicine, farming. Books on basic human needs: entertainment, children's educational, math, philosophy, law, history. Emergency instruments/supplies: first aid kit, radiation monitor, u.v. proof eyeglasses. Defensive instruments: alarm systems, solid buildings, small arms, fire extinguishers. Chemicals: fertilizers, insecticides, medicines, preservatives, soaps. Fuels: batteries, generator, petrol, kerosene, candle wax, firewood. Communication: various radio, intercom, lights, pigeon (don't laugh). Neighbors (neither dependent nor independent, but interdependent): committed, prepared, complementary skills, not too high concentration. Shelter: cellar, home, shed, garage, barn, look out tower. Transport: BMX bicycle, horse, small muffled trail cycle, extra boots. Friends, relatives, comrades: for support, "centering", commitment. Yourself: fit, able, learned, committed, prepared, practiced, calm, rational. Luck: Lots of it, stored, growing as you improve your preparations. Live Free News The Live Free Survivalist Paper on "Survivalist Book List-- Novels" has now been updated to include the title and author(s) of over 200 novels which should be of interest to survivalists. The books are grouped by basic theme. For your copy, send $1.25 to K. Sarabok, P. O. Box 33399, Dayton, OH 45433-0399. Advertisement rates CLASSIFIED AD RATES: 20 cents per word; $5 minimum. No billing. DISPLAY AD RATES: full page ads: $150; |-page, $75; 2/3 page, $100; 1/3 page, $50; 1/6 page, $25; and 1/12, $12. Ads run in two consecutive editions will get third ad free. Advertisers who give 10% discounts to Live Free members will receive 10% discount on ads. DIRECTIONS reserves the right to refuse advertising that is inappropriate. Classified NEW BOOK CATALOG!--50 pages describes over 300 titles. New books published every two months. Get the best books on weaponry, revenge and dozens of other subjects! Send $1.00 to: Paladin Press, P. O. Box 1307-LF, Boulder, CO 80306 (303) 443-7250. LOW-COST SHELTERS and simple comforts easily improvised anywhere: city, farm, mountains, traveling. Photocopies plans 10 cents and up or 95 pages on microfiche, $1 postpaid. Send SASE for catalog. Light Living Library, POB 190-DR, Philomath, OR 97370. SURVIVAL COMMUNICATIONS and ENERGY INDEPENDENCE newsletter: Our purpose is to teach both of these fields to survivalists. We review and advertise equipment, give many hands-on tips, review books, have a Q&A column an a classified ads section. EMP up dates as well as special feature articles on radios, accessories, solar panels, wind and hydrosources, batteries, and the whole 12-volt life style are covered. Special emphasis on ham radio and the latest energy equipment available. SAMPLE issues are $3; a subscription is $18. Cash or money order preferred. The Light Spectrum, Box 215-Ds, Kootenai, ID 83840. SOLAR MODULES for 12-volt battery charging: SOVONICS #P-201 is a 23-watt module, charging at 1.4 amp/hours. Portable, unbreakable design, $170 + 6 UPS each. ARCO #M-75 is a 47-watt module, charging at 3 amp/hours. Good for fixed arrays, large or small, $315 + 8 UPS. Money orders or bank checks only, quantity discounts and other 12 volt equipment available. Full info packet $3 cash. Include phone number if you have detailed questions. LIGHT SPECTRUM, Box 215-Ds, Kootenai, ID 83840. AUSTRALASIAN SURVIVOR--Australia's own survival magazine. Six issues per year, 48+ pages: $18.00. US Sea Mail. AUSTRALASIAN SURVIVOR, P. O. Box 11, Dickson A.C.T. 2602 AUSTRALIA. NUCLEAR WAR SURVIVAL SKILLS, second edition, by Cresson Kearny. The best book available on making and living in expedited fallout/blast shelters with related information. $8.50 post paid to Live Free, c/o K. Sarabok, P. O. Box 33399, Dayton, OH 45433-0399. SURVIVAL GARDEN SEED PACKS contain 29 non-hybrid, short season varieties from around the world, carefully selected for productivity, disease resistance, nutrition, taste, cold-heartiness, and storage ability. Many of these plants are hearty enough to over-winter in the northern latitudes, thus insuring large quantities of vitamin-rich food in spite of adverse growing conditions. Sealed in #10 cans with 21-page planting guide only $39.95. Order from Emigrant Farms, Box 208, Emigrant, MT 59027. For more information, send a large SASE. CHRISTIAN SURVIVALIST in Missouri Ozarks looking for like-minded individuals to buy part of my farm. I have two parcels: sixty acres (forty wooded, twenty permanent pasture), two ponds, two springs, prime deer and turkey hunting, $24,000. Second parcel is a one-acre homestead with two bedroom mobile home with central air and heat, wood furnace, deep well, chicken house, large garage, fruit trees, garden, $15,000. Call (417) 277-5784 evenings. NEW CONCEPT IN SURVIVAL PREPAREDNESS. Hardwood Hills Homestead is leasing inexpensive survival campsites on its large, self-suf- ficient farm located in the midst of the Shawnee National forest. Survivalists with motor homes, campers, and