Steal This Survival Book Today (3rd Edition)

It's perhaps fitting that I write this introduction in jail- that graduate school of survival. Here you learn how to use toothpaste as glue, fashion a shiv out of a spoon and build intricate communication networks. Here too, you learn the only rehabilitation possible-hatred of oppression.

Steal This Book is, in a way, a manual of survival in the prison that is Amerika. It preaches jailbreak. It shows you where exactly how to place the dynamite that will destroy the walls. The first section-SURVIVE!-lays out a potential action program for our new Nation. The chapter headings spell out the demands for a free society. A community where the technology produces goods and services for whoever needs them, come who may. It calls on the Robin Hoods of Santa Barbara Forest to steal from the robber barons who own the castles of capitalism. It implies that the reader already is "ideologically set," in that he understands corporate feudalism as the only robbery worthy of being called "crime," for it is committed against the people as a whole. Whether the ways it describes to rip-off shit are legal or illegal is irrelevant. The dictionary of law is written by the bosses of order. Our moral dictionary says no heisting from each other. To steal from a brother or sister is evil. To not steal from the institutions that are the pillars of the Pig Empire is equally immoral.

Community within our Nation, chaos in theirs; that is the message of SURVIVE!

We cannot survive without learning to fight and that is the lesson in the second section. FIGHT! separates revolutionaries from outlaws. The purpose of part two is not to fuck the system, but destroy it. The weapons are carefully chosen. They are "home-made," in that they are designed for use in our unique electronic jungle. Here the uptown reviewer will find ample proof of our "violent" nature. But again, the dictionary of law fails us. Murder in a uniform is heroic, in a costume it is a crime. False advertisements win awards, forgers end up in jail. Inflated prices guarantee large profits while shoplifters are punished. Politicians conspire to create police riots and the victims are convicted in the courts. Students are gunned down and then indicted by suburban grand juries as the trouble-makers. A modern, highly mechanized army travels 9,000 miles to commit genocide against a small nation of great vision and then accuses its people of aggression. Slumlords allow rats to maim children and then complain of violence in the streets. Everything is topsy-turvy. If we internalize the language and imagery of the pigs, we will forever be fucked. Let me illustrate the point. Amerika was built on the slaughter of a people. That is its history. For years we watched movie after movie that demonstrated the white man's benevolence. Jimmy Stewart, the epitome of fairness, puts his arm around Cochise and tells how the Indians and the whites can live in peace if only both sides will be reasonable, responsible and rational (the three R's imperialists always teach the "natives"). "You will find good grazing land on the other side of the mountain," drawls the public relations man. "Take your people and go in peace." Cochise as well as millions of youngsters in the balcony of learning, were being dealt off the bottom of the deck. The Indians should have offed Jimmy Stewart in every picture and we should have cheered ourselves hoarse. Until we understand the nature of institutional violence and how it manipulates values and mores to maintain the power of the few, we will forever be imprisoned in the caves of ignorance. When we conclude that bank robbers rather than bankers should be the trustees of the universities, then we begin to think clearly. When we see the Army Mathematics Research and Development Center and the Bank of Amerika as cesspools of violence, filling the minds of our young with hatred, turning one against another, then we begin to think revolutionary.

Be clever using section two; clever as a snake. Dig the spirit of the struggle. Don't get hung up on a sacrifice trip. Revolution is not about suicide, it is about life. With your fingers probe the holiness of your body and see that it was meant to live. Your body is just one in a mass of cuddly humanity. Become an internationalist and learn to respect all life. Make war on machines, and in particular the sterile machines of corporate death and the robots that guard them. The duty of a revolutionary is to make love and that means staying alive and free. That doesn't allow for cop-outs. Smoking dope and hanging up Che's picture is no more a commitment than drinking milk and collecting postage stamps. A revolution in consciousness is an empty high without a revolution in the distribution of power. We are not interested in the greening of Amerika except for the grass that will cover its grave.

Section three - LIBERATE! - concerns itself with efforts to free stuff (or at least make it cheap) in four cities. Sort of a quick U.S. on no dollars a day. It begins to scratch the potential for a national effort in this area. Since we are a nation of gypsies, dope on how to move around and dig in anywhere is always needed. Together we can expand this section. It is far from complete, as is the entire project. Incomplete chapters on how to identify police agents, steal a car, run day-care centers, conduct your own trial, organize a G.I. coffee house, start a rock and roll band and make neat clothes, are scattered all over the floor of the cell. The book as it now stands was completed in the late summer of 1970. For three months manuscripts made the rounds of every major publisher. In all, over 30 rejections occurred before the decision to publish the book ourselves was made, or rather made for us. Perhaps no other book in modern times presented such a dilemma. Everyone agreed the book would be a commercial success. But even greed had its limits, and the IRS and FBI following the manuscript with their little jive rap had a telling effect. Thirty "yeses" become thirty "noes" after "thinking it over." Liberals, who supposedly led the fight against censorship, talked of how the book "will end free speech."

Finally the day we were bringing the proofs to the printer, Grove consented to act as distributor. To pull a total solo trip, including distribution, would have been neat, but such an effort would be doomed from the start. We had tried it before and blew it. In fact, if anyone is interested in 4,000 1969 Yippie calendars, they've got a deal. Even with a distributor joining the fight, the battle will only begin when the books come off the press. There is a saying that "Freedom of the press belongs to those who own one." In past eras, this was probably the case, but now, high speed methods of typesetting, offset printing and a host of other developments have made substantial reductions in printing costs. Literally anyone is free to print their own works. In even the most repressive society imaginable, you can get away with some form of private publishing. Because Amerika allows this, does not make it the democracy Jefferson envisioned. Repressive tolerance is a real phenomenon. To talk of true freedom of the press, we must talk of the availability of the channels of communication that are designed to reach the entire population, or at least that segment of the population that might participate in such a dialogue. Freedom of the press belongs to those that own the distribution system. Perhaps that has always been the case, but in a mass society where nearly everyone is instantaneously plugged into a variety of national communications systems, wide-spread dissemination of the information is the crux of the matter. To make the claim that the right to print your own book means freedom of the press is to completely misunderstand the nature of a mass society. It is like making the claim that anyone with a pushcart can challenge Safeway supermarkets, or that any child can grow up to be president.

State legislators, librarians, PTA members, FBI agents, church-goers, and parents: a veritable legion of decency and order already is on the march. To get the book to you might be the biggest challenge we face. The next few months should prove really exciting.

Obviously such a project as Steal This Book could not have been carried out alone. Izak Haber shared the vision from the beginning. He did months of valuable research and contributed many of the survival techniques. Carole Ramer and Gus Reichbach of the New York Law Commune guided the book through its many stages. Anna Kaufman Moon did almost all the photographs. The cartoonists who have made contributions include Ski Williamson and Gilbert Sheldon. Tom Forcade, of the UPS, patiently did the editing. Bert Cohen of Concert Hall did the book's graphic design. Amber and John Wilcox set the type. Anita Hoffman and Lynn Borman helped me rewrite a number of sections. There are others who participated in the testing of many of the techniques demonstrated in the following pages and for obvious reasons have to remain anonymous. There were perhaps over 50 brothers and sisters who played particularly vital roles in the grand conspiracy. Some of the many others are listed on the following page. We hope to keep the information up to date. If you have comments, law suits, suggestions or death threats, please send them to: Dear Abbie P.0. Box 213, Cooper Station, New York, NY 10003. Many of the tips might not work in your area, some might be obsolete by the time you get to try them out, and many addresses and phone numbers might be changed. If the reader becomes a participating researcher then we will have achieved our purpose.

Watch for a special edition called Steal This White House, complete with blueprints of underground passages, methods of jamming the communications network and a detailed map of the celebrated room where according to Tricia Nixon, "Daddy loves to listen to Mantovanni records, turn up the air conditioner full blast, sit by the fireplace, gaze out the window to the Washington Monument and meditate on those difficult problems that face all the peoples of this world."

December, 1970
Cook County Jail
Chicago

        "FREE SPEECH IS THE RIGHT TO SHOUT

        'THEATER' IN A CROWDED FIRE."

                    - A YIPPIE PROVERB

Aiding and Abetting

Last updated: 9 September 2011

Who are you?

Dozens of Anonymous Contributors, Ploney the Expat, Unidyne, root (name unknown), J! of the Dumpstered, J.D. from South Carolina, Ryan Libberator, Zeerahks O'Connelley, Jacob the Mad, Jonathan M. Taylor, Bubbles, Sketchy, Jimmy McSqueeze, Jeffrey R Glenn, Jake Blohnson, Sean Hogan (firsty), Trevor Ruggles, El Almirante, Captain.telnet, Doctormatt, Moonmaiden 103, Michael Davis (manintweed), E.R. the gun nut, Jedite (Jedite83), vov35, Mill Creek "HIGH", vannieplustwo, recursive, Sarah, Actafool, leftyblack, Cow, Greenl

Thanks To:

The EFF and TOR, Amnesty International, CBLDF, Scroogle, Linus Torvalds, Cory Doctorow's bitchun society, Little Brother, and whuffie economy, Tim Berners-Lee for HTML and HTTP, Tom Jennings and FidoNet, Neal Stephenson for HEAP and the Future, Rick Prelinger and the Prelinger Archives, Internet nerds, free WiFi, full dumpsters, donated laptops and PDA's, bicycles, people who stop for hitch-hikers, folks that feed street people, 3-D 'printers', AIM indigenous movement, old Black Panthers who won't talk, veterans of the Back-To- The-Land movement, IWW then and now, Joe Hill, Eugene V. Debs, hardware hackers, Sheldon Brown, war dialers and drivers, rebba and tahnedem, those who voided the warranty, old Elmers, expats, bloggers, radio pirates, Jessica Sideways, The Magna Carta, Berry Cooper, Frank Zappa, "Don't taze me, bro!", homebrews, months in the wilderness, solar cells when they cut the power, getting fired, disappointed and proud parents, annoyed but loving partners, ADD kids, stupid mistakes (and learning from them), George Orwell and his books Animal Farm and 1984, duct tape, Bram Cohen and Bittorrent, Multimachine, no rent money, cool teachers, forever role models, pranksters (Cassady most of all), Ken Kesey, Brazilian satellite hackers, Judi Bari, Darryl Chemey, Woody Guthrie, Harpo from Brooklyn, Ti Jean, J.R. "Bob" Dobbs, Malaclypse the Younger & Lord Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst, the original Omar Khayyam, Sarah's madre, lessons from blown off fingers, geeks and trolls, 300 Baud BBS's, multi-tools, soldering irons, security screwdriver bit sets, Swiss Army knives, long bicycle tours without destinations, TRS-80, Amiga & Commodore 64/128, BASIC & COBOL, rooftop farmers, prohibition moonshiners, Seth Tobocman, Peter Kuper, Eric Drooker, Pete Seeger & the Weavers, Holly Near, Free Tre Arrow, Marilyn Buck, D.B. Cooper, web 2.0, the Internet Archive, feeders, Peace Corps projects, growing instead of buying, barbers, Robert Anton Wilson, Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, Usenet, performance-enhancing substances, flea markets, swap meets and garage sales, Guy Fawkes, Open Source, the Tank Man of Tiananmen Square, Michael Hoy, Claire Wolfe, most of the Dharma, neighbors and more, Noam Chomsky, Axis of Justice, the Coup, Phreakers, Rage Against the Machine, the Fugs and other leftist bands, those who got away with it and never told a soul, and especially Abbie for the first edition.

Original Aiding and Abetting

What follows is the original text

Tim Leary, Tom, Geronimo, Pearl Paperhanger, Sonny, Pat Solomon, Allan Katzman, Jacob Kohn, Nguyen Van Troi, Susan, Marty, Andy, Ami, Marshall Bloom, Viva, Ben, Oanh, Robin Palmer, Mom and Dad, Janie Fonda, Jerry, Denis, LNS, Bernadine Dohm, a wall in Harvard Square, Nancy, an anonymous stewardess, Shirley Wonderful, Roz, Gumbo, Janis, Jimi, Dylan Liberation Front, Jeannie, God Slick, John, David, Rusty, Barney, Richard, Denny, Ron Cobb, the entire Viet Cong, Sam Shephard, Ma Bell, Eric, David, Joe, Kim Agnew, the Partridge Family, Carol, Alan Ginsburg, Woman's Lib, Julius Lester, Lenny Bruce, Hack, Billy, Paul, Willy, Colleen, Sid, Johnny Appleseed, the Rat, Craig, Che, Willie Sutton, Wanda, EVO, Jeff, Crazy Horse, Huey, Casey, Bobby, Alice, Mao, Rip, Ed, Bob, Gay Liberation Front, WPAX, Frank Dudock, Manny, Mungo, Lottie, Rosemary, Marshall, Rennie, Judy, Jennifer, Mr. Martin, Keith, Madame Binh, Mike, Eleanor, Dr. Spock, Afeni, Candice, the Tupamaros, Berkeley Tribe, Gilbert Sheldon, Stanley Kubrick, Sam, Anna, Skip Williamson, UPS, Andy Stapp, the Yippies, Richard Brautigan, Jano, Carlos Marighella, the Weathermen, Julius Jennings Hoffman, Quentin, the inmates of TIER A-l Cook County Jail, Houdini, 37, Rosa Luxemberg, the Kent 25, the Chicago 15, the New York 21, the Motor City 3, the Indianapolis 500, Jack, Joan, Malcolm X, Mayakovsky, Dotson, R. Crumb, Daniel Clyne, Justin, The FBI Top 10 (now 16), Unis, Dana, Jim Morrison, Brian, John, Gus, Ruth, Nancy Unger, Pun, Jomo, Peter, Mark Rudd, Billy Kunstler, Genie, Ken, the Law Commune, Paula, Robby, Terry, Dianna, Angela, Ted, Phil, Jefferson Airplane, Len, Tricky Prickers, the Berrigans, Stu, Rayanne, J.B., Jonathan Jackson, the Armstrong Brothers, Homer, Sharon, Fred Hampton, Jean Jacques Lebel, A. H. Maslow, Hanoi Rose, Sylvia, Fellini, Amaru, Ann Fettamen, Artaud, Bert, Merrill, Lynne, and last but not least to Spiro what's his name who provided the incentive.

Survive

1. Security Culture

Last updated: 26 June 2011

Security Culture is the most powerful tool to keep us in the fight. The pigs have their spies and they are ready to use them to defame, fracture, jail, and intimidate our movement — this is no bullshit. It doesn't matter if you're a church group bake sale volunteer or a militant environmental activist, if you've been spitting distance from an anti-war meeting, you've been spied on by your government. Keep all groups small and intimate, one is best although it might make you crazy; three is a the number to never exceed for actions; group together several threes for very big actions, but don't use these groupings for actual civil disobedience. Try to form affinity groups with those you have known for many years. This disperses the threat and the effect of infiltration.

But you still need to be careful, even in large groups. Take this advice seriously — you're not doing anybody any good if you're locked up without having done anything.

Image:Looselips.jpg

Main points:

NEVER BRAG about past actions!
NEVER USE NAMES when planning an action!
Only discuss action with those who NEED TO KNOW!
After an action, NEVER DISCUSS it with OUTSIDERS!
NEVER ADMIT anything to the authorities, even for a deal when they claim others have ratted out! If you haven't ratted them out yet, they probably haven't ratted you out either.
While you're at it, DON'T TELL THE AUTHORITIES ANYTHING!
NEVER LIE about being in on an action or your part in an action!
DON'T ASSUME that a friend of a friend is a friend!
Keep involved members to a VERY SMALL group!
ONLY work with a TRUSTED affinity GROUP!
ONLY ALLOW those who would NEVER rat out the group INTO a TRUSTED affinity GROUP!
ONLY DISCUSS action in OPEN AREAS with background noise!
NEVER discuss action in HOMES, KNOWN MEETING AREAS, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION or CARS!
If busted use your right to REMAIN SILENT!
If busted NEVER ARGUE or try to EXPLAIN yourself!
NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! RAT out another activist!
Be extra CAUTIOUS with ROMANTIC or SEXUAL PARTNERS!
NEVER TRUST electronic ENCRYPTION or codes to keep your communication safe!
ALWAYS CHECK your wallet and gear for incriminating documents and maps

A big thanks to our friends at Why-War.com for using a copyright (http://www.why- war.com/support/copyrights.php) the same as ours. Parts of what follows started out as material on their site along with our contributions and edits.

1 Electronic Communication
2 Web Sites
3 Identity
4 Phones
5 Documents
6 Fear
7 Names
8 Appearance
9 Masks
10 Safe Sex
11 Tough Love
12 Unnecessary Criminal Activity
13 Practice
14 Tips
15 Planning
16 Security of Your Security Culture
17 Conclusion

Electronic Communication

A little story: I worked with a direct action group in ****** known as ***. One member of *** who was new and did not know the protocols of security culture sent out an e-mail that indirectly implicated specific members of the group in an action that had happened in the area. His e-mail resulted in four arrests. Two people went to jail for six months.

E-mail is never safe. Ever. Listservs especially sire monitored daily by local police departments and the FBI. If you’re planning a mass direct action event, you must use a spokescouncil meeting or other face-to-face organizing strategy. Never send specifics (date, time, or location) about a direct action over e-mail. Some e-mail is more secure. Hushmail provides encrypted e-mail service for its users that can be more secure than regular e-mail, and using an encryption program like PGP can greatly increase your security, but remember that Hushmail and any other email provider will give the private key and email contents to the cops with a just a phone call, no warrant needed, thanks to the (un)Patriot Act. Keep your private PGP encryption key block private and ready to securely delete and overwrite, not on any providers' servers! Even with what you think is good, hard crypto, it’s never a good idea to talk about specifics over e-mail. Keep any discussion of direct action extremely vague, and never give the location and time. So you get up every day looking for your chance to make your voice heard. Where do you look? Why, Indymedia, infoshop and protest.net, of course! Well guess what? Someone else is reading those websites too.

Never trust any kind of encryption, nearly all codes have eventually been broken, they are only meant to slow down the opposing side!!

There is one kind of encryption that so far if perfectly executed is unbreakable. The trade off is that key exchanges and getting sufficiently random numbers are more involved. This type of encryption is known as a One-Time Pad http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-time_pad. These can either be done with a ten sided dice shaken in a cup or a bingo number drum, a pencil and paper, or with a computer program http://www.scubaninja.eom/code/c/xor/ although computer generated pads are sometimes later found to not be truly random and can then be cracked, you or your computer program must also use a rotating mathematical algorithm that prevents letter frequency, word, and sentence pattern decoding attacks. The general idea with a OTP is that both the sender and the receiver have a set of "pads" filled with random data. Sending a message takes one "pad", which is then destroyed. This is the big tradeoff with OTPs: obviously, the unused pads must be kept secret, just like any other encryption key, but the used pads have to be disposed of properly, too. (Burned if paper, securely deleted if electronic.) Make sure you know what you're doing if you use this method. Secure deletion especially during a surprise raid is very difficult, hard disk platters are incredibly durable and take a long time to fully overwrite enough times, RAM memory chips which if quickly powered off and cooled may retain recoverable data for over an hour.

Web Sites

The State reads protest websites all the time. Why War’s website has received hits from most branches of the military. Stealthiswiki.org has been mentioned in the record of the California state assembly, so you bet the piggies are reading it. If you post specific details about a direct action on the Internet, you can expect there to be cops there when you show up. I believe that the best way to organize is to call a spokescouncil meeting and post the information on Indymedia. Always remember that everything you say on the Internet is there forever. Don’t make jokes. Even visually representing an attack on the president has cost one person a visit from the Secret Service.

