Laser Eye Surgery: LASIK vs. PRK

For those that wear eyeglasses for nearsightedness, the notion of having broken glasses during a SHTF scenario is terrifying – not being able to see! One obvious solution would be to have several pairs of extra glasses available, or many months of contact lenses. Another option, although expensive, is laser eye surgery.

There are two primary options for laser eye surgery, LASIK and PRK. Both have advantages and disadvantages, but for a survivalist the choice will usually be clear:

• LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) basically involves creating a flap on the cornea, using a laser to shape the eye and correct vision, and replacing the flap. The flap remains in position by natural adhesion and quickly heals. Excellent vision is normally achieved in a few hours to a few days.
• In PRK (photorefractive keratectomy), the top layer of eye skin cells (corneal epithelium) is removed, and a laser is used to shape the eye can correct vision. A protective contact lens is placed on the eye for several days to help speed the healing process (cornea cells growing back). Good vision is normally attainted within one-to-four months. During the healing process, vision can be very poor.

It may seem like a no-brainer to choose LASIK, since it offers relatively instant gratification. However, there are a few cons to LASIK. First, the structure of the eye is compromised, and, while rare, the “flap” can be displaced months or even years later. With PRK, on the other hand, there is no flap and the procedure can be done repeatedly if needs be (e.g. years later if vision changes) without weakening the eye.

Another advantage to PRK is that in many cases it can be done even when LASIK cannot (due to a thin cornea). Finally, if you live long enough, you’ll likely need cataract surgery, which consists of replacing the eye’s lens. LASIK can complicate this procedure.

Last year I considered these pros and cons, and opted for PRK. Recovery took 4-5 months, which was very inconvenient. It was very expensive. But just last week I took a finger in the eye from one of our very young children that most likely would have caused a flap to come loose had I had LASIK rather than PRK. After TSTHF there will be no doctors with lasers to fix such problems.

To me this justifies the much longer time required for full healing, though many who’ve had LASIK don’t want to hear about it. Granted it’s uncommon, but still a possibility to plan for.

Water Filters for the BoB – Lessons Learned

A few months ago I went to REI to purchase some lightweight cooking gear for the Bug out Bag (BoB), and came across the water filters. Then I committed the classic error of buying without researching. Fortunately, unlike my experience with power inverters, the filter I purchased – Katadyn Hiker, ~$65 – is fine, it’s just that another type probably would serve my needs better in the long run.

As always, one of the highest priorities for the BoB is lightweight, and the Katadyn Hiker delivers at only 11 oz. It’s also easy to use, 0.3 micron, and filters up to 200 gallons, depending on water quality, before needing a filter replacement. For a bug out situation, 200 gallons should be fine, and the filter gets good reviews.

So what could I have done better? Two main things; 1) a ceramic filter, which can normally run several hundred to a few thousand gallons, and 2) a filter that also removes chemicals such as pesticides.

For less than $90 I could have purchased a MSR MiniWorks EX water filter with a ceramic filter (up to about 400 gallons), 0.2 micron, and has a carbon core to take care of pesticides, etc. Cons; 14.6 oz.

Or if I wanted to go a little crazy, there is the Katadyn Pocket Microfilter for $220. It doesn’t take care of pesticides, and it weighs 20 oz., but that’s because of the very solid construction. It’s also a ceramic filter with 0.2 microns, but can go up to 13,000 gallons (yes, 13 thousand) and has a 20 year warranty. It’s hardcore. I’d go for this heavier, more expensive option, but would like to get something that also hadles pesticides and other chemicals, but I’ll have to do more research before deciding.

Off Grid Living: Great Barrier Island, NZ

I don’t watch much TV, but recently while flipping through channels before going to bed I saw an episode of “House Hunters” on HGTV located on Great Barrier Island, New Zealand. A few things that would make any survivalist/prepper take notice:

As the island is geographically isolated, there are some important things to keep in mind when preparing to travel there to ensure you have a safe and enjoyable trip… As there are no banks or ATMs on the island, it’s recommended that you take cash.
[…]
Great Barrier Island has no mains power, water supply or sewage system. It is powered by alternative energy systems – mostly by generator or solar.

While tourism brings income with which to purchase supplies, electricity, heating, and water are all handled by individual households. It’s not a stretch to imagine farming, herds of small animals, and fishing to supply food. At just over 60 miles from the mainland and with an area of about 110 square miles and a permanent population of 852, it seems pretty close to ideal for a TEOTWAWKI situation.

