Local gas prices are down about $0.35 from their high of almost $3 a few months ago. The prices are still, to me, high but then I’ve probably been spoiled in terms of gasoline prices. If you think that gas prices are unfairly high the solution is to either reduce your usage or use it more wisely. Seems cut and dried to me.
Anyway… the whole experience, which may very well be repeated in the future, certainly illustrated a bottleneck in our society…fuel availability. The preparedness experts have always said that in a major crisis fuel stations would be either unable to operate due to power concerns, out of gas, or rationed. We saw all of that in Texas and Luisiana this summer, so it went from being paranoid-theory-by-a-doomsaying-nutjob to hard fact. Shrug. I learned a lesson from it….stored fuel, treated for long-term storage, stored in a good container, and rotated on a schedule is just as important as all those cases of MRE’s and AK ammo. I’d already known that fuel was important, but this reinforced it to a rpeviously unheard of degree. Even those of us who know to store fuel are, I bet, learning some lessons….like you can never have too much, that some containers are better than others, that people will be desperate when their tank guage reads ‘E’ and theres a 3/4 mile long line at the pump.
I think it was Frankilin who said something along the lines that experience was an expensive (or dear) school but some will learn at no other.
Me, I learn.
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A post over in the survivalist community asked what to do when the Big Day occurs and your relatives or firends who always said “Disaster? Heck, Im just going to come over and stay with you! Heh heh!” actually show up on your doorstep expecting to be able to take advantage of your farsightedness.
Tough call.
I don’t have to worry about it because with one exception I dont have any friends who aren’t into preparedness…at least, none that are close enough to actually come by. Now, I do have friends who are not as prepared as I, and I have some who are more prepared than I, but short of a catastrophic loss on their part none of them would show up without supplies. Of course, theres always simply not being home when the hordes come a-knocking…simply be at your #2 location…although for many of us that isnt a real choice yet.
I suppose, if it isnt too late, you simply keep your mouth shut and not let anyone know just how prepared you are. If its too late, well, then you either pretend youre not home or you start making some tough choices.
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I need to head up to CostCo and see if they have their annual Halloween cyalume lightstick package for sale….although it wouldnt surprise me if the lightstick manufacturers are dedicating their output to disaster relief efforts..after all, thats where the money is.
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Hats off to the Discovery channels ‘Mythbusters’ program. In the past, theyve experimented with some myths that have use to me… can you blow up a car by shooting into the gas tank? (nope) Will diving underwater save you from gunfire (yes..if your at more than 3′ under) and that sort of thing. Latest episode I saw had them firing a .50 BMG into a swimming pool to see what happens. Surprisingly, the bullet failed to reach the bottom of the pool…instead, like every other high velocity bullet, it immediately started breaking up when it hit the water.
Box O’ Truth (linked to in an earlier post) also did some even more impressive tests against bulletresistant glass and sandbags. The sandbag one was quite eye-opening and I reccomend it highly. It basically showd that a stacj of sandbags makes you impervious to most small arms fire…good to know.
A post over in the survivalist community asked what to do when the Big Day occurs and your relatives or firends who always said “Disaster? Heck, Im just going to come over and stay with you! Heh heh!” actually show up on your doorstep expecting to be able to take advantage of your farsightedness.
not so much an issue for me as I’m not too open about my survivial-side. When I bought food and water for the apartment, I made my roommates chip in, I told them it was “disaster insurance”.
Most of the people who do know i’m a survivalist don’t know exactly where I live. Everyone knows I live in berkeley, but berkeley is a pretty big town, and I’m VERY discrete about my ‘reallocation’tm.
atek3
Mythbusters actually revisited the gas tank explosion myth due to numerous complaints that they failed to take into account several variables.
In a nutshell they proved the myth this time providing that A) one uses tracer ammunition and B) one shoots from far enough away that the tracer has time to really get going.
In other words with standard FMJ/JHP etc. ammo it’s not going to happen, but incendiary rounds do make a nice fireball.
Things that make one say “Duh” for $200 Alex.