Identity

Assume everyone is a cop. I am a cop. You are a cop. The only people you can assume are not cops are your mother (unless she is a cop) and your affinity group. If someone e-mails you saying they are from one group or another, they are a cop. (Not necessarily, in fact, probably not, but you need to treat them like they are.) Especially on the Internet, you can never assume anyone is who they claim they are. Nothing is less secure than the Internet, where anyone can read anything you say at any time. Still, after the passing of the Patriot Act, phones are not secure. Whistleblowers have exposed that communication companies have given the government direct links into our phone and data lines. They tapped our phones in Boston. The ACLU has its phones tapped. It’s not that rare. Using cell phones to communicate at an action seems like a really good idea, and it can be. But cell phones are easily monitored, and the special operations cops have the ability to monitor cell phones in a certain area. So don’t say, “Swarm the comer of 33rd and 5th!” Plan everything out ahead of time, and be able to say, “Are you coming?” or "Green team GO!" and have everyone know what that means. Body mods, drug use, and tattoos are by no means a sure sign of a person being on our side. Informants come in all shapes and sizes, and may be very convincing. Some are even trained by the military. (If you think that's a load of paranoid bull, just have a look here (http://www.democracynow.org/2009/7/28/broadcast_exclusive_declassified_docs_reveal_military) •)

Another measure of caution to use is to agree on a confidential codeword or codewords to identify others of your group. If a riot is ensuing and some guy is shouting "Asparagus!", other people might think he's a nut. Your group, however, will know he's one of yours.

Phones

For immediate actions, the phone can be fairly secure, if you can act before the police can react. However, unless you are using a payphone, this leaves your name implicated with whatever action you do. In general treat a payphone as if someone were listening. Never give specifics. There are ways to know if your phones are tapped, if you really want to know, but it’s best always just to assume that they are. Many payphones are tapped in accordance with the PATRIOT Act. The police also have the ability to listen to you through your phone even if you are not on the phone at that moment. They have to the technology to do this unless your phone is unplugged. This is why pre-pay cellphones are popular with the ignorant activist. Unfortunately they are incredibly easy to track — much more dangerous than a pay phone.

Documents

Every activist must remember that even if they do remain silent their vehicle, gear, and person will be searched for documents and clues to identity them as well as indicate connection to past or present illegal activity. Most people have a habit of making a filing cabinet of their wallet by keeping business cards of friends or businesses you frequent, at the least you cast suspicion on all of these people. Maps, trash, personal orgainser/phone number list books, matchbooks, business cards, campground or tourism directories, etc can all give away your plans, even more so the information in your mobile phone or SIM chip and laptop. Even unique equipment or clothing labels may give clues to the region of your origin, surely eliminate gear you have used on direct actions. A good plan is to leave behind your wallet and only take one piece of ID to events.

Fear

Perhaps the easiest (and most detrimental) time for security culture to break down is in the heat of a protest when the police begin their repression tactics. You see your friends being taken away by police and it is your first instinct to call out to them. Or perhaps the group you are marching with shatters and you feel the need to remind everyone of where your pre-planned re-convergence space is. It is at this point that your faith and trust in your friends is most severely tested; therefore, everyone should make the utmost effort to build these things beforehand.

Have a thorough briefing before an action (just like the Special Forces do!) Make sure everyone knows the plan cold. Work out any contingencies you can think of (remember Murphy's Law), so that if they occur, everybody's response is almost automatic. It's much easier to deal with a situation if you've gone over it beforehand with a cool head. Also be prepared for things to not go according to plan — they rarely do — and trust your friends to do what is needed. That's what it really comes down to.

There's a great mantra for fighting fear that's used in the book Dune. Maybe it will be of use to you as well:

I must not fear.

Fear is the mind-killer.

Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.

I will face my fear.

I will permit it to pass over me and through me.

And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.

Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.

Only I will remain.

As an aside: remember to walk, not run, at any group march, even in a serious retreat. Running can be the start of a stampede which can kill many activists.

Names

Don’t use people’s names at a direct action protest. If you want, use special nicknames come up with aliases or something, but concealing your identity from the authorities is important. You might not think they are listening, but they are. Another story: at a peace rally in ****town, the local radical groups held a spokescouncil meeting at the beginning of the rally to decide when we were going to break away from the main march. In the middle of our meeting, we were surrounded by police who then walked with us the entire way.

Appearance

Don’t look sketchy. If you’re having a spokescouncil meeting in a public place, take off your bandannas! Put away the red and black banners, steal a “Peace is Patriotic” sign from a nearby liberal, whatever. Increasingly, the cops are targeting radical groups for arrest and “special treatment” (i.e. police brutality) and, increasingly, what the cops consider to be a radical group is becoming less and less radical. Black flags and radical banners are all well and good, but keep them out of sight while you're planning. Some of you might be saying, “Wait, take off our bandannas? That’s such a bad plan!” In some ways, you’re correct. As I said before, concealing your identity is important. The average American is photographed 300 times a day (every time you use an ATM, get gas, go into a convenience store, pay a toll, etc.). Protests are very well monitored by video and snapshots.

Masks

If you are engaging in autonomous civil disobedience (not a sit-in) and you don’t plan on being arrested (i.e. you want to get away with it) you should conceal your face using a bandanna, or other cloth. When combined with a hat (Simple is best) and some sunglasses, this getup makes you nearly impossible to identify via facial recognition. Wearing a bandanna can make you a target for police, since they associate it with radicals, so only wear one if you are actually doing something illegal and concealing your identity makes sense. Gas masks and ski masks certainly conceal your identity well, but they look extremely militant, and tend to both incite police violence and frighten other protesters. Unless you plan on directly and forcibly confronting the police, I would not recommend wearing a gas mask. (If you think that there will be teargas, you can always have a pair of swim goggles and a bandanna soaked in apple cider vinegar in your pocket.) Also remember that the foam in ski masks and ski goggles will trap teargas and other gasses, after a while this will expose your face to more teargas than wearing nothing at all. Swimming goggles are therefore more advisable.

Safe Sex

One of the most difficult areas of security culture exists between partners in a sexual relationship.

There is an implied special bond and dissolution of barriers between those who spend their naked time together. If potentially important information is not shared, there is often a feeling of betrayal. It is best from the beginning of a sexual or romantic relationship to let your significant other know there are or may develop activities you are involved in that you are unable to share. If they are really cool with the cause and secure in themselves they should understand, if not you have to choose. Drop them or drop out of direct action.

The problem with many relationships between activists (and ordinary people too) is that the relationship ends after a time, this sometimes gets ugly if hearts are broken. It is not an unreasonable concern that a jilted lover might even turn to the pigs or talk too openly to get revenge. This includes exposing Internet pen names, turning over cell phone history, or capitalizing on any other one of the number of different privacy fallacies we have about our lives.

Another consideration is the sellout for ransom, a person may choose to make a deal and narc out the whole organization when their lover is threatened with serious punishment where they might stand strong for themselves, the pigs are famous for this blackmail deal, done in a secret way where the significant other may never even find out.

Short term relationships or even one night stands can be very dangerous, there are those cops and civilian narc types who have a kink for playing the spy while having a little naked fun in the sack with their target. Never discuss any involvement of any kind beyond generic politics at all with a short term relationship especially if it looks like trading insider info will get you sex.

There is wisdom in the idea of our cells having a professional expectation of no romance between activists, this is often an unrealistic expectation, each group must decide what is acceptable.

And don't forget to use a condom.

Tough Love

A danger that we don't often expect and that usually hurts the worst is the loving friend, parent, or close relative intervention bust. A naive and police state propaganda addicted person who full of "tough love" for the unsuspecting victim hopes to rescue them from dangerous radicalism may destroy their life forever by calling the police in hopes that this bust will set them on the straight path. The interventionist truly thinks that by turning the youngster in instead of them getting caught the victim will only get a slap on the wrist to scare them straight, much like taking a five year old shoplifter back to the store, but this leaves our young radical with a criminal record or worse fighting for their lives in prison, even juvies under 18. These 'helpful' intervention sell outs are often for drag use or shoplifting not even for radical action where we are often more secretive but once they pigs have permission to dig...

Unnecessary Criminal Activity

Do not become involved in activities like shoplifting, reckless driving, or narcotics if you are an activist. Do not permit members of your affinity group to engage in these activities, either. It is already easy enough for the police to blackmail us. Most busts for "domestic terrorism" are the result of shoplifting or traffic stops. Once someone has been released and heavy charges dropped it might be wise to insulate them from serious direct action as they may have made a deal and are now working for the other side in exchange for their continuing freedom. It is important to realize that alcohol and many drugs make you much more likely to open your mouth and blab about your activities, think truth serum here.

Practice

Remember to practice security culture with your friends. This is the hardest aspect of security culture for many of us to perfect. You’ve just finished a successful and awesome direct action! Yay! The first thing you want to do is tell all your friends about it. Chances are, your friends won’t turn you into the cops. However, bragging/gossiping about direct action can be a chronic breach of security culture.

Tips

There are some things that you should NEVER talk about with people that you don’t know very, very well on a personal basis:

Your involvement or someone else’s in a specific illegal direct action. The only exception is if you have already been convicted of that action, or if you are outside the jurisdiction of where that action took place, or if, beyond any doubt whatsoever, the statute of limitations has passed, so that you cannot be prosecuted for the action or used as a witness.
Almost all the time, though, there are no exceptions. Don't tell anyone anything, ever. Even if you cannot be found guilty, talking about your past actions implicates you and increases police observation directed in your and your colleagues' direction. Even if you're being investigated, every lead you release could be the one that ends up getting you screwed over.
Your involvement or someone else's in an underground group (i.e. a group that has claimed actions for the Earth Liberation Front, etc.)
Someone else's knowledge of an illegal direct action.
Specific plans for future direct actions. With a good security culture, everyone is on a need-to-know, don’t-ask-don’t-tell basis. The less you know about an action that you will not be involved in, the safer you and the people engaging in that action will be. Obviously you can discuss future actions with your affinity group, but do so in a safe place and manner.

Planning

When discussing plans for a radical direct action with your affinity group, do not discuss them in a place likely to be monitored (i.e the place you usually meet, an activist’s car, Unitarian churches, radical bookstores, etc.). Find someplace safe for your discussion. There are some things that we as humans tend to do that can be extremely risky for us as activists. Using activism as a social device can be detrimental to security culture. There are liars: people who claim to have engaged in illegal actions in order to impress others. This is not okay. Those people are putting themselves and the people they lie to in danger by breaking security culture in this way. Bragging to your friends, I can’t emphasize enough, is dangerous. One on one, in a safe location, it is okay to talk about less radical direct actions, but only talk about secure things with people who know about security culture and won’t go and gossip it to others. This brings us to gossiping. If you’ve heard anything about a direct action that you’re not involved in, don’t say anything about it to anyone. You will jeopardize your security and the security of those planning the action.

Security of Your Security Culture

Security culture is not a spy game or a joke. Pretending to have an overdeveloped sense of security culture in order to impress others is no different than bragging about an action. This is not “I could tell you but I’d have to kill you.” If someone asks you a question that you don’t want to answer, or if you think someone is talking about something that they shouldn’t be talking about, just change the subject.

Conclusion

Before I end we should also note that there are informants out there. They infiltrate activist groups, (and sometimes even activist affinity groups) and jeopardize (intentionally) everyone's security. It can be hard to distinguish between new members of a group who want to learn about what’s going on and don’t know much about security culture and infiltrators who are trying to gather enough information to have you all arrested. If you think your group may have been infiltrated, check out the Security Survival Skills guide produced by the Collective Opposed to Police Brutality. It’s the most extensive guide to security culture that I’ve found on the web and it has a section that explains how to identify counterinsurgents within the ranks.

This is by no means a complete and definitive guide to security culture. Again I urge you to read the Security Survival Skills (http://www.why-war.com/files/2003/09/activist_security.html) guide produced by the Collective Opposed to Police Brutality.

Always remember this: Just because we’re non-violent doesn’t mean that the police don’t see us as a threat, or that they won't pretend to see a threat if it suits them. It also doesn’t mean that we will not be charged with violent crimes if arrested. You can be charged for assault if you even brush against a police officer, for carrying a weapon if you have a pencil, and for reckless endangerment if you hang a banner on a building.

Maintaining a tight security culture is essential for creating a cohesive, safe, and effective movement based on the principals of trust and solidarity. This guide may seem harsh and paranoid, and you should always use reason. You’re probably not gonna get yourself in trouble by talking about some snake-march you participated in, but always be thinking, “Would I say this to a cop?”

2. Free Food

Last updated: 16 August 2011

Cooking Basics

Hunting

Fishing

Foraging

Restaurants

Food Programs

Supermarkets

Farm It

See also Appendices and Tables for recipes!

1 General Guide
2 Blood and guts
3 Dumpster Diving
4 Day Old Bread Stores
5 Free Drinks
6 Hotel Grazing
7 Fast Food Chains
8 Convenience Stores
9 Movie Theaters
10 Cafes
11 Hospital Cafes
12 Free Milk
13 Free Candy
14 Free Meat and Cheese
15 Grocery Stores
16 Sikh Temples
17 Free Food For Your Own Church
18 Bird Bread
19 Own a Pickup?
20 External Links to Free Food Resources

General Guide

Until several days without food it's difficult to really understand what hunger means. You get faint and weak, unable to concentrate, and your reactions will be slow. As you go longer, you feel an ache below your heart. You may fantasize about food and how to get some. You will feel cold in bad weather no matter the clothing or bedding you pile on, and weak and drained in hot weather.

Many will steal. Hours pass and it feels like your soul is being cut with knives. When you are starving, it is easy to hate fat, well dressed people in warm, air conditioned houses.

Let's make this clear - Corporate government really does not care about who is eating properly, that is your problem. In a 2006 pamphlet distributed to its laid-off employees, Northwest Airlines once advised its newly impoverished former workers to strongly consider rifling through trash for suitable food! Wage slaves like nurse aides typically feed their residents three meals plus a snack a day while having a sneak to eat or only affording one meal a day. Even fast food, hotel, and restaurant jobs can have unreasonable meal plans. Your need to feed yourself is considered disgusting (and cuts into profits!)!

Yet Amerika is the most wasteful nation on Earth, consuming the most food per person in the world and throwing it away. Country club members graze daily on huge brunch buffets, only taking what they are in the mood for. Huge conventions throw away massive amounts of food in order to offer choices the upper middle class may or may not want. Even grocery stores throw away much edible food.

We may not have a right to food in America, but surviving is important! So how do we eat?

Blood and guts

Picky Americans throw away lots of good meat that everyone else considers to be delicacies. Things like hearts, kidneys, livers, stomachs and lungs can all be had for cheap, if not free, and are not only nutritious, but also delicious if prepared properly. Although some people eat them, it's wise to avoid brains due to all the diseases they can carry.

This is especially noticeable in areas with lots of hunters. After they bag bambi, most hunters will only take the loins and some ground meat for their troubles, leaving lots of perfectly good meat available just for the asking.

Even blood (assuming it's fresh, NEVER use old blood) can be turned into food. It can thicken soups, make sausages and can be even used in pancakes.

In the rest of the world, this is haute gourmet. So why not use it to make 5 star meals for growing revolutionaries?

Dumpster Diving

No discussion of free food would be complete without talking dumpster diving, but remember that you can score great bike parts, computers, weird electronics, clothes, toys, paperback books, etc. Anything you can get through the front door usually comes out the back door and into the dumpster at some point.

Look through a phone book or tour the neighborhood on your bike to see what grocery stores, restaurants, and food services are nearby and check their dumpsters when no one is outside. It may take a few days to learn when the trash pick-up day is and what time fresh food is dumped, so keep checking. Don't ruin a good dumpster for everyone by throwing trash everywhere while rooting around. If you clean up the manager will have no reason to lock the dumpster, and the cops can't charge you for littering.

Be aware that a "No Trespassing" sign or demands by an employee usually mean that you do not have permission to dive there, which may cause trouble with the cops. However, if you are never asked to leave and there is no obvious signage you should be fine. Most state trespassing laws will not charge or even arrest you for trespassing if you have not refused to leave after being asked, which can be substituted by a "No Trespassing".

Rubber boots, work gloves, long trousers, and long sleeved shirts will help protect you from cuts in the dumpster if needed. Box cutters are useful for packaging, boxes, bags, and twine. Dumpsters are mostly safe, just really dirty. But don't gamble with sharp metal or broken glass, wear tall rubber diving or leather boots.

LED headlamps will give you light to see what you are grabbing. Use a red filter when possible at night to prevent your flashlight from being visible at distance. Removable car seat covers, trash sacks, or sheets of newspaper will protect your car seat if you have gotten really gooped up. Clean plastic trash sacks are a good way to protect your finds while wading in the dumpster, transporting your haul home, and when containing messy boots or clothes. When biking, line your panniers or backpack with plastic shopping bags.

Don't worry about getting sick until you start deciding what to eat. Always wash unpackaged produce; vinegar or diluted bleach soak for 30 minutes kills most bacteria to safe levels. If you come across any cans that are bulging at the top and/or bottom, leave them in the dumpster. They're known in the trade as being "blown" and are unfit to eat and ripe with bacteria.

Compactors and garbage smashers are really good at crushing bones. Don't disable compactors as that can get you in trouble with the police, and may not even disable the system. Most stores with compactors have fitted a metal collar to keep divers and raccoons out. We find that these are usually bent from careless truck drivers and desperate kids grabbing beer left by friends inside. You can usually grab for something you can see and reach, but you MUST use a grabber or you risk trapping your arm. We don't like compactor amputations.

You can purchase a "universal skip key," which will open many (if not most) dumpsters. Bumping a lock or picking it can also work.

Day Old Bread Stores

Ask for bread a bakery is going to throw away. Tell them it's for your pig. Most times they will squash it down in a buggy but squashed bread is still tasty. Remember to check for mold and pinch it off, but a spot of mold will not hurt you.

Many deli chains and sub stores have a "bread bin" with perfectly edible, scrap bread to be thrown away. It's sanitary, and if the employee is cool, they may give you some for free. Just remember that for many employees it is still cool to disrespect the homeless.

Free Drinks

Get your hands on a plastic cup from a gas station or fast-food restaurant. Swipe 'em from tables, ask for a cup of water, or surreptitiously peruse the trash bin. This guarantees you free drinks there for as long as you have the cup. If you're worried about germs, when you fill up your stolen cup, "accidentally" drop the cup, and ask for another one. Don't forget to clean up the mess.

Some restaurants will issue "courtesy" cups for non-customers asking for water. If a restaurant has drink fountains out in the open, as most fast food joints do, these can easily be filled with the beverage of your choice. Even if the minimum wage employees see you, it's unlikely that they'd go out of their way to stop you.

Fortunately the mono culture consumerism ensures that restaurant that lack branded cups will have have selected theirs from a small collection. Save your cups nested inside each other; often you can "select" a matching cup from your bag without suspiciously digging through the trash. You might think you are being sly, but reaching into the trash is one of those faux pas that store clerks catch from across the restaurant every time.

Hotel Grazing

Do not forget the wondrous resource that is your local hotel. Many hotels offer complimentary breakfasts, a fact which you can use to your advantage.

First, look at what hotels offer what. A small Super 8 or Motel 6 may not have much more than pastries and coffee. Mid-scale hotels like Hampton Inns offer a very generous free spread and a couple of free hot items. Higher end hotels and some independent establishments may not offer any free breakfast at all. The best ones to hit are business-styled suite hotels, which offer free hot breakfasts and often free dinner, snacks, and sometimes beer during the evenings. Since they are designed for the long-term traveling business man, looking respectable can guarantee you weeks of free grub!

You should (of course) make sure that they don't check that you have a reservation or a room key. Dont worry, most don't. Most hotels work on a shift schedule (7-3, 3-11, 11-7) so going in during shift changes almost guarantee complete distraction by employees at the front desk.

