by Cody Lundin
According to experts, there is no quick fix and the options that are available are very expensive. Put this pearl of wisdom in the back of your noggin and know there is something to be said for low-tech common-sense solutions to daily living.
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Citizens' Band [CB] Radios
Breaker, breaker, Teddy Bear! Remember the movie Smokey and the Bandit with Burt Reynolds? What a classic. It seemed that no one in those happily bygone days was without a CB radio, a dorky handle (CB name), and a souped-up black Trans-Am with a golden eagle on the hood. My grandparents had a blast with their base station CB, and all of us pain-in-the-butt grandkids abused it often to report from our vehicle CBs that we were stuck in the mud (again) at the old bass fishing hole. I learned early that excellent communications meant that you could ramp up the stupid meter in your cousin's pickup truck with virtually no consequences.
The Federal Communications Commission established Citizens' Band radio in 1958, and there are now over 51 million CB users throughout the United States. In fact, CB radios are the most accessible means of communication for the general public. Their range is typically ten to twenty-five miles but ranges of well over a hundred miles have been commonly reported. Since many users share only a few channels, interference from others can be common, especially during an emergency. CBs are useful as a neighborhood communications system or when on the road to get real-time information from other drivers about blocked roadways or other hazards.
Channel 9 is the nationwide official channel for emergency use and traveler's information. Volunteer members of the Radio Emergency Associated Communications Team (REACT) monitor channel 9 almost continuously all across the United States. These selfless guardian angels typically handle over 100,000 calls for help each year. Some highways and neighborhoods have REACT logo signs readily visible to alert others to their assistance with emergency communications.
Shortwave Radios
"[AFTER A DISASTER]. . .EVEN WITH TECHNOLOGY THE WAY IT IS, IT'S ALWAYS AMATEUR RADIO THEY FALL BACK ON."
—LLOYD HALGUNSETH, DISTRICT EMERGENCY COORDINATOR, YAVAPAI AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
With a spectrum of 1.7 to 30 megahertz, shortwave radio puts you in touch with the unfiltered world of international radio whether you live in town or country. With the right equipment, it can also be used for two-way communications instead of just listening. Almost every town of any size has an amateur radio club. These radio "hams" can tell you whatever you want to know regarding FCC licensing rules and its use for ham radio transmission, and members often have new and used radio equipment for sale. While some shortwave radios require regular 120-volt power for operation, there are many battery-operated (and even a hand-crank or two!) models available. The world of the ham radio operator is almost limitless and a golden asset during and after any emergency. Thank you, ham operators, for your dedicated volunteer service to others in their time of great need!
Two-Way Radios [Walkie-Talkies]
Like everything else in the communications world, walkie-talkies come in a wide variety of styles, channels, power outputs, and prices. They can be priceless when needing to communicate with a minimum amount of interference when a loved one is a short distance away. Several models feature built-in NOAA weather-band reception that would prove a valuable asset to the survivor. I remember getting a cheap pair of walkie-talkies for Christmas when I was a kid and they ranked high on the "cool meter." They still do, especially when the cell towers aren't working. I have used them on road trips between multiple vehicles when needing to keep in contact with the other car. Some businesses use certain models for their communication needs of up to three to five miles. Other models are commonly sold in outdoor and camping stores and are frequently used in the backcountry for everything from a couple of day hikers keeping in touch to hard-core search-and-rescue missions involving the coordination of dozens of people. If you feel this type of communication is relevant for your family, research which model(s) would be most applicable for your needs.
Field Telephones
Available from some military surplus stores, hand-crank field phones that run off D-cell batteries will allow communications for many miles. Although interconnected by a wire, they have their unique applications.
Scanners
Scanners allow you to receive broadcasted information from a variety of sources such as police, ambulance, firefighters, ATF and Border Patrol agents, U.S. Customs, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and an unending number of ham radio operators. These people often have cutting-edge information regarding a wide variety of disasters or local emergencies. Volunteer Search and Rescue personnel (SAR) commonly use some type of scanner or scanner/radio combination to listen in on sheriffs' calls that would signal a search-and-rescue mission. You're advised to know the laws regarding intercepting another party's conversation, which mostly revolve around the no-nos of using the intercepted communications for personal gain or discussing it with others. For our intentions of keeping track of events before or after a disaster to keep our families safe, we should be in like Flynn. Regardless, check your state's laws regarding the legal use of scanners.
Survival communications are vital to let you know what's going on in the outside world after a disaster. Emergency bulletins will give you extremely valuable information that may directly affect your survival. Because of sloppy reporting and sensationalism, cross-reference emergency broadcasts for bogus information whenever possible.
Don't rely exclusively on one type of emergency communications. Diversify your communication "eggs" and purchase only quality communications gear.
Know your neighbors before a disaster strikes. Cooperative neighborhood planning, and the power that comes from working together toward a common goal, can make the difference between you living or dying during a crisis.
