by Ron Foster
“Oh so now you are going to try an make me a junkie instead of an alkie! Don’t worry about it; sciatica usually goes away for awhile permanently or on the other hand then sometimes it comes back months later. At least I will have some respite, God knows when though.” Melanie said settling back onto her cushioned bed.
“Well hang in there darling, we only got about 5 more miles to go until I quit bouncing you around like a bobble head. Hey, Clyde buddy, you and HeDo see about getting lunch started and look after Melanie while we have us a quick meeting please.” David called out.
“Will do!’ Clyde said and motioned to HeDo to come with him to help unload the trailer.
“Are you going to scout ahead before we come in town or do we stick together?” LowBuck asked.
“I Dunno that is what we are going to chat about David said walking towards Dump and Stewart having a conversation under a big cottonwood tree.
“I say we send someone ahead, course theirs something to be said about sticking together. LowBuck said fishing in his pocket for a piece of deer jerky.
”We could leap frog it and send a pair of guards forward walking a few miles and then swap out point men when we drive up. I think the best thing to do though is stay line of sight with each other dismounted and I will throttle down the tractor slower to set the pace and interval.” David said offering a typical infantry tactic for such a small squad.
“That sounds reasonable. 50ft or so forward and back interval from the tractor?” LowBuck asked.
“Sounds ok by me. We will figure it out. I doubt that we are going to encounter anyone at all but you never know. Feels pretty weird to be carrying a shotgun instead of a AK or AR but I admit it looks better for first impressions.” David said still not quite sure it mattered either way and wanting his more substantial firepower in his hands that he had decided to leave back for the benefit of the community.
“May as well break out and use the ReVolt to charge up the handheld radios.” David said pointing at the pouch on LowBuck’s hip.
Figure 5 Portableuniversalpower.com
“That battery by Hardened Power Systems is just the thing for running a 12v charger or anything with a USB port.” David said admiring the ultra tough unit.
“Sure does cut down on weight and it contains plenty of power to get the job done. You just strap in on and you good to go” LowBuck said removing it from its military grade case.
“Well it was inspired by Search and Rescue Teams, that’s why I got it. It is one tough piece of equipment. You ever see the video they made where they run over it and ducked one in water and then plugged a 12v fan into it to dry it off?” David asked.
“Yea man that was cool as hell. I checked out a bunch of Hardened Power Systems (http://www.portableuniversalpower.com ) videos when I was working with his distributor partner Rick from Priority Medical Training http://www.prioritymedicaltraining.com/ when I was featuring his Family Medical Disaster bag on a Real Day Preppers show. That thing is awesome too and we have got a lot of use out of it.
“I remember that, it had all the medical necessities to care for your family's emergencies whether large or small when medical facilities are unavailable. You used it as a squad level medical emergency kit for your RDP show. I like that companies stuff, you get real usable items like an Israeli trauma bandage instead of a box of 100 cheap Band-Aids. I got one his small personal Trauma kits in my bug-out bag that were designed for law enforcement and hunters to keep on their person to treat themselves or others. That kit carries the basic items needed to stop severe bleeding and treat for shock. I listened to owner to and got mine in the red color instead of OD because when I want it, I want to be able to find it fast.” David said thinking back to his many conversations with Rick.
“For Power, weight and reliability you can’t beat Hardened Power Systems. Didn’t your brother get one of the bigger units from them called a JuiceBox that used solar panels?” Low buck said while plugging the 12v connector to the ReVolt armored battery.
“ Oh yea he got one, I had suggested he get one but when he saw that video Bill chucked one of their products across the field and then used it to run a hedge clipper he was hooked and couldn’t wait to place an order. He is probably running his laptop on it now or some other gear. He got an extra battery for it also that doubled his capabilities.” David said and then started musing to himself about how his brother was making out in Texas after the storm. Boy probably went Hog Hunting every day. Texas had a real hog problem back in the day and were considered vermin for their destructive and dangerous habits.
“Yea old Butchie boy was probably using one of those expensive scoped piggy rifles of his to take some amazingly long shot at one now.” David thought to himself.
“Stewart says he should drive the tractor and me and you go forward to scout David.” Dump said looking up at him and LowBuck’s approach to the tree they had chosen to hold their meeting at.
“We were just discussing that, I think we just go spread out platoon formation and say screw it. We damned if we do or don’t in this situation and there is better safety in numbers.” David offered.
“I just topped off the batteries on the hand held radios which will be encrypted transmission and I got Melanie to monitor the CB radio on the trailer for any kind of chatter she might over hear from somebody.
The four men mulled the suggestion over for a few minutes and decided they would follow David’s lead and just disburse as minimally as feasible to be smaller less grouped targets should they run into any adversaries.