Once that's established you may want to dress nicely to make sure that you can enjoy a hearty breakfast. You should at least have a backpack/messenger bag with an extra shirt in it. Walk into the hotel early in the morning, looking like you're coming in from a long night on the town. Head towards your "room" and find the laundry, exercise, or any room that has both water and privacy.

Change into the fresh shirt, wet your hair and wash your face - make it look like you had a quick shower and changed your clothes. Stash the bag where you can retrieve it later or risk it and take the bag to breakfast with you Now wander on down, eat your fill. You shouldn't hang around more than a couple minutes once you've finished, but don't look overly rushed.

One thing you may notice (especially if you're a "repeat customer") is that a manager will make their rounds chatting with the breakfast diners. Don't be alarmed...they won't notice a thing with a halfway decent alibi.

Fast Food Chains

On a busy Friday or Saturday night, find the closest chain to the bar district in your town. After last call stand in the food line for about 15 minutes then approach a clerk. Often in the busy after hours crowd they wont notice you approach from outside, and the cleaning staff almost never get a chance to tell the kitchen staff of your scam. Tell them you've been waiting in line for any item off the menu for half an hour, and they will serve you right away!

Convenience Stores

Clerks get really bored at the dead hours or when they have to stock the shelves and they are often happy to let you lift in exchange for some company. If you make friends with the staff they'll often let you chew on their hyperinflated shelves and encased junk food. Don't insult them by being too open with your sticky fingers, let them turn their back, stock some shelves, or go in back, before you start filling your pack, give them some plausible deniablity in case you somehow get caught.

Sometimes loss prevention and the manager actually view the cameras, but this is normally only after a robbery, sometimes you'll meet an employee who is forever afraid of losing their job. Avoid the paranoid high strung type employee they probably wont even converse with you as it is against the company policy. Our best results are with the angry, burned out, or apathetic clerk.

Convenience stores have surprisingly useful services like western union money-grams, rolling papers, prepaid credit cards, prepaid cell phones, etc. The convenience store recognizes the needs of the underground economy of drug dealers and undocumented illegal aliens, and cater to their privacy needs in a way that rakes in huge profits.

Movie Theaters

Wait outside a movie theater on a Friday night and ask people leaving for a ticket stub to get in. Walk into a theater that is just letting out, or peek into the garbage cans and grab the largest bucket of popcorn and the largest cup. Most theaters provide free refills on popcorn and soft drinks, so dump out the contents and proceed to the food vendor. This works particularly well at the new megaplexes.

If you know anyone employed at the movie theater, ask them to get you a big bag of the gallons and gallons of popcorn that theaters throw away every night, especially on weekends. These can also be obtained from the dumpster after hours, but then it will most likely be mixed with popcorn that was swept off of the floor. Once again, this works particularly well at the megaplexes.

Many theaters have back side exits for safety reasons. Take a peek inside and if you see anyone other than an employee (they'll have name tag), knock and kindly gesture to be let in. Pat them on the back, say something along the lines of "thanks buddy", and then just pick a movie. Make sure there are a lot of other people seeing the film you choose. Occasionally (at some cinemas) audience members will be counted and compared to number tickets sold—if the numbers don't match up, customers will be asked to show their tickets. Nobody wants to interrupt the movie for a hundred people just to catch one or two freeloaders, assuming they did not miscount.

Cafes

Most Coffee shops give away their remaining pastries at the end of the day due to their sales policies to refresh the stock each morning. In addition, most coffee chain baristas are cool, and will give as many free samples of different drinks and snacks as you want. Many chains have a very liberal customer service policy so make a fuss if they won't give you a sample. You may be able to walk out with a free drink or gift certificate.

Hospital Cafes

In addition, cafes inside hospitals provide a diverse menu, particularly focused on grab-and-go, and can be excellent locations to get lost in the lunch rush, and forget to pay on your way out. A busy worker bee mentality will help you in your appearance.

Free Milk

Many places that serve coffee also serve liquid cream packets. These are often provided freely, where the public can take as many as they want. They range between coffee cream and whole milk and if you a proportionate mixture in an 8 oz. glass of water you can easily make an approximate 2%, the same as sold at a supermarket. It won't really taste like supermarket milk however, because it has been added to water rather than having milk fat removed.

Free Candy

Super glue or tape a coin down to a rotating coin feeder and spin it as many times as you like for whatever is in the dispenser, be inconspicuous because in the unlikely event that you're caught this can be considered both vandalism and theft. It may not be nutrition, but we like free sweets too.

Find a grocery or department store that has the bulk candy/coffee bean racks and grab a handful of them. Walk around like your shopping and you will almost never be stopped for this. Since the candy has no intrinsic value as it is not priced unless it is weighed you will not be charged with shoplifting. Otherwise, nearly every parent you see in the supermarket would have a charge on behalf of their kids' sticky fingers.

The above trick is not limited to candy though. Trail mixes, dehydrated fruits, cookies, etc. Anything measured in bulk is difficult to prove as a theft and security will almost never bother you for it. If you are stopped you may be asked to leave the store, so leave.

Free Meat and Cheese

Many grocery stores will give away free samples of the meats and cheeses sold in the deli. Dress appropriately, fill a basket with products, and then ask the deli hand to taste a meat or cheese that interests you. They'll usually cut a slice or two for you to nibble.

Fool them into believing you're a customer and you can usually ask to try yet another meat or cheese. Repeat this as long as they'll allow and make up any excuse to not purchase anything. Take your samples and make a soup, sandwich or other quick dish with.

Don't hit the same deli day after day or they'll get smart to your scam. Have a grocery store for each day of the week and rotate them weekly. Obviously more grocery stores in your neighborhood makes this a lot easier. By changing the order from week to week and the time of day you should keep most staff from catching on to what you're doing, and keep yourself in a consistent supply of deli samples.

Don't worry, unless you throw the poor wiener sample lady into a freezer case and steal her tray, nobody cares if you raid a few times. These people get bored like everyone else, and chatting or flirting will help you fill your belly.

Grocery Stores

Your local supermarket deli, produce section, and bakery may sometimes have a free sample any day of the week. They, most likely, will gladly give it to you, this is often corporate policy. Wearing crappy, tom, homemade clothes made from rags will sometimes buy you another piece or a bigger sample to start with out of sympathy but will more likely get you nothing more than thrown out on your ass.

If dressed and acting casual, asking the deli counter for a sandwich, salad, etc in most grocery stores will give you a free meal - as long as you eat it in the store. Just make sure not to take the packaging with you.

Sikh Temples

The Sikh religion believes in charity that will benefit the neighborhood and culture they live in. As a result, most temples offer a free meal to the community at least once a week, if not every day. Their cooking is mostly starches and curry, and they often offer second or third portions with enthusiasm. A bean or lentil curry will give you needed protein, the starches will keep you feeling full for the day!

Free Food For Your Own Church

Join the Universal life Church, a free and legally recognized Church. Once joined, you will be a legally ordained minister. Then ask for donations to your food bank.

This might require talking to some managers but if you find one that has a cross on, it just might work, because they're usually the holy types that will help. It doesn't hurt to have a few business cards printed up stating that you're the minister of the universal life church. A shirt and tie also helps this undertaking, but if you really want to do it up, bring a black long sleeve shirt, a minister's collar, a cheap cross necklace, and ULC membership card. This getup costs around $50, but can scam thousands of dollars worth of retail.

Please have a conscience about this. You can easily hoard way more food and clothing than you'd ever need this way, so help out your less fortunate sisters and brothers. Keep a month's worth of groceries and give the rest out to the less fortunate. Not only does this help others, but it no longer makes this a scam, as you are genuinely starting a food program for the poor.

A bible verse which may help you, and should be memorized, is this; "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" - Matthew 25:34-40. If you memorize this and talk about the "social gospel of Christ" and "the Sermon on the Mount" you can sway even hardcore Bible beaters into giving up loads of perfectly good stuff.

You might consider contacting the Mormons RELIEF SOCIETY groups. These people function as the welfare for Mormons and give their members free food. Contact them to see where and how in your area they are getting food for their food banks. Then tell them that you also are trying to start a food bank for your church. While they might try to convince you to join them a little bit, they are usually more than helpful because they will see you as someone who is trying to carry out charitable work.

Bird Bread

Most jurisdictions don't allow stores to sell items for human consumption after their sell by date, but they can sell them for other purposes. Its not uncommon for bakery thrifts to sell "bird bread". This is simply smooshed up bread one day after its sell by date. Use it in meat loaf. We also show how to make cheese from just expired milk to put on a handmade pizza in Cheap Chow.

Own a Pickup?

Make up a convincing-looking pamphlet IN COLOR at your local copy store or off your computer. It should say "Cans for Homeless Mothers" or some such, followed by various heart wrenching facts about how a can of food can feed someone for a day, etc. (Copy some text from a charity website if you are unsure.) Now, armed with your pamphlet and your pickup truck, go to your city's neighborhoods. For some reason, poorer neighborhoods are best, especially trailer parks. (Sorry, it's sad but true.) Now, go up to the door, show your pamphlet, and say "Can you spare a can or two of food for those in need?" Tell them you do not accept money, this is important! It builds trust, and they will give you more cans. Bring grocery bags. After a day of this, your pick-up will be filled with canned goods.

External Links to Free Food Resources

These are proposed solutions that will work in today's world.

About.com Frugal Living Directory - http://frugalliving.about.com/od/?once=true& (This site contains tons of tricks for getting free food. Some are best suited to those -with access to stoves and kitchens.)
Dumpster Diving FAQ - http://ranprieur.com/misc/dumpster.html
The Dumpster Lady (Website down, but archived) -

http://members.aol.com/TheDumpsterLady/thedumpsterlady.htm

Dumpster World Forum - http://www.dumpsterworld.com
Feeding America Food Bank Locator - http://feedingamerica.org/foodbank-results.aspx
Food Not Bombs - http://www.foodnotbombs.net
Instructables Tutorial on Dumpster Diving - http://www.instructables.com/id/Dumpster-Dipping-for-a-small- planet-or-just-for-f/
Soup Kitchens USA - http://4homeless.hypermart.net/soup_kitchens.html
Trashwiki - A wiki about dumpster diving - http://trashwiki.org/

Cooking Basics

Last updated: 8 September 2011

Hey McKids! Have you been raised all your life thinking that food comes from the drive through window? Do you grocery shop in the campus bookstore and 7-Eleven? Is your idea of home made food baking a cake from a box? Have you or your family just been dumped onto the street with no cash, or did you run out of cash on a trip across the country? No problem! This section will teach you tips on how to cook food for yourself, your family, your commune, your protest team, or your whole neighborhood with what is available. Also included are tips on getting ingredients or precooked foods, as well as tips on living independently of the prepackaged, super-processed existence that is the Amerikan food market. To make them easier to find Cheap Chow and Roadside Chow are in the appendix at the end of the book, these appendixes are not so much a recipe book than a diverse collection of low impact low cost lessons on preparing different easy to acquire foods.

1 A Few Helpful Hints on Cooking
2 Measurement Conversion Tables
3 Planning Meals
4 Waste Not
5 Protein
6 Flavors and Spices
7 Pressure Cooking
8 Solar Cooking
8.1 Basic Solar Cooker
9 Using Old Cookbooks
10 External Links

A Few Helpful Hints on Cooking

Keep any loose clothing away from open flames, wash everything (especially your hands) that comes in contact with the food, always wash your hands after touching raw meats and eggs while cooking, use oven mitts, be careful how you handle anything sharp, keep a fire extinguisher handy, and remember that "Baking Powder" and "Baking Soda" are two completely different things (as are "Cream of Tartar" and "Tartar Sauce").

Grease and oil fires cannot be put out with water (It will actually make them worse by spreading the grease or oil over the surface of the water). If you don't have access to a fire extinguisher, be sure to keep a decent supply of baking soda or sand on hand whenever you cook, to control these fires. If need be you can also put them out by cutting off their oxygen supply, such as placing a lid on the pan. Always be careful of your appliances. Regularly check for gas leaks, holes, stripped cords, or other hazardous malfunctions. You may also want to see Cheap Chow and Low Impact Crashing for tips on living on your own and Farm It for tips on growing your own produce.

For consistency purposes, when reading the following recipes:

tbs represents tablespoon(s)
tsp represents teaspoon(s)
qt represents quart(s)
gal represents gallon(s)
lbs. represents pounds
oz represents ounce(s)
c represents cup(s)
C represents temperature in Celsius
F represents temperature in Fahrenheit

Measurement Conversion Tables

Cup (c)	Fluid Ounce (oz)	Tablespoons (tbs)	Teaspoons (tsp)	Milliliters (ml)
1 c	8 oz	16 tbs	48 tsp	237 ml
3/4 c	6 oz	12 tbs	36 tsp	177 ml
2/3 c	5 1/3 oz	10 tbs + 2 tsp	32 tsp	158 ml
1/2 c	4 oz	8 tbs	24 tsp	118 ml
1/3 c	2 2/3 oz	5 tbs + 1 tsp	16 tsp	79 ml
1/4 c	2 oz	4 tbs	12 tsp	59 ml
1/8 c	1 oz	2 tbs	6 tsp	30 ml
1/16 c	0.5 oz	1 tbs	3 tsp	15 ml
USA Standard	Multiplied by	= Metric
Fluid Ounce (fl oz)	29.75	Milliliter (mL)
Gallon (gal)	3.785	Liter (L)
Ounce (oz)	28.35	Gram (g)
Pound (lb)	4.54	Kilogram (kg)
Metric	Multiplied by	= USA Standard
Milliliter (mL)	0.043	Fluid Ounce (fl oz)
Liter (L)	0.264	Gallon (gal)
Gram (g)	0.035	Ounce (oz)
Kilogram (kg)	2.202	Pound (lb)	Approximate Measurements (Used casually)

"Tad" = 1/4 tsp
"Dash" = 1/8 tsp
"Pinch" = 1/16th tsp
"Smidgin" = l/32nd tsp

Temperature Conversions

Fahrenheit - 32 + 1.8 = Celsius
Celsius x 1.8 + 32 = Fahrenheit

For times when you are moving around or on the road learn how to pinch out a teaspoon and tablespoon from your ingredients, it is not hard to learn just start by first pouring the measured dry ingredients into your hand when cooking so you get the feel for that volume liquids you just need to learn how much to pour to get the right amount. Mark your cup with measurements to use in cooking, get an idea of what one cup looks like, many small cheap disposable or kids cups are 8-9 ounces and might even be marked as such on the bottom.

Planning Meals

If you will be feeding a group it is useful to know some ways to get your crew to fill up on the cheap stuff so you can save on the expensive stuff. If possible start your meals with bread and simple soup, then let everyone fill up on the cheap starch like potato, rice, or easy steamed vegetables, finally serve the more expensive protein and fats. Many dishes can be served on a bed of rice which will absorb the gravy or drippings and prevent the waste. Make an attempt to serve meals that combine dark leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, healthy fats, and protein as well as meeting daily minimum calories for the work being done but not so far over that your group gets that All-American fatbody look. The kitchen is an egalitarian place and everyone is expected to take their turn, so if you are not cooking you should be cleaning up.

Waste Not

While dumpster diving can yield good stuff to eat even a trip into your fridge full of expired or soured foods can supply you with ingredients many people would throw out to help you stretch til your next paycheck or properly stored for tight times. Plenty more ideas in the appendixes Cheap Chow and Roadside Chow.

Sour milk actually lasts pretty long once it glops up, use it in recipes that call for buttermilk, it is also a rising agent when used with baking soda(sodium bicarbonate) so in a way better to bake with than fresh milk
Sour juice is just fermenting, you can keep it around with a loose cap for prison hooch but it can be subbed in for water when baking a cake adding flavor.
moldy solid foods, don't eat unknown mold, cheeses and vegetables can be trimmed or scraped of mold or soft spots often saving the majority.
Discolored meat, not a problem, even if it takes on a nasty smell washing and either long boiling or roasting it will make it safe to attempt to eat killing bacteria and toxins.
Smelly fish can sometimes be washed with vinegar, again boiling in a soup for 30 min will sterilize any food
Stale cereal, bread, cake, and snacks can often be put into a oven on low to bake dry to return crispness, cake and bread can be toasted for a snack or use in recipes.
Most random vegetables and meats can be chopped and combined in a stir fry, if they are limp or flavorless just add garlic, soy sauce, honey, pepper, or sugar to spice it up a bit.
For some people pressure canning leftovers in glass jars is less expensive than running or acquiring a refrigerator and leads to a far longer shelflife for food that just needs to be heated for a quick meal.
Many leftovers can be boiling water bath canned without a pressure cooker using canning jars and a pot of boiling water by vinegar or salt brine canning, consult a recent canning recipe book.

Protein

Instant potatoes, com, and instant rice might fill us up and give us starch to bum as energy, you might skip a few days but your body needs protein to survive and be effective, here is a quick way to estimate your minimum daily protein requirement, either multiply your weight in kilograms by .8, or weight in pounds by .37, so a person who weighs 100 lbs needs 37 of protein per day, one who weighsl50 lbs. should eat 55 grams, and a 200-pound person should get 74 grams. Below is a table of foods to help you calculate your minimum protein intake.

Tuna, 6 oz can - 40 grams of protein
Tofu, 14 cup 20 grams protein
Tofu, 1 oz, 2.3 grams
Soy milk, 1 cup -6-10 grams
Most beans (black, pinto, lentils, etc) about 7-10 grams protein per half cup of cooked beans
Soy beans, 14 cup cooked - 14 grams protein
Split peas, !4 cup cooked - 8 grams
Peanut butter, 2 Tablespoons - 8 grams protein
Almonds, % cup - 8 grams
Peanuts, % cup - 9 grams
Cashews, !4 cup - 5 grams
Pecans, !4 cup - 2.5 grams
Sunflower seeds, % cup - 6 grams
Pumpkin seeds, % cup - 19 grams
Flax seeds - % cup - 8 grams
Egg, large - 6 grams protein
Milk, 1 cup - 8 grams
Cottage cheese, 14 cup -15 grams
Yogurt, 1 cup - usually 8-12 grams, check label
Soft cheeses (Mozzarella, Brie, Camembert) - 6 grams per oz
Medium cheeses (Cheddar, Swiss) - 7 or 8 grams per oz
Hard cheeses (Parmesan) - 10 grams per oz
Ground pork 100%(check for fillers), 1 oz raw - 5 grams; 3 oz cooked - 22 grams
Bacon, 1 slice - 3 grams
Ham, 3 oz serving - 19 grams
Most cuts of 100% beef(hamburger may contain filler) - 7 grams of protein per ounce
Chicken meat, cooked, 4 oz - 35 grams
Most fish fillets or steaks are about 22 grams of protein for 3 14 oz (100 grams) of cooked fish, or 6 grams per ounce

Flavors and Spices

Since most quality spices and flavors tend to be expensive when purchased it is useful to learn how to evaluate available flavor enhancers and improvise. Firstly learn what spices grow naturally around your location, you can have several kilograms of free spices hanging around drying in your place. Learn to use leftovers like citrus peels in your cooking. Sometimes you will be presented with a new herb or spice, a sniff and taste test may be useful for integrating that missing link into your recipes. Often candies and processed foods have useful natural and artificial flavors that can be used either whole, crushed, or dissolved in boiling water although allergy problems may result from the artificial flavors or colors. Chocolate and nuts can be found im many forms but can be chunked or ground to use as a flavoring. Absent chocolate powder freeze dried coffee or even a cup of strong coffee can add color and flavor to your recipe.

