Once Upon an Apocalypse: Book 1 - The Journey Home - Revised Edition

by JEFF MOTES

  “Okay, George,” John replies.

  “Sometime today I want to take you to see an old friend of mine. He’s down the road a piece, just inside our watch area. I found out this morning he has some shortwave equipment that survived the EMP. Jill can come along too if she wants.”

  “Yes. I would like to know what’s going on across the country,” John says. “I wonder how bad it is in the big cities and what the government is doing.”

  “A few of the boys and I have some things to do at the back field this morning. Why don’t we go over some time this afternoon?”

  “Sounds great,” John replies.

  “Betty, I need to wash some clothes today,” I say. “Is there a better place than the bathtub?”

  Betty smiles. “I’ve been doing ours in the double sink on the back deck. I’ll help you if you like.”

  “Thank you, Betty, that would be great.”

  “How about after ten this morning? That should give your clothes plenty of time to dry in the afternoon sun.”

  I help Betty with the kitchen, then, after fixing two cups of coffee, I return to the bedroom. John is on the floor. I set our cups down and rush over to him. “John, are you all right?”

  “Yes, only trying to gauge my recovery. Fifty pushups. I’m about fifty percent.”

  “I brought you another cup of coffee. Are you ready to inventory our packs?”

  “Sure, let’s start with mine.” He picks his up from the floor and sets it on the bed. It isn’t with the same ease as the other day, I note. I guess he’s really not back to a hundred percent. “I’m going to unload everything, then we’ll inventory.”

  There is a lot of stuff in that pack, all kinds of stuff. Some of it I recognize, some I have no clue as to what it is. He lays a bottle of vanilla spray on the bed. Picking it up I glance over at him inquiringly. “John?” I shake it for him to see.

  He says, “For my feminine side.” He smiles broadly. “It’s a pretty good mosquito repellent.”

  “Where did you get the idea for putting all this stuff in your pack? I never would have thought of a lot of this stuff.”

  “I built my pack based on the survival axiom of threes, or pyramid of threes, or the hierarchy of survival. Some folks call it different things. But the meaning is basically the same. You can survive: three weeks without food; three days without water; three hours without shelter; three minutes without air; three seconds without a defensive weapon.”

  I sit on the edge of the bed. “Can you explain that to me? I’ve never heard of it before.”

  “Based on what I said about survival time, what do you think is the most important item?” John asks.

  “Based on three seconds it would be a defensive weapon, but I thought water was the most important item.”

  “Well it can be, if you don’t have any and haven’t had any for three days. These are all generalizations of course. They aren’t hard and fast rules. There was a study done a number of years ago regarding violent assaults. Most assaults are initiated against their victims within twenty-one feet. The amount of time for a person committing an assault to reach you twenty-one feet away is about three seconds. You have three seconds, maybe less, in order to defend yourself from great bodily harm, perhaps even death. That’s why it is so important to have your weapon on you at all times.”

  At the Interstate, yes, the guy initiated his assault about twenty-one feet away. By the time I had drawn my pistol and shot him, he was almost upon me. If my pistol had been in my pack, I would have been killed.

  “Air: we all have to have oxygen to survive,” John explains. “That is one of the reasons it is so important to learn to swim. If the air around us contains contaminants, then we need to remove them from the air before we breathe. One of the best ways is with a military grade NBC mask and canister filter. NBC stands for nuclear, biological, and chemical. You’ve seen these in lots of movies I’m sure. The problem with an NBC mask and filter is it is bulky and heavy. For me it takes up too much space and adds too much weight to be included in my pack. I carry several N95 dust masks instead. These are small, lightweight, and can be found at any Walmart or Lowe’s. Well, they used to be, probably not now.

  “If you find yourself in a hostile environment, such as extreme cold or heat, or even rain, you must be able to find or build a shelter. Exposure is one of the major causes of death for those who get lost in the wilderness. Shelter includes your clothes, rain gear, jackets, tents, tarps, and any other items that can be placed between your body and a hostile environment.

  “It’s important to keep your body hydrated. Without water, your internal organs will start to shut down and your brain will fail to function properly. Ultimately, within three days without water, you will die. An average person requires around 128 ounces of water per day. Some more, some less, depending on body size and physical activity. Water weighs eight pounds per gallon. For most people, carrying more than a day or two supply of water would be difficult, so we must have the means to collect and purify water.

  “Food is important, though we can go a long time without food before we starve. It’s important to carry some food with you and have a means for preparing the food for your consumption. An average man needs around 2000 to 2400 calories of food per day. An average woman needs around 1600 to 2000 calories of food per day. Food is also heavy. A can of Dinty Moore’s Beef Stew is much heavier than a package of Mountain House Freeze Dried Beef Stew for the same amount of calories. So, you can see, all calories aren’t the same.

  “As we inventory my pack, you will see how I’ve attempted to address each of the items in our Axiom of Threes. Bear in mind that weight and bulk are very important things to consider when building a pack. In a lot of cases, you’re going to see mini sizes of items. You want to get started?”

  “Yes, let’s do.” I reach for the paper and pen.