tents use site in a multitude of year around recreational activities and facilities during "good times." Professionally staffed, self-sufficient farming operation is kept in constant readiness to support survival needs of all if and when a crisis situation dictates the need to occupy the camp on a survival basis. Many on-going self-sufficiency seminars and demonstrations available. We've thought of everything! Send 50 cents in postage stamps to receive our brochures and complete detailed information. Hardwood Hills Homestead, RR 1, Box 31, Herod, IL 62947. John Dierking's article on shock prompted several readers of DIRECTIONS to write. We decided to reprint their letters along with John's reply since all are quite informative. --DL Dear Editor: After reading John Dierking's shock article in the Sept. DIRECTIONS, I was in SHOCK! Low blood pressure is a LATE sign of shock. Dr. Nancy Caroline, writing in EMERGENCY CARE IN THE STREETS (THE paramedic textbook) states the signs and symptoms of shock as (in order): Restlessness and anxiety, cold clammy skin, rapid thready pulse, rapid shallow breathing, thirst, confusion, and hypotension (low blood pressure). She further writes "falling blood pressure is a late sign in shock, signalling the collapse of all compensatory mechanisms. By the time blood pressure falls, the ball game is nearly over." Dr. Raymond Fowler, writing in BASIC TRAUMA LIFE SUPPORT (advanced pre-hospital care), also listed the order of shock sign and symptom development. Weakness, thirst, pallor, tachycardia (rapid heart rate) were listed a signs and symptoms of earl shock. Tachypnea (rapid breathing), sweating, decreased urine output, hypotension, and altered level of consciousness were signs of late shock. Although a delayed capillary blanch test can increase suspicion of early shock, a normal refill (2 seconds or less) does not mean early shock can be ruled out. There may be excellent blood flowing to the nail beds, but an inadequate supply to the kidneys, brain, or other vital organs. The problem of quickly, simply, and reliably diagnosing shock is further complicated in pregnant patients, where the blood volume can increase up to 50 percent. This means that these patients can lose 35 percent of blood volume before the blood pressure would drop to levels normally associated with shock. Shock should be suspected, and treatment initiated immediately, in all injuries to the chest, abdomen, hade or spine, and in all illnesses with a continuing fluid loss (vomiting or diarrhea). The safest method is to assume shock is present and treat the patient appropriately until shock can be completely ruled out.-- Jerry Reimer, Paramedic. * * * * * Dear Editor: Reference the article "Shock" by John Dierking in the Sept. 1988 issue. The opening statement: "The first sign of shock is decreased blood pressure." He then describes how to recognize decreased blood pressure. As a technical matter, decreased blood pressure is a symptom--not a sign--and the decrease is measurable only by instrument. By observation of the mucus membranes and capillary refill, as described, you observe the signs which indicated the symptom. Technical matters aside, the opening statement may be incorrect, with fatal consequences. "Shock" is simply the failure of the body to adequately perfuse blood, whatever the cause of such failure (i.e., blood volume loss, cardiac standstill, disease, etc.). In the case of children, the reaction of the body to trauma is to increase the blood pressure. With the relatively small volume of blood involved, the body's ability to maintain pressure is quite good even in the event of multi-system trauma. what then happens all too often is that given the good blood pressure the person attending the patient fails to effectively treat for shock. When the residual blood volume can no longer sustain the pressure (loss through either internal or external bleeding) the pressure starts to drop (the classical symptom) and it is too late to take effective action to intervene. All children involved in trauma should be treated for shock. In the last paragraph, Dierking should also have indicated that elevating the feet is contraindicated in the even of actual or suspected head injury. Sincerely, J. Connolly. * * * * * The writer replies: My statement that "the first signs of shock is decreased blood pressure" is not in fact correct. My mistake was trying to explain in a simple concise way the physiological process of hemoperfusion. Shock is the major killer when dealing with serious injury. Awareness and recognition can not be stressed enough. Early treatment by people untrained and unequipped can still save lives, especially when the support of the highly technical health care delivery system is unavailable. I do not suggest that something as complicated as medical care can be definitively addressed in a short article, what I am trying to do is increase the level of general knowledge among the