The return small arms fire from them would be devastating if they were threatened and would be concentrated and afford them a higher level of survivability than if they were all riding on the same vehicle.
If there was a road block any where ahead the chances of disarming them by surprise was also greatly diminished and if they were allowed a retreat it would be a guarded one.
“We sure did good on wood chips getting here. That gasifier of yours didn’t need near as much fuel as you speculated.” Stewart said while somewhat taking a snide dig at David for overloading the trailer with wood chips.
“Hell I didn’t know how much that thing would use. I never drove it so far before like this.” David grumbled
“We can use the wood chips for some other kind of backup power. I swear David got more uses for waste wood than I ever seen.” Dump said envisioning all the preps David had bugged out with.
“Holy shit Dump mused to himself; David made power and comfort out of about everything possible that he could imagine. Dump was still trying to wrap his head around just what he could do with just his cast iron wood stove. David had stored or outfitted his old place with the most amazing off grid essentials or gizwhizzs that ever happened and was constantly tweaking on them or finding new uses for them.
David had himself an authentic military issue Thermoelectric fan from Coleman’s Military Surplus he was very proud of that sat on his boxwood heater. David had always been fascinated by alternative energy and this particular application was quite unique and efficient. No external power was needed. When placed on a heater surface, the self-powered fan converts a small amount of heat energy directly into electricity to drive the fan’s impeller. It improves the performance of the heater by creating warmth throughout a larger area with the same fuel consumption, or it can heat the same area with less fuel.
David had carried his post collapse prepping far into his everyday lifestyle way before any disaster in order to become more self-sufficient. He had done this to the point where he had been for the most part basically almost totally off grid before the poo hit the fan with the geomagnetic storm.
Most preppers couldn’t conceive of the notion that you also had to prepare for the possibility that the world will survive after a catastrophic disaster.
David had the foresight to plan for both a collapse of society or T.E.O.T.W.A.W.K.I (The End of the World as We Know It) as well as its hopeful its eventual revivification.
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br /> Just everyday living was hard enough for him on a limited budget so it just made sense to adopt what he called a “Possum Prepper” lifestyle. The big kettle fan did a great job of improving the efficiency of his heater. It had come in a hard plastic storage case with handle. Measured - 8½” high x 14” in diameter and was made in the U.S.A. Coleman’s Military Surplus had sold it to him in “unused condition.". That’s what David like about Coleman’s surplus, if you wanted unique military surplus in great condition for the right price, you could always find the latest and greatest stock of goods there.
Shelter temperatures with a heater are depicted without the thermoelectric fan (above) and with the thermoelectric fan.
With the fan, heated air is circulated downward creating more even heat distribution. Testing conducted in the Soldier Systems Center arctic chamber at minus 60 degrees F showed that the fan can increase the temperature 1 foot off the floor by more than 20 degrees F. This feature was well appreciated by those that occasionally camped out on David’s floor for an overnight visit.
Dump Truck was already familiar with Coleman’s Military surplus and he wasn’t surprised that they had sold such a unique piece of military technology. His cousin Martha had shopped there a lot. She had a saying, “when in doubt check Coleman’s out” that had proved true on more than one occasion. You know those big impossible to find inner tubes you see people blissfully floating down stream on? They had bought several from Coleman’s that were new unissued made in the USA quality that were the envy of all those patched up puddle jumpers that used to come to the local waterhole to swim or raft.
The big part of prepping is forcing oneself to think about uncomfortable yet realistic situations. Envision that a simple redistribution of wealth could be more effective than strategic relocation when it comes to bugging out.
David had tried to get other preppers to understand this theory. Are you going to move out to the woods just because you wont share preps with a neighbor?
In all probably if you bugged out anyway you would end up with a stranger as a partner when supplies ran low.
You were better off sharing some of your precious preps with your existing neighbors and be thinking collaborative defense, comfort, and materials in your own neighborhood.
The concept of I am not going to be thinking about shooting some one of my neighbors for only wanting to share some of my food versus, we both might need to die in place together defending a mutual stockpile if necessary in order to protect and defend it from other equally desperate people. This is a concept a prepper better embrace with open arms if they expect to survive the apocalypse.
You can’t always choose the buddy in the foxhole with you. Loner dying sucks however, don’t go there if you can possibly avoid it.
Canned cereal is cheap, very, very cheap at moment; feed thy neighbor so that they maybe will be appreciative and be able to protect ones back. That is if you think they are civilized folks worthy of saving and not a huge liability for you to tell about your preps you got stored.
You will save more than your sanity and your life most times if you try to look out wisely for others in times of need. A little sharing needs to be considered,
13
FEMA FOLLIES
David had been snooping around the government relief offices most of the morning looking and listening when to his amazement he recognized a face.
