What about power? In a survival situation, you have to recharge that thing. Last I checked, I don't thin that model has AA or AAA that can be recharges via solar common solar chargers. Have you tried any off-grid charging? If so, how did it work?
Good review. I really like the ability of the rifle to float, and it looks like the AR-7 has improved it's previous feed issues. Overall I still prefer the Marlin Papoose for a survival .22 - brand loyalty!
Good article, raises a lot of important points to remember. Although probably not of much use for smaller kids, I think a radio could be used quite a bit, depending on power options. I have a small S/W-AM-FM radio that uses two AA batteries, and a small solar battery charger. With a little sun, that could provide news/music for a few hours a day. I like to read and have plenty of books that've been neglected, so I'd be ok.
Good review. One of my top five survival books. I liked that it wasn't about a group that had been prepping for years, had a compound in the Northwest, and had members bugging out to the location w/o kids. Lights Out is generally more realistic. I read the online PDF version and still need to buy the book to support the Author - thanks for the reminder!
BTW, it took awhile to get there with food. I don't have 5 gal buckets of wheat or crates of MREs, but have slowly purchased extra here and there of the regular foods we eat to get to the 3+ month mark (more if rationed, less if we need to share w/others). A few extra cans of whatever, an extra bag of rice here and there, an extra bundle of mac-n-cheese every week - it adds up. A few things I don't eat often but stock when on sale due to high fat/calorie concentrations; peanut butter, canned meats, etc.
We don't need a years supply here; if it goes past a month or two the place will probably be total chaos/WROL and we'll have bugged out (or be dead). Extra food goes w/us in the BoV, is shared with others prior to that, or if we can't take it, traded/given away/abandoned. It's good to have options.
My approach is to mainly prepare with TEOWAWKI (collapse/WROL) in mind and, in my case, a long bug out. That handles most events short of that with, a few tweaks. My brothers and I stockpile at our parents' rural farm, but have mini-stockpiles where we are - several months of food, candles, batteries, H2O purification, candles, well used camping gear, weapons/ammo, etc. If the power goes out for two weeks (or a lot longer) in the middle of a huge blizzard, we'd be fine in place.
My brothers and I planning for increasingly elderly relatives that will probably show up should things really hit the fan. None of them are preppers. Most have health issues. We'll do what we can.
I live in VA (DC area). My parents 100 acre farm is in NE. My brothers live within a few hours of there. That's where I'll go if things fall apart. I'm trying to move closer, but the job market isn't cooperating. IMO if TSHTF, staying on the east coast is akin to committing suicide, so the plan is to bug out until I can move. It's just the reality of the situation - I can ignore it or plan for it. I planned for it.
My bug out route is ~1,300+ miles. I have a couple GPS units, but purchased DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteers for every state I could travel through on Interstates, and every adjacent state. Put me back a few hundred, but that's the backup method, stowed in the toolbox along with a compass.
http://suburbansurvivalist.wordpress.com/2010/10/...
But I prefer the GPS! Most of my electronics takes AAA or AA, and I have a small solar re-charger. The BoB also has dozens of lithium batteries, so I guess if I've lost or gone through them, I might not have the charger or GPS by then.
Yeah, "really unknown" was an over statement. The propagation effects of an actual EMP on modern vehicles/devices over longer distances is where the "unknown" comes to play. For example would the burst over the middle of CONUS, say in Kansas, of the SCUD in a bucket scenario really affect that much along the coasts? In One Second After it was a total kill of modern vehicles on the east coast, but that's not certain, especially from greater distances. Again, overall effect probably the same - TEOTWAWKI.
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Suburban Survivalist 
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