Pressure Cooking

Consider acquiring a quality pressure cooker, if you can find a 15 psi model it will cut your cooking time for beans and meats to 1/4 the time making a hour of boiling in an open pot only take 15 minutes. Look at department stores and at Hispanic or India food shops, don't bother with the old steam bombs made from the 50's through the 70's. It is pretty cool when you can do lentils and rice in about 15 minutes, or a pot roast that tastes like it ran overnight in around an hour even with the cheapest meat. The real bonus is the fuel savings if you have had your electricity and gas turned off and you are using a camp stove. Just be sure that there is always some liquid at the bottom of the cooker to start with or you wont be able to build pressure and might scorch your food.

Solar Cooking

Cooking food with the sun can be one of the cheapest ways to cook a meal, other than by making fire by rubbing two sticks together. If you have the free time, you can make a decent meal once you have your solar oven set up.

Basic Solar Cooker

Don't fall for expensive solar cookers; There's little that they can do that a cheap homemade solar cooker can't. At least nothing that would make them worth $100+. An effective solar cooker can be made out of a car windshield reflector for less than $15. If you can't even afford that, you can cut/collapse a cardboard box and tape or paste aluminum foil to it. The advantage to the windshield reflector is that it is collapsible and more durable. If you're into long hikes in unknown territory, having a windshield reflector solar cooker may be a good way to conserve fuel, but unless you have a few weeks of experience and very hot and clear weather you will be eating cold or spoiled food.

The only other part you'll need for your solar cooker will be some kind of oven/microwave resistant bag or container for the food.

It's entirely possible to cook a whole chicken in a few hours using a solar cooker if there is enough sunlight. Place the windshield reflector in a way that is parabolic in nature(sunlight should enter and reflect inward onto the food). Fill your container with your chicken, and whatever seasonings you choose, and place it in the middle of your solar cooker. Then just aim it towards the sun. You will probably have to adjust the direction your cooker is facing due to the changing position of the sun in the sky. After 3 to 4 hours, with the right conditions, you will have a fully- cooked chicken ready to eat.

The possibilities with a solar cooker are seemingly endless. If the only fowl you have access to are wild birds and park ducks, a solar cooker will work perfectly to cook your lunch or dinner while you're trying to catch more food. Should also work well with fish.

While you will not get to boiling temperatures, the temperature created by a solar cooker should be sufficient for killing germs. If you can, obtain a thermometer and use it to make sure the food temperature reaches around 165 F or finish up by cooking to a boil over a fire.

Using Old Cookbooks

When looking for something out of the ordinary to make for a meal, you may come across a few older cookbooks. A number were written during the Great Depression using simple ingredients (such as "Aunt Sammy's Radio

Recipes" produced by the US Department of Agriculture). Some written during World War 2 may feature a number of meatless recipes since civilian sales of many foods were rationed so the Armed Forces could be fed. You may have to cut back on some of the fatty ingredients since such things as "cholesterol" and "trans fats" were not as widely known as they are today. Many of the older cookbooks were written back in the days before microwave ovens, and some terms may seem unfamiliar to folks today. Here are a few that you may come across.

Double Boiler: This is a two-tiered saucepan that is used to melt things like cheese and chocolate. It uses the heat from boiling water in the bottom to melt the item in the top pan, since direct heat from the flames can bum it. If a recipe says to mix something "over boiling water", this is what they mean. These are still being made, but you may have to buy yours at a specialty cooking store. You can also make your own by placing a pan over another pan, but be careful that they fit properly so that they won't slip or bum you from the steam.
Double Cream: An old term for Heavy Cream.
Hard-Wheat and Soft-Wheat Flours: Hard-Wheat flour was used for yeast breads and Soft-Wheat was used for pastries, cakes and quick-breads. Just use All-Purpose or Whole Wheat flour.
Nutmeats: These are nuts (often walnuts or almonds) chopped into little pieces. (Note: Peanuts aren't nuts; they're legumes, a kind of bean.)
Rich Milk: Back in the day when almost all milk delivered by the milkman was Certified (that is, nonhomogenized), the cream in the milk would rise and collect in the neck of the bottle. This was called "Rich Milk", "Top Milk" or "Top of Milk" and was used in a number of recipes. You can substitute Light Cream for this.
Scalded Milk: You're to bring the milk almost to a boil (using a Double Boiler). This often helps the cooking process in some recipes.
Single Cream: An old term for Light Cream.
Skim (or Skimmed) Milk: Another term for "Fat Free" Milk.
Soda: Not a soft drink, but Baking Soda, also known as Sodium Bicarbonate or Bicarbonate of Soda.
Top Milk (or Top of Milk): See "Rich Milk".
Yeast Cake: This is a small 0.6 ounce block of active yeast (about a tablespoon) that is used in baking. It is rarely seen in supermarkets anymore, since it is highly perishable and doesn't transport very well. Substitute it with 2 1/4 teaspoons of Active Dry Yeast (what you'll find in those yeast packets in the store). If the recipe calls for a 2 ounce yeast cake, use three packets or 6 3/4 teaspoons of Active Dry Yeast.
A Note About Pasta: Some cookbooks from back in the 1930's mention cooking pasta for as much as 20 minutes. This was when pasta was made with much denser dough than today. Ignore the time suggestion and just boil until tender unless you are using our home made pasta recipe. If the pasta is to be used in a casserole, undercook it, since it will continue to cook when it's in the oven.

External Links

Budget 101: Make Your Own Mixes and Convenience Foods - http://www.budgetl01.com/frugal/mix-recipes-166/

The Cook's Thesaurus: http://www.foodsubs.com/ "(A) cooking encyclopedia that covers thousands of ingredients and kitchen tools. Entries include pictures, descriptions, synonyms, pronunciations, and suggested substitutions."

Fankhauser's Cheese Page - http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Fankhauser/Cheese/cheese.html College level cheese making with some easy Italian recipes.

Great Depression Cooking with Clara - http://www.greatdepressioncooking.com YouTube videos of recipes from hard times, demonstrated by a woman who lived through those years.

Instructables: Home Made Bread without Breadmaker - http://www.instructables.com/id/EF95ZHYF3435TlQ/

Instructables: Solar Powered Parabolic Cooker - http://www.instructables.com/id/ESNVFBHF48U7G77/ An Instructable on zero-impact cooking.

Open Cola - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenCola_%28drink%29 The only home made cola released under the GNU General Public License!

Recipe Goldmine - http://www.recipegoldmine.com/ "Better Than A Thousand Cookbooks!"

RecipeSource - http://www.recipesource.com/ "Your Source for Recipes on the Internet"

Wikibooks: Cookbooks - http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook Recipes from Wikimedia

Hunting

Last updated: 19 June 2011

When we talk about hunting, we are not talking about sport hunting. Nor or we talking about expensive "beer" camps for the rich and bored to escape their nagging trophy wives. We are talking about poaching, butchering, and cooking an animal with good meat to feed ourselves. We could care less about a bear rug, antlers over the fireplace, or other things. Never forget that by hunting you have removed a living, breathing creature from the flow of life. Whether it's a beetle or a buck, it has the same spirit and not to utilize the whole animal would be a waste. Give thanks and appreciate that a living being gave up its life for you.

What You need

First, you are going to need some sort of weapon or trap. Bambi the deer and Thumper the rabbit are not exactly going to walk up to you and let you eat them. This means you are going to need a gun. If you have a felony or are opposed to firearms due to some moral code, you can still hunt with composite bows and crossbows (although bows take far more skill and practice). Piece Now has more information on firearms as gun self defense and hunting have many topics that overlap.

Firearms are good for the occasional target of opportunity but in terms of bringing home the meat traps and snares are far more effective. Browsing a military survival manual will show several humane and inhumane traps, you will have to decide the level of your hunger to balance it against the cruelty level of your traps, you must plan how to deal with a wounded or trapped live animal that will not get you injured or killed. Walk all trap lines as frequently as possible especially if you are using traps which could wound animals, laziness is cruelty when using traps.

There is a limited capacity renewal capacity in every ecosystem, it is quite possible to hunt out an area to the point where there are no food animals left, this can be expected especially if it has become common for the local population to hunt to provide sustenance food.

If you do not know how to shoot or have never hunted before, it is strongly recommended to practice or get training first before depending on this to put meat on the table. Air rifles and BB guns are excellent to get a feel for things then move up to a .22. It is also highly recommended you accompany successful, seasoned hunters many times to learn the tricks of the trade that really can not be taught in a book or magazine article.

Second, you are probably going to look into a hunting or fishing license to avoid oppression from Smokey the Pig. These are issued by each state. Usually, they are pretty cheap ranging from around 10 USD to 30 USD. If you are an American Indian, many states will let you forgo needing a license if you carry an ID identifying your race as such or have tribal membership papers. Some states will not issue licenses or revoke licenses to those that owe back child support or have committed certain crimes.

Third, you need a place where you can hunt. If you live in a rural area, you have it made. If not, the best you may be able to do is Urban Pigeon!

Firearm Observations

A .22 rifle is a great gun and a good starter weapon with not as much kick. Don't use it for large game (anything larger than a rabbit) unless you're a sadist. A .22 caliber rifle beats the others out for light weight and inexpensive ammunition, you can easily pack a 500 round package of ammo and it only weighs a few pounds.

Larger firearms will bring more success and less wounded run-aways, shotguns can take down flying birds but this requires skill and ammunition is very heavy. There are special semi-auto backpacking .22 rifles that disassemble and some even float, but again, unless you want to torture a deer to death, anything below .223 is not recommended.

If you are using a black powder firearm .32 is considered the small game caliber. Some air guns especially those in .22 caliber can rival a powder burning firearm. Slingshots with lead balls and lots of practice can be powerful enough to use for sustenance hunting although are mostly only useful at very short range. Learn to take careful shots and not rapid fire.

Wire snares and improvised traps are still a better way to collect animals for food but a firearm lets you grab opportunity shots and safely euthanasia animals in traps.

If hunting large game (Deer, elk, antelope, and in some states even turkey), .270 Winchester is a good round. JO- SO is also a very common and handy round which can take most game at medium ranges pretty much anything above a .223 or so will be sufficient. When hunting more dangerous game like bear, elk and moose, a .30-06, .308, or larger is commonly used (7.62x51 or 7.62x63 mm, respectively.)

Animals like bees, and most bird, can be smoked out. Building a leafy, smoky fire under a bee's nest can cause them to pour out, leaving their honey sitting there in the hive for you to take it. Birds require something different; they need the smoke to be blown in their face, it retards them.

Spotlighting Deer

Deer are naturally attracted to bright light. So much so, that sometimes they stand in the road staring at an oncoming car, causing wrecks. Some folks exploit this behavior. Usually, this involves driving a all terrain vehicle up on some land and shining a high powered spotlight towards the edge of the woods. When the deer gets mezmorized by the bright light, another person waiting with a rifle shoots it dead. Fresh venison and weeks of food follow after.

Be careful if you do this, though. It is ILLEGAL in most areas. If Smokey the Pig catches you, this is a HUGE fine, possible jail, community service, and loss of any hunting license.

Roadkill

If the animal just got a broken neck or thorax crushed and the flies haven't got to it often the meat will be in perfect quality, as long as the meat you are able to salvage is well cooked you're ok. For cycle campers seeing a squashed animal on the road is a daily occurrence; learn how to butcher your rabbits and birds before you leave and you're guaranteed an easy meal nearly every day. If you find you can't salvage the meat you can always use the guts and any maggots it's attracted for fish or trap bait. If you are really hard up even maggot infested meat is fine to eat once well cooked, the maggots actually clean away the rot first and fatten themselves up on the good meat second. Don't be squeamish, if you are close to the edge maggots are actually extremely nutritious as they have to store up for their metamorphosis into flies, more so actually than the roadkill meat. If possible save the valuable skin.

Urban Pigeon

If the soup kitchens are providing nothing but watered broth and the dumpsters are picked clean there is still an easy source of protein if you are careful and fits your philosophy. First of all realize that this is both controversial in that some will call it cruelty and secondly it could be an excuse for the pigs to haul you in.

While in China rat is sold in markets and raccoon, cat, rabbit, and squirrel all exist in the urban zones they are too often diseased or dangerous as they will fight back. Some birds like seagulls and crows are just too gross because of their diet of vermin infested animals and rotten garbage, but the occasional dove, goose, or duck while more difficult to trap should be good to eat.

The best meat we can get for free is the simple stupid urban pigeon. The easiest way to catch them is with a little bread trail for bait, a box with a stick holding it propped up, and about twenty feet of string. A cardboard box might need a rock or brick on top for weight to help it drop closed faster. It goes like this, bird follows trail of bread under box, you pull string, stick lets box fall, bird is trapped. You can use other methods like nets or a loop of string and hope to catch a leg but the box method seems the easiest and most humane. Put your hand under the box and grab your bird, he won't bite (if he does, it won't hurt), be quick so he won't hurt himself flapping, grip around his body pinning down his wings and covering his head which will calm him down a lot.

Look him over: are his feathers looking healthy or is he shedding and scabby? Is he infested with bugs or weak and sluggish? Are his eyes looking filmy or gross? If so let him go and wash your hands he is probably diseased. If he looks good snap or cut his neck quickly (with a new razor blade) so it will be over for him. Cut him open from neck to tail and look his insides over, are they glistening smooth and come out easily (good) or are they all stuck together and spotty(sick), if they look bad or wormy again chuck him out and let a cat or raccoon find him, he was not long for this world anyway. Rinse out the gut area with safe water before proceeding. You might consider plucking before cutting open (it is too hard after) to save the skin and fats, but most of us just peel the skin off and cook like a mini chicken. A pigeon soup would be the safest way to go, let it boil for at least a half hour, but an hour is better, drink or save the broth. For smaller birds like doves sometimes the breasts are all that is worth taking for pan frying but see what you can salvage of other parts at least for stew stock.

A rubber wrist rocket type slingshot, high power air pistol (.22 pellet is very good, not those wimpy BB guns), even a thrown stone can be used to zap birds at a bit longer distance but if you get caught shooting in the park expect a night minimum in the clink and your stuff confiscated for your effort. Alternatively you can build your own slingshot by using a Y shaped branch, a strip of inner tire tube (found at the local dumpster or tire shop trash) and some strong thread. Proceed to tie the ends of the rubber to the branch with strong thread loops, until it gets firmly attached. It will cost you nothing to build some, and you can even trade them later with other survivalists.

Anyone who eats meat but is offended by this idea must remember that at least this bird lived a completely free life and died quickly unlike the factory cage chickens you might be eating from the store.

Gutting and preparing meat

For people who've never done this before it may be a daunting task, but once you've learnt how to it is quite easy. Before you start, if possible sharpen your cutting tool as much as possible, it's always preferable to have a good sharp knife but you can get by in a pinch with a piece of sharp rock, a piece of clean sharp glass etc.

Birds

For feathered game such as pigeons, just flip it onto it's back and pluck away all the feathers on its front side surrounding the breast, they should just pull off pretty easily. After you've done this, feel around until you've got the very top of the ribcages and make a cut following them along, cutting all of the breast off as you go trying to cut off as much meat as you can. As soon as you've cut it off plunge it in a bowl of water and clean it thoroughly to get any dirt/blood etc off of it, be especially careful if the animal has been shot with a shotgun to remove any pellets that may have been embedded in the flesh. On pigeons the breast is the only meat worth taking, although on larger birds such as pheasant the legs have good (although sinuous) meat as well. If you have the time and are making stews or pies then the carcass can be used to make a very tasty stock, in this case pluck all the feathers off, gut as below and clean thoroughly.

Furred animals

The majority of animals that you'll find as roadkill or easily be able to hunt will be furred animals for which the procedure is a bit different. It is preferable to have a very sharp knife for this, so you can cut the skin cleanly and not cut too deep. Again flip the animal on it's back and make an incision from the anus up towards the throat. Try to cut only through the skin and not to make this too deep or you risk puncturing the guts, which is quite messy. If it's a large male animal some suggest tying some string around the penis so it doesn't leak urine and then cutting around it. From this point, you have to remove the hide from all of the animal, which can be used for a lot of different things once you've treated and tanned it. Make an incision along each of the legs now, either cutting the feet off or slicing a ring around the ankles and start cutting the skin away from the body. Start by pulling up the skin and gently cutting through the layers of connective tissue, trying not to cut into the meat. It should be pretty obvious where to cut, and with bigger animals once you've got a good portion of it off it should pull off with your fists underneath it. At this point cut the head and tail off, save the head as it can be used for tanning the hides. Now you'll have a large carcass and it should be pretty obvious where the meat is. Gut the animal (see below). After this, with small animals it can be easier just to put the whole carcass into a pot of stew, boil it for a good 40mins+, making the flesh softer after which the nice bits can be peeled off, put into a pot of stew and the carcass discarded. Larger animals such as deer need split up and either eaten quite quickly or preserved. With roadkill it may be easier to simply cut the legs off rather than going through the process of gutting it etc, there is a fair bit of meat on the body but if you're on the side of a road then it may be easier just cutting the legs off.

Snake

Snake is good meat! It is a bit on the bony side, though, but it more than makes up for it by being easy to get. One can kill all but the largest snakes with a decent club or rock, or even by stomping them. If you manage to kill a decent sized rattlesnake, water moccasin, or cottonmouth just cut of the head (and rattler if it has one) and slice down the underside. Snake is really good if you take it and shake the skinned snake up in a paper bag with com meal and fry it. Cajuns and folks out in Texas swear by it and there are even rattlesnake festivals in those parts. Careful though, many snakes are deadly poisonous if they take bites out of you before you can take bites out of them!

Hunting - Steal This Wiki

Gutting

Now make an incision from the belly upwards, carefully cutting through the abdominal wall without cutting into the guts, which should now spill outwards. Put a hand inside and pull out the guts, cutting them away where they're still attached. The heart, lungs and liver on most animals are still very edible although strong tasting and can be used in stews etc chopped up finely.

Fishing

Last updated: 18 July 2011

Fishing as a food source is a useful skill in some parts of the world. If you know what you are doing you might be able to supplement your protein intake with some lightweight gear. Forget about hobbyist fly fishing gear, we want the food.

Watch out for fish and game cops, they can take all of your gear, car, or boat as a punishment leaving you destitute if you are accused of poaching or using illegal non-sporting fishing methods. If you're really heavy into fishing, a license and state fishing rules book can usually be had for around $5 over the counter at any sporting goods store, and it’s better safe than sorry. Look up the local laws on fishing so you know how you are legally permitted to fish and how to identify the fish it is legal to catch! Your "friendly" local ranger can now carry a gun, tazer and pepper spray, so ask yourself if saving the money is worth it in the face of police brutality.

1 General Guide
2 Gear
3 Rods
4 Reels
5 Techniques
6 Fish Tickling
7 Preparation

General Guide

In over fished areas forget about wasting your time. Sport fishers, hunters and gatherers are often out in huge numbers during hard times and will often cause many years of damage from taking too much from the ecosystem.

Fishing licenses are usually cheap too, but you can get away without if you stay away from heavily trafficked lakes or streams. Fish is one of the most nutritious meats around, and all you have to do is scale the fish and cut out the guts (Which can be used for bait, as well) to eat that fresh, slippery sucker.

Fish can be kept in a rocked off area of the river for future eating, or for fattening them up. If you're lucky enough to get a hold of turtle eggs, i'd recommend leaving them where they are, and coming back for them when they're little and hatched. Depending on how long you're out there, you could raise them up just like regular farm animals, and eat them! The shell makes a great pressure cooker, with them in it!

Gear

Cheap fishing gear can be found in any pawn shop. Bobbers, hooks and sinkers all sell for under a dollar at most sporting goods stores, but they're usually small enough to steal for the really cheap. Dig up worms in a rainstorm, throw them in a styrofoam cup with a soil and cornmeal mix and cast away.