  Chapter 37

  Jill

  John’s Pack

  Day 7

  “Since we started talking about what I call The Axiom of Threes, let’s go in that order on our inventory,” John suggests. “I’ll repack so the most frequently needed items are near the top.”

  Seeing all this stuff has gotten me kind of excited.

  “All right, let’s go over the most critical category from our Axiom of Threes, Personal Defense.” Looking over at my writing, John says, “That’s a good idea keeping the list by category. Here we go.

  Personal Defense:

  One Glock 19 with night sights

  One Kel-Tec Sub 2k Gen 2 with fold down rear sight

  Six Glock 19 magazines, 15 round capacity

  Eighty-eight rounds 147gr. sub-sonic 9mm ammo

  Ninety-seven rounds 135 gr. self-defense 9mm ammo

  Two hundred rounds 115 gr. full metal jacket 9mm ammo

  One Glock 42

  Two Glock 42 magazines, 6 round capacity

  Twenty-five rounds 95gr. self-defense 380 ammo

  One extra threaded barrel for the Glock 19

  One Streamlight TLR1-HL rail mount light for the Glock 19

  One IWB holster for the Glock 19

  One paddle holster for the Glock 19

  One Burris Fast Fire III red dot sight with quick mount for the Sub2k

  One Fenix PD35 flash light with quick mount for the Sub2k

  One Crimson Trace IR Laser sight with quick mount for the Sub2k

  One Magpul MS3 sling for the Sub2k

  One Gemtech GM9 9mm sound suppressor, works with the Sub2k and Glock 19

  Two copies of BATFE approved form for the suppressor

  Two Blackhawk single magazine pouches

  One 9mm gun cleaning kit

  Pouches to hold the items when not mounted to the carbine or pistol

  One Gerber 7” sheath knife

  One CRKT 3” folding knife

  One no brand rescue knife”

  “Knives are an absolute last resort item. They have more useful functions than self-defense,” John explains. “I
think that’s it. See anything I missed?”

  “Gee, John, I had no idea you had this kind of stuff. What’s the Tax Stamp for?”

  “Oh, boy,” John says. “Don’t get me going on that or we’ll never get this done. The short answer is the federal government, in its infinite wisdom, regulates suppressors and requires you to complete applications and pay a $200 tax fee. After holding your paperwork for about six months, you’ll get your license for the suppressor in the form of a Tax Stamp. The Tax Stamp must follow the suppressor wherever it goes. There is more to it than that, but like I said, that’s the short version. The crazy thing about this is, for twenty-five dollars, you can buy an adaptor for your threaded barrel and a ten dollar oil filter from NAPA and do almost the same thing I spent nearly a thousand dollars doing. But that’s supposedly illegal. It probably doesn’t much matter now though.”

  “Would the extra barrel for your Glock also work in my Glock?”

  “It would, but we would have to modify your IWB holster to accommodate the extra length of the barrel.”

  “What about your night vision gear? Should it be listed here?”

  “I guess so. It has other uses too, but sure, list it here. By the way, don’t let me forget to show you how to use it. The unit I have is an OPMOD PVS14 Gen 3. It’s one of the upper end models. Back before The Day, you could buy Gen 1 devices for around four hundred dollars from Amazon. They aren’t nearly as good as a Gen 3, but they’re relatively cheap. Wait. Ha! I bet right now $10,000 wouldn’t even buy a low end Gen 1 device.”

  “I don’t think most people ever thought about these things. I know I didn’t.”

  “Don’t take me wrong, Jill, I’m not faulting anybody for anything. I chose to learn certain skills and acquire the gear I thought would give me the best chance to make it back home in case of something like this. I hope what I’ve done is enough.”

  “I do too.”

  He looks into my eyes. “Jill, Will knows most of these things too. Lizzy is going to be okay.”

  I smile faintly and turn away before I tear up.

  “Okay, let’s move on to air. I don’t have much here, since I didn’t think I could justify the weight and bulk of keeping an NBC mask in my pack. Sometimes I carry one in my truck, depending on where I’m going, but I felt the risk was pretty small coming up here, so I left it at home. I do have three N95 masks. The ones I have include an exhale port to make them more comfortable to use. You used to be able to purchase these at Lowe’s and the standard N95 mask even at Walmart. If we get into an area with lots of smoke or other items in the air, we will use them.”

  “My dad had me pack a few in my pack too.”

  “I liked your dad, Jill. He was a good man and I know he’s taught you some important things. It’s evident from the fact you’ve made it here that there is a lot of him in you.”

  I smile. “My dad liked you too.”

  “Now, to shelter. Let’s see what we have.”

  I make another list: “Shelter:

  One sleeping bag

  One ground pad

  One camouflage tarp

  One ground mat

  One set rain gear

  One pair camp flops

  The clothes on my back

  One cap

  One pair Timberland work boots

  Two mosquito head nets”

  “Is there anything I’m missing?” John asks.

  “What about the tent in the garage?”

  “Yes, I missed that. One one-man sleeping tent.” Hmmm. One-man sleeping tent. That ought to be interesting if we have to use it. No need worrying about it now. Just cross that bridge when and if we get to it.

