More on Digging

It seems Mossberg is now offering a shotgun in a can. Along with a pistol grip 18 inch Mossberg 500 sealed in a re-sealable clear bag, the buyer gets an olive drab "heavy duty" waterproof synthetic carrying (burying?) tube complete with re-sealable top and nylon carrying strap. They are calling this their JIC (Just In Case) line of shotguns. MSRP for the Cruiser version is $422.00. The Mariner and a tactical tan version are also available. Way to cash in Mossberg!

I'm kind of thinking a chunk of sealed schedule 40 PVC with a rifle that will fire a common military round packed in cosmoline might be a better choice. But then what do I know? I lost all my guns in a boating accident on Lake Manigottapee.

Digging

JR links to a post about covertly preserving and securing firearms in long term subterranean storage.

Bury a Gun and Ammo for 15 Years (and be assured everything still works when you dig it up) by Charles Wood

One thought though........ If it's time to bury them, it's time to dig them up.

Inspiration

It's been lights out at Front Sight Press for several days. Syd's writing is an addiction of mine, and I was starting to have tremors and twitches. Finally, he went to Home Depot and purchased a generator. Of course, when he got back home the power company had his lights back on.

Sitting in the dark was the source of new inspiration for Syd though. He has kicked off with The Hierachy of Survival. Adversity is often the ignition of inspiration. Embrace it.

The Refusal to Leave

For decades, indeed over a century, the greater population of New Orleans was recalcitrant about evacuating in the face of a hurricane. They had weathered many storms, and they were fond of saying "they always turn" as if by divine providence The Big Easy would always be spared. Then, in August 2005, hurricane Katrina loomed off shore. Many failed to evacuate despite authorities announcing this was "the big one." Over eighteen hundred people lost their lives. New Orleans was pumped dry, but is still being rebuilt three years later.

As hurricane Gustav approached South Louisiana, the exodus was massive, the largest in history. No doubt having Katrina and the toxic soup bowl she left behind fresh on their minds, New Orleans was deserted and left to weather the storm alone. She was spared. The storm "turned." The evacuees returned.

Then Ike appeared. It turned also, directly towards Galveston. Reportedly over 140,000 Texans refused to evacuate. Heads of families chose to put their loved ones at risk when authorities announced that staying would amount to "certain death." In 1900, an unnamed hurricane slammed into Galveston. Between 6000 and 12,000 people perished. The death toll from Ike is still unknown.

Why is it that people refuse to evacuate from an approaching hurricane? After Katrina, there was talk of the difficulty of evacuation for so many people who were dependent on public transportation. Evacuation of the sick and infirm can place them as much at risk as staying. For the healthy father with a minivan and a family, remaining in such a perilous place is beyond ludicrous. They place their loved ones at risk of annihilation to save a few possessions from the weather and looters.

Have they become accustomed to not believing the announcements over the airwaves days prior to landfall? Do the announcements need to be revised? Has faith in official announcements dwindled because of doom and gloom forecasts every time a hurricane enters the Gulf of Mexico? Does crying wolf over and over reduce the authorities to the status of Chicken Little? Or are these people simply stubbornly refusing to evacuate because they know they can refuse? Is it a childish aversion to authority telling them what they should do? Are they acting on emotions rather than logic? I do not know. I do think that the authorities need to take a hard sociological look at this phenomenon and make adjustments in how they recommend and order evacuations. If they do not, the death toll will only rise.

Listening To Katrina

Ever consider a "bug out bag?" Ever wonder what it's really like to have to leave your home in an emergency? What do you take? What do you leave? Which way do you go? How the hell do you prioritize? Do you survive, or do you prosper? Or do you die? Two and a half years ago, the Gulf Coast was destroyed by Katrina. I still hear people in my own area talking zombie killing "I am Legend" fantasy bullshit when it comes to surviving a disaster. My own blog, this one, was started as a guttural response to hurricane Katrina.

Although I saw the results of what occurred, I fortunately was not forced to leave home. I did not have to escape with hungry children in tow. My family remained intact and safe. My blog morphed towards other concerns. Other blogs that chronicled Katrina have slipped away. One, "Listening to Katrina" is a resource for those who wish to learn the lessons of survival from the worst natural disaster in U.S. history.

"If you don't like guns, then we're going to need to have a talk about this later. My plan calls for me to take my primary defense gun (in addition to my pistols) with me. I, and I alone, am responsible for the protection of my Health, Wealth, and Family, and the firearm is a key instrument in that philosophy. A gun is not only wealth, but the means to defend that wealth. I am not speaking to you from a theoretical standpoint. Get one."

Go there. Give it a read. Learn. Listen to Katrina.