Maybe we should continue. Okay, I know there are few typo's and
spelling errors, still. I have ideas and I put them on paper, I am not
perfect at this writing thing. But I keep trying.
Part 2:
10.
Personal
Defence:
Most
lawyers would advise the writer to skip this topic as the liability
and risks are, too high. But, you didn't spend your hard earned,
after tax dollars to read a censored manuscript. Did you?
Personal
defence items span a vast array of technology and skill levels for
use. At the low end of technology you are greeted by clubs, bo
staffs, quarter staffs and hiking sticks. Although, easy to acquire,
they require training and frequent practice to master. Providing a
lethal range of +/- 3m. At the extreme other end of the technology
spectrum are phase plasma rifles....just kidding. Firearms, currently
top the technological extreme of mankind's achievements in lethal
personal defence.
In
between, is a fascinating array of weapons that represent all
advances mankind has made since the days of the caveman right through
to today. These weapons fall loosely into four catergories: Blunt
Trauma. Edged. Kinetic Energy. Firearms.
In the
right hands all can be lethal. In the untrained hands, however, many
are a liability to the user. In general, the simpler the weapon, the
more skills and training are required to be lethal. Firearms are the
one class of weapon that require very little training to be deadly.
Almost, anyone can be trained to effectively use a shotgun or rifle
in a few hours at the range. As long as, you have ammunition for your
firearm: the equation of strong over weak can be equalized, or so,
Colonel Sam Colt has been immortilized for.
Let's
take a few moments to go over a few of the features, advantages and
disadvantages of each class of weapon. We will focus in on a few
examples. My list is not complete, by far. If the reader is truly
interested, I recommend further research while you still have the
time. This overview, may also help prepare you for what you may
encounter when you are Getting Out Of Dodge.
11.
Blunt
Trauma Weapons:
Clubs –
Same as Grandpa Caveman. A heavy stick. Swing & hit your
opponent in the head. You win. Make or find just about anywhere.
Improvise and Improve. Wood, Metal, Plastic, or combination. Lethal
Range: +/- 2m.
Staff –
Long straight stick. Helps walking up or down hills. Crossing
streams or rivers. Requires more skill than a club. In trained
hands this stick is deadly. Think Shoalin Monks. Make or find in
most places. Wood, bamboo, plastic or metal. Lethal range: +/- 3m.
Mace –
A fancy & lethal club. A primative mace can be acheived by
driving large nails through a wood club. However, a classic mace
has a weighted metal ball, covered in sharpened metal spikes
attached to a wood or metal handle. A near miss can still be
lethal. More difficult to manufacture. Requires metal working
skills and technology, like wire welders. Lethal range: +/- 2m.
Morning
Star – A fancy wheat thrashing flail. With a wood or metal
handle, a chain(s) and one (or more) metal balls. The metal balls
can be spiked or spikeless. A significant amount of skill is
required to master this weapon, without injuring oneself. Again, a
near miss can be fatal. Requires superior wood and metal
working skills and technology. Lethal range: +/- 2m.
War
Hammer – A cruel blending of an ice axe and a framing hammer.
The spike end is strong and sharp, capable of piercing plate
armour and most-likely Kevlar, too. The hammer end is a square
faced block of steel. If you can't puncture it, then bash it. The
bone shattering blows will be effective, even if your
opponent has a full suit of armour. Expert skills and
technology are required to make an elegant albeit deadly
weapon. Lethal range: +/- 2m.
12.
Edged
Weapons:
By far
the greatest advancement until the discovery of gun powder. The use
of edged tools and weapons allowed mankind to dominate over the rest
of the animal kingdom. The range of weapons include obsidian inlaid
wooden swords of Aztec and Mayan origin, the swords of the broze age,
the Samuari's Katana, right up to todays ceramic knives and the CIA's
letter opener. We have come a long way.
Edged
weapons are generally found made of one of the four following
materials: Steel. Plastics. Organics. Other Metals.
Steel
is the most common material for modern edged weapons. It can be honed
razor sharp and can be shaped to fill every need. In this day of
superior steels why would you use any other material?
Plastic
is an abnormal material for modern edged weapons, but in certain
circumstances it is the perfect material. You are not likely to come
across too many plastic knives, but they are out there. The CIA's
letter opener, for instance is a tough little dagger designed to get
pass metal detectors and eliminate their opponents – Spy vs Spy.
