Overcoming Hoarding

Not actually Erin.
Picture by KJ Photography
& is used with permission. 

I have mentioned before that my father is a hoarder. I think it's time that I admit I have hoarding issues as well, although thankfully they aren't as bad as my father's and I'm fighting them because they annoy me severely.

I feel the need to justify myself, so please allow me to explain:

• I have literally lost count of the number of times I've thrown something away only to need it later. While I acknowledge this is confirmation bias at work and that there are many more times when I haven't needed something I've thrown away, I still get a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach every time I realize had X in my possession and now I need it, as if I've betrayed myself. Thus I find myself reluctant to dispose of anything useful because "I might need it later." So at least I'm not hoarding newspapers and pizza boxes!
• I hate waste, by which I mean even if I've never used a particular something, I don't want to trash it if it's still serviceable. This is why I have so many hex wrenches: they're still perfectly fine tools and they don't belong in the garbage. If there were some way for me to extract value from them I would do so happily; for example, that I lived in the fictional Star Trek universe, then I would happily shove them all back into the replicator and turn them into credits, because then I wouldn't be wasting them. Alternately, if I could give them to someone who wanted them I would do that, because again that's not wasting a resource, that's transferring it to someone else. 
• I'm sentimental about some things. There's some stuff from my childhood which makes me smile inside and I can't bear to get rid of it, even though I know I ought. 

The good news is that I know it's a problem and I'm working to correct it. 

• I have realized that my mental happiness today is more important than the value of any one thing. For example, if I am irritated because I keep having to step over/around X, and X is not likely to serve me in the future, then I need to get rid of it because "not being irritated on a daily basis" has a value as well, and that value is likely far larger than whatever nebulous benefit I get from X. 
• If I am undecided about something, I hide it, by which I mean "I put it in a bag and remove it from my sight." If I need it, then I know where to go to get it. But after a period of time -- a week, a month, a year if need be -- I go to that bag to clean it out. It's so much easier to throw away something that I know I have neither used nor needed for a long period of time. 
• Sometimes it's the little steps which matter. Tackling a large pile can be daunting, but it's a lot easier to do it one "bite" at a time. If there is a collection of stuff which needs sorting, when I go past it I make a point of taking one item from the pile and then determining what to do with it. Curiously, it's easier from a mental standpoint for me to dispose of a single thing than an entire box of them. 

That's how I'm dealing with my hoarding impulses to (hopefully) ensure they don't become a large problem in the future. If you have similar problems, I'd love to hear how you have coped with them. 

Guest Post: Hollywood Tactics...

by American Mercenary

American Mercenary is an Airborne Ranger and an officer. He has spent one tour in Iraq and two tours in Afghanistan. His blog may be found here. 

(Editor's Note: This article represents a tonal shift from most of the posts here at Blue Collar Prepping, as we don't usually write about tactical things. However, many of the BCP regulars own firearms, and posts about guns and reloading have proven popular here. 


Therefore, this article is posted under the "Doing It Wrong" tag -- not as instruction on how to shoot, as there are far better sources of instruction for that -- but rather as a caution against doing what might get you killed in the real world.)

... an example of what NOT to do
Steven Seagal has gotten old and fat, and his hair looks like a really bad toupee.

Being in Afghanistan where we recycle movies in the spirit of "share and share alike", one of the direct-to-video movies* starring, produced, and directed by Steven Seagal was Violence of Action. As it turns out, about the only thing I liked about the movie was the title.  

You see, I believe in violence of action. So did Col. Jeff Cooper. Even if you disagree with Col. Cooper, he came about his opinions the honest way: through experience.

Unfortunately, having a great title won't save a horribly crappy movie. (It was still better than Twilight, though.**)

The Fatal Derp
In Violence of Action we see wise, tactical guru Steven Seagal working on shooting through the "fatal funnel" to take a "turkey peek" before moving, and then telling another shooter that he changes hands after shooting and moving from one side of the doorway to the other. 

I gigglesnorted a couple times watching this scene because it was so horribly wrong. Don't "peek" because, if you train yourself to "peek then move" every time, all you are doing is telegraphing your next move. 