A telescoping pole and spinning reel will do the trick without breaking your bank or back but a stick and floss will work in a pinch. Some six pound test monofilament line will bag most small river fish, but as said before, a pawn shop can hold a treasure trove of high quality fishing gear. Estate or garage sales are also worth a look.

Rods

A fishing rod is an important, yet durable tool for fishing. There are many different types and "actions" (strength) of rod. Stronger action rods are more suited to larger fish, yet are less sensitive to bites. That said, a medium-light action rod can catch most freshwater fish and anything too large for the rod will break the line first. Most rods are graphite these days, although fiberglass is stronger and more sensitive. Like most fishing gear, rods are being updated with all sorts of totally useless features designed to fleece the rich out of their cash, so you can often find "last year's" models on sale for cheap.

Reels

A good reel is a good investment. The third world made models will break down fairly quickly, but a good reel will last a lifetime. The two main types of reel are spinning and bait casting. Spinning reels are more versatile and easy to use, whereas bait casting reels are generally heavy duty, but harder to cast and use. As a rule, good reels are made outside of China, and can be found in pawn shops. You can also find good deals on discontinued, but perfectly good reels in many sporting goods stores. Many of these are just "outdated" models, which will still perform just fine and last as long as you want to keep them.

Techniques

Ask locals their favorites but in general worms, com, insects, and dough balls all work good, it won't hurt to carry some flashy, rattly, and spinny lures with your gear. These can easily and cheaply be made. Walleye and pike fishermen throughout the world use a simple lure called a crawler harness, which consists of a spinner blade (Cheap, flashy stamped metal in a teardrop shape with a hole on the top for the line), colored beads and 2 hooks, allowing the use of a whole worm. Add some sinkers and you have a cheap, effective lure. If you have a little money, the supplies for making lures can be very cheaply obtained. Get a big assortment pack of fish hooks, they weigh and cost very little and are useful for a hobo on the move even if you just use a stick pole and dental floss. A bobber hangs your bait off of the bottom in still water, moving water requires casting out and recovering as it floats downstream, you can use a dry stick as a bobber if needed. For simple hook and bobber fishing, you'll also need sinkers, which are simple lead weights that go on between the hook and bobber. They are also very cheap, and you should get an assortment. Bigger weights make the bait sink faster and deeper, whereas smaller weights can be used to suspend it slightly off the bottom.

A small net at the end of a large triangle of rocks laid in the river to guide the fish in will make a good trap. A series of baited hooks in the water strung to tree branches above, the fish will stay alive as long as they are still underwater. Check your fish traps regularly as they are at risk from poaching by raccoons. Spear fish in the shallows as you are setting up your nets or hook traps with a barbed frog spear tip on a stick.

Bombing fish in a pond with chlorine bleach is classless destruction, it will bring fish to the surface but will often kill the whole ecosystem. Instead use rotenone from the organic plant store or crush green husks from butternuts or black walnuts. Throw the husks into still or slow moving water, it will do the trick just stunning the fish without killing the other animals, collect and eat or salt and smoke all fish you stun.

Fish Tickling

Although harder than other methods, fish tickling is a common method of catching fish without any equipment. It involves getting the fish you want to under a rock, or some other natural barrier it can't back out of, and slowly moving your hand towards it until you can tickle its belly. The fish will become relaxed to a point where you can grab it and throw it onto the ground or catch it in a net.

Preparation

If you catch a fish it should have firm and elastic flesh, clear and full eyes, bright red gills, a clean pleasant odor, and an absence of reddish discoloration on the ventral side of the backbone, i.e. the side of the backbone that’s on the inside of the fish. Cloudy, sunken eyes and gray colored gills are the first recognizable signs of old, decaying fish. When the head, gills, and backbone are gone, like at a store, rely on your sense of smell and touch. Worn out or dying fish have much less nutritional value but cooking them will remove danger of illness and parasites.

To clean a fish smash the brain area to kill it, then cut from the anus to the throat, remove guts(these are good fish bait, and can also be used to trap minnows and crayfish), and use a dull knife to scrape off the scales. Some fish are best filleted from the ribs but small ones are easier to leave in and remove when you eat it. Pan-fry most fish with a little oil and spices, a favorite is to use banana or other large leaves with a pleasant or neutral flavor to wrap the fish for roasting, if possible rub the fish with oil, lemon and/or pepper is nice for flavor. Salt water and a smoke pit is a way to preserve fish for a longer time, even without salt a dry smoked fish will keep for a few weeks. Another cheap and tasty way of preparing fish is dredging fillets in egg, flour then bread crumbs, seasoning with salt, pepper and paprika, and frying With all cooking methods remember fish cooks quickly like eggs, over cook it and it will get tough. Pike and similar fish contain lots of small bones, so be sure to bone the meat before cooking.

Foraging

Last updated: 23 August 2011

The gathering of food is a concept that has been almost entirely abandoned by modem man, making it a forgotten science and art(when it comes to preparation). During travel, survival, or when food is quickly needed. What most people don't realize is that perfectly edible food grows everywhere, making foraging a viable survival method.

Much of the information in this article comes from both user experience and the U.S. Army Survival Handbook.

1 Safety
1.1 Avoiding Poisonous Plants
1.2 Universal Edibility Test
1.3 Ethical Foraging Guidelines
2 Edible Plants
2.1 Acorns
2.2 Chickweed(Stellaria)
2.3 Dandelion
2.4 False Dandelion(Catsear)
2.5 Field Com
2.6 Mallow
2.7 Miner's Lettuce
2.8 Mustard
2.9 Opuntia(Cactus)
2.10 Palm Fruit
2.11 Broadleaf Plantain(Plantago)
2.12 Thistle
2.13 Strawberry Tree(Arbutus)

Safety

Many poisonous plants appear similar to other plants which would be edible. One example would be poison hemlock; appears to be very similar to wild carrot. The most important step to eating wild plants is to know your plant. It's good to study what kinds of plants are edible and how to distinguish them. That way when the time comes to use your knowledge, you can spare yourself from the danger of testing plants you are not familiar with.

One good way to prevent yourself from eating poisonous material is to avoid eating plants which have wilted. Some plants can become poisonous after wilting. Also avoid eating any fruits that don't appear ripe, because some fruits like Elderberry can be poisonous before they are fully ripe.

If you are inexperienced at foraging, it is best that you stay away from mushrooms all-together, even in a survival situation. Many mushrooms look similar and there are many kinds of poisonous mushrooms.

Avoid unnecessary contact with unfamiliar plants. Some plants can cause dermatitis(severe skin rash) which can be dangerous without proper health care. Symptoms can occur from minutes to hours. If your skin comes in contact with a poisonous plant, try to scrub off the plant oil using soap and water. If no soap is available, you can use dirt unless blisters have formed(since blisters open you up to infection). If a plant has spines or prickles, and you feel you must handle it, do so using gardening gloves or a durable material.

Ingestion poisoning can cause a variety of bad symptoms, from diarrhea, to hallucinations, to coma, and death. If you or someone else has consumed poisonous material, the best way to prevent the poison from causing serious damage is to induce vomiting. Vomiting can be induced from either tickling the back of the throat or consuming warm salty water. Whether vomiting can be induced or not, it is also important for the victim to consume a large amount of water or milk, as this will help to dilute the poison.

Avoiding Poisonous Plants

These are some general rules for avoiding poisonous plants. There are many exceptions to these rules when it comes to known edible plants, but these rules will make a desperate situation more safe.

Plant traits to avoid:

Milky or discolored sap.
Beans, bulbs, or seeds inside pods.
Bitter or soapy taste.
Spines, fine hairs, or thorns.
Dill, carrot, parsnip, or parsley-like foliage.
"Almond" scent in woody parts and leaves.
Grain heads with pink, purplish, or black spurs.
Three-leaved growth pattern.

Universal Edibility Test

From the U.S. Army Survival Handbook:

If there are no familiar plants available, or if there is any doubt of the edibility of a plant, it might be necessary to conduct an edibility test. The edibility test takes at least 24 hours to conduct.

To prepare, each part of the plant must be gathered and separated(leaves, stalk, roots, flowers, etc).

To test:

1 .) Test only one part of a potential food at a time.

2 .) Separate the plant into it's basic components - leaves, stems, roots, buds, and flowers.

3 .) Smell the food for strong acid odors. Remember, smell alone does not indicate whether a plant is edible or inedible.

4 .) Do not eat 8 hours before starting the test.

5 .) During the 8 hours you abstain from eating, test for contact poisoning by placing a piece of the plant part you are testing on the inside of your elbow or wrist. Usually 15 minutes is enough time to allow for a reaction.

6 .) During the test period, take nothing by mouth except purified water and the plant part you are testing.

7 .) Select a small portion of a single part and prepare it in the way you plan to eat it.

8 .) Before placing the prepared plant part in your mouth, touch a small portion(a pinch) to the outer surface of your lip to test for burning or itching.

9 .) If after 3 minutes there is no reaction on your lip, place the plant part on your tongue, holding it there for 15 minutes.

10 .) If there is no reaction, thoroughly chew a pinch and hold it in your mouth for 15 minutes. Do not swallow.

11 .) If no burning, itching, numbing, stinging, or other irritation occurs during the 15 minutes, swallow the food.

12 .) Wait 8 hours. If any ill effects occur during this period, induce vomiting and drink a lot of water.

13 .) If no ill effects occur, eat 0.25 cup of the same plant prepared the same way. Wait another 8 hours. If no ill effects occur, the plant part as prepared is safe for eating.

CAUTION Test all parts of the plant for edibility, as some plants have both edible and inedible parts. Do not assume that a part that proved edible when cooked is also edible when raw. Test the part raw to ensure edibility before eating raw. The same part or plant may produce varying reactions in different individuals.

Ethical Foraging Guidelines

Like a good friend, the earth provides us with free chow, so we must take the proper steps to sustain this relationship.

14 ) Never pick too much of a plant from one area. If you must harvest a large amount, pick a moderate amount from several locations. Picking too much from a single area can affect the edible plant population and effect the local ecosystem.

15 ) Always get permission when necessary! If a certain plant is on private property, contact the owner for their permission to harvest from their plant. Most people won't care and will allow you to do so if you are polite and honest. You generally won't need permission if you are picking a plant from a park or anywhere that's public property unless you are in a protected area or a county park. While you technically can pick what you want, it's a good idea to ask local experts what should be picked and what shouldn't be picked. Many edible plants are considered invasive or non-native, in which case you are free to pick what you like. Try to go for plants that grow fast and aren't endangered.

16 ) Make sure to leave enough for the animals!

17 ) If you happen to obtain seeds from a plant that you have eaten, it is a good idea to plant those seeds in the same area you picked from.

Edible Plants

Here is a list of relatively common plants that are edible and easy to identify.

Acorns

You can collect wild acorns for free and then turn them into a meal similar to com meal! Just gather a decent amount of acorns and shell them with a nutcracker or a stone. Grind the meat inside in a blender with water until it is a smooth paste, or hand grind it into a similar consistency. Now, you must place the ground meats into a colander lined with a paper towel and rinse thoroughly several times. You will notice that the water that runs out is milky. You are draining a bitter substance called tannic acid that rendered the meal inedible unless it is drained out. Repeat until the water that runs out is clear. Taste the meal to make sure. Too much tannic acid in your meal makes it bitter and can damage your kidneys over time, so be sure the water runs clear. After letting it dry, you can use it in a manner similar to cornmeal or flour. Use it to make pancakes, muffins, biscuits, cookies, etc.

Another method for leaching the acorns is to pour the paste into a stocking and filter out the tannic acid by running the stocking under running water. This will make it possible to process acorns even without a sink; The stocking can by placed in a stream or a river like the Native Americans used to do.

During the Civil War, acorns were used as a coffee substitute. Take plump, round acorns and shell them. Brown them in an oven and grind them with a coffee grinder. Brew as you normally would coffee. If needed, you can use this as an extender for coffee. Just remember that they can be very bitter, and won't taste as good as regular coffee.

Acorns from the white oak tree are considered to be the best, since they tend to be very large and have the least amount of bitter tannic acid in comparison to other varieties of acorns. Native Americans used to fight over these trees because they sometimes have a very large yield, hence these trees became very valuable.

Chickweed(Stellaria)

Chickweed is a ground-covering plant with small alternating leaves and little white blossoms. There are some other plants that are referred to as chickweed, such as Mouse-ear Chickweed, but these are not true chickweed. True chickweed is part of the stellaria genus, whilst false chickweeds are usually of the the Cerastium genus.

Location: There are many species of chickweed, all of which look very similar to one-another. The common chickweed(stellaria media) can be found on forest floors throughout North America, Europe, and even Australia. It has also been naturalized in Japan. Chickweed can also be found in fields and disturbed ground. While it usually grows on it's own, if you come across Miner's Lettuce, there is a good chance that common chickweed will be growing among it.

Identification: All true chickweeds are edible, but some false chickweeds are not. One way to identify chickweed is to examine the stem for a small single line of hairs growing up one side of the stems. In case you are not sure you have chickweed, you can take one of the stems and bend and twist part of it until the outer part of the stem comes apart; You there should still be a small white elastic fiber connecting the two parts of the broken stem. This might take a few tries. Chickweed tastes very similar to com silk, so if you are willing, you can taste one of the leaves to verify the correct flavor. If any of these 3 tests fail, you probably don't have chickweed.

Preparation: It can be consumed as a leaf vegetable in salads. Can be boiled, but like many wild greens, it will shrink significantly if boiled.

Dandelion

Dandelions are quite possibly one of the ultimate famine foods. Many people believe that they are a worthless and poisonous weed. They can't be further from the truth. Not only are they completely edible, but they grow just about everywhere and they contain more vitamins and minerals than other leafy greens such as spinach. A cup of dandelion leaves contains 112% daily recommendation of vitamin A, 32% of vitamin C, and 535% of vitamin K and 218 mg potassium, 103 mg calcium, and 1.7 mg of iron. The entire plant can be eaten and used for different purposes. The leaves can either be made into or added to a salad or blanched by boiling in salty water. The root can either be eaten and cooked like any other root, or can be roasted and ground up to be used as a coffee substitute(like Chicory). The flowers can be used to make a tea or can be made into fritters. If you can find an abundant amount of flowers, it's possible to use them for making wine. Keep in mind that dandelion greens are somewhat bitter, so you may decide to blanch the leaves by adding them to boiling salt water(make sure you have a lot of leaves because dandelion leaves tend to shrink significantly when boiled). However the bitterness isn't intolerable and it's possible to acquire a taste for it. A simple dressing made of olive oil and vinegar with a little salt and pepper will make the greens more palatable.

More misconceptions about dandelions are that they are harmful to your garden. Dandelions are very efficient growers and will not harm your garden as long as there are not too many of them. You may even consider planting some in your victory garden because they grow extremely quickly and can become quite large when taken care of.

Dandelions can also be used for medicinal purposes. They are already very nutritious, but they can be used as an antioxidant and a diuretic. It's said that they are also good for kidney and liver cleansing.

False Dandelion(Catsear)

Catsear is known as the "False Dandelion" because of it's strikingly similar appearance. An easy way to tell the difference between a dandelion and a catsear is to check the stalk to see if it's hollow; If it's hollow, it's likely to be a dandelion. If it isn't hollow, it's more likely to be a catsear. Dandelions also have only one flower per stalk. Catsear can have multiple flowers branch off of the stalk. Other plants have these traits though, so a better way to be sure it's a catsear is if it's leaves are similar to that of the dandelion.

Catsears are edible and can be used in most of the same ways that a real dandelion could be. However it's nutritional value is unclear.

Field Corn

When riding the rails or hitchhiking you will often find fields of com waiting to feed you hungry travelers. If you are lucky you will be near sweet com, but field or dent com(animal feed) while not sweet is edible, if it is dried out you can pound or grind into cornmeal. You can eat com raw but cooking will make it taste much better. Pull the silk out of the top but don't remove the husk(leaves covering the com). Some people will pour a little salty water in to flavor before cooking but it is optional. Wrap the husk tightly and either wrap in foil and place in the edge of the coals or place on a grille and cover, turn every few minutes. Add salt spices and butter to your liking, cooking 10- 20 minutes. If the com has already dried hard either boil it in a soup or crash into com meal and try the recipes below. (Edited from Dishes & Beverages Of The Old South by Martha McCulloch-Williams (1913): //digital, lib .msu.edu/proj ects/cookbooks/)

Another alternative is to remove all but a thin layer of husk around the com cob, instead of using foil. The only problem with this is that the husk bums rather easily, so direct flame is not recommended.

Mallow

The common mallow is related to the plant that was used over 100 years ago to make the original marshmallow. A mucilaginous substance was extracted from the roots and peas of the plant, and whipped with sugar to make the confection.

Identification: Common mallow can be identified by scallop-like leaves that branch off of a central stalk. The younger plants start off as something similar to a basal rosette. Most of the leaves grow off their own branches, and the leaves have a fine hair-like texture. The leaves of the kind of mallow that grows in Europe may appear more ivy-like, but will still grow in the same way as the American common mallow. When the leaves are chewed, you may be able to feel a slight mucilaginous texture(though not always). When the plant blossoms, the flowers have 5 pink-colored petals with purple veins. The petals may also be heart-shaped. Common mallow grows in every western continent. Ground ivy can be mistaken for common mallow, and vise versa. Ground ivy has a square stem whereas mallow does not. Ground ivy leaves are more round and are attached to their stems from the center of the leaf.

Time of Year: These grow pretty much all year in most climates, although they start growing rapidly in spring.

Preparation: Mallow has very little taste and most people find the hairy texture of the leaves to be unpleasant. Generally, you will probably only want to eat the leaves of this plant if you are desperate. If you decide to eat it, boiling the leaves will make it more palatable. Though it still won't taste great. Not bad flavor; just bad texture. Putting the leaves in a sandwich will help cover up the texture. The stalks and root can't be eaten because they are too tough and fibrous even when boiled.

The "peas" of the common mallow are likely the most edible part of the plant. While the plants usually don't bear that many peas, you can collect them and cook them like real peas. They aren't very flavorful, but they're still very good to eat. But they are the most mucilaginous part of the plant, so that may make some people turn away.

It is possible to use the plant to make the confection we know as marshmallow. You have two options: To use the root or use the peas. The root of the plant is around longer, but it also must be fairly large and the best time to collect it is during when the plant is flowering or when its producing peas. Your other option is to use the peas of the plant. The advantage in just using the peas is that you will not only probably get better results, but it means the plant itself can live to continue producing more peas. The disadvantage is that the peas only come around for one part of the year. If you want, you can use both the root and the peas.

The material should be cut up and placed in boiling water. You should use 2 to 3 cups of water for every cup of plant material you're cooking. Over time, the water should thicken to a certain point, and then you should filter out the plant material with a sieve. Take the filtered mucilaginous fluid and whip it with sugar. Add sugar until it's to your liking. You can either immediately put it on a dessert or you can make little plots on a sheet and let them dry.

Miner’s Lettuce

Miner's Lettuce actually isn't a true lettuce. It is a member of the Claytonia genus, whilst true lettuces are from the lactuca genus. Miner's lettuce got its name from the California gold rush in 1848, because it was consumed by gold miners as a source of vitamin C to prevent scurvy. Keep that in mind in case you haven't consumed much fruit on a long trek.

Location: Miner's lettuce is located throughout the pacific coast of North America, even sometimes up to Alaska. Though most of it is found in California. It has also been naturalized in parts of Europe.

Identification: It is very easy to identify and has no poisonous or non-poisonous lookalikes. When the plant is young, it bears lush arrow-like leaves, and soon after it will produce saucer-shaped leaves with tiny white or purple blossoms in the middle of the saucers. Each of the leaves and saucers have their own stalk, and the stalks become very tender near the bottom and are a silvery-white or purplish color. Miner's lettuce has very tiny roots and the whole plant can be uprooted extremely easily(it's often difficult not to pull out the entire plant when just tugging at one of the stalks). The plant thrives in a certain amount of shade, so you will almost always find it on shady hillsides. It will grow in a variety of altitudes. This contributor has found miner's lettuce from as low as 1,200 ft to as high as the mountains in Yosemite Valley.