The brush knife is another plastic stabbing device. The head of the
brush conceals the knife and acts like a sheath. The handle and blade
are withdrawn from the brush head to deploy. This knife was designed
to deceive the average observer. Correctional Centres see the most
prolific use of improvised plastic edged weapons – namely plexiglas
shivs.
Organics
– include stone (obsidian, flint), glass and ceramics. At the
microscopic level obsidian and ceramic edges are many times sharper
than a razor blade. However, there is a trade off for this type of
sharpness, which is the blades are very brittle. In surgery this
brittleness is not a problem but in the jungle, your blade will be
chipped if not shattered by your adversary – leaving you willout an
edge to hide behind.
13.
Other
Metals – Iron, Bronze, Copper. Not common to encounter in our
modern times, but could reappear if things devolve. These metals are
the easiest to work in a primative setting. Most are cast into their
shape and sharpened. No forging or tempering. Edges may not hold an
edge long and are easily dented when in combat. Steel weapons were
known to cleave iron blades in half during battle. The one advantage
of iron is it does not rust like steel.
Having
said all that, you are most likely to procure a steel edged weapon
for your escape pack. It is the most common available material. The
biggest question you will ask is, will it be stainless steel or
carbon steel? The advantage of Stainless steel is it is low
maintenance. The disadvantage is it is difficult to resharpen in the
field. With new diamond grit sharpening stones that is changing, too.
Carbon steel can easily be resharpened in the field to a razors edge,
if you have a quality blade to start with. The challenge with carbon
steels is they need regular maintenance, including oiling the blade
to prevent rust or corrison. One other feature of carbon steels is
they spark when struck with flint or quartz, so for emergency fire
lighting a carbon knife would be the best choice.
Edged
weapons are designed to acheive three distinct actions: Slashing.
Thrusting. Chopping. Many blades can acheive two of the three, rarely
can all three be accomplished by the same blade. Enter the combat
knife – designed for combat it can chop branches or limbs, it can
slash air-frames or flesh, As well as, puncture an oil can or a chest
cavity. The bowie knife and the Ka-Bar are two examples of combat
knives. As with other things in life there are trade off's. If you
need the best of each type of blade it would be best to carry three
different blades that specialize in each feature: Slashing.
Thrusting. Chopping.
Slashing
– is a fine cutting edge. Used for skinning animals or filleting
fish. A good hunting knife will work here. Like a Buck or Gerber
fixed blade knife. 4”- 6” Blade.
14.
Thrusting
– is a strong, pointed weapon. Used for puncturing thick hides,
bones or armour. This is the world of daggers. Sharp enough to cut
skin, but not necessarily slice skin. The shape of the blade, a
triangle or diamond profile tapering to a point, provides the
ability of this edged weapon to pierce and do its job. The blade is
thick enough to be strong and long enough to inflict maximum damage
to internal organs. A good choice here is the Tanto blade design.
The Cold Steel Recon Tanto, with its 7” Blade and 4 3/4” handle
makes an excellent thrusting weapon.
Chopping
– is a thick, strong blade. Used to chop things. A meat cleaver or
an axe are both good examples of chopping devices. It depends what
you are chopping as to what you want to be chopping with. An axe is
good for chopping wood. A machette is good for chopping brush. A
cleaver is good for chopping up whole chickens. For the context of
getting out of dodge, a belt axe or tomahawk would be a great
choice. A good example I have come across lately is the Fiskars
Garden Axe. It is fairly light, well balanced, affordable and has a
synthetic handle. Good enough to split kindling or split wigs, but,
a little too light for felling trees.
To
further complicate the selection of an edged weapon, we must consider
size: Short. Medium. Long.
How far
does your weapon need to reach? Or, what standoff distance do you
want to have? Remembering, that a long standoff distance leaves you
vunerable if the opponent can get inside. That was why some of the
sword fighters of old had a single hand sword in their right hand and
a main gauche (dagger) in their left.
We will
consider a short edged weapon to have a blade length of 1” to 11”.
A medium blade to be 12” to 23”. A long blade is anything over
24”. The handle length will contribute to the maximum range of the
blade's effectiveness.
15.