Creating an advanced "signaling system" for whatever is needed within your community can save precious time and emergency response resources.
How other people react to an emergency, whether you feel you know them well or not, will be one of your biggest leadership (communication) challenges during a crisis.
Use caution and common sense, and let your intuition be your guarding guide as to what information you'll share with neighbors.
Your family should have a well-known game plan about what to do and where to meet should a major disaster occur.
Most emergency communications require a power source. Always opt for battery-operated models or other forms of alternative power that are not dependent upon the conventional power grid.
Battery-operated or hand-crank AM/FM radios are great for receiving emergency broadcasts. If a widespread emergency occurred, civil defense-affiliated stations are set up to broadcast survival information on the AM broadcast band.
Cell phones, the Internet, CB radios, shortwave radios, walkie-talkies, field telephones, and scanners all have their pros and cons for use during emergencies. See which combination works best for your family.
For CB radios, channel 9 is the nationwide official channel for emergency use and traveler's information. Volunteer members of the Radio Emergency Associated Communications Team (REACT) monitor channel 9 almost continuously all across the United States.
Amateur radio clubs around the nation are great resources for learning the tricks of the trade and for buying used or new equipment from knowledgeable people.
Scanners allow you to monitor the conversations of many emergency response authorities such as the police, the sheriff's office, or the fire department. Check your state rules and regulations for the legality of doing so.
22
Tangible TRANSPORTATION
"There can be no doubt that the transportation sector is the most critical sector of our economy."
—Congressman Robert A. Brady
Although this book is based upon making your home more self-reliant, it assumes that you'll be home when the crisis hits. Whether you'r
e at home, across the county, or at the office, your transportation options may be severely limited during the chaos. Perhaps no other country on earth is more enslaved to conventional, fuel-burning transportation than the United States. Transportation is the lifeblood of the economy, which would quickly collapse if the means for transporting needed supplies were disrupted in any way. Grocery stores commonly carry only a three-day supply of food. This statistical three-day surplus would disappear within a few hours during an emergency situation; a panicked populace would make sure of that.
Civilization is like a great web upon which all things are connected. Bop one strand and the whole thing jiggles. Consider for a moment the 1996 northeast power outage and some of the aftereffects that rippled across the nation. Gas stations closed due to a lack of power. Only a few stations had backup power to run gas pumps and were providing what little gas they had to lined-up customers for cash only. ATM machines wouldn't work so people were unable to get cash. Grocery stores closed due to their inability to scan the barcodes on food or to take credit cards. I won't go into the drama about power-dependent medical needs and water and sewage pumps.
Complacency as to the ease at which modern transportation systems operate can do wonders in dumbing you down as to what options you might have when the Pontiac is forced to collect dust. Below are some common-sense and exotic tidbits to ponder if you get caught out in the open away from your casa, or you need to relocate.
Preparing Your Motorized Vehicle[s]
Most of us in this country rely upon the automobile for getting around. As we have discussed in earlier chapters, anything that you have a strong reliance upon should be in the best possible working order, with backup options if possible. Keep in good repair the best vehicle you can afford. If you suck at car repairs, and aren't married to Mr. or Mrs. Goodwrench, it's all the more reason to keep on top of servicing your vehicle. Whether something is wrong or not, it pays to take your vehicle to a reputable shop at least once a year to have them do a top-to-bottom inspection. Like survival training, it's easier to prevent a problem than to suffer from its effects because you were too cheap or preoccupied to take your ride in for some TLC. Your car, truck, or SUV should carry basic supplies that will allow you to get back home (on foot if necessary) and accomplish minor repairs to the vehicle itself if needed. The "Should I Stay or Should I Go" chapter contains some general ideas for portable survival kits and bug-out packs.
You know your daily living schedule better than anyone. If your work takes you many miles from home, get into the habit of keeping your gas tank topped off. One of the main disadvantages of our current means of transportation is its slap-in-the-face dependency on petroleum fuel. The last place you want to be when chaos strikes is stuck in the two-mile line at the gas station because you failed to keep your fuel level on the high side. That's what your gas tank is for, to store fuel in times of need, so do it.
What about Public Transportation?
Even the most hardcore New York City cab driver is powerless when streets are stuffed with traffic. You will go nowhere fast, if at all. Mass exoduses like those preceding and following disasters such as Hurricane Katrina are case in point that it will be hell to negotiate traffic in a private vehicle, let alone rely upon public transit systems. If Lady Luck smiles on you in your quest to catch a bus or cab, congratulations, but don't count on it. Local, state, or federal governmental agencies that do manage to implement some type of public emergency transportation will more than likely limit their passengers to one carry-on bag, if that. Have an emergency bug-out kit ready to go at all times.
Bodacious Biodiesel and Veggie Oil
"THE USE OF VEGETABLE OILS FOR ENGINE FUELS MAY SEEM INSIGNIFICANT TODAY, BUT SUCH OILS MAY BECOME, IN THE COURSE OF TIME, AS IMPORTANT AS PETROLEUM AND THE COAL-TAR OF THE PRESENT TIME."