If you find yourself at a door and wish to be sensible,  you have a few options:

1. Go through it and shoot as fast and accurately as you can. This is what Infantrymen and SWAT train to do. This is "violence of action." 
2. Freeze in the doorway and unload. This is what SWAT actually did to Jose Guerena. This is what happens when you don't rise to the occasion but instead sink to your lowest level of training. Hesitating in the fatal funnel is a tactical “no-no".
3. Use the side of the door as a barrier for shooting from cover. This is what Infantrymen pulling security are trained to do, and USPSA/IPSC/3-Gun types are all familiar with this. This is what you do when you have to secure a room or hallway before your buddies can get to you to help you clear it. By the way, this is what Jose Guerena did, and it didn't work out so well for him.

Notice that none of these tactically good options include flitting from one side of the doorway to the other while swapping firing hands on the pistol (or carbine or shotgun, etc). And none of them are really good options for someone alone with only their handgun. But suppose a storm brought down power and communication and you had to clear your house by yourself because you just got home and the door was obviously kicked in?

You can go slow and deliberately, as quiet as you can, slicing the pie at each corner. But every doorway is a fatal funnel and you need to get out of the fatal funnel as quickly as you can. Often times we will clear as much of the room by working the angles through an open door before we enter and clear with violence of action. On a closed door it is always hilarious when a fire team slams themselves into what turns out to be a linen closet. (Seriously funny in training, anyway).

Never go faster than smooth. The saying "slow is smooth, smooth is fast" is true: don't rush yourself, and you'll go faster than you think you can.

Swip-Swap-Drop
So, now that I've addressed why you don't want to hang out in the door, silhouetting yourself in the obvious line of attack for a defender, lets deal with why you shouldn't swap hands:

• A handgun is supposed to be a “hand gun” in that you can operate it with one hand. Double action revolvers are great for this because if you have a misfire, you just pull the trigger again. But, if you have a failure with a pistol, it becomes a “hands gun.”
• Every time you unnecessarily manipulate your weapon you are setting yourself up for an accident. Palms slippery from sweat and arms jittery from adrenaline work against you. 
• Manipulating your weapon with a second hand doubles this risk. 
• Swapping your gun to your weak hand (unless you absolutely must, likely due to injury) is worse than all of these, because not only could you accidentally fire or otherwise mis-operate your weapon, you now run the risk of dropping it. 

Remember, what looks cool on film doesn't translate well to the real world. Instead, remember the fundamentals. Mine are draw, rack***, push, front sight on target, squeeze trigger. Even if some tactical genius gun guru could shave fractions of a second off my routine by changing it, I won't change it;  I've shot this way for years and it's what my muscle memory knows. In my opinion, it's better to be consistent than risk an accident by trying something new and fighting an old habit.

To Reiterate:

1. Be consistent.
2. Keep your gun in the same hand unless you are forced to change it.
3. Don't stand in the doorway, and don't freeze. 
4. If you have to be violent, be violent and get it over quickly by being deliberate and smooth.
5. If you are moving, you need to have your gun up and ready to engage targets. 
6. If you are stationary, you need to be reloading or waiting for your buddies to catch up so you can move again.

* It turns out that this was originally a TV series called True Justice which had episodes turned into 2-hour DVD "movies" that were sold in the UK. I think this was just a last ditch attempt to regain lost capital from a TV show that had poor writing, bad action, and dull characters.

** If anyone asks why I watched such crap, remember that you'll watch just about anything on a deployment.

*** When I carry a pistol, I carry with an empty chamber. This generally turns a “hand gun” into a “hands gun.” But I am 6 foot 200 lbs of man, I am comfortable with my hand-to-hand combat skill level (not as good as someone who trains more regularly, but better than most) so I feel that the half second it takes for me to rack the slide is a good trade-off. You may feel differently, and that is your choice.

Failure Mentality

In Episode 30 of the Gun Blog Variety Cast, Sean presented the cast with the following quote, and observed their varied responses.

Light bulb goes out, other people fix it, get a new one. Light bulb goes out for the Catholic, he stands in the dark, says "What did I do wrong?"

(By the by, if you're not listening to the Gun Blog Variety Cast, you're truly missing out. The hosts and cast are sharp as can be, and darn good folks in general.)