Preparation: Pick it up and eat it! Every part of the plant can be eaten, and there are no spines or defenses that have to be removed. It can be easily grabbed and munched on during a hiking trip. Miner's lettuce is best eaten raw in a salad. The stalks can be fibrous, so one might want to remove them and just eat the leaves; That doesn't mean you can't eat the stalks too. Miner's lettuce can be boiled like spinach, but this isn't recommended unless you have collected an abundance of plant material. When boiled, the miner's lettuce shrinks significantly. Don't boil the stalks as they become tougher to eat, due to their more fibrous nature.

Other Uses: If you're low on drinking water, a long way from a stream, and have come across some full-grown miner's lettuce, then you're in luck. The tender stalks are very lush and juicy. Grab an entire plant and squeeze or chew on the stalks; They will provide you with a substantial amount of liquid good for drinking. If you squeeze the liquid out of a few miner's lettuce plants, it may help to hold you over until the next stream.

Mustard

We all know the condiment, mustard, but did you know that the mustard plant itself can be eaten? Wild mustard makes for a wonderful green vegetable, and even has a mild to pungent mustard flavor. All varieties of mustard can be eaten, and they grow in many places around the world.

Identification: Wild varieties of mustard tend to have small yellow 4-petaled flowers with 6 stamen. 3 of them are tall and 2 of them are short. The flowers come off branches from the central stem, and long skinny seed pods also grow off the stalk. The leaves are broadleaved and fairly large.

Preparation: Mustard greens can be eaten raw, but some may not like the pungent flavor. The best way to be get rid of some of the spicy taste is to boil the greens for at least 10 minutes. After that, you can add whatever dressing you like. For simplicity, olive oil and vinegar with a little salt and pepper always works well. Only cook the leaves; While the whole plant is edible, the stalk is very tough and potent even when cooked. The root is nothing special, and you can usually throw it out. But overall, mustard greens make a great food which you can also use to add flavor to other meals. If you like the mustard flavor, they make an excellent salad green and can make for an entire meal on their own, depending on size.

Opuntia(Cactus)

There are other kinds of cactus that are edible, but here we are talking about the a kind of cactus common in Mexican cuisine known as opuntias. These are cactuses that are "paddle" shaped with small irritating hairs and often long spines typical of most cacti. There are two parts of this plant that can be eaten. The paddle, known as the nopalito, can be de-spined, skinned, and cooked like a vegetable. The fruit of the opuntia, known as the prickly pear, can be skinned and eaten as is or incorporated into a dessert.

Location: Opuntias grow in 46 of the 50 states in the U.S. They can also be found in Hawaii. The only states it can't be found in natively are New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. They can also be found in Mexico and throughout parts of Central and South America.

Identification: Cactus is made up of multiple paddle-shaped pads and often grow magenta fruits known as prickly pears.

Edibility: All opuntias are edible. Just make sure an opuntia is what you have. They are edible both raw and cooked, but most people prefer them to be cooked.

Preparation: When collecting parts of an opuntia, make sure to always wear gardening gloves. This is to protect you from the glochlids, which are irritaing little hairs that come from the "eyes" of the pads and fruits. Not dangerous unless you get them in your eyes; otherwise they are just irritating. People underestimate the opuntia and figure they don't need gloves because they only see large spines, and those same people end up getting their fingers covered in little itchy hairs. After you collect your pads/fiuits, make sure to wash them with water and pluck out long spines with needle-nose plyers. This will help get rid of some of the loose glochlids. There are a few ways to get rid of the glochlids. One is to bum them off with a torch, which won't be a problem if you plan on cooking the part. Another way is to remove the eyes with an apple-corer or with the end of a peeler. The outer skin is edible, but the most sure-fire way to get rid of all the glochlids is to skin the outside of the pad/fiuit with a peeler or a knife. The pad can be grilled or boiled and seasoned with some salt & pepper. You'll know when it's done when it turns into a more olive-green color similar to cooked green capsicum(bell pepper). It can then be cut into little strips and added to tacos or a salad, or just eaten straight. The prickly pears can be removed of glochlids and can be eaten raw, juiced, or added to flavor a dessert. Just beware of the very hard seeds, which can break teeth.

The pads can be very mucilaginous, which can be unappealing to some people. If you boil or saute your pads, you can remove them and dump off the mucilaginous byproduct. The opuntias can provide quite a bit of food because they don't shrink too much when cooked, unlike many other wild foods.

Other uses for the opuntia would be as a hedge for one's property, because they make for a formidable defense.

Palm Fruit

Yet another ornamental plant that, with a few exceptions, is generally considered inedible. Those among the exceptions would be dates and coconuts. But those aren't the only palm trees that bear perfectly good Suits!

Palm trees are very distinct, so we all know how to identify them. What makes palms even better is that none of them are poisonous! They also grow all around the world in both arid and tropical climates, and they're often planted as ornamentals.

If you find a coconut palm, then you're definitely in luck, and same goes for date palms. But other kinds of palms produce different kinds of fruit. One such palm is known as the pindo palm or the "jelly palm", which produces a bounty of orange Suits that are about the size of a walnut. Some are tastier than others, and usually the Suits are very fibrous making them somewhat difficult to eat. However, the fruits are excellent for making preserves. They're naturally mucilaginous so they do not need any pectin when making a preserve. All you have to do to make jelly palm fruit preserve is to place your fruit into a pot with enough water to cover most of them, and boil them. When the Suit becomes a little bit softer, use a potato masher to mash the fruit and get as much juice out of them as possible. Once you've squeezed out as much as possible, you have to strain out the fruits and then continue boiling the juice. The juice may be kind of bland, so add sugar to taste. That's all you need to do to make a preserve out of jelly palm fruit. You may need to boil the preserve longer to get the desired consistency; You can make a syrup or create more of a jam/jelly. There are other palm trees that produce a similar orange fruit, and they can be used in the same way. The preserve will taste similar to a fruity honey. Tastes great on ice cream, contains lots of calories, and is high in vitamin C!

There is also the "saw palmetto"; a palm that produces a black olive-like fruit. Their flavor is not considered very pleasant to most, as they are often described to taste like oily and peppery blue cheese. But they are very rich in fatty acids. Eat small amounts at first to get accustomed to it. The saw palmetto is a low-growing palm like the pindo palm, but with a more fan-like leaf and the stalks have sawtooth-like spikes.

Broadleaf Plantain(Plantago)

A native to Eurasia, the broadleaf plantain grows just about everywhere(at least in North America) during nonwinter seasons. It is considered an invasive weed, and in some areas it grows so wildly, so pretty much you can't harvest too much of it. The broadleaf plantain is small but has relatively large spoon-like leaves which are tough and fibrous when matured. They usually have a rattail-like seed pod which sticks up vertically. The older leaves can be eaten, but are very tough. The young leaves of the broadleaf plantain can be eaten because they are softer and more tender. The plant is a bit bitter with a taste reminiscent of spinach.

The large leaves can be used to dress wounds, as it contains natural antibiotics and a powerful coagulant. Because of this, plantain should not be eaten by those taking blood thinners. Broadleaf plantain leaves are known to also treat and calm insect bites; Some people chew up a leaf and stick it to an insect bite.

Thistle

Thistle is another one of those foods deemed worthless by the general public. Different kinds of thistle, such as milk thistle, were somewhat of a common food at one time. They became unpopular in contrast to other vegetables due to it's spines. But the reason the thistle developed such a formidable defense is because it can make for a good food. Little do people know about how edible and useful these spiky plants are.

The thistle usually starts out as a basal rosette, and then after a year it will grow a stalk with a flower(usually purple with large spines around it). The leaves have little spines around the edges that hurt when touched, so you may want to handle the plant with gloves. The spines on some thistles will soften when boiled, like with the sow thistle and milk thistle. But if you don't want to boil the leaves, you can simply cut off the spines with a knife or snip them off with scissors. Depending on the kind of leaves you're dealing with, this can be a lot of work. The greens are usually not bitter and make a great addition to your meadow salad. All thistles are edible, but make sure the plant you have is indeed a thistle. Milk thistle is particularly bountiful in that they grow large and are more broadleaved, whereas some other thistles have narrow leaves. Milk thistle can be identified from other thistles in that the leaves have milk-colored splotches on them.

The inner stalk of the thistle can be eaten raw or boiled. To get to this tender part of the stalk, you have to carefully strip off the leaves until you are left with the part you want. The stalk is hollow and has a somewhat similar feel to celery when cut. Depending on the size of your thistle, the stalk can be of decent size, and the harvest is especially worth it if you find an abundance of thistle.

The leaves and the seeds can be used medicinally as a liver tonic. While research in the past lead to unclear results, a more recent government-funded study showed that the chemical in milk thistle, silymarin, showed promise in treating toxin-induced liver damage.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14506392

When the plant dries out after the summer, the flower becomes a mass of soft white fibers with seeds. The fiber can makes great tinder for starting a fire and it can also be used as a replacement for down in a pillow.

Strawberry Tree(Arbutus)

This plant is somewhat common as an ornamental plant in suburban areas that are of a Mediterranean climate. The strawberry tree bears many fruits which vaguely resemble the strawberry. The fruits are red and berry-like with a bumpy outer-texture, about 3/5 the size of a golfball. Most strawberry trees are actually more bush-like than a tree, with flat green leaves. The best way to identify the strawberry tree is to look at the fruits. The fruit matures at the same time as the newer fruits develop, so there will be both yellow fruits and red fruits(the red ones are ripe and edible). The ripe fruits are soft, sticky, and orange inside with many little seeds. The fruits usually don't have much flavor, although some strawberry trees have better tasting fruits than others. The flavor is often referred to as a combination of peach and strawberry. Though the fruits are unknown by most people and considered worthless, they can easily be made into a tasty jam preserve and can even be used to make alcohol. The strawberry tree bears quite a bit of fruit, so a single harvest can yield a large amount of food.

Strawberry Tree Jam

Ingredients

4 cups of strawberry tree Suit
Juice from 1 lemon
1 cup of sugar

1 .) Wash the fruit thoroughly and remove the stems. The skin can be left on and will dissolve in the jam process.

2 .) Take a large spoon or a potato masher and mash the fruit in a large bowl or pot. Mash it thoroughly until there are no large chunks. You will now have a large orange mash with red specs from the skin.

3 .) Now comes the hard part. The seeds of the fruit are many and very tough. It's possible to have the seeds present in the jam, but it will make the jam tough and not as pleasant to eat. To filter out the seeds, you must pour the mash through a sieve into a cooking pot. This is a somewhat long process, depending on how much fruit you have. It might be necessary to add water to the mashed fruit to make it filter through easier(however this will significantly increase cooking time).

4 .) Add the lemon juice to the fruit mash, and then bring the mixture to a boil. Then turn it down to a simmer and stir occasionally for an hour.

5 .) Slowly add the sugar and let simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste occasionally and add more sugar or lemon juice depending on your preference.

This jam can either be properly canned or placed in a container for short-term storage.

Restaurants

Last updated: 27 May 2011

The modern restaurant, fast food places, and cafes sell convenience at the expense of the lower working classes. Money is made off selling to folks who do not want to cook due to work, needing to feed many folks, or being in a popular location. The restaurant associations get away with paying waiters below the federal minimum wage legally (in many states)and force them to live off of patron's tips. Fast Food pays employees poverty wages for being covered in grease. Meanwhile, the district bosses, owners, and top executives lead country club lifestyles.

Restaurants currently operate under three main different models. Fast food is all about getting fed quickly and cheaply. Sit-down restaurants are about eating in a relaxed atmosphere where the customer has a servant making sure they do not have to get up (unless it is a buffet.) Delivery deals with getting food to the customers location. We will discuss all three.

1 NOT Eating Out
2 Fast Food
3 Sit-Down Restaurants
3.1 Dealing With and not Pissing Off Restaurant Staff
3.2 The Walk-out
3.3 My Food is not Cooked Right!
3.4 Turning Employees
4 Delivery
4.1 It Has Been a Long Time and My Food Is Not Here!
5 Restaurant Waste

NOT Eating Out

One could easily blow $20 USD (or more.. if you get fancy or get alcohol) for one person in a sit-down restaurant. This includes tipping so some wage slave does not hate your guts if you ever come back there. If you eat even only one time a day, this could easily be 600 a month just to eat! Yes, there are some ways to save. Not getting (or stealing) a drink, only getting cheap items from fast food, or going to only lunch buffets can bring down the cost. But, with the exception of fast food 'dollar menus', most of the time you can prepare your own much cheaper.

Don't get that 'sorry' feeling for blowing your precious survival cash on an overpriced junk. This really needs to be watched if you are in wage slavery or homeless! Our advice to you is to make a big breakfast and carry your lunch and a late snack or dinner. In winter plan a way to warm your "out" meals.

Many restaurant meals are nutrition poor but high in both fat and carbohydrate calories which can be useful to someone who wants to abate their hunger for longer than an hour or two and involved in some physical labor, foot or bike travel, or just be stuck outside in the wet and cold. Be aware that there is a movement especially directed at fast food places to reduce calories sometimes even by substituting diet non-digestible fat and sugar substitutes. You might soon find yourself spending your hoarded cash on fake food which is effectively flavored and textured cardboard and candle wax; you will be denied even the empty calories you were hoping to acquire.

Fast Food

Fast Food corporations market (mostly) high calorie food to folks that only have a short time to eat or are too busy/ too lazy/ can not cook. Fast food also markets to the poor with value deals and not having to tip. They draw in folks with kids by maintaining one of the largest cheap toy distribution networks and ad campaigns in the world. For all that money, it is common for non-management to be making below poverty wages and managers working 70 -90 hours a week.

Fast food places can be fairly cheap if you stick to 'dollar menus'. Most of the cheap specials are not very filling and can leave you hungry unless you get a bit of it, but it is a meal. Some offerings may be bad on your cardiovascular system when eaten regularly, so be mindful. You can get a burger or taco for a dollar or two which is cheaper than picking up all the stuff you would need at a grocery store to make it.

The biggest money maker for fast food is 'upselling' combos. The pitch is to charge a few dollars more for a small bit extra of a side item and drink. Every cashier is drilled to ask before every sale under pain of keeping a job. You do not really get much except for a few extra fries and a bit bigger overpriced drink.

Speaking of drinks... the fountain machine puts out soft drink for pennies, yet you get charged dollars. You can get a much better deal buying your drink from a grocery or convenience store. Some will frown on you bringing in outside drinks, though.

The biggest scam currently going is the fast food places that let you get your own drink and free refills. If you ask for a cup of water, you can generally just go get soft drink instead and rarely be harassed if common sense is used. With the possible exception of the manager, who usually has to work equipment as well, most employees really do not care or are too busy.

Sit-Down Restaurants

Dealing With and not Pissing Off Restaurant Staff

When you talk of sit down restaurants, you are talking of basically renting a seat unmolested by claims of loitering for a period of time usually for the duration of your meal. Some of these "rents" are fairly inexpensive while the upper middle and upper class 4 star places in good locations with name brand chefs and multiple waiters to suffer over your every swallow can run 60 USD a seat or much more...

Regardless, the staff at restaurants can sometimes be a source of free food. But, only if you do not piss them off and they are allowed to slide by greedy management. Like any culture, the service industry has a set of unspoken rules that can put you on 'good terms'. The life of waitstaff, especially, is feast or famine. On busy nights, they are easily the highest paid people in the building, but on slow nights they might not even take home enough to cover taxes.

Service staff hates people that do not tip with a passion. They may not mention this in front of a customer's face for fear of you complaining to their corporate overlord, but it can be guaranteed to be talked about in the kitchen to other waiters. Many states LEGALLY allow servers to make way below the minimum wage. In addition, they may be also responsible for tipping out other staff as well. A few bad tables combined with slow times can mean the server works for nothing.
When you tip, tip cash. Some restaurants hold credit card tips until the server's payday which can be up to two weeks or longer to make sure Uncle Sam gets his (and they do not have to pay compensation if the server does not report enough tips). Your server will appreciate this. Greedier places even deduct a fee from the tip to cover use of the credit card machine.
Do not be a piece of shit! This includes ordering staff around, snapping fingers at them, causing scenes, never being satisfied, etc. It is bad enough to be a wage slave. While some trust fund babies may get an ego out of this, being cool can attract much more than being a jerk.
Do not 'run' the waitstaff. Serving tables is A LOT of running back and forth from the kitchen and the assigned group of tables. During 'rush' times, this can be stressful and requires good memory and juggling many steps mentally at the same time. Be sure to tell them everything you need at one time and not 50 trips for small things. This really pisses them off.
If you have a small child, control your child or tip extra. French fries spread under the table mixed with crayons and spills all over the table is a lot of work. Many waiters make their money by turning over the tables frequently. A massive clean up may make that table not settable for a long time.
Do the little things. Offer to box your own to-go plates if the place allows it. Stack the plates. If you eat like a pig, do not leave big messes.
Do not come in right when they are about to close. The staff wants to get the hell out of there. It messes up closing duties and can delay getting off up to hours. Grease, sweat, managers, and dealing with people makes some want to erase their CorpGov abuse with an activity of choice as soon as possible. Late night bars after weekend tips and kitchen paydays are popular places they go. In large towns and tourist areas, there are even service industry bars that sometimes give discounts to them.
If they are not being slammed, chat with your wait-person. Sincere small talk and maybe a short travel story (rememberSecurity Culture) can make you appear human other than an endless conveyor belt of customers. If they think of you as a friend (and not simply another tip), they might want to draw you back for more tales of the road.
Asking outright for freebies is generally an alienating move until you have built a rapport.
ALWAYS make sure to tip as extravagantly as possible ANY favors to let the staff know that you are sharing what wealth you do have.
In our sexist society, you will find that a woman has a better chance to get free stuff with a male waiter, especially with a slightly cute, shy approach, while still letting him know you are running tight and relying on his compassion. Males usually also have more success with males if they can become interesting and respected; a male appealing to another male's compassion is more likely to elicit a reaction of disgust than sympathy.

Folks have suggested that posing as a charity and getting the restaurant to 'donate' food is a possible major food scores for the more charismatic. However, most of the time, managers are not going to do this because of food poisoning lawsuits. A few go as far as not even letting their own staff, but some will let staff. Better to ask a friend who works in one. However, we have known of some folks who claimed they had a bunch of dogs or pigs to feed and wanted the food for slop get this to work in rural areas. Of course, these folks looked the part of some guy in a trailer with dogs or on a small farm.

Being liked by the staff sometimes has perks. You may find that your coffee is left off the bill. You could be given a free buffet. Even another customer's unwanted entree may find its way to your table. Once you've cultivated a relationship with a restaurant, you might even be able to bargain leftovers if you hang around at closing time. People can be surprisingly compassionate and empathetic if they identify with you.

The Walk-out

Warning: If the server handles money, restaurants make the server responsible for PAYING YOUR BILL if you walk out! Leaving a tip does not help much. It is nice to stick it to the man, just make sure it is the man you are actually hurting!

Sit-down restaurant food is one of the few products where it is acceptable in society to consume the product and pay later. The walkout takes advantage of this. Walking out works really well with a partner. (a male-and-female duo works best for this kind of scam, but if you are two of the same gender, it might work to your advantage to pretend that you are siblings). As long as you appear clean and are dressed appropriately for the place, you should be fine. You may want to avoid the place for several months or years afterward, though.