That’s got to be my old Emergency Management boss Jack Marlowe from Atlanta. Well Mr. Jack you just the guy I need to be talking to, David thought to himself studying the man.
“Well I’ll be damned! Hey Jack! Recognize me!” David called out as he rushed to greet the man.
Jack looked at the long haired sweaty apparition in front of him with a bit of confusion and non recognition.
“It’s me! David Dupree. I was assigned to you in Atlanta.” David said excitedly and extended his hand.
“Well aren’t you a sight. I would have never recognized you with all that grey hair and lots of it.” Jack said pumping David’s hand and smiling widely.
“Well since I was technically retired from FEMA I decided to go back to my old hippie days and grow it out. Make room for my brain don’t you know.” David said and thought to himself that except for his excess of hair and Jack’s lack thereof the two men surprisingly hadn’t changed much over the past ten years.
“Who told you that you were retired? I just dismissed you temporarily for duty that day the solar storm went off.” Jack said laughing.
“How the hell did you get way down here David? I bet that’s a story and a half for you got to tell me.” Jack began before a man in a suit and tie approached him and asked to speak to him for the moment.
“I will meet you in my office Mr. Smith in a couple minutes if you don’t mind, just let me finish up here real quick.” Jack said and the man agreed and left.
“Mr. Smith is the payroll administrator around here. Still dresses like a banker no matter where we are deployed at. I to this day haven’t figured out how he presses those white shirts he wears.” Jack said looking after him.
“I haven’t seen anyone wearing a suit in years. That is kind of a pretty out of place or weird thing to be wearing during the apocalypse huh Jack.” David said smiling. Then he got to thinking about he himself had had one on when he last saw Jack those many years ago in Atlanta before he had undertaken the biggest bug out of all time.
“He shouldn’t take me very long to finish up and take care of. Tell you what. If you go on down to the end of this street right here you can wait on me at the research library.” Jack said pointing the way.
“What research library? All I see is an old bar.” David said confused before the grin on Jack’s face gave away the pun.
“Oh I get it!” Jack said beaming a smile.
“I think I have researched and studied a few things in one of those libraries before. Is it actually open for business? What do you use to buy a drink with?” David asked very intrigued the place was open but more intrigued about what was being used as currency.
“Oh yea it’s open. Owners name is Suzie. They take military script or barter for the price of a drink or good. Here, this should hold you and keep you sipping until I get there.” Jack said producing a red $5 military script note.
“Never seen one of these. So that’s what money looks like these days.” Jack said turning the note over and reading the familiar “Legal for all debts public and private on the back.”
“Prices are low at Suzie’s bar, no beer available but plenty of liquor to drown your worries with and drinks are only 50 cents. That’s a workingman’s half day pay you holding there David by the way. But as a Area director I can well afford it so take it and go have fun as my treat.” Jack said as David looked up surprised that it represented so much value and thankful for Jack’s generosity.
“If you got any able bodied men or women in your crew wanting to join the civilian work force, the rates $10 a day script but tradable at the commissary or local stores. Look, let me go get rid of Smith and I will see you in an hour or so and I will bring you up to speed on how things work these days.” Jack said before shaking his hand farewell and going off to his meeting.
“Now then, where is that old heathen of a Dump Truck. Won’t he be surprised to see Jack again?” David thought to himself looking around the town square trying to spot him.
“Ah Ha! One gargantuan bald head was spotted by David in the medical aid desk line. Stewart must have him filling in for himself to find out what procedures and locations might be available Melanie. Well Dumpie is going to miss out on some fun it looks like. I wouldn’t mind taking Stewart to the bar with me but who the hell knows how Jack might act about him. 10 years of doing God knows what for FEMA could have changed him and he wasn’t somebody that David really knew to begin with. Oh yea! That’s the ticket, I see one and only LowBuckPrepper trying to hide behind a Civil war monument watching Dump and most likely doing back up security of some sort for him.” David
thought as he sauntered across the parking lot towards one of his favorite drinking buddies.
“Hey LowBuck, just one word. BAR!” David said in a hushed tone pointing towards the buildings edifice.
“No Shit? You want to go check it out?” Lowbuck said craning his neck for a better look and grinning like a Cheshire cat...
“Damn right! We aint left yet? Go tell Dumpie what we are doing first, though he will be alright albeit mighty thirsty knowing we in a bar while he waiting in line over there. He can come over for a quick one when he is done. Tell him my old boss Jack that was in the bar with me in Atlanta when the poo hit the fan is here and is some kind of high mucky muck in FEMA now. He will be coming along to the watering hole in about an hour to join us. Lookie here, Jack gave me what passes for money these days to tide me over until he gets there.” David said producing the $5 dollar military script note.