When confronted with crisis, folks have varied responses. Some people rise to greatness and shine in the crisis. Most folks keep trucking along, doing what they know and handling what they can. Some sad folks, at the first sign of difficulty or failure, throw up their hands, cry woe, and give up hope.

I'm not a coward, I've just never been tested...
Failure mentality can stem from a number of sources, and can paralyze those it affects. When faced with what appears to be an insurmountable obstacle, the feeling of dread and pre-emptive failure can cause people to mentally freeze, stopping even basic problem solving.

Clinical or seasonal depressions can bring it on, as can other mental conditions. Some folks experience a failure mentality when they're facing a particularly large or critical challenge, or one they've not experienced before. Sometimes it is experienced in relation to past failures and how they apply to current challenges. Erin's "backpack preppers" are likely to run afoul of failure mentality when they realize that all their gear is useless without skill and practice.

I think I can, I think I can...
One of the many reasons we harp on gaining skill and avoiding being a "backpack prepper" is to arrest failure mentality. Knowing that you have the tools, both physical and mental, to handle a situation is one of the surest ways to keep disruptions from paralyzing you. Acquiring new skills and facing fears builds a confidence in oneself that is based in experience and is much harder to shake. Possibly the biggest confidence builder is when you realize you can teach a skill, and then do so.

So often on our Facebook group, folks claim they have nothing to teach or bring no skills to share. This is a fallacy. Everyone has skills. Make an honest assessment of the things you do, both professionally and as a hobby. Break down those skills, and teach someone what you know, while learning what they know. Study something that interests you, simply for the sake of learning it. If you feel a bit confident or courageous, write a BCP guest article.

Do the things that build confidence now, to prevent freezing from a lack of confidence when it matters.

Lokidude

Gun Blog Variety Podcast #30

Episode 30, The Theme Episode, is out!

• Adam and Sean jibber-jabber their way through their usual segments, laughing and generally having a wonderful time.
• Erin Palette explains what a Cargo Cultist is, and how preppers can sometimes act like one. 
• Nicki Kenyon discovers "Blowback".
• Miguel Gonzalez talks about Magical Thinking.
• Barron B. reminds us that overcomplicating the problem doesn't solve it
• and Weer'd takes us inside the mind of the anti-gunners.

Check us out!

Listen to the podcast here.
Show notes may be found here.

Thanks for downloading, listening, and subscribing. And don't forget to share this with a friend!

Guest Post: How Not to Prep?

by Katrina Roets

Katrina is a friend of Erin's. She blogs at Life With Katie.





When you live in Michigan (or "South Canada", as Erin jokingly informed me) like I do, there are certain things that you come to expect: snow, ice, and really cold temperatures. There are also certain things that you should do to prepare for them.

Every autumn, you'll see us bustling about, cleaning gardening tools and putting them away; preparing our compost piles for winter; putting snow brushes and kitty litter into our vehicles; and essentially getting ready to hunker down for the winter. One of the final things that I do every single year is to unhook my garden hose, coil it up and store it, and then make sure that the spigot is turned off and its fancy little hat is put on. After all, the last thing that I want in the middle of winter is a broken pipe because I didn't prepare properly...

You see where this is going, right? If not, let me fill you in. The morning of March 3, as I was starting my day, I went downstairs and while I was down there, I decided to reset my internet router. Imagine my confusion as I approached the office and heard running water coming from the laundry room! I asked my son about it and he assured me that he hadn't started any laundry. I believed him; after all, he is a teenager!

Figuring I needed to take a closer look, I stepped into the laundry room, and followed the noise right to the hatch door that drops down into my basement. I didn't want to open it; I was honestly afraid of what I might find. It turns out I should have listened to my fears, because once I opened it, all I saw was water gushing out of a broken pipe and falling to the basement floor. Now, if I'd listened to Erin and had prepared for things, this would have been easy. Since I'm stubborn or something and didn't listen, let me fill you in on what happened after that.

First, there was panic. Panic with me always involves tears. Then, there was the frantic calling of someone, asking them what the heck I should do, and my annoyance when they responded, "Turn off the water." Right. I knew that. Common sense and all that... but oh my god, how do I turn it off? Where is the shutoff valve? I honestly hadn't the first idea.

