Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Some of the links in Zero’s Bookmarks:

Major Surplus – Has some interesting gear and their prices arent too bad. I get their catalog every month and sometimes you can find some real deals in there (Swiss medic pouches $9.95 ea, etc, etc)

Essential Gear – Specialty LED lights. Me and the LMI are quite pleased with LED flashlights…bulbs arent fragile, dont burn out, and battery life is magnified exponentially. Their VIP model in red LED/black case would be standard LMI gear if it werent for the price.

Nitro-Pak – Not the cheapest but certainly one of the most complete. Their catalog is a dream. Good source for Mountain House foods, but a bit pricier than other places.

Long Life Foods – MRE central. Best place Ive found for pouch food.

Army Radio – Good commo is a must. Military radios take abuse, are man-portable, and immune to most civillian eavesdroppers.

eBay Surplus – I find Seismic Intrusion sets, military radios, field phones, fallout suits and lotsa other cool gear here. ALways, always, always worth looking through.

ALICE manual – Everyone has an ALICE pack. Heres how Uncle Sugar says youre supposed to use it.

Best for last: Survive a nuclear attack – Lotsa happy shiny links.

Some of the links in Zero’s Bookmarks:

Major Surplus – Has some interesting gear and their prices arent too bad. I get their catalog every month and sometimes you can find some real deals in there (Swiss medic pouches $9.95 ea, etc, etc)

Essential Gear – Specialty LED lights. Me and the LMI are quite pleased with LED flashlights…bulbs arent fragile, dont burn out, and battery life is magnified exponentially. Their VIP model in red LED/black case would be standard LMI gear if it werent for the price.

Nitro-Pak – Not the cheapest but certainly one of the most complete. Their catalog is a dream. Good source for Mountain House foods, but a bit pricier than other places.

Long Life Foods – MRE central. Best place Ive found for pouch food.

Army Radio – Good commo is a must. Military radios take abuse, are man-portable, and immune to most civillian eavesdroppers.

eBay Surplus – I find Seismic Intrusion sets, military radios, field phones, fallout suits and lotsa other cool gear here. ALways, always, always worth looking through.

ALICE manual – Everyone has an ALICE pack. Heres how Uncle Sugar says youre supposed to use it.

Best for last: Survive a nuclear attack – Lotsa happy shiny links.

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Ahhh…hurricanes. The news shows the obligatory photos of people standing in line at Home Depot for batteries and flashlights, later they are on line at the supermarket for bottled water and milk.

Who are these people??? They really couldnt spend $20 once a year to keep a couple flashlights and batteries on hand at all times? Watch the aftermath..lines of people waiting for ice and water and other goodies…no need to worry, your friendly fedgov will take care of you. After all, who wants citizens who think and act responsibly? But convince them that .gov is the answer to their problems, that .gov will take care of you, and they’ll happily smile and nod their heads when you say ‘We’re doing this for your protection.’ Food, water, heat, light, first aid, security and communications…how bloody hard is it to set yourself up for those simple needs?

——

I was talking about fuel with someone the other day. Me and the LMI’s try to have multiple redundancies and this applies to fuel. If youre going to store fuel the two biggest factors are safety and shelf life. Gasoline gets pretty wierd after a couple years. You can put Sta-Bil in it to stretch its life, but after a few years it’ll be good for lawnmowers and weedwhackers and not much else. (Unless youve an older vehicle thats very tolerant of wierd gas.) Propane is miraculous stuff as long as you can store it safely and the tanks keep their integrity. (Nice thing about propane, you can scavenge 20# ‘barbecue bombs’ off all the gas grills in your neighborhood).

Me, I like kerosene. Its cheap, lasts forever with no treatment, is completely safe to store (drop a lit match in a 55-gallon of kero and you dont get any drama..unlike gasoline.) I have kerosene lamps (good ones – Aladin and Petromax), kerosene heaters, and our camps stoves are multi-fuel so they can run on kero, white gas, gasoline, jet fuel, or anything else that’ll burn. They even make kerosene powered refrigerators. (Remember, a refrigerator uses a heat source).

However, a bit of gasoline is definitely worth storing and rotating every year. A couple five-gallon cans at least. Why? Because fuel is one of those things that people will trade heavily for if things go bad. Remember, when the power goes out all those gasoline pumps wont run..and you’ll be stuck with the 1/4 tank in your car and its 150 miles to your retreat. Now, you gonna walk or you gonna start bargaining with the fella who has a five-gallon can of gas to trade? Dont believe me? Talk to some folks in Arizona… when your ability to come and go quickly and conveniently is at stake, you’ll deal.