To walk out, just watch the server and busperson for when he or she goes to the kitchen then nonchalantly disappear. Going for a smoke outside or the restroom is an acceptable excuse if questioned. Then leave promptly. If this is a place where they have a cashier or host at the front, watch for when they are busy, then walk briskly out the door and bolt! If escaping in a car, please be mindful of any chasing staff viewing the plates of your car. Once you are off the property, you are home free.

A good related trick to the walk-out, is the walk-in. This will work in most buffets, as you pay for a tray and not a plate. The trick works best if you are with a group of people or if you say you are meeting up with someone if asked. Simply walk past the register, maybe go into the bathroom if you see that the cashier saw you, wait a few minutes, and grab a plate. Many places give cups up front where you have to pay. But, to avoid attention, bring your own. Just be smart with it. While you have an unlimited source of food in front of you, you might as well stock up with plastic bags or something of that nature. Again, be smart, this trick is a lot better if you have access to refrigeration. If you need a paper cup, go to another restaurant, and say you just want a few cups for a 2-liter bottle of soda in your car. Get creative, the cup trick works well at smaller places, and doesn't work well at fast food places, foreign restaurants are perfect.

Don't dine and ditch unless you have no other choice! Leaving without paying your tab/ bill is a form of shoplifting and can get you hauled in. Only attempt this ruse out of town, because a waiter might remember "those bastards that ran off without paying."

My Food is not Cooked Right!

Most restaurants will refund your money if you complain about the food or have it sent back the kitchen. Your server may get annoyed, but all restaurant managers are allowed to give 'comps' to displeased customers.

This one is simple. Order something and say it's overcooked or undercooked. Naturally, do not eat more than a bite or two or some places will refuse to play along. However, if you complain convincing enough it should be possible to get another dish for free. Sometimes you can even get a full 3 courses gratis if one of them isn't done right! If you claim your 'dining experience' was ruined by your companions having to wait while your were still eating or their food held under a heat lamp while they were fixing your order, the better.

This one is remarkably easy to pull off and has a very high rate of success. There's no need for an elaborate setup, and it's perfectly legal, too. You can also call the corporate office with a complaint and sometimes get a comp even if the manager did not give it away.

Glass in the food, bug in the food, etc. is only urban legend. In the extremely rare case of this, you are pretty much expected to walk out if this is the case and never come back. If there is even the slightest suspicion by the manager you placed this in the food and walked out, you can be hauled off. Lawsuits are rare because more evidence is needed besides a wrapped food or plate. You would need an actual doctor bill.

Turning Employees

Use some charm and make friends at the pizza shop. Most places we have set down we find a pizza shop and we get free food and drinks and an air conditioned place to hang out during the day several times a week. For some reason the strip mall, no tips expected, lunch rush, single slice to go type pizza shop with one post high school employee on duty is just perfect for this hack once the lunch rush is over and they are bored during the 3-5pm lull. Fast food and other restaurants with better peak time management and inventory control give you little chance to talk to the staff and convert them to a free handout. Baristas at non chain places and sandwich and sub places during slow hours are also good targets but often there is not the filling food at a coffee shop like the pizza shop has.

After a few paying visits where you keep them company, leave a buck or two tip or share a cigarette. Once you establish a rapport ask for a free slice or two from the stuff that has sat for a while in the single slice case. Be cynical, you are hungry and broke, remember that you are there for food not to convert the unwashed masses so don't attack his political positions to harshly but play up his labor rights. If there is no tip jar complain how terrible that is and make one out of a cup and post-it for them. Once that door is open use it again, but don't attack the stale stuff every day at first and watch how they react when you do, some people get weirded out by the mooch so avoid that guy when they work. Even if you get toppings just ask to pay for the plain pizza. In the places where this mooching the stale stuff has worked several times we offer to let the employee smoke or stay seated and you will make yourself up a slice that you then pay for to get them comfortable with you in the kitchen. Wait until a day when there is no stale pizza say you forgot your wallet and ask permission to slap together a small pizza. Once you have permission to walk back there the first time to make free food just keep it up sometimes paying sometimes not, although only if there are no stale slices to mooch. This is all about pushing the comfort zone slowly.

Always clear and wipe your table and others nearby especially when he is busy so the person on duty feels like he owes you something. Our experience is that you should do everything except touch the register, when you do your own pizza or drink. Always show them that you are leaving the cash behind the counter near the register when you do pay, they are responsible for the total at the end of the day and if you ever touch or hang out near the register they will always blame you if they ever end up short and you will ruin the scam. Lastly once we know the employee is 'cool' a joint or two for after they get off work will probably lock up your free pizza scam for good.

Delivery

Folks with a phone number, an address, and no food in the house can call some restaurants to take food to them. Most delivery places specialize in pizza or Chinese food because of good hold times on that food. However, bigger and more upscale areas may have more choices while someone out in rural areas may have none.

Delivery is not cheap. Most of the time, there are minimums to the dollar amount of the order and the prices can be inflated without deals. You are also expected to tip the delivery person.

Delivery can refuse to go to an area for many reasons. Sometimes hotels make deals prohibiting guests from purchasing any food in the hotel except theirs. Additionally, the management can refuse to go to certain areas for it merely being populated by certain ethnic groups, real or imagined high crime, or history of high complaints/no tips from drivers.

It Has Been a Long Time and My Food Is Not Here!

”30 Minutes or Free" type of deals have fallen out of favor due to concerns about speeding tickets and bad press. Instead, most businesses have a practice of adjusting the estimated time based on volume and weather. If the food takes longer, they usually have a policy based on how late it is as to how much money to take off. If your food really is late, use this to save cash.

Discounts can be given sometimes even if the customer is in the wrong. It is possible to give a bad address with a new phone number to get free cold food. Modernized delivery places keep a computerized database of phone numbers associated with first name, address, and what you order. If the first address given is wrong, the delivery driver will try to call you. If you cannot be reached, the driver will take it back to the store. Calling again after this can get it for free or at least a major discount for a future order from that phone and address. Do not do this too much as the manager can rightfully refuse to deliver to you as a bad customer.

Be sure to tip the delivery driver if you try to pull this. Having to redeliver cuts the amount of runs they do and total tips. Bad runs screw them out of the meager compensation for gas,vehicle wear, and cell phone minutes by the greedy corporate office.

Restaurant Waste

Much usable food is thrown away. Usually any food the staff does not claim gets mixed in with used plastic straws, dish room chemicals, and half eaten food. Any used grease gets recycled. The middle class calls thrown away food 'food cost' or 'wastage' and sets up rules to reduce this so the owners and stock holders can make as much money as possible. Sources of 'food cost' come from these sources:

Pre-prepared food past hold time is the majority of edible food waste. Some food takes much more time to prepare than a customer can wait. Typically, this food is kept in some kind of hot box or steam line with a date label. Using data from food researchers on the spread of bacteria, there are industry wide temperatures maximum length of time these must be stored. Good restaurant managers keep logs of how much food was used in the past on different days to try to keep from over anticipating sales and cooking too much food. Usually, only the manager on duty, cook, or dishwasher has access. Strict control over to-go containers and outside containers (supply cost) are designed to keep cooks from intentionally cooking too much to be able to take home or give away food. If you can get the food that is fixing to be thrown away off a steamline or hot box, you are in for a good meal.
Bad orders can be a major source of food cost if the place deals with finicky customers or staff mistakes. Most restaurant managers watch this, too. Industry accepted procedure is to immediately remove the dish that is being complained about from customer view. It gets handed to the manager on duty or the cook to decide the plate's fate. If it is something that can be fixed by being under cooked, it is recooked and put on a fresh plate or re-wrapped. If it has any bites out of it, most staff immediately throws this into an 50 gallon trash can. Anything without bites taken out of it can be offered to staff or done with what the manager pleases. If you are in good with the staff, sometimes you can get these bad orders if the staff has not dug in already.
Dishroom waste is inedible and is laden with chemicals. Half eaten food is combined with lemon rinds, bones, plastic straws and cups, broken glass, and mostly eaten food. Mostly eaten food is always removed from customer view as quickly as possible. The food from the plates is removed and thrown into garbage. Only front staff and the dishwasher has access to eaten food before it hits the garbage. Managers avoid this stuff. The workers usually have access, but meal plans and the stigma of appearing 'nasty' to the supervisor by eating this is a real concern. The only useful portion of this is limited to desperate staff in places without meal plans. Who wants something that has been slobbered on and may make someone sick? Many sit down food dumpsters have little edible food because it is mixed with this dishroom waste.
Used grease from fryers is inedible and is dangerously, permanently scarring hot when first taken out. Used grease is always poured into a large special dumpster to be collected and reprocessed to eventually be made into lady's cosmetics. No matter how desperate, NEVER try to dip into the grease container out back.

Food Programs

1 Food not Bombs
2 Food Stamps (SNAP)
3 WIC
4 Religious Organizations and Shelters
5 Feed a Yippie

Food not Bombs

Ask around to see if your town has a Food Not Bombs chapter. FNB groups in cities across the US and several other countries serve healthy, free, vegan food to anyone who wants it. Most chapters serve at least once a week, some serve everyday. FNB groups usually serve in a public place, such as a park or town square. Food Not Bombs groups will also often agree to provide food at large gatherings, such as protest marches, picket lines, disaster areas, activist conferences, etc. provided they have the resources to do so. Go tohttp://www.foodnotbombs.net for more info, including an (incomplete) list of active groups.

Food Stamps (SNAP)

The Food Stamp program is always around if you qualify. Food Stamps are now debit cards that can be used like real debit cards at supermarkets for storable food goods. More information is in the 'Welfare' section of 'Free

Money'.

WIC

This is a state-run federal program that gives baby formula, juice, powdered milk, and cereal to folks who have just had a baby. The food can be either picked up from a central location or bought from a store depending on the state.

You can stay on it until your kid turns 5 years old. The income cut-off levels are also fairly easy to meet.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/

Religious Organizations and Shelters

Often, organizations (especially religious clubs) at high schools, colleges, and community centers provide free breakfasts and snacks.

In some major cities, there are a few Krishna religious groups that often give out a free vegetarian meal if you sit in for a seminar (Fair warning: The food they serve can be VERY spicy!). Be advised the quality can vary wildly. Some groups have good resources for ingredients and skilled cooks that can make stuff that tastes great. Others are not quite as lucky and/or good.

Also, consider helping or going to your local homeless shelter. Not only can you help those in need but you can also get a free meal or two. Most shelters also have way more than they serve. Much of the excess food goes to waste. Sometimes they will give their volunteers some of the extra. Many have a walk-in cooler, freezer and pantry that are filled to the brim and at least half of it gets thrown out every week. Browse the back and take what looks good to feed you, your friends, your family and others less fortunate. After all, we could all use a free meal!

Feed a Yippie

If you are not up to direct action at least support our kids in the streets, use the large group recipes inCheap Chow or whatever you can dumpster dive and support our troops! Please remember that we need to eat every day, put a chalk mark on the curb or sidewalk Wall Painting so we know you are willing to feed a traveling Yippie.

This page was last modified on 24 July 2010, at 14:07.

Supermarkets

CorpGov spends big bucks in research to scientists to figure out what what motivates people to do things. Of course, most of this research is not in any particular best interest, but to motivate you to spend more than you need. Everything from simple store layout to what actors or actresses folks would identify with in commercials are heavily planned out. Some gas stations even have TVs now at the pumps to force you to watch ads to buy stuff and big stores like Walmart even have in-store radio to suggestive sell to you!

Supermarkets will go over frugal shopping, some things to watch out for, and some common scams.

Shoplifting is a amoral discussion if an emergency need arises to take something from one of these places.

1 Getting Food Extra Cheap
1.1 Sample Surfing
1.2 Discount Stores
1.3 Coupons
1.4 Shopping List
2 Scams
2.1 Self Check-Out
2.2 Lifting a Meal
2.3 Marketing Scams
2.4 Munchies and Hungries
2.5 Papers Please
2.6 Gift Cards
2.7 UPC Tricks
2.8 Bakery Coupon Scam
3 Club Card Warning
4 Working at a Store
5 The Dumpster
6 Wholesale Markets

Getting Food Extra Cheap

Sample Surfing

Many large chain deli's will give you a sample if you ask, enough corpgov fat and batter to tease but not enough to satisfy. Hit several stores and you might get enough to fill you up, many stores also have one day a week where vendors give lots of samples in the aisles.

Discount Stores

In some poorer neighborhoods, you can often find discount grocery stores that sell odd-lot packages of food. Often these are over-runs of stuff meant for regional chains with unfamiliar or ripoff brand names (Oat Loops instead of Cheerios, for example), stuff that's close to the expiration date or major label items that were meant for export with English-language labels slapped on them (so don't be surprised if you see Arabic corn flakes or instant oatmeal with Chinese text). Many of the major odd-lot stores like Big Lots, Dollar General and 99 Cents Only sell this kind of food at a major discount. If something is in stock and you like it, buy it, since the supply of these bargains is spotty at best.

Bakery Outlet type stores sell breads, crackers, cakes, pies and cereals that are weeks (if not days) before their freshness dates expire. If you have access to a freezer, stock up!

Coupons

The Sunday newspaper sometimes has coupons in the circulars. Most of the time, these are for newer products or seldom bought items while coupons for staple items are rare. But, sometimes a decent coupon can be found. It usually is not worth it just to buy a paper for coupons. If you already have a Sunday paper, though, it cannot hurt to look.

Shopping List

Instead of reaching for the prepared foods try grabbing these foods which will last for a few days unrefrigerated. You can add or subtract items from this list by figuring the cost against the food value. Staple Ingredients (for staying put and saving money):

Flour white or wheat
Eggs
Oil, shortening, or margarine
Vinegar
Baking soda
Pasta
Vegetables, assorted for stew and stir fry
Dry beans
Rice
Oatmeal
Sugar
Tomato sauce packets
Liquid soap
Kerosene, charcoal, or Sterno fuel- as required for cooking

Used in smaller amounts:

Salt
Yeast- in a jar
Baking powder- sealed can
Aluminum foil-as needed
Spices and condiments- as budget allows
Ziploc and plastic grocery sacks
Parmesan Cheese-as budget allows
Vitamins

Ready to Eat(good to have in you pack if you have to move out):

Ramen
Fruits fresh and dried
Canned meat or fish
Crackers and bread
Peanut butter
Cheese
Canned soup and vegetables

Scams

Self Check-Out

Make the self checkout lane work for you! Ring up more expensive foods as cabbage or bananas; they tend to be sold pretty cheap by the pound. There is usually one employee (if that) not very closely watching over four or more self checkout lines. Be aware of any product recalls, because if a product has been deemed unsafe (salmonella, e coli, etc) the clerk will be alerted if you enter the code for that product. This is probably not too big of a risk, as this happens around the summer once at least every three years.

This also works quite well if your grocery store has a bulk foods section that sells grains, cereals, candies, cookies, etc. When purchasing bulk foods, you're typically asked to shovel the amount you want into a bag, then weigh it, enter the item's PLU, and print a label that gives the total cost and bears a barcode for scanning. In order to get a great deal of high quality food for very little money, you simply enter the PLU of a much cheaper product (ideally one that looks a lot like what you're actually buying) and print that receipt instead. For instance, you might have filled a bag with organic quinoa at $6.99/lb., but enter the PLU for conventional bulgur at $2.49/lb. The clerk watching the self-checkout line is guaranteed not to notice a difference. Of course, if you're especially bold, you could just fail to print a label at all and discreetly slip the item into your sack while checking out. Without a label, no alarms will sound when you leave the store.

Lifting a Meal

If you feel like eating, it is generally a better idea to load up a basket and then go into the bathroom and eat in one of the stalls. Leave a few items in your basket so you don't look suspicious. Then, you can put everything back or just take it. If you eat in the bathrooms, don't be stupid and remember to wash your hands. Nobody wants a sick Yippie. Another more risky option if the bathroom is out is you could eat some food (including deli food, just ask for them to bag it and you will pay with your other items) in a quiet aisle and ditch the container behind some boxes. Be careful, in some places you can be busted for shoplifting as soon as a security agent or employee sees you take only one bite, chances are they will probably kick you out on the first offense. But 'sampling' food can get you caught for 'theft for the purpose of consumption' or something sounding similar to that. Better to check the dumpsters in back and avoid a chance for quality time with Officer Friendly.

Marketing Scams

Most packaged, branded food is marked up like crazy. Healthier and noname foods tend to be cheaper. Good for you, if it turns out you have to pay. Look for these foods on the very bottom and top shelves. The brand name items the supermarket is pushing will be at the average person's eye level.

Munchies and Hungries

Most of us end up shopping (and shoplifting) when we are hungry or worse stoned and munchy. You will end up wasting your money on cheap packaged foods with little nutritional value. Plan shopping trips and take a list, stick to your well planned shopping list, corporations have special employees who plan the store shelf layout very carefully to seduce idiots into buying expensive junk. Plan your nutrition, make a diet to plan shopping, like an overweight person on a diet does, but count nutrients and calories for energy and value not weight loss. Marketing 101: Corpgov marketing strategies are known to work much better on hungry supermarket customers.

Papers Please

Another method is to enter a supermarket armed with shopping bags and a receipt(from said supermarket). Put what you want into a shopping cart. When you've got what you want, find a low traffic, low security area(The bedding section, garden center, discount aisle) and put your goods into the shopping bag(s). Then just walk right out(with the receipt in hand). If you're stopped, hand them the receipt, they usually won't take the time to check for each item. This works best during medium to peak business hours.

Gift Cards

Go to the corporate store and find the gift card on the shelf, the first one in the stack preferably. Walk around the store with it and memorize or write down the security information on the back of the card. It should be a series of numbers. Then return the card as if you decided against purchasing it. Then wait a month or two and check online to see if the card is activated because it was purchased. If yes, then use the card to make purchases online. Don’t worry about ruining Johnny’s birthday. Most of the corporate stores set up refund programs to stop bad press and keep people buying the cards. Please use the card in support of progressive causes (such as donations to legit nonprofits) because we should be using these skills to help everyone.

UPC Tricks

Many supermarkets have a section near the back with marked-down items that are old or damaged, with the UPC written over with a new price. Cashiers ring up these items using the new price no questions asked, so one can do this for any item.

If you can find an old CueCat or other cheap bar code scanner you can scan some inexpensive or generic item that you find in the trash and then print new UPC's on sticker paper to stick onto goods at the market, be sure the description is close to what you are sticking or a sharp checker might bust you. Don't try this scam too often with the same checker or at the same store in case the management starts looking for you.

Photocopying UPC's and gluing/sticking them onto more expensive items should work especially if you are in a self service scan point. It is important to remember that most self service checkouts weigh the items as you add them to the bag so only fake the UPC on same weight items.

Bakery Coupon Scam

One of our writers sent a letter to a large US bakery company saying that French students were coming to the high school and that there would be a presentation on American foods. They were asked to donate products for the exchange students to sample. One week later four coupons arrived worth five dollars each for that corporations bakery products. This is a great totally legal way to get some basic food if you are low on cash, because even most junk food companies also make bread and other products that are better for you. This also works if you write a polite letter to complain or compliment their products or just to ask questions, this sometimes also works if you call the 1-800 info number.

Club Card Warning

As tempting as a few pence off sounds, don't use a Clubcard. Ever. These little bastards will keep track of all your purchases, how you paid, when you bought them, and even what store you shopped at. Think of it not so much as giving you savings, but charging you for not being able to track purchases! A Clubcard is the easiest way to destroy any alibis you might need later on -- so don't use them. The best way to deal with Clubcards is to simply patron stores that still do not use them. But, if this is not realistic due to location or savings, there are ways around this.