So, after another bit of panicky meltdown, I gave myself a stern talking-to and found my flashlight. I was actually proud of the fact that I knew right where it was. I went back to "the hole", looked in again using the flashlight, and couldn't spot the shutoff valve anywhere. I did, however, notice that the water was probably knee deep down in the main part of the basement. Knowing just how cold the water would be, I made the executive decision that I was not going in there unless someone made me. This left the outside shutoff valve. Surely that would be easy to find...

That's a big fat nope! After struggling through snow that was sometimes up to my knees and searching around the entire house, I discovered that there is no shutoff valve for the water attached to the outside of the house itself.

I bet you know what's coming next, don't you? Yep, more panic, and "Oh my god, what do I do now?" but this time mixed with a bit of cursing over the fact that Erin would know what to do, but Erin isn't here and she's so going to tell me that this is why I should prepare for things. Man, I hate when other people are right and I'm not.

After frantic phone calls all around the village with nobody answering their phones, I got in the van and drove to the fire station. After all, they ought to know something about water in the town. It seemed totally logical to me and might have worked... if anyone was there and the door wasn't locked. Luckily for me, our one lone village worker happened to be plowing the street and said he'd come help me out.

Another twenty minutes later and a hole dug into my driveway (fortunately it's earth, not paved), he turned the water off at the village's input location for the house. I sighed what must have been the biggest sigh of relief and thanked him probably more than he's ever been thanked for shutting someone's water off, and he went on his merry way while I went to go buy some water. I know, I know...I should have had some on hand. I should have done a lot of things. Here's my "Why the heck didn't I do this earlier?" list:

1. Discover utility shutoffs. I've lived here for nearly six years. There is absolutely no reason, after that amount of time, that anyone shouldn't know where every single shutoff valve in their home is located. This includes water, electricity, gas and any other utility pumping in or out of the home. A quick and thorough walk-through would have saved me a lot of panic and frustration today.
2. Have emergency supplies. Now this one, I'm usually good about. Ask me about candles, flashlights, batteries, blankets and even food and I'll tell you we're good, but ask me about something like water and I'm going to stare at you blankly. If I'd had gallons of water on hand and stored (not in the basement!), I wouldn't have had to make a special trip to the store today, further exhausting myself.
3. Good boots are important. Luckily for me, I have a pair of snow boots that I've owned for about a billion years and I was very thankful for them as I was climbing in and out of snow piles. The pajama bottoms that I was wearing were probably less appropriate, though, so I would suggest that if you're going to prepare for this type of situation, make sure that you have appropriate clothing for it! More than once today, I wished for a proper pair of galoshes so that going to the basement wouldn't have been such a big deal.
4. Listen to those who are experts in their areas. I'm not saying to kiss up to Erin so she doesn't say "I told you so" repeatedly. I'm saying this because in every walk of life, in every environment that we live in, there are those who know how to prepare for emergencies and what you can expect if you're new to the area. Seek these people out and educate yourself.

That's it for me and my guest post. If you want to find me online, you can generally do so at Life With Katie. As for me, I'm out of here because I need to start a list of where every last thing is in this house and decide where it is that I'm going to be storing some extra emergency supplies!

How Preppers Are Portrayed by the Media

I recently saw a mainstream magazine with a prepper-themed cover story. I haven't bought that particular magazine for many years  -- since their content was usually stories about things so far beyond my price range that I wasn't getting any value from it -- but this one piqued my interest so I bought it.

I'm not going to give the magazine any free publicity (however much a mention in our little blog would be) by naming it. If you're really interested in knowing which rag it was, it should be on sale for a few more weeks. You can't miss the cover story.

The title of the article is “XX survival secrets that will save your life”, with plenty of all caps. Any time an advertisement mentions a number, I get suspicious. The “20 piece tool set” is going to include at least 10 “throw-away” parts. This article is no different, in that most of the “secrets” are things like “keep matches on hand” and “a 12V inverter will let you run a 110VAC appliance”. Other throw-aways include:

• Any use of the tern“ultimate survival” in reference to a product is a red flag that someone has something to sell, and as far as I'm concerned, it's generally a “throw-away”.
• Listings of the “5 safest cities” are subjective and the joking tone of the descriptions (“the moonshine will keep you warm”, “Great if you don't mind ceaseless rain, or plaid”) further devalues the author's choices. 
• The list of stuff “you may not absolutely need, but, boy, it'd be nice to have” (direct quote, somebody needs a better editor) includes a $550 parka, a $350 cooler, a $100 hammock, and a $200 pair of gloves. Waste of print space, but in line with the magazine's normal reviews of cars that cost more than $100,000 and similar extravagances. 
• There is a “ticker” type bar across the bottom of the pages labeled “Prepper Jargon Decoded”, with pithy definitions of phrases and acronyms like WROL, TEOTWAWKI, and OPSEC.
• Maybe it is because the weather is cold in most of the USA right now, but the great majority of the “secrets” dealt with cold-weather survival. This is great for people living in the northern half of the USA, but they almost ignore any other climate and how to deal with it. Very little mention is given to any of the other various sorts of nightmare fodder that some of us have to deal with, or at least be aware of.
• The general tone of the article is evident in the heading of a section called “Prepping Lite”- “What preppers do and what you, a slightly less paranoid citizen, can do”. I'm not sure if the author was trying to be cute or funny, but the examples given of how a prepper acts in regards to water storage and communication are extreme and portray anyone who identifies as a prepper as being unhinged.
• The suggestions for water. A prepper would calculate storage as 1 gallon per person per day “times ten- just to be safe”. A “casual survivalist” should keep a pitcher of water in the fridge and start filling containers/bathtub at the first sign of trouble. The first is rarely possible unless you live in a rural setting, and the second is not going to help because the first sign of trouble may well be the water supply being cut off or contaminated. 
• For communications, a prepper will have established dead-drops that he has only shared with trusted “confidants”. Everybody else should look into amateur radio, which is not a bad idea for preppers in my opinion. Dead drops are for spies, not preppers. 
• The suggestion for “Heat” of using candles inside upside-down ceramic flower pots (listed as a “less paranoid” option) is questionable. I've seen the idea on a few websites, but the math doesn't work out. Candles are made of paraffin wax which has a calorie content that is close to that of fuel oil or diesel fuel. The idea that you can heat a room by burning a few ounces of wax makes no sense from the physics involved. My kerosene space heater burns about a gallon (roughly 6 pounds) of fuel per hour and barely keeps a room warm, a half-pound of candles isn't going to duplicate or surpass that. 
• A prepper will build an underground bunker, preferably not on the same property as their house, but regular people should just have a list of shelters available. One suggestion was a friend's basement, which also has a pool table. 
• The magazine picked a few “survival experts” to provide insight and suggestions; an Air Force SERE instructor, an alpine search-and-rescue team member, and a dog-sledding tour guide. These three gentlemen have the experience and training to be good source of information, but the selections chosen for publication were extremely basic. Find water, build shelter, gather food, and build a fire are all very basic steps to wilderness survival and none of them were covered in any depth. I'm sure these gentlemen could have done a lot more good if they were given the space and seriousness they deserve.
• There are a few obligatory zombie references – the “Barricade your house from the inside” section was conceived by a construction worker while watching The Walking Dead. They actually admitted that in print.

(Editor's Note:  listen to my podcast segment, Doomsday Preppers: A show designed to make everyone look bad, for more in this particular vein.)

http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/naked-and-afraid/

They do mention the popularity of survival-themed reality TV, and take most of them to task for being less survival and more “how to live in the woods”. The author proclaims that Naked and Afraid is the best of the bunch. For those of you who don't watch much TV, Naked and Afraid takes a man and a woman, strips them naked, and drops them into a remote location for three weeks. I've seen a few episodes, and it is an extreme test of survival skills and the participants don't always get along. The gist of every show is always"build a shelter, find food and water, make some clothes, create tools to make living easier." The author's statement that, “it's good to know......that your body could actually function for a good chunk of time on stagnant water and snake meat” is followed by the quip, “What a great way to lose weight.”

All told, I'm almost sorry I spent $5 on this piece of misinformation and bias. Nothing positive was mentioned about preppers; we're all borderline lunatics as far as this magazine knows. I must be getting old, because the “funny” and “cute” style of reporting is starting to irritate me. If you're going to write a story for an established magazine that has been in print for over a hundred years, I would think you'd select a style other than the one you'd use for The Onion or on Comedy Central. I think Colbert/Stewart have influenced an entire generation of writers and reporters, and not for the better.