  John says, “I need to get another shirt. By the way, do you still have my shirt I gave you the other day?”

  I blush at the thought of those awkward moments a few days ago. “Yes, Betty and I are going to wash clothes a little later. Thanks for letting me use it. I’m going to make another list of things we need. We can add to it as we go along.”

  “That’s a good idea,” John says. “I also have some paracord and other miscellaneous items to help build a shelter, but let’s list it under a separate heading further down the list. Moving on to water. Ready?”

  I nod and start to write again. “Water:

  Two 32-ounce stainless steel water bottles full of water

  Six 16-ounce plastic water bottles in the garage

  One Katadyn water filter pump

  Six coffee filters

  One bottle water treatment tabs

  One small bottle of concentrated bleach with instructions

  One small bottle of water flavoring, about half full

  One pouch to contain the equipment”

  “With this setup, as long as we can find water, we’ll have no problem making it safe to drink. Finding water here in Alabama should not be a problem. There’s a branch or creek every few miles along our way. We’ll certainly cross one at least once each day. We could treat months’ worth of water with these supplies. I think that’s it. See anything I missed?”

  “Looks like that’s it. I like the idea of the water flavoring. Sometimes treated water doesn’t taste so good.”

  “That’s for sure,” John says. “Now to food.” John picks up some packs. “Let’s list the calorie content next to the item, that way we can see the total calories we have available.”

  I start writing again. “Food:

  Four MREs 6,000 cal

  Three packs freeze dried entrées 2,600 cal

  Two Spam packs 500 cal

  Three tuna fish packs 450 cal

  Three MRE wheat bread packs 540 cal

  Three peanut butter packs 750 cal

  Two cheese spread packs 360 cal

  Four millennium energy bars 1,600 cal

  One Datrex emergency ration 3,600 cal

  Two grit packs 300 cal

  Two oatmeal packs 300 cal

  Two instant coffee packs

  Two hot chocolate packs

  One dozen multi-vitamins

  Four Emergen-C packs

  One lot of miscellaneous condiment packs”

  “There’s more miscellaneous items, like hard candy, mints, and gum, but that’s about it,” John says. “How many calories does that make total?”

  I do the math and reply, “Seventeen thousand calories. Based on what you said earlier, that gives us about four days. I have to say that Datrex emergency ration bar doesn’t look too appetizing.”

  “It’s okay in a pinch,” John chuckles, “but you certainly don’t want to eat it unless you have to. Let’s list the rest of this stuff.”

  John calls out the items and I write furiously.”Cook kit:

  One MSR stainless steel cook set

  Two plastic camp cups

  One camp utensil set

  One stainless steel cup

  One cleaning kit with dishwashing liquid and scrubby pad

  One camp towel

  One hot pad

  Hygiene Kit

  Three-quarter roll of toilet paper

  One pack wipes

  One bar soap

  Two washcloths

  One shave kit

  One small bottle Old Spice body wash/shampoo

  One Old Spice deodorant tube

  One toothbrush

  Two travel size tubes tooth paste”

  He stops for a moment and glances at me. “I hope you like Old Spice.”

  I blush. “Actually, I do, though I prefer to use something else on myself.”

  “Yeah, I don’t think I would like this on you either. Back to our list.” John continues to list off items while I write.

  “Power Kit

  One folding solar charger kit

  Four rechargeable CR123A batteries

  Four rechargeable AA batteries

  Six rechargeable AAA batteries

  Four CR123A batteries, non-rechargeable

  Six AA batteries, non-rechargeable

  Six AAA batteries, non-r
echargeable

  Two CR2032 batteries for the Fast Fire sight

  Six 357 batteries for the electric glow stick

  One multi-battery charger

  One wall charger adapter

  One car charger adapter

  One USB charging cable”

  “Do you think the car charger is going to work?” I ask. “Mine quit working after the EMP.”

  “I’m not sure. Mine stopped working too. I haven’t tested this one. Normally, I wouldn’t keep anything I didn’t know for sure if it worked, but I think, in this case I will.” Then he continues.

  “Fire Kit

  Three magnesium fire starters

  Three lighters

  One box strike anywhere wet/dry matches

  One pack vaseline impregnated cotton balls

  One Esbit stove

  Nine Esbit stove cubes”

  “Lighting

  One head lamp

  One high output AA LED light

  One pocket high output AAA LED light

  Four keychain squeeze lights

  One Fenix TK12 LED light with belt holster

  Two chemical glow sticks

  One electric glow stick

  Two emergency candles

  “Medical

  IFAK – Individual first aid kit

  ITK – Individual trauma kit

  Various over the counter medicines”

  “Miscellaneous

  Two BaoFeng radios, complete with earbuds, mics, and spare battery

  One Gerber short machete

  One knife sharpener

  Seventy-five feet paracord

  One folding limb saw

  One string saw

  One folding camp shovel

  Two nail clippers

  One roll duct tape

  Ten tie wraps

  One Gerber Multi-tool with belt holster

  One signal mirror

  One alarm whistle

  One Alabama highway map

  One small notebook

  Two ink pens

  One iPhone 4

  One Silva compass

  Twenty-five feet snare wire