Of course, gasoline, diesel, (and propane, actually) are used for generators. Generators are a mixed blessing…theyre good for keeping things like your well pump, freezer and battery charger going but they usually make enough noise to let everyone know that youve got an island of civilization. Risk vs. rewards.

I usually buy sealed 5-gallon drums of kero at Home Depot, coat ‘em with varnish to help protect the metal, and store them out in the yard. Ive also a couple dozen of the smaller propane bottles to be used on things like heaters, lanterns, etc. In fact, all my lighting, heating, cooking needs can be run entirely on either white gas (Coleman fuel), kero or propane…so if I do come up short on fuel, I can use whatever I find.

Kerosene heaters actually work very well. The trick is that when you light them and when you turn them off, let them sit outside for about five minutes..by then any smell has disappeared. No muss, no fuss. And kero burns hot so it puts out a good amount of heat.

I’ll be heading up to HD this week to pick up another five-gallon can or two..can never have too much. When I have my place out in the sticks, I’ll have four or five 55-gallon drums of the stuff in storage..lasts forever and can be used for almost all my needs.

Been pretty good with power outages here…we usually have one every winter but only for a few hours..but, just in case……

Ahhh…hurricanes. The news shows the obligatory photos of people standing in line at Home Depot for batteries and flashlights, later they are on line at the supermarket for bottled water and milk.

Who are these people??? They really couldnt spend $20 once a year to keep a couple flashlights and batteries on hand at all times? Watch the aftermath..lines of people waiting for ice and water and other goodies…no need to worry, your friendly fedgov will take care of you. After all, who wants citizens who think and act responsibly? But convince them that .gov is the answer to their problems, that .gov will take care of you, and they’ll happily smile and nod their heads when you say ‘We’re doing this for your protection.’ Food, water, heat, light, first aid, security and communications…how bloody hard is it to set yourself up for those simple needs?

——

I was talking about fuel with someone the other day. Me and the LMI’s try to have multiple redundancies and this applies to fuel. If youre going to store fuel the two biggest factors are safety and shelf life. Gasoline gets pretty wierd after a couple years. You can put Sta-Bil in it to stretch its life, but after a few years it’ll be good for lawnmowers and weedwhackers and not much else. (Unless youve an older vehicle thats very tolerant of wierd gas.) Propane is miraculous stuff as long as you can store it safely and the tanks keep their integrity. (Nice thing about propane, you can scavenge 20# ‘barbecue bombs’ off all the gas grills in your neighborhood).

Me, I like kerosene. Its cheap, lasts forever with no treatment, is completely safe to store (drop a lit match in a 55-gallon of kero and you dont get any drama..unlike gasoline.) I have kerosene lamps (good ones – Aladin and Petromax), kerosene heaters, and our camps stoves are multi-fuel so they can run on kero, white gas, gasoline, jet fuel, or anything else that’ll burn. They even make kerosene powered refrigerators. (Remember, a refrigerator uses a heat source).

However, a bit of gasoline is definitely worth storing and rotating every year. A couple five-gallon cans at least. Why? Because fuel is one of those things that people will trade heavily for if things go bad. Remember, when the power goes out all those gasoline pumps wont run..and you’ll be stuck with the 1/4 tank in your car and its 150 miles to your retreat. Now, you gonna walk or you gonna start bargaining with the fella who has a five-gallon can of gas to trade? Dont believe me? Talk to some folks in Arizona… when your ability to come and go quickly and conveniently is at stake, you’ll deal.

Of course, gasoline, diesel, (and propane, actually) are used for generators. Generators are a mixed blessing…theyre good for keeping things like your well pump, freezer and battery charger going but they usually make enough noise to let everyone know that youve got an island of civilization. Risk vs. rewards.

I usually buy sealed 5-gallon drums of kero at Home Depot, coat ’em with varnish to help protect the metal, and store them out in the yard. Ive also a couple dozen of the smaller propane bottles to be used on things like heaters, lanterns, etc. In fact, all my lighting, heating, cooking needs can be run entirely on either white gas (Coleman fuel), kero or propane…so if I do come up short on fuel, I can use whatever I find.