If you
are planning to shelter-in-place, you are to be envied, for you can
enmass an armoury in your home. Allowing you the luxury of selecting
the perfect weapon for each engagement. However, if you are forced to
leave the shelter of your castle and have to choose only what you can
carry, this is most challenging of challenges. What is the “perfect”
edged weapon to carry?
Of
course, that is a purely, subjective question. Unfair, because only
you can answer it correctly for you. For me, when I am hiking
in the mountains I carry my Normark Erikson. It is a stainless 4”
blade with a 5” synthetic handle and plastic sheath. I attach it to
my pack or belt with a locking carabiner. It is an all round camp
knife. Sharp. Light. Dependable. Would I chop branches with it, no.
But it will gut a fish in a heart beat, fingers, too, if they get in
the way. Now, when I am camping or hunting and need a tougher blade
to build camp with, I like to have my Glock 78 Field Knife with me.
It has a carbon 6 1/2” blade, 5 1/4” Plastic handle and a locking
plastic sheath. This knife has been with me for more than 20 years
and still going strong. The black finish is wearing off the metal
parts, but it still work great. If I had to leave tonight, which one
would I take....both. They are knives and they are light.
Right
now as you are planning, is the right time to start acquiring knives
and the rest of your gear. Building a small collection of knives to
evaluate is a good idea. Once you find your best knife you won't have
to ask which one is the best one for you to take...because you will
know. It will be the one you reach for first in the middle of the
night.
But,
you can only know if you use your knife in the real world. Take it
hiking, camping, fishing or hunting. Learn what it can do and what it
can't. Break a couple blades and you will learn how much force is
necessary to accomplish the task.
16.
Kinetic
Energy Weapons:
Kinetic
energy weapons propel a projectile providing: velocity x mass =
kinetic energy.
This
is, of course, the simple formula. You can google the actual physics
formula of calculating the exact kinetic energy on you own time.
The
projectile maybe the weapon, such as a spear or javelin. Or the
weapon may be the launcher of the projectile, such a sling or
crossbow.
The
lethaliness can be from the projectile piercing or striking a vital
body part (head, heart or lungs) or the damage to surrounding tissues
leading to an eventual death.
The
simplest kinetic energy weapon is the sling. The same weapon that
David used to slay Goliath. The sling consists of a leather pouch
with a leather thong on each end. A stone is placed in the pouch and
then the sling is swung. When ready to fire at your opponent you
release one of the thongs and the stone is launched. With
considerable practice you will be able to send a lethal hit to a
range of 15 meters.
The
sling shot is a modern adaptation, using rubber tubing, a metal frame
and a leather pouch. A steel ballbearing is projected by placing it
in the leather pouch and drawing back. Similarly to a long bow. When
ready to fire, simply release the pouch and the ballbearing will race
towards your target. The sling shot is easier to master than the
sling, however, it is a more compact design for smaller projectiles.
Resulting in reduced range. With practice the sling shot can be
lethal to 10 meters.
The bow
(long bow, short bow, recurve or compound Bow) uses a stiff limb(s),
a handle, and a string to launch its arrow. Modern bows are quick to
learn as they have adjustable sights to aim at your enemy. Depending
on draw weight, arrow type, and practice; the bow can be lethal to 30
– 40 meters.
17.
The
crossbow, in its modern version, is a short bow attached to a rifle
stock. The draw weight is quite a bit heavier than a regular bow,
however, the release mechanism holds this weight until you squeeze
the trigger. So, although slower to reload than a regular bow. The
fact that you can travel around all day with a bolt ready to fire has
a lot of advantages. With the assortment of sights available for
crossbows, including telescopic sights, the crossbow is quick to
master compared to a regular bow. The crossbow is also relatively
quiet to fire, compared with a firearm. The crossbow would be my
first choice, if I didn't want a firearm for defence. With the
correct crossbow, sight and bolt combination, this unit can be lethal
to at least 50 meters.
Spears
and Javelins, do not really have a modern equivalent, with exception
of the olympic javelin. The olympic javelin is designed to fly for
distance when thrown correctly, it is not intended for combat nor
piercing armour.