—RUDOLF DIESEL, 1912
For those with the opportunity, the interest, and a form of transportation or backup power that involves a diesel engine, there are pockets of people around the nation and world who are reclaiming their independence with the technology of biodiesel and waste cooking oils. Biodiesel is derived from biological sources, from rapeseed and soybean oils to animal fats and many others, yet it goes through a refinery process called transesterification. As a refined fuel, biodiesel is ready to use to power diesel engines and is not the same as burning straight filtered vegetable oil. Biodiesel has also been used as a heating fuel in domestic and commercial boilers. This alternative fuel is gaining more and more popularity as time passes and people feel the pinch of precarious petroleum. According to the National Biodiesel Board (NBB), the United States went from consuming 500,000 gallons in 1999 to 75 million gallons of biodiesel in 2005. Even country crooner Willie Nelson has been bitten by the bio bug and actively promotes the stuff.
If you think biodiesel is made for hippies by hippies, you haven't explored its technical side, which involves aspects of extreme mathematics, chemistry, physics, and linguistics when trying to read through some of the technical papers. Some biodiesel advocates tout the recycling aspects of biodiesel by the fact that it can be manufactured from used vegetable oil. Others argue that to compete with the sheer volume of fuel needed to keep just America running at its current level, even biodiesel would have its problems in trying to meet the demand. Since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that restaurants in the United States produce 300 million gallons of waste cooking oil each year, and the estimated transportation fuel and home heating oil use for America is a staggering 230 billion gallons annually, they may be correct.
The art of making and using biodiesel or using filtered oils or fats in a modified diesel engine is a book in itself. Researching on the Web will pull up loads of information for those who want to pursue the matter further. You may already have a neighbor who has been commuting to work for years thanks to the dregs from greasy spoon restaurants. I know several people who make and use both biodiesel and filtered-waste cooking oils in their backyard processing plants. One of my clients owns a converted school bus he uses for cross-country trips that runs on filtered veggie oil. He simply stops at restaurants instead of gas stations and they are all too willing to give him the goop, which otherwise the restaurant must pay to have removed. They've driven thousands of miles with their veggie bus and, yes, the tailpipe smells like French fries.
Regardless of saving the world or not, after a calamity, alternative fuel options such as biodiesel and filtered cooking oils may be the cat's meow. If you have a diesel-burning engine in your car, truck, or generator, you might want to pursue this further. For a current list of who sells biodiesel around the nation, or for questions, and access to the largest library of biodiesel information in the United States, visit the National Biodiesel Board Web site at www.biodiesel.org.
Motorcycles, Mopeds, and ATVs
While the above-mentioned goodies are still slaves to OPEC, they excel at making the most out of a gallon of gas. Some hybrid electric mopeds claim to get an astounding 150 miles per gallon! Scooters and ATVs also have the advantage of being small and maneuverable, thus they are able to fit in and around places that would stop a car dead in its tracks. Remember seeing those motorcycle maniacs on the highway snake between vehicles like they were standing still? You acted disgusted but were probably jealous, right? "Quads" or All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) are very popular in my part of the country. Some can haul a ridiculous amount of gear due to generous cargo space.
One of my favorite alternative vehicles is the street-legal dirt bike. A good quality dirt bike that's well maintained will run almost forever with minimal fuss. In town or country, there is almost no terrain these bikes will not cross with a proficient rider. They possess a stupid amount of power that will peel your skin off, can cover rugged ground in a fraction of the time it takes a hearty four-wheel drive, and still get up to 120 miles on a gallon and a half of gas. A rider can purchase or make racks for hauling gear, or simply wear a backpack when needing to transport goods. Di
rt bikes are truly modern horses that require minimal feed and no water, don't spook or become moody or go lame, and will take you like a rocket as far as your butt can stand to go.
Beautiful Bicycles
I love bicycles. After all, can zillions of Chinese folks be wrong? I spent a few years riding a mountain bike to work, school, and back up into the woods where I was living at the time. My stashed bike was easy to conceal in the bushes as I hiked toward my home, thus it left no trace that I was camped nearby. Bikes are simple, affordable, easy to ride or learn to ride, fairly easy to repair, commonly available, quick, quiet, and save tremendous amounts of your personal calories (food) and water, which is their only required fuel. Being able to coast and still cover ground is a gift in any scenario where food supplies may be compromised. Generic, cheap mountain-bike-style bicycles have the balls to cruise over everything from beer cans to bloated bodies with minimal effort. Many bikes on the market have options for saddlebags or other pouches that can carry all sorts of supplies to boot. You don't have to break the bank to purchase a battle-worthy bicycle, and for many urban dwellers, bicycles will be worth their weight in gold as a super-transportation option if the petrol gets pinched.