Kerosene heaters actually work very well. The trick is that when you light them and when you turn them off, let them sit outside for about five minutes..by then any smell has disappeared. No muss, no fuss. And kero burns hot so it puts out a good amount of heat.

I’ll be heading up to HD this week to pick up another five-gallon can or two..can never have too much. When I have my place out in the sticks, I’ll have four or five 55-gallon drums of the stuff in storage..lasts forever and can be used for almost all my needs.

Been pretty good with power outages here…we usually have one every winter but only for a few hours..but, just in case……

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Being Commander Zero is not all sunshine and stun grenades….its an expensive life. Really, its almost a gamble against something that is uncertain (an ugly future, for example). However, its no different than, say, disability insurance or, really, any other form of insurance. Its an expense to provide large benefit(s) if event x happens. Unfortunately, being the Zero isnt $49.95 a month like alot of insurance. No, its time, money, and alot of odd looks from people from time to time.

I was travelling lately and spent time in Virginia which is an utter hotbed of fedgov buildings, facilities and personnel. Was I uncomfortable? A bit. If, say, a NYC-style blackout had occurred Id have been at a disadvantage. If a hurricane occurred Id have been at a bit of a disadvantage. When Im here in ZeroLand Im much more comfortable…I know that I have food, warmth, clean water, a place to sleep, protection, and LMI’s. In VA there would have been sudden appearances of armed badge-wavers on every corner repeating over and over that they were ‘here for your protection’…and I would have been one of many sheep among the wolves. I dont wanna be a sheep. But I dont wanna be the wolf either. I wanna be whatever it is that watches the wolves and sheep do their thing, all the while completely undetected and left alone. Squirrel?

Anyone can be a liberty-lovin’, self-reliant, fiercely-independent individual when the power is on, the supermarket is open and the infrastructure is running. But when you have to stand in line for a National Guardsman to toss you water bottles and T-rations or shuffle into a Red Cross tent for a free meal and shelter voucher you lose alot of things…self-esteem and control of your future spring to mind.

I would guess that my ability (real or imagined) to be able to take care of myself and my loved ones while everyone else is panicking, starving, freezing or being herded into cattle cars has an incredibly large effect on how I think of myself. Maybe its that secretly Ive always wanted to be a hero, maybe I hate the idea of not being in control of my future, maybe I want a sense of adventure, maybe I’m a fatalist, maybe I just think responsibility for my well being starts and ends with me…I dunno.

Regardless, I tend to not focus on why I do the things I do rather than just simply doing them. There are, after all, far worse interests and hobbies to have. Being Commander Zero has some everyday benefits…food is cheaper since its bought in bulk..same for toiletries and other consumables. Im good at improvising or problem-solving and other uses for ‘thinking differently’. I lead a very safe existence (when Im not out of state)…minimal crime, no senseless violence, no drive-by shootings, etc.

Self introspection is so not my strong suit…lets shift gears….

Picked up some more remaindered meat for the deep freeze, a couple boxes of 3″ Kling bandages, and some more bags for the vaccuum sealer. Winter is coming and I need to make sure im set for emergency heating and lighting. It can get pretty cold here if the power goes out in the middle of winter.

Being Commander Zero is not all sunshine and stun grenades….its an expensive life. Really, its almost a gamble against something that is uncertain (an ugly future, for example). However, its no different than, say, disability insurance or, really, any other form of insurance. Its an expense to provide large benefit(s) if event x happens. Unfortunately, being the Zero isnt $49.95 a month like alot of insurance. No, its time, money, and alot of odd looks from people from time to time.

I was travelling lately and spent time in Virginia which is an utter hotbed of fedgov buildings, facilities and personnel. Was I uncomfortable? A bit. If, say, a NYC-style blackout had occurred Id have been at a disadvantage. If a hurricane occurred Id have been at a bit of a disadvantage. When Im here in ZeroLand Im much more comfortable…I know that I have food, warmth, clean water, a place to sleep, protection, and LMI’s. In VA there would have been sudden appearances of armed badge-wavers on every corner repeating over and over that they were ‘here for your protection’…and I would have been one of many sheep among the wolves. I dont wanna be a sheep. But I dont wanna be the wolf either. I wanna be whatever it is that watches the wolves and sheep do their thing, all the while completely undetected and left alone. Squirrel?