Any gas storage is very short-term only. If your vehicle gets 30 mpg and you store 10 gallons, that’s only 300 miles.
I’ve seen cars catch on fire and their gas tanks go up. It’s all very soft – no explosions at all. Bad movies – bad!
*looks out the window and waves at you* 🙂
You and I are probably the only two people in the whole town with any sort of preparedness, so it’s probably best to keep your location on the down-low. 🙂
Don’t know if you’re aware of it, but the city is actually hosting several free Basic Personal Preparedness classes and one Disaster First Aid class over the next few weeks. I’m planning on attending. It’s probably going to be pretty lame on the whole, but I’m interested in learning about what sort of infrastructure and plans the city has in place–and what evac routes they’re advising everyone to take so I can plan for alternate ones. 🙂
Then again, 300 miles is plenty of distance to get away from a hurricane or other Bad Place.
But then there you are, dead in the water … unless your vehicle has pedals or a sail. Now if you had a motorcycle with trailer, the end of the line gets put off quite a bit.
A post over in the survivalist community asked what to do when the Big Day occurs and your relatives or firends who always said “Disaster? Heck, Im just going to come over and stay with you! Heh heh!” actually show up on your doorstep expecting to be able to take advantage of your farsightedness.
Me, I’ve started telling them that they better show up with something like food, water, guns, ammo or fuel. If they don’t, I’ll be sending them out for it. “Think of it as a scavenger hunt!”
I probably need to make a list of things. At least my down the street neighbor is as prepared as I am. He’s also in the Reserves so he’s got training on how to drive my truck. Yay two drivers.
That’s why a Diesel powered M35 is best. 2 of the M35 types floating around out there are powered with a multifuel engine. You can run them on anything from gasoline (for a little while) to diesel, to kerosine to JP8. The cargo capacity and size makes them ideal for getting a good bit of gear out of harms way and they’re pretty tough. They just don’t have Air Conditioning. The engine has a fuel compensator that allows the fuel delivery system to adjust for fuel density and deliver the right quantity of fuel to the injectors. Picking up some kerosine along the way or even some filtered waste vegetable oil will help you stretch your milage. And it won’t be as critical a fuel supply. Add a transfer tank in the back of the bed and you can quadruple your range.
I’m waiting for the version that burns wood 😉
What is an M35? Inquiring minds want to know…
An m35 is your basic military cargo truck. The army has been disposing of them for years, the current ones being disposed of are the M35A1 and A2s. They’re being replaced by LMTVs and updated m35A3s. Some are straight diesel trucks but some have a multifuel engine that’ll run on Gasoline to JP8/Kerosine. For a selection of Deuces see http://www.easternsurplus.net/deuce.html That’s not the sole source by any stretch. See also http://www.steelsoldiers.com for some wise sages on the subject.
I think I’ve just found the truck of my dreams! I wonder what kind of gas mileage a 5 ton gets.
About 8-12 mpg. Things like super singles, front lockout hubs and such are the way to get that number up. Some of the guys run radials and civilian tires. G177s seem to be popular among a lot of NG units. Some of the guys have taken out the interaxle shaft in the rear and put blanks on the rear axle shafts to cover up the holes allowing the rear axle not free spin. Since the front axle only engages when the sprag or air shift is engaged at the transfer case, the front running gear is a bit of drag. The front lockouts help that a great deal.
Oh, you were asking about the 5 ton. Those get about 5mpg. I thought you were asking about the deuces first.
A deuce would be far more practical, and 8-12 mpg isn’t that much less than what I’m getting out of my old pick-up right now anyway, but if I ever win that big lottery…:P
what you got
if they don’t know aboutit, have seen it, or even think you are prepared; they won’t find and sieze it over your dead body. the grasshoppers are great at murdering the ant for its stores, so are the humans that survive a disaster. hide it well and keep your 12 gauge handy in case they desire “longpig”.
am serious, as having seen those whom claims of high moral and civilize standards, revert to dangerous predators when starving only after a few hours of want.
right here in good old America!