essentially medically uneducated. The length and number of articles on objects of medical application are practically unlimited. The other members of Live Free that are trained and experienced in health care have the same opportunity to contribute to DIRECTIONS that I have taken. Both letters in response to what I wrote indicate the complexity and delicacy of the subject, and do not address the subject of simple, immediate treatment other than saying that it should be carried out. On this we agree.... Yours, John Dierking. FROM PREVIOUS ISSUES OF DIRECTIONS: BEWARE THE COMPUTER VIRUS By DUNCAN LONG A "computer virus" is a small program that is embedded in an operating program. When the user boots this program, it works properly for some time until a preset number of uses occurs, then the embedded program takes effect and automatically erases all files, programs and file markers on the disc (and possibly on hard drives, other discs in companion disc drives, etc.). This is no joking matter. NASA recently lost a number of its important programs as have many businesses and individuals. Unfortunately, there is no "cure" because current "unerase" programs won't work to sort out the mess left on a computer disc. High risk discs are those which are shared with other users, or which have files or programs from electronic mail or computer "bulletin board" groups. Currently, one give away of these virus programs is that they have "write dates" that are newer than the original but this can, be faked, so it isn't a 100 percent sure way to spot a bogus program. Those who use a computer and share discs should be careful when accepting or using programs and discs from outside or unknown sources. FROM THE BACK ISSUES OF DIRECTIONS: DOSIMETERS Dosimeters are designed to measure accumulated exposure doses of gamma radiation. They can be read by holding the glass-capped end toward your eye and pointing the opposite end toward any light source sufficient to see the scale and hairline. There is no operational check for dosimeters; however, when they are first received, they should be recharged, both to rezero them and to check their electrical leakage characteristics. The leakage characteristics may be checked by zeroing the dosimeters and placing them in a radiation-free area for 4 days. If the leakage rate exceeds 5% of full scale per 4 days, the leakage rate should be determined and the contribution from electrical leakage subtracted from the dose as measured by the leaking dosimeter. All dosimeters will leak over time. Most civilian/CD dosimeters will require a "soak in" charge after long-term storage in an uncharged condition. Consequently, such dosimeters should be charged and the reading observed for a few hours before using them. A second charging may be required before the dosimeters are ready for use. When not in use, dosimeters should be charged and stored in a dry place. When performing scheduled checks of instruments, dosimeters should be read and, if they indicate more than one-fourth of full scale, they should be recharged and rezeroed. A dosimeter charger is used to charge/zero and to read the dosimeter. The reading on the scale shows how much radiation the wearer has accumulated since setting the unit to zero. Always recharge the dosimeter to zero before entering a radiation zone. Carry the dosimeter in your shirt pocket an note the time you enter the area of radiation on a piece of paper. You should carry both a roentgen and miliroentgen dosimeter at one time if possible as too much radiation will cause the hairline to go off the scale on the miliroentgen dosimeter and insufficient radiation may not be readable on the roentgen scale. As soon as possible after leaving the radiation zone, note the time on the same piece of paper. Total the hours of radiation exposure at the end of each day on the bottom of this paper. Point the dosimeter toward a light source (flashlight, light bulb, candle, etc.) and not the reading on the scale. Divide this reading by the number of hours of exposure and the result is the r/hr. (roentgens per hour) you have been exposed to. Remember that radiation dosage is cumulative. Keep track of the total radiation you have been exposed to. Unlike the civilian/CD dosimeter charger which uses a battery for a light source and for power to recharge dosimeters, military chargers have their own generator built into a finned wheel on the side of each charger. These require a light source which is reflected through a prism into a dosimeter when the charger is being used. A flashlight works well as it may not be practical to go out into the sunlight. The light source should be at exactly a right angle to the prism to provide proper recharging light. Unscrew the cap on the top of the charger exposing a round glass receptacle with a pin in the center. Place the dosimeter glass end up onto the round receptacle. Push down hard with your left hand on the dosimeter and adjust the charger to