Anyone can be a liberty-lovin’, self-reliant, fiercely-independent individual when the power is on, the supermarket is open and the infrastructure is running. But when you have to stand in line for a National Guardsman to toss you water bottles and T-rations or shuffle into a Red Cross tent for a free meal and shelter voucher you lose alot of things…self-esteem and control of your future spring to mind.

I would guess that my ability (real or imagined) to be able to take care of myself and my loved ones while everyone else is panicking, starving, freezing or being herded into cattle cars has an incredibly large effect on how I think of myself. Maybe its that secretly Ive always wanted to be a hero, maybe I hate the idea of not being in control of my future, maybe I want a sense of adventure, maybe I’m a fatalist, maybe I just think responsibility for my well being starts and ends with me…I dunno.

Regardless, I tend to not focus on why I do the things I do rather than just simply doing them. There are, after all, far worse interests and hobbies to have. Being Commander Zero has some everyday benefits…food is cheaper since its bought in bulk..same for toiletries and other consumables. Im good at improvising or problem-solving and other uses for ‘thinking differently’. I lead a very safe existence (when Im not out of state)…minimal crime, no senseless violence, no drive-by shootings, etc.

Self introspection is so not my strong suit…lets shift gears….

Picked up some more remaindered meat for the deep freeze, a couple boxes of 3″ Kling bandages, and some more bags for the vaccuum sealer. Winter is coming and I need to make sure im set for emergency heating and lighting. It can get pretty cold here if the power goes out in the middle of winter.

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

So everyone and their brother has these absurd and overly dramatic 9-11 remembrance things going on. If they’d take that concern and effort about the past and focus it on the future maybe next time (and, trust me, theres gonna be a next time..several of them, in fact…) things will work out differently.

What has changed for the Zero since 9-11? Interestingly, my own government , which had been relatively benign, suddenly Orwell’ed on me and came up with indefinite detentions, secret courts (and thats a BIG roadsign), ‘heightened’ powers and the siren-call of “If you are innocent, you shouldnt mind”. Stock up on .223, bottled water and ‘questionable books’ and you get tagged as someone worth investigating…and ten years ago theyd write you off as no one..just some loony in a tinfoil hat and a couple cases of SPAM waiting for the Soviets to invade. But now…now its another ball of wax….

You know, when you look at your bookshelf and think ‘gee, I should get rid of some of those books in case someone sees them and starts to think I’m a [terrorist/insurgent/whatever]’ then society has really become something out of the Central Committee’s handbook. Think about it..you have to worry about what you read…how utterly unAmerican is that?

But, whats that got to do with Cmdr. Zero? Well, part of being the Zero is reading…and I mean *alot* of reading…and some books could be considered ‘inflammatory’ or ’suspicious’.

Never thought Id ever need to think about hiding books.

So, anyway, its the second year since a buncha idiots pulled a one-in-a-million stunt with spectacular results. How do I ‘commemorate’ it? By lamenting that their activities are forcing my legal and legitimate activities ‘underground’.

This happened a efw years back…some family in VA/DC was reported to the feds as possible terrorists. The feds came with their usual overkill of SWAT teams and whatnot. The place was searched, masked gunmen (hey, just like your average South American death squad!) crouched in the shrubs, and the family was questioned at length. Their hideously flagrant threat to America’s well-being? They had a dozen plastic blue barrels that they bought to store water in against Y2k. Yup..thats it. Some neighbor saw these barrels and thought of the Oklahoma City bombing and dropped a dime on their simple neighbors.

I guess the upshot is that I need to look a little less…interesting…should someone wind up viewing my library, basement or gun cabinet.

So everyone and their brother has these absurd and overly dramatic 9-11 remembrance things going on. If they’d take that concern and effort about the past and focus it on the future maybe next time (and, trust me, theres gonna be a next time..several of them, in fact…) things will work out differently.

What has changed for the Zero since 9-11? Interestingly, my own government , which had been relatively benign, suddenly Orwell’ed on me and came up with indefinite detentions, secret courts (and thats a BIG roadsign), ‘heightened’ powers and the siren-call of “If you are innocent, you shouldnt mind”. Stock up on .223, bottled water and ‘questionable books’ and you get tagged as someone worth investigating…and ten years ago theyd write you off as no one..just some loony in a tinfoil hat and a couple cases of SPAM waiting for the Soviets to invade. But now…now its another ball of wax….