A spear
is basically an edged blade attached to a long straight shaft of
wood, bamboo or metal. It can be used as a thrusting weapon without
letting go of the shaft or a kinetic weapon when thrown at an
adversary. The length of the shaft is the limit of the range as a
thrusting weapon, about 3 meters, however when thrown, the lethal
range may be extended to 20 meters, if you can hit your
target.
The
Roman Javelin was both a thrusting weapon at close range and a long
range missile. When thrown in a volley at a barbarian horde, the
Javelin was lethal to at least 100 meters. In a modern context,
however, the skills necessary for such distant death from a javelin
have probably been lost.
One
parting word must be spoken for the boomerang. Not a common weapon on
this side of the Pacific, but in the outback of Australia, made with
the correct type of wood, the boomerang will drop a full size
kangaroo. Man-size targets would also be vulnerable to a skilled
thrower. Lethal range 15 – 25 meters.
18.
The
kinetic weapon's family is no different than other weapon systems,
they are vulnerable to running out of proper ammunition. Slings and
sling shots can improvise with stones or rocks lying on the ground,
but accuracy & range will be reduced by inferior projectiles.
Similarly, once you fire off your last arrow, bolt or throw you last
spear you will have to prepare for hand-to-hand combat until you can
reclaim your fired projectiles off the field of battle. Which is a
good thing when you win, but if you must withdraw from the field due
to overwelming numbers of bad guys, you will have to make, buy, trade
or steal new projectiles before you run into more bad guys.
The
kinetic weapons family allows you to have a greater standoff distance
than any of the more primative weapon systems. To maximize the
effect, however, you must be highly skilled and well practiced.
Firearms:
Firearms
are the pinacle of personal defence weapon systems. Let's stick with
modern firearms: pistols, shotguns. Rifles.
The
major advantage of firearms is their lethality is not
dependent on the physical strength of the user. Their short-coming
is, once out of ammunition their advantage is lost. To this end, when
selecting a firearm, choosing one that uses a common cartridge would
be a wise choice. For when that Dark day arrives that you have to
scrounge for ammunition, it will be easier to be successful if you
are looking for a cartridge that is widely available.
We will
have a look at the common types of firearms, their effective range,
advantage and disadvantage, as well as, list their usual capacity of
rounds. Ie – how many times can you pull the trigger before you
need to reload.
Now you
have a basic understanding of the types of firearms available and
what they were meant to do. To proceed to selecting your firearm, you
will need one that satisfies your needs, your terrain and your
suspected threat. Pick the one you like and are most comfortable
with. If you are afraid of your weapon, you are not likely to bring
it with you. When you need it the most, to save your ass, you won't
have it.
22.
There
are going to be limitations on your firearms acquisitions: be it time,
money, storage or legal paper work. You will have to find time and
money to conduct training to get your skills up to snuff. You also
have to work out where you will likely be using your defensive
weapons and against what or whom. Maybe a few scenarios may help the
selection process.
Scenario
#1:
You and
your girlfriend live in a small cabin about two hours from the
closest town. You don't really have a lot of neighbours nearby. In
fact, few people travel the side track you live near. You are
comfortably isolated from the darkness of society. You own a jeep, a
canoe and a quad. In fact, most days you drive to the neighbours on
the quad to save fuel. Speaking of fuel, you have a bulk 90 gallon
fuel stand in your yard, buzz the petro guy tops up the tank once a
month. You both have known how to shoot since your were 10 years old,
you hate to admit it but she kicks your ass at target shooting. You
have decided to take this emergency preparedness stuff seriously.
Things don't look as bright as they use to. As part of your plan you
want both of you to be armed if you have to evac from your little
paradise. You decided that the jeep will be your kit bag. If it fits
in the jeep, it's coming along. You have room for 5 weapons. It's not
likely the russian will parachute in so, the weapon's want to be
compatible with NATO ammo. Each of you have chosen a 9mm sidearm,
ammo will be plentiful if you return to the world. She likes the
Springfield XD-M Compact 9mm. You prefer the good old Browning
Hi-power. She likes the Mini-14 Ranch rifle in .223 rem with the
aimpoint scope. You figure you may need to bag bambi or a moose from
time-to-time so you want a little more dropping power and opt for a
McMillan M1A, .308 win, setup in the mfs-14 modular tactical systems
stock. You choose a
23.