the light source until the scale can easily be seen. Turn the winged handle with your right hand in the increase direction (clockwise) until the hairline appears and keep turning until it is set on zero. It may be necessary to turn the handle in a counter-clockwise direction (though not usually). If all else fails, read the directions on the side of each charger! FROM THE BACK ISSUES OF DIRECTIONS: OH, MY BLEEDING GUMS By JULIE SUMMERS Bleeding gums every time I brushed my teeth was really getting me down. I couldn't understand why it was happening to me since I though I had a good diet--including plenty of raw fruits and vegetables. (I'd even tried regular and mega doses of vitamin C.) I had read about the importance of flossing one's teeth, but every time I had tried it, my gums bled alarmingly--even more than from brushing. I also found flossing difficult and time consuming. But eventually I decided to give flossing a long-term trial. The improvement was miraculous! After a few weeks, my gums no longer bled when I brushed. And soon after that, they didn't bleed when I flossed. I can gloss every other day and still have no bleeding when I brush. But with less than daily flossings, my gums start to bleed when I floss. So I floss every day. It's no longer difficult: practice has enabled me to do it in less than ten minutes (compared to the half hour it used to take). Joe McKeown DDS in Everybody's Tooth Book, recommends flossing at least once a day, but writes that after breakfast and before bed is even better BUT research has shown that it takes plaque 24 hours to "regroup." In the beginning, I had agonizing trouble with floss breaking and the remnants lodging between my teeth. My remedial efforts only added more floss and greater agony. Finally, I got the idea of passing a stronger, thicker cord through my teeth to dislodge the stuck wad. A piece of waxed, five-cord, linen saddle-stitching thread did the trick. I've since discovered that a few strands of my regular unwaxed floss, twisted together and rubbed with beeswax, is also effective. (Unwaxed floss is used normally because it cleans better. However, Dr. McKeown recommends waxed floss to beginners to make learning easier. After proficiency is attained, one should switch to the unwaxed variety. To avoid getting floss stuck between my teeth in the first place, I now follow this procedure: 1) Because I'm most patient when I first begin, I do the worst places first (viz., between those teeth where the floss is most prone to get hung up). 2) When removing floss from these difficult places, I pull it out between the teeth at the gum line. ditto between any teeth that have fillings which might be dislodged if the floss were pulled out towards the biting surfaces of the teeth. 3) I move to fresh floss for each trouble sport because unused, unfrayed floss has less tendency to get caught. 4) Then I finish the easy places. I insert the floss carefully, without snapping into the gum, then move the floss down around the base of the tooth, hugging the tooth to avoid catching the gum, and sweep towards the biting surface with firm pressure; I do this 2-3 times on each side of each tooth (as recommended by Thomas McGuire, DDS, in The Tooth Trip (Random House, '72). To save floss, I leave it attached to the spool when using it, unwinding as much as I need without breaking it off. Thus, if/when it breaks, I'm not left with two short, unusable pieces. By starting between the incisors, or behind the molars, and moving the floss over the tops of my teeth, noticing each time the floss takes a dip, I can count teeth and thereby know where I am without recourse to a mirror. I can even floss in the dark. I've found some brands of floss better than others. POH, put out by Oral Health Products (Oklahoma) is thinner than most other regular floss but at the same time it's strong so that it passes into tight places well without breaking. I think it would have made learning easier if I'd known about it then. Safeway's floss is thicker but also a strong floss which seems to fray/break less than BiMart's, Thrifty's, or Johnson's. There may be some people who can maintain a healthy mouth without any special attention. But I'm not one of them. Consequently, I've accepted flossing as a part of my daily routine. Now I can say, "Look Ma, no more bleeding gums." Readers interested in articles similar to this should check into Summers' Light Living Library. For a catalog, send a SASE to: Light Living Library, POB 190-DR, Philomath, OR 97370. FROM THE BACK ISSUES OF DIRECTIONS: THOUGHTS ABOUT STOCKPILING By Duncan Long Whether you're planning on weathering out a nuclear war or a severe storm, you're going to have to have quite a few things stockpiled to survive "in style" on your own. To survive a long-term disaster, you'll need to have a lot of odds and ends. Most of the things you need to buy for use during and after a nuclear war are now as close to you as your nearest