You know, when you look at your bookshelf and think ‘gee, I should get rid of some of those books in case someone sees them and starts to think I’m a [terrorist/insurgent/whatever]’ then society has really become something out of the Central Committee’s handbook. Think about it..you have to worry about what you read…how utterly unAmerican is that?

But, whats that got to do with Cmdr. Zero? Well, part of being the Zero is reading…and I mean *alot* of reading…and some books could be considered ‘inflammatory’ or ‘suspicious’.

Never thought Id ever need to think about hiding books.

So, anyway, its the second year since a buncha idiots pulled a one-in-a-million stunt with spectacular results. How do I ‘commemorate’ it? By lamenting that their activities are forcing my legal and legitimate activities ‘underground’.

This happened a efw years back…some family in VA/DC was reported to the feds as possible terrorists. The feds came with their usual overkill of SWAT teams and whatnot. The place was searched, masked gunmen (hey, just like your average South American death squad!) crouched in the shrubs, and the family was questioned at length. Their hideously flagrant threat to America’s well-being? They had a dozen plastic blue barrels that they bought to store water in against Y2k. Yup..thats it. Some neighbor saw these barrels and thought of the Oklahoma City bombing and dropped a dime on their simple neighbors.

I guess the upshot is that I need to look a little less…interesting…should someone wind up viewing my library, basement or gun cabinet.

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

I *really* need to investigate a ‘politically correct” and relatively disposable set of firearms for air travel. Travelling with a 9mm and an AR-15 draws way too much attention. Additionally, an AR is $750 and a good pistol is another $600. Thats alot to tie up if some idiot at the ticket check-in doesnt know the proper procedure for firearms check-in and airport security has seen “Die Hard II” too many times. A used .357 is $200 and a Marlin .357 is another $250. Not an unrecoverable loss.

I’m thinking Im going to pick up a nice Smith .357 and couple it with a Marlin carbine in the same caliber. I can get ammo (.38/.357) anywhere and the guns are about as non-threatening as you can get.

“Why would you need these guns when you travel, Zero?”
Personal safety, of course. Take, for example, the recent blackout on the east coast. If the power is out for a few days and I’m grounded until power is restored I dont want to have to stay up all night fearing that looters and other opportunists are going to be prowling the hallways with reckless disregard of the police who are going to be a) way to busy to care and b) probably calling in sick to take care of their own families.

The other alternative is a Ruger autopistol and a Ruger P9 carbine, a 1911 and a Marlin carbine, or a Glock and a Kel-Tec carbine. However, I’m really preferring the .357 for its ammo availability and the Marlin’s harmless looks.

In other news, I am going to have Rancho Ballistica up and running by 2005 if I have to sell a kidney and work 36 hour days to do it. A nice quiet extremely private paradise that I can live on and be left alone on. Sovereignty, thy name is property.

I *really* need to investigate a ‘politically correct” and relatively disposable set of firearms for air travel. Travelling with a 9mm and an AR-15 draws way too much attention. Additionally, an AR is $750 and a good pistol is another $600. Thats alot to tie up if some idiot at the ticket check-in doesnt know the proper procedure for firearms check-in and airport security has seen “Die Hard II” too many times. A used .357 is $200 and a Marlin .357 is another $250. Not an unrecoverable loss.

I’m thinking Im going to pick up a nice Smith .357 and couple it with a Marlin carbine in the same caliber. I can get ammo (.38/.357) anywhere and the guns are about as non-threatening as you can get.

“Why would you need these guns when you travel, Zero?”
Personal safety, of course. Take, for example, the recent blackout on the east coast. If the power is out for a few days and I’m grounded until power is restored I dont want to have to stay up all night fearing that looters and other opportunists are going to be prowling the hallways with reckless disregard of the police who are going to be a) way to busy to care and b) probably calling in sick to take care of their own families.

The other alternative is a Ruger autopistol and a Ruger P9 carbine, a 1911 and a Marlin carbine, or a Glock and a Kel-Tec carbine. However, I’m really preferring the .357 for its ammo availability and the Marlin’s harmless looks.

In other news, I am going to have Rancho Ballistica up and running by 2005 if I have to sell a kidney and work 36 hour days to do it. A nice quiet extremely private paradise that I can live on and be left alone on. Sovreignty, thy name is property.