compact
4x rubber armoured scope with flip-up scope covers and illuminated
reticles. For commuting on doomsday your fifth weapon is a Winchester
Defender, 12 gauge, with the 8 round tube and a pistol grip and top
folding shoulder stock. You have one gun rack across your dash,
another behind the driver's seat on the roll bar and the defender in
a scabbard lashed behind the passenger's seat. The pistols, of
course, will be riding in holsters on that day. So, the logistics
include: 9 mm ammo, pistol holsters, .223 rem or 5.56 nato, .308 win
or 7.62 nato and an assortment of 12 gauge rounds – slugs,
mini-slugs, buckshot and #4 or #5 birdshot. I think short of an
earthquake or a wildfire, these two are set to Evacuate-in-Place.
Like most military
contingency plans, you hope to never have to use your G.O.O.D. Plan.
29.
Well i
hope the scenarios helped a little to narrow down your selection
process for a defensive weapon system for you or your family. If we
could only be so lucky as to be in scenario #4, of course, if
everyone was; there would be no need for you to acquire the G.O.O.D.
Plan – for you could write your own version.
Here
are some points to concider if you will be with a group larger than
your family:
Try to
use standard calibres. This makes it a lot easier when you need to
borrow ammo. If your group was brought together as part of your
G.O.O.D. Plan, you may have standardized your weapons and calibres,
so magazines would also be interchangeable.
If
more than one person in your group, you should have at least one
.22lr. These weapons are light, accurate and you can easily carry
100 cartridges in your pocket.
NATO
standard ammunition includes: 5.56x45mm = .223 rem; 7.62x51mm = .308
win; and 9x19mm = 9mm para. NATO standard ammunition is recognized
by a headstamp on the brass that looks like a plus sign with a
circle around it.
Old
Eastern Bloc standard ammunition includes: 5.45x39mm (ak-74's),
7.62x39mm (sks & ak-47's), 7.62x54mm (SVD Dragunov,
Mosin-Nagant), 7.62x25mm (tokarev tt-33), {9x17mm Browning (.380
ACP) (Export Makarov's)}, and 9x18mm PM (makarov - PM).
Firearms
with detachable magazines are the quickest to reload.
Use a
gear vest to store spare magazines, wear it over your jacket when it
is cold out.
Keep
extra ammunition and extra magazines in your pack, vehicle, cache(s)
and/or at your Safe Zone.
Spotting
scopes and binoculars are good for locating and identifying friends
or foes.
Pistols
are of limited value. If you have one, know how to use it. If not,
get a shotgun.
30.
Remember
a 12 gauge shotgun is the most versatile weapon system. Load down
for hunting game birds and load up for deer or two-legged predators.
Remember
sights with optical lens or requiring batteries may fail. Carry
spare parts. Have iron sights for back-up.
Remember
have a cleaning kit for your firearms. It Should have a bottle of
oil, bore-brush, cleaning patches and a pull-thru or cleaning rod.
Remember
to zero your firearm. Practice regularly.
Remember
to keep your muzzle free of obstructions – mud, sand, snow or ice.
Use a muzzle cap if needed.
Remember,
choosing unlawful weapons is your choice, you will be held
accountable if caught with them. If society, as we know it
collapses, you may be forgiven.
If you
choose to carry a firearm, you must be willing to use it. You may be
able to bluff once, but... if you can not bear the necessity to use
lethal force; DO NOT carry a firearm – it will only
get you into trouble.
The
only thing left on your list for defensive weapons is to decide which
one fits your needs best
and
get
it.
See the
reference section for a list of
personal
protection & defensive weapons
websites
31.
G.O.O.D.
Vehicle Stuff:
Might
have got a little long winded in the last section. I will try to be
more focused here.
Before
I get into listing the gear you need to have packed in your G.O.O.D.
Vehicle, let's review some worthy features to have in a G.O.O.D.
Vehicle. The features may contradict themselves at times but you will
have to choose which feature is more or most important to your
situation.
Good
fuel economy
reliable
repairable
& Repair Manual Available
cargo
capacity – half ton, ¾ ton, 1 ton, 2 ton
passenger
capacity
easy
to acquire spare parts – uses common parts
off
road capability – 4 wheel drive
winter
driving capability – chains or good tires
good
climate control – heat in winter or a/c in summer
comfortable
seating
defendable
on the road – shooting from vehicle
trailer
pulling capability – bring extra fuel & gear
maneuverable
– high speed &/or low speed
camouflageable
– blends with environment
self-recovery
capability – winch or come-along
Highway
vehicle or off road vehicle – Mad Max?