grocery, hardware, and clothing stores. And most of the more "exotic" equipment is easily ordered through the mail. A number of lists of items you might need during a nuclear war have been compiled. These are good as a starting point, but you should sit down and give some thought to YOUR family's needs. One easy way of discovering just what you need is to make a list of everything your family uses over several days' time. From this you should compile a list of things you've used which will wear out or which are totally consumed with use. From this list, cross out the things you can live without. This will show you what you need to stock up on (or learn how to make yourself, substitute for, or grow). Most of us don't have the money to buy everything for our survival storage at once; prioritize your list and then buy the most important things first. Even if you can only budget $20 or $30 a month, you'll find that you'll build up a nice stockpile of useful goods at the end of a year or two--especially if you take time to shop carefully and make substitutions where possible. Don't forget to stock any medicine or medical supplies which family members may occasionally need. Try to purchase spare prescription eye glasses--or keep your old ones--if you have a strong correction. If possible, your family should turn "survivalism" into a hobby or pastime. Don't dwell on the negative effects you're preparing for; emphasize the possibility of surviving. Entertainment is an important consideration during periods of long term disaster. Pencils, pens, paper, games, and the like are both inexpensive and capable of giving a lot of do-it-yourself entertainment. Don't forget to include a Bible, history books, etc., which will bear a lot of extra study and re-reading. If you have limited budget for books, try to purchase second-hand books or a minifiche/microfiche reader and microfiche books. Either route gives your more "reads for the buck" (and the microfiche books last a lot longer). Don't forget a good first aid kit and some of the over-the-coun- ter miracle drugs that we take for granted like aspirin, fungicides, alcohol, etc., etc. (Animal antibiotics and drugs are often identical to human medications; one very useful book which tells how to go about adapting veterinarian medicines to human use, is SURVIVALIST'S MEDICINE CHEST (from Paladin Press for $5.95). Being able to build things for yourself--before or after a disaster--can cut down on what must be purchased for storing for an emergency. Purchasing a good array of tools and learning to use them may prove invaluable. Among the most important tools and kits to have are wood-working equipment but a number of others would be handy or even essential during an emergency. Don't forget to stock extra screws, nails, staples, etc., either since making such fasteners would be a very time-consuming proposition at best. And don't forget to store various oils, grease, and lubricants which you'll need for your equipment. Being able to repair things will be important. Duct tape, wire, nylon rope, and various types of glues can be very worth-while purchases. Consider, too, a propane torch, solder, flux, and spare tubes of fuel. For joining or repairing canvas, leather, tarps, etc., an awl is another good buy; get spare needles and string, too. And don't forget a good sewing kit. Finally, most survivalists have guns--but not enough ammunition. While most of us enjoy owning guns almost more than shooting, put off the purchase of "wish I had one" firearms until you've stocked up on cartridges. With a little thought, time, and budgeting, you can create a nice stockpile of goods which will greatly improve your survival chances. DIRECTIONS is published by Live Free, Inc., 11123 St. Lawrence Ave., Chicago, IL 60628. Live Free is a nonprofit, tax-deductible corporation. All general correspondence and subscription information should be directed to: Live Free, P. O. Box 1743, Harvey, IL 60426. LIVE FREE DUES are $15 for an annual individual membership ($20 for annual overseas) and $80 for a life individual membership. MEMBERSHIP MAILING LISTS are held COMPLETELY CONFIDENTIAL and are NOT made available to anyone at any time for any price. CONTRIBUTIONS of manuscripts and photographs are made at the contributor's risk; manuscripts should include a return envelope with sufficient postage. Manuscripts should be typed and double spaced (no xerox copies, please). Photos should have captions. Contributors' names will be pub- lished unless otherwise requested. All material accepted for publication is subject to revision as necessary to meet editorial requirements. MANUSCRIPTS and other material for publication should be mailed to: Live Free, Attn: Duncan Long, Managing Editor, 11123 St. Lawrence Ave., Chicago, IL 60628 Back issues as available at $1 per copy or $10 per 12 issues. DIRECTIONS STAFF executive editor JAMES C. JONES managing editor DUNCAN LONG production and mailing MARIE JONES