The only redeeming part of the whole magazine was an article in the back about restoring old tools, and that is the only reason I may keep this issue around.

Gun Blog Variety Podcast #26

Not actually Erin.

Picture by KJ Photography

& is used with permission.

Has it been six months of podcasting already?

• Adam and Sean continue to execute their host duties flawlessly.
• Erin Palette tells us how Doomsday Preppers is designed to make everyone look bad.
• Nicki Kenyon discusses the 2015 National Security Strategy.
• Miguel Gonzalez wants us to get our heads right by reading some good self defense books.
• Barron B. talks about how two factor authentication needs to come to banks.
• and Weer'd scores an interview with Joe Huffman about the Seattle Smart Gun Symposium and how so-called "Smart Guns" aren't really all that bright an idea.

Listen to the podcast here.
Show notes may be found here.

Thanks for listening, downloading, and subscribing. Don't forget to share with a friend!

The Slippery Slope of Prepping

Not actually Erin.
Picture by KJ Photography
& is used with permission. 

For the past few weeks I have been in the process of clearing the junk out of my father's bedroom. No, he's not dead, although my mom and I did figure that we wouldn't be able to clear out the crap until after he had passed.  Thankfully, all that happened was that he fell and broke his hip. It required surgery and physical therapy, so while he is recovering in a rehab facility we are clearing paths so that his walker can fit and he will not fall while going to the bed or the toilet.

Yes, I said paths, plural. My father has always been to some degree a hoarder, and that tendency has only gotten worse with age. There are boxes and boxes and boxes of old papers that need to be disposed of -- mostly financial records, many of which are 10+ years old and some which stretch back to the 1980s, no lie -- as well as several hundred pounds of hardcover books. I kid you not, there is a four foot by seven foot area of his bedroom which is completely full of papers, boxes, and dusty clothes, and this area is directly in front of his dresser and chest of drawers.

This is AFTER we cleared away two chairs and at least 6 banker's boxes. 

Where he keeps his socks and underwear I don't know, as I have no idea how he gets to anything anymore.

What does this have to do with Prepping? 

I've long suspected that folks who are preppers have similar psychological characteristics:

• We are worried about the future
• We like to have things "just in case"
• We like having our gear nearby and accessible

In short, we're all potential hoarders. It's very easy for preparation to go from hobby to lifestyle choice to obsessive behavior, just as it's easy to go from "Wanting to stay informed" to "Oh God what's happening now" to "I must keep on top of things so that when things go bad at a moment's notice -- and they will -- I will have enough time to do something about it."

When does it become a problem?

As I am not you, I cannot tell you definitively when your prepping has taken a left turn into crazytown. All I can do is list some of the signs I've noticed within myself and others. 

• Do you lie awake at night worrying about all the preps you DON'T have?  
• Prepping is supposed to bring you peace, not create panic. 
• Secure your future by thinking about what you can accomplish today instead of tomorrow. 
• Do you feel compelled to make poor financial decisions just to buy gear or acquire preps?
• A key component of prepping is being financially prudent. If you're bankrupt, you are unprepared for now, so how can you care for yourself or your family in the future?
• Make a list of things you know you will buy and then watch for sales. In all probability you will be able to acquire that gear before disaster arrives, and without going into debt for it. 
• Do you feel you must be ready at all times and in all places for anything?
• It is good to be ready, but there is a distinct difference between "being ready" and "worrying so much you become paranoid." If you refuse to leave the house without a ton of gear, your gear has become a crutch and/or a fetish. 
• Acquire more skills and gain more confidence so that you can get by with less. 
• Do you have so much stuff that it is adversely affecting your quality of life?
• If prepping is making you unhappy, STOP.  Take time off to decompress. Consider it a mental vacation -- your preps will still be there when you get back. 
• Being constantly unhappy is not living, it is merely existing. A positive mental attitude is required for survival -- constant unhappiness means you are cultivating a losing strategy. 
• Do you feel like you must constantly do more, more, more?
• Your lifestyle has become an obsession. See above. 
• In short:

Preparation should serve YOU.
NEVER put yourself in service to preparation.