However, given New Zealand’s firearms laws and the fact that tens of thousands of people with boats might have the same idea about living there, it may or may not be an ideal. Regardless, the way in which the residents of Great Barrier Island live can be a model to strive for.

Mosin Nagant: The Last Cheap Surplus Rifle

The Mosin Nagant is a bolt-action military rifle in 7.62x54R, used by the militaries of Russia and several Eastern bloc counties. Produced in vast numbers and legendary for its rugged reliability, the rifle served from 1891 until the 1960s in many nations, when the sniper rifle variant was replaced by the SVD.

Another advantage is inexpensive and plentiful ammunition, at least for now. Ballistics for 7.62x54R ammunition falls roughly between .308 and .30-06. Currently 7.62x54R can be had for as little as $0.18 per round (147 grain), while the least expensive bulk .308 (147 grain) is about $0.32 per round, and .30-06 is at around $0.59 per round (145 grain). Disadvantages to this ammunition is that it’s dirty, uses corrosive primers, and the inexpensive rounds aren’t manufactured in the U.S.

In my opinion, this is probably the last great, cheap surplus rifle deal out there. For what you get, these rifles are going extremely cheap, with online prices as low as $69.95 (closer to $100 with shipping and FFL fees). At gun shows I’ve seen them reasonably process from $95-115, and overpriced at $150 and up. Prices vary at gun shops as well.

And a cheap price doesn’t mean cheaply made – they’re rugged and accurate. The video below is of a Mosin Nagant 91/30 using inexpensive Bulgarian surplus ammo, hitting a target at 1,000 yards!

Since everything after the Garand is selective fire for U.S. military rifles, no more surplus there. Most large caches of other European bolt action surplus rifles have been expended with prices high and only likely to go higher. Fifteen years ago I saw SKS rifles in the $80 range, now they’re usually $250 and up. Get one (or five) Mosin Nagants while the gettin’ is good.

Obama Considering VAT for U.S.

Note: I do not intend to turn this blog into a platform to criticize Obama, there are enough of those already, and prepping is farm more important. But, if the administration follows through on this, it is very significant to understanding the coming collapse.

On 26 March, Charles Krauthammer wrote in his Washington Post column that the Obama administration would have no alternative but to institute a European style value added tax (VAT) – a national sales tax, or consumption tax, in addition to income taxes – to pay for health care spending:

With the passage of Obamacare, creating a vast new middle-class entitlement, a national sales tax of the kind near-universal in Europe is inevitable.
[…]
Obama knows that the debt bomb is looming, that Moody’s is warning that the Treasury’s AAA rating is in jeopardy, that we are headed for a run on the dollar and/or hyperinflation if nothing is done.
[…]
Ultimately, even [the VAT] won’t be enough. As the population ages and health care becomes increasingly expensive, the only way to avoid fiscal ruin (as Britain, for example, has discovered) is health care rationing.

It will take a while to break the American populace to that idea. In the meantime, get ready for the VAT. Or start fighting it.

I was a bit skeptical that the Obama administration would attempt to institute a VAT, since it would require congressional approval and has a good chance of amounting to political suicide (for good reason) for those who champion it; looks like I was wrong. Some details came out the next day, but this is a more direct signal from the administration:

The United States should consider raising taxes to help bring deficits under control and may need to consider a European-style value-added tax, White House adviser Paul Volcker said on Tuesday. [emphasis added]
[…]
Though he acknowledged that both were still unpopular ideas, he said getting entitlement costs and the U.S. budget deficit under control may require such moves. “If at the end of the day we need to raise taxes, we should raise taxes,” he said.

The administration is attempting to desensitize the U.S. public to the idea by using an adviser, Volcker, to introduce the idea and framing it as if we simply have no alternative (like not spending more than we have). This is in red caps on the front of Drudge Report for a reason; the VAT is a genuine move towards European type socialism.

Some much for the campaign promise of no new taxes under Obama – a VAT taxes anyone who consumes – and we’re all looking forward to that middle-class tax break.

I see this as part of the slippery slope of tax and spend that is in part responsible for the slow crash cycle we’re currently in, and both Democrats and Republicans are involved to various degrees. The end result for preppers is that it drains off more of our income into a lost cause, while denying us those funds to use for prepping; lose-lose.