Vehicle
Equipment:
Spare
tire – full size. Two would be better.
Fuel
Jerry can – 20 litre's +. two would be better.
Jack or
jack-all – 36” or 48”.
Changing tires. Unstuck.
Tire
iron – star iron. Wheel wrench. Impact wrench.
Tow
Strap or Tow Rope – 20' minimum. 30' would be better.
Saw –
bow saw. Hack saw. Chain saw.
Axe –
Estwing Camp axe. Gerber Camp Axe.
Shovel
– #2 with long or “D” handle. Or mini-shovel.
Jeep
Pick or full size Mattock – pulaski could work.
32.
Jumper
cables – boosting a dead battery. 4-6ga, 16'-20'.
Highway
Flares – signalling distress. Fire starter.
Blankets
or Sleeping bags – keep warm.
Water –
bottles or jerry can.
Matches
– box of wood matches. Strike anywhere.
Candles
– keep warm. Heat water in billy can.
Billy
can – 100 oz can. Label removed. Hold safety items.
First
Aid Kit – See appendix B
Energy
bars – trail mix bars, granola bars, chocolate.
Toilet
Paper – at least one roll. Sealed in a ziploc bag.
Flashlight
– led type with extra batteries.
Fuel
card(s) – at least $100 worth.
Air
gauge – for checking tire's air pressure.
Cable
ties – zap straps of assorted lengths.
Tye
wire – a small roll.
Electrical
tape – black. At least one roll.
Duct
tape – get the good stuff. 3-M. Thick & Tough.
wd-40 –
small can.
Fuses –
get extra fuses that fit your vehicle.
Pliers
– good pair of 8” linesman. Cutting wire or fences.
Crescent
wrench – just in case.
Screwdriver
– multi-bit or set of screwdrivers.
Socket
set – whatever type fit your vehicle. SAE. Metric.
Snow
shovel – must have for winter driving.
Chains
– winter driving. Good to have.
Kitty
litter or sand – weight and traction aid. Chocking.
S.O.S.
Flag – signal distress.
Space
blanket(s) – Keep warm.
Parka(s)
– with mitts, toque & scarf.
Tarp –
shelter.
Ratchet
straps – securing your load. Self rescue.
Cooler
– store water bottles.
Filters
– Oil. Air. Fuel. Cabin. Pcv.
Oil –
extra motor oil. Proper type for your engine.
Atf –
extra automatic transmission fluid. Correct type.
Bulbs –
Extra. Turn signal. Brake. Headlight.
Belts –
Extra. fan belt. Water pump belt. Alternator.
Winch –
for self-recovery.
Come-along
– For self-recovery.
Trailer
hitch – with ball. Carry extra balls.
33.
Selecting
a G.O.O.D. Vehicle, like every else I have presented, is a highly
subjective subject. Some people like one make of vehicle and hate
others and vice-versa. Select a vehicle that is the right size to
carry your family and your escape packs. Select a vehicle that will
get you from your home to your safe zone. Select a vehicle that is
designed to drive in your local climate, altitude or seasons. If you
plan to pull a trailer with extra gear, make sure your vehicle can
handle the extra duty.
38.
The
supplies and equipment for building a defendable safe zone are rather
extensive, expensive, bulky and heavy. Unfortunately, they are also
necessary to build the required structures. Remember awhile back I
spoke of being able to improvise? If you stockpile many of the safe
zone supplies in a cache or have a storage area enroute, you could
shuttle supplies after arriving. Or you may choose an area that has
alternate sources to build with, such as a forest full of trees.
Another
possible method of avoiding this is to build your safe zone in
advance, on weekends or during your summer vacation. Of course, you
will have to review local building codes and land use bylaws in your
area. By just having the land and being able to stockpile the
supplies and tools on it could be a very big help. You could travel
light and fast to your safe zone, and while the panic is growing, you
can be building your defences.
This
list
of
supplies for your safe zone is to get you thinking. Planning how you
will get
what
you need,
when
you need it.
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