Precious Metals Post-TEOTWAWKI; I Don’t Buy It

A common theme in the survivalist community is that post-TEOTWAWKI gold, and especially silver, will quickly become prominent forms of currency. This notion is propagated by popular survivalists as well as a good portion of survival fiction. Usually the focus is on pre-1965 U.S. silver coins, which are 90% silver, with gold being reserved for really big purchases such as property or perhaps bribes (e.g., buying passage out of a dangerous area).

Some also call for stockpiling current U.S. nickels since the metal value is worth more than face value, and at least one survivalists blogger recommended stocking up on U.S. copper pennies (not the current mostly zinc circulation) to make change for silver coinage after TSHTF.

I’m not saying these metals will be useless, but I’ve come to the conclusion that their value post-TEOTWAWKI has been grossly overestimated, at least soon after full collapse. A few others agree with this line of thought.

While gold and silver have been valued as far back as we’ve recorded history and almost surely will retain value in the future, timing is everything. A few scenarios;

• Fast Collapse: Whatever the reason – EMP, super pandemic, etc. – after a fast collapse I don’t think either gold or silver will be worth much. People may still loot and hoard it, but I just don’t see most people wanting to sell a weapon or food for a gold coin or many silver ones. In such a situation food, security, weapons, ammunition, and other practical things will be worth far more. This scenario means a large die off in the U.S., perhaps 60-80% or more. A year after the crash, gold and silver jewelry (and coins) will be laying around empty homes for looters and scavengers to take; I’m not promoting the idea, just pointing out the obvious. There will be no logical reason to want nickel, and copper wiring and pipes in building the dead don’t use will make copper pennies worthless as well. In the aftermath of a fast collapse, precious metals are not needed.
• Slow Collapse: In my opinion, a collapse may start out slow in America but will eventually trigger a fast one – there will be no Kunstler-type slow collapse, it’s just not feasible. But that’s a topic for another post. At any rate, a slow collapse, unlike the fast one, probably would provide those with gold and silver the opportunity to cash in if they do so in time, and change those precious metals for many more goods, property, and so on that they might buy today. Gold and silver can act as a hedge against inflation. While the markets still exits it would also be a good time to cash in on any nickel or copper that’s been stockpiled. But once the breaking point is reached, a fast collapse is likely to begin and the value will be lost for some time.
• Recovery: Gold and silver have been world currencies for as long as trade has existed and this is where gold and silver will start to see their value again – when society and civilization begin to reform and barter commerce starts getting impractical. I don’t think this will happen quickly as some predict, it will need to wait for some sort of recovery, even if localized. The exception might be those who are well prepared now with vast stockpiles of barter goods, who barter for precious metals in expectation of the new market to eventually emerge (though I wonder how much of that trade would be in the jewelry of the dead). In a total, hard collapse (EMP, world financial collapse, etc.), I doubt recovery could occur before the excess population – the portion that cannot be fed – dies off, or at least a year.

Like anything else, I could be completely wrong. But I don’t think so – the logic behind a gold and silver market during TEOTWAWKI is just not sound. Before, if the timing is right and long after, but not during.

So, should you have any gold or silver? If you have excess income and all your other preps are in place, why not, it can’t hurt. Someone in that position could take advantage of the likely precious metals prices increases in the next few years and during a slow collapse (which are probably the same thing) to obtain an even more advantageous position for when the big collapse comes. Again, these metals can act as a hedge during inflation. If a fast collapse occurs, however, you won’t be able to cash in for many months, or perhaps more likely years, but again no big loss if all other preps are in place.

If you’re struggling to get squared away like most people, I would skip the precious metals, especially gold. If you feel you must, purchase a few silver dollars, quarters, and dimes, but don’t break the bank. A little may go a long way in a world where the vast majority have no silver coins. Secure more important items first, like a years worth of food, the survival weapons right for you, other items for your retreat, equipping your BoV, and so on.

Look at it like this; you can purchase a brick of U.S. manufactured bulk .22 LR ammunition (550 rounds) at Wal-Mart for about the same price as an American Silver Eagle dollar. If you purchased one of these items a month, after a year you’d have either 12 silver dollars, or 6,600 rounds of ammunition; what do you think will be worth more when our fragile civilization finally gives way?