Most stores allow use of your phone number in place of a Clubcard, since people can be generally forgetful. This allows two methods to get past this. You can use someone else's phone number or create a card with a fake name and phone number. You may be able to get another's phone number if you are watchful and happen to see someone key it in. However, be cautious in using this as sometimes they can tell if more than one person is on the card. Especially if you move to another city and use it. Creating a fake card is fairly easy depending on place. Some do not check for ID and most well let you fill it out anyway if you say you left your ID at home. You can just fill out an card application with a false name and number. Just make sure it is a non-local number that could be not taken.

By far the easiest way to get ClubCard discounts is to use the simple excuse, "I left mine at home". Most Supermarkets have generic ClubCards at each register, and the cashiers will have no problem swiping for you. Even if this is not the case, other customers will probably have no problem swiping in for you to move the line. The other easy way is to use the self check-out lane. Many Supermarkets either have a button on the bottom of the self check-out screen such as "Forgot my Card," or it would be under something like "Product Look Up" for things without bar codes.

The US Department of Homeland Security openly claims to purchase an updated database from all major club card stores and credit card companies (credit and debit) so that they have instant access to who is buying what and when to fight "terror". Even a stolen club card number can be quickly attached to your profile even if your name is unknown and can be used to follow shopping and travel patterns.

Working at a Store

If you work at a store where the dumpsters are kept outside, then they can be used to smuggle out stock from inside. Particularly useful is if you work at the kiosk: When restocking the shelf with cigarettes, dropping some into the waste paper bin will mean that the cigarette pack will end up in the dumpster as soon as the bin is emptied. Simply return that night and retrieve! Also can be done with multipacks of alcohol: With crates of canned lager, the cans are normally smaller than usual. Thus, if one of the cans is damaged, the rest will have to be thrown out, as they can't be resold individually (they normally lack a barcode too). Again, retrieve them from the dumpster that night!

The Dumpster

Of course, if all else fails, there is always the dumpster located usually in the back docks of the store. Sometimes, if you are lucky, you can find usable items in here. However, you may also be in for a gross, sticky mess. Avoid going into the compactor model dumpsters as most of the time it destroys anything useful and is highly dangerous. Dumpsters are also a place that attracts disease and maggot carrying insects and harmful bacteria that can make you very sick. Try to stick to packaged or canned stuff you may find or obviously fresh things if you must do this.

Some places may have a separate dumpster for expired produce, but more and more places are switching to the compactor models and box recycling to save money on trash disposal bills.

Wholesale Markets

In Hoffman's original book, he had a section on Wholesale and Farmer's markets. In a few cities Farmer's markets are open once or twice a week in season, produce stands can still be found in rural areas along highways, shop these local farmers first before using the globalist wage slavery stores. Wholesale markets are now mostly membership fee clubs like Sam's that cater to bulk buyers and small businesses, you might be able to buy from them if paying cash but the discounts are not that large. As such, these will not be discussed further.

Farm It

Last updated: 16 January 2011

As food prices spiral upwards, the personal and group garden will come back into vogue. This Victory Garden puts us somewhat above the heavy handed and regularly used strategy of people control through the selective distribution of food to the "good" people. Try to acquire and seed non hybrid seeds before times of trouble, as these seeds can be used generation after generation. Don't kill yourself with poisons; use natural insect repellents and fertilizers. Try to plant some staple foods, like spinach, cabbage, and squash, which offer more versatility for dishes. Even an urban dweller is not excused, you have greenspaces, rooftops and even suspended window platforms to farm from.

1 General Farming
2 What to grow
3 Farming Techniques
3.1 Urban
3.1.1 Guerrilla Farming
3.1.2 Tire Farming
3.1.3 Trash sack
3.2 Open Field
3.2.1 Preparing a Field
3.2.2 Watering
3.2.3 Greenhouse
3.2.4 Plastic Sheet
3.3 Open Source Ecology
4 The Organic Way
4.1 Organic Pesticide Solutions
4.2 Organic Fertilizers
4.3 Compost
4.4 Crop rotation
4.4.1 Nitrogen fixation in legumes grown under irrigation of 8 inches of H2O/yr
5 Farm Animals
5.1 Bees
5.1.1 Design
5.1.2 Outer cover
5.1.3 Inner cover
5.1.4 Hive body and hive super
5.1.5 Bottom board
5.2 Chickens
5.3 Goats
5.4 Sheep
5.5 Aquaculture
5.6 Cows
5.7 Donkeys
5.8 Rabbits
5.9 Animal Medicine
6 Canning and Pickling
6.1 Canning Process
6.2 Processing Times
7 AgriBiz and Seeds

General Farming

First, you need seeds. Most seed packets cost about a dollar, and can contain hundreds of seeds. More hardy plants, like squash, can go for about 15 cents a seed. Almost all packets have growing facts printed right on them, including best climate, harvest periods, and even how to plant them in the ground. Most harvest periods for solid, edible crops range from only 50 days to about 100 days. Be sure to look to see what seasons are recommended to grow your crops in and where to plant them. After replanting the hardier plants from your seedlings into the ground, most just need about a foot or two between each plant. Even a backyard a few yards across and a few yards deep, if devoted to your new plants, can yield enough food at harvest time to feed yourself for a few weeks.

Remember to rotate which crops you plant seasonally. If you only plant one type of plant in the same row for a few seasons, you risk severely damaging the soil and depleting it of various minerals. Try to first add crops that can be brought into operation in a few months so you can start cutting your food budget rather than for example waiting years for an orchard.

Be sure to contact your nearby university with an ag program they are chartered to run extension services by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914.

What to grow

Plan for complete nutrition, this means something like corn and beans or potatoes and beans, some of the the natives of what many call North America, before they had their land taken at gunpoint, would base their agriculture on "the three sisters" corn, gourds, and beans. The corn stalk provided a pole for the beans to climb on to grab sunlight and the low crawling squash or pumpkins would keep the weeds at bay. Remember to either rotate or move fields every season to keep infestation and soil burn out minimized.

Roots

Root vegetables are easy to grow and have high food content per acre. The potato fed the Irish until the blight sent them packing to new shores due in part to lack of crop rotation.

Potatoes are one of the easiest plants to grow without access to a plot of land. The most important step is to acquire good quality seeds/eyes. You can often use a potatoes from the supermarket, unless they have been treated with chemicals to prevent eyes from forming, let them sit for a few weeks to see if they sprout. Most big box stores with a "garden" section will also have one or two varieties in early spring. Carrots, beets, and onions are also pretty easy to grow from seed.

Acquire a large garbage can or other large container and clean it out with a 1:5 ratio of bleach and water to kill any molds and fungi. When you are finished punch a half dozen holes in the bottom for drainage. Put about four to six inches/ten to fifteen centimeters of soil in the bottom. If necessary, cut the seeds up so that there are two to three on each piece. Place the seeds or eye sprouts on top on the surface of the soil, eyes up. Some suggest soaking the seeds beforehand others say dry them out to prevent rotting and others yet say don't do anything at all. Look at the package in your hands and see what it says and then use the grey matter between your ears. If something doesn't work do the other next year. Cover the seeds and keep the soil watered but not soaked, about an inch a week. Once the plants have grown about six to eight inches/fifteen to twenty centimeters cover the bottom third with soil. Continue adding soil whenever you get some new growth until the plants begin to flower. It is essential to keep the "seeds" and/or tubers covered with soil as exposure to the sun will cause them to turn green. Never eat any green part of a potato or potato plant, they are poisonous. You can harvest these as new potatoes or wait. Your choice. Once the flowering is over and the plants start to yellow stop watering. Wait a few weeks for the potatoes to settle and dig them up.

Optional variants: Use sawdust (non-pressure treated wood) and feed with liquid kelp or compost tea whenever you add a layer.

see Camping for wilderness potato growing.

Gourds

Most types of squash are good for carb filler food in typical meat dishes, such as chili. Cut up gourds and pumpkins are good in soups or as a filler for pies.

Corn

Corn is starch and sugar rich and can be dried and ground up for cornbread and stews in the winter.

Beans

Beans are high in protein and usually easy to grow, eat whole or shell out the inner seeds and dry in the sun for storage. Combined with rice you have a complete if boring diet since beans are rich in protien. Their roots have nodules that actually add nitrogen to the soil so they are very useful in crop rotation plans, allowing nitrogen grabbers like wheat to thrive the next growing season..

Grains

If you have a large field at least an acre you might try growing wheat, oats or barley. Once you harvest the wheat you need to be able to cut down, de-hull, and thresh away the chaff. See alsoCaching andCheap Chow

Bamboo

Bamboo is of the grass family but the wood can be used in place of trees. The stalks are quick growing, strong, and lightweight. Bamboo can be grown from a cutting placed in water and once roots sprout potted. Bamboo will take over a yard if allowed so caution must be used in planting especially near a water source. Bamboo rots quickly if allowed to remain damp. Young tender bamboo shoots are tasty if cooked.

Blackberries

Blackberry briar's not only provide supplemental food for pies or juices but it is also an excellent barrier plant, literally a quick growing spiky living protection. Blackberries grow quickly and care must be take to prevent overgrowth especially in wet climates or near water. Be careful not to overeat on berries as it can cause diarrhea. Blackberries are an excellent food to jar for winter desserts.

If you harvest hay during the fall and keep it dry you can feed your livestock during the winter, store feed is expensive. Be sure the hay is well protected and dry. Hay that is harvested green or gets damp will compost generating temperatures high enough to start a fire, this is a serious danger for hay kept in a barn or near an animal pen. Your goats and other livestock will help you determine which grass is the best hay by constantly grazing near their favorites.

Farming Techniques

If you have access to the internet a search on the US Government ERIC system should hopefully still find you a copy of the Remote Areas Development Manual (http://eric.ed.gov.nyud.net/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp? accno=ED242881) It is one of the most useful farming and village life handbooks available especially if you can find the printed pocket size. It covers everything from fertilizer to blacksmithing to medical care everything a Peace Corps worker would need, and since it is a US FedGov publication there is no copyright on it, share, edit, print, and repurpose it!

Urban

If you can not access a piece of soil for a whole season fear not, you can still bring in a nice crop without spending too much money. You will probably want to find a place with good soil and a wheelbarrow to transport it to your alternate cement slab gardening area.

Guerrilla Farming

Our revolutionary warriors need never use violence to feed the people. By building an arsenal of seed bombs even the ignorant people can be equipped for the coming changes, plus this is fun to do even if you are mobile and have no garden of your own. Just mix one part clay, three parts compost, and edible vegetable seeds, soften with water, and roll into small balls. Deploy in any open areas. Easy to grow crops include onions, peas, beans, beets, rutabaga, squash, potato, and zucchini. Aim your bombs for areas that have the right sun/shade ratio and moisture, avoid mowed areas where the crops will be killed.

Tire Farming

A stack of tires filled with soil is the start of a vertical farm. Plant between the tires and wedge small openings for your plants. The tires help conserve water and space and are especially good for growing root vegetables.

Trash sack

Fill a double NON-biodegradable trash sack with soil and twist the top shut in a loose knot. Some people like to put a burlap sack or other cover over this to protect the plastic from sun damage and overheating the roots. Plant your seeds through small melted through holes so the double bag will stay joined and make slits over the holes through any cover. Water through the top to keep the soil moisture up, if done properly there should be little waste through evaporation. If planting on a paved surface you may need to shade your crops and water a little during the day because black top absorbs so much heat and might kill your roots.

Open Field

Even in urban areas it is often possible to find a real piece of land with soil that you can grow on. The best soil is often found in urban areas which started as farming colonies over a hundred years ago.

Preparing a Field

A new piece of land needs to be prepped before seeding. Choose a location near the bottom of a downslope or at the bottom of a valley, a place that is already green most of the year, this means there is water near the surface. Alternatively plant near a source of irrigation water, but choose wisely surface water is controlled by the government. Unless you can arrange drainage or plant swamp reduction trees over time avoid swamps or areas known to flood which could destroy a whole crop. If the area is very weed infested you might consider a controlled burn off but be careful this can lead to erosion of your priceless topsoil, quickly planting clover will enrich and anchor the topsoil. First off remove all large rocks down to fist size to at least six inches deep, worldwide the solution is to build stone fences around the field to get rid of these rocks. Add mulch and compost to enrich the soil, this will also encourage earthworms who aerate the soil. Turn over the soil and mulch, whether it is a cow pulled plough or a motorized rototiller you need to turn over and soften packed soil. Clay retains moisture but can become very hard, sand helps drainage but washes away easily, you need the correct mix for water conditions as well as good organic mass and nutrients to feed your crops.

Watering

The trick to watering a garden is to water it around dawn or dusk, when the plants are still warm, or about to get warmer, and to water until it starts to flood. Too little water, and you're only hurting the plant by teasing it. Too much will erode the soil, but this takes a lot of water. If you're in an area where it gets below freezing at night, water your plants before it gets there, then cover them with a blanket or tarp. Ice makes a surprisingly good insulator, and the blankets do too.

One of the best sources of free water is your roof gutters, it is best to store this in a rain barrel or cistern since the rain is already watering your garden that day, use the stored water on a dry evening. Replumbing your residence to store your shower and sink water for evening may supply your whole irrigation budget. Also look for ways to catch the runoff from parking lots and driveways, an artificial pond is one way to save this water.

Greenhouse

PVC pipe and UV Plastic sheet are almost all you need to start a greenhouse, saving you water and increasing crops. It is important that the clear plastic you use will resist degradation, ask at a garden or hardware shop. Choose a site with well drained soil. If you will be growing only in summer build under the shade of a tree to reduce overheating, but place in direct sun if you plan to grow full life cycle plantings, shade cloth or white plastic can substitute for natural shade if overheating is a problem. Use environmental friendly ground contact pressure treated wood like CCA, untreated wood will rot quickly. When leveling the frame on uneven ground dig a trench on the upper side which will be easier to seal. The large 4x4 posts are to keep the greenhouse anchored in wind. Use Schedule 80 Pipe if possible, other pipe will be weaker. The mid rib PVC pipe is cut into about 22 Z? in long pieces and rejoined with the cross joints. EMT tubing in the mid-rib (number 14) or spine strengthens the rejoined tube. Use two or more people when bending and anchoring the PVC ribs into the EMT strap loops(number 4) to prevent damage to the joints and ribs. Stapling down the plastic cover is the best way to attach it, allow some extra plastic to extend and be covered with dirt to help make a seal. Find some old garden hoses and punch drip holes or use drip irrigation tube, it will stay under the ground sheet for drip irrigation. Lay down ground sheet plastic and punch holes for your baby plants, or a few inches of sand or gravel, these limit mud and weed problems. Bury the edges of the greenhouse plastic with soil or sand, it is important that the edges be sealed to keep rainwater and moles out. Even in the coldest weather be careful that a small heater or heat lamp doesn't overheat the greenhouse, in summer open the door if overheating. This greenhouse design will support four inches of snow, if there is more snow add additional prop supports Connect twine hanging from the ribs for vine and soft plants. As the plants grow help them twist around the twine for easier vertical growth. This works great for cucumbers, beans, and tomatoes. Flowers and food for sale can be grown year round in most areas. If you need more room extend the length of the greenhouse following this design, a wider frame will be weak in wind and snow. If you need to save money leave out the door but keep the door frame and use overlapping plastic flaps.

Illustrations and design courtesy of North Carolina State Cooperative Extension Service, modified for Steal This Book Today

Bill of Materials (print and take to the hardware store)

Item Qty. Description
1- 16- % in. PVC Schedule 80 Pipe, 10 ft long
2- 6- % in. PVC Cross Joints, Schedule 80
3- 2- % in. PVC Tee Joints, Schedule 80
4- 32- % in. Galvanized electrical metallic tubing (EMT) Straps
5- 2- 2”x6”x14” Outdoor Treated No. 2 Pine Boards
6- 2- 2”x6”x12” Outdoor Treated No. 2 Pine Boards
7- 4- 2”x4”x7” Outdoor Treated No. 2 Pine Boards
8- 4- 2”x4”x6” Outdoor Treated No. 2 Pine Boards
9- 4- 4”x4”x2” Outdoor Treated No. 2 Pine Boards
10- 2- 2”x4”x3” Outdoor Treated No. 2 Pine Boards
11- 2- 1”x4”x12” Outdoor Treated No. 2 Pine Boards (to cut up for door parts)
12- 1- Set of door Hinges
13- 1- Sheet of Plastic 24 ft x 20 ft, 4 mil thickness
14- 1- ‘A in.x 10ft. Galvanized Electrical Metallic Tubing
15- 1- PVC cleaner
16- 1- PVC cement
17- - misc nails, screws, and staples

^Image:Greenhouse.png

Plastic Sheet

In your greenhouse, an open field, or a small garden, bury old perforated garden hose or irrigation tube under black UV plastic sheet, cut or poke holes for your plants or seeds, this will reduce the need for herbicides and weeding and save huge amounts of irrigation water.

Open Source Ecology

This wiki is dedicated to the open, collaborative development of a basic and robust infrastructure for a Global Village economy, as embodied in the list of the 28 of the above products and services. Such a village is by design

one which promotes the highest autonomy and freedom
grounded in self-sufficiency
dedicated to voluntary pursuits, right livelihood, and quality of life

The basic assumption for a New Village economy is that humans are capable of transcending struggle for survival and resource conflicts, where this preoccupation is replaced by higher pursuits of personal and societal evolution.

At the time of this writing several of the core projects are in testing phase but together should form the core of a fully self sufficient settlement avoiding many pitfalls of depending on globalist commerce.

http://openfarmtech.org/

The Organic Way

As various studies can show, you don't need to dump fertilizers and pesticides on your plants to have a thriving farm/garden. The organic methods of gardening really took off in the 70's when many of the hippies, yippies, and yuppies took to the country in order to have a cheaper and peaceful life. After the conservative era of the 80's, and the party era of the 90's, people really began finding the advantages of growing organically in the last few years.

Organic Pesticide Solutions

When using even mild pest removers remember to wash your foods, there are all kinds of things in the soil and compost that could give you a rough few days and cause you to loose a great deal of nutrients through diarrhea. Always use safe drinking water to wash your food, wash your hands, and wash your plates and utensils.

Rotenone is the extract from the roots and stems of several tropical and subtropical plant species belonging to the genus Lonchocarpus or Derris. It was first used as a fish poison; its powder is an effective pesticide and is only moderately toxic to humans, birds, and mammals. Rotenone is allowed by most organic certifying agencies.
Tobacco leaf extract can be made as a tea from tobacco leaves which you can also grow in your garden. Spray the tobacco leaf tea onto your plants, one cup of shredded tobacco leaf to one gallon of water. Do not use on pepper (capsicum), eggplant (aubergine), or tomato (to-MAH-to) plants as this carries a very high risk of infecting your plants with tobacco mosaic virus. Nicotine from the tobacco tea is mildly toxic.
One clove garlic and 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper crushed and soaked in warm water will work effectively: filter and spray onto plants.
Mild soap solution (preferably an organic, vegetable-oil based soap) sprayed onto plants will often repel pests, as well as remove pre-existing insects. A mild salt solution often works too, but avoid spraying it onto your soil.
Most plants with strong odors or sharp flavor have these attributes to repel insects, try alone or in combination to eliminate insect problems.
Avoid planting the same type plant in the same location year after year. Also, remove and burn dead plants in the winter time to prevent providing a comfy winter home for insects.
Ladybugs are very effective at eating aphids, those tiny lime green bugs which attack leaves, ladybugs are available at most garden stores.

Organic Fertilizers

Organic farmers use animal manure, manufactured seed meal, home and garden compost, and mulching as well as several natural mineral powders like rock phosphate and greensand, a naturally occurring form of potash. Used tea leaves are very good for restoring nutrients to the soil. What else would you do with them anyway? Straw can also be used super effectively as an organic mulch.

Compost

Composting is the natural breakdown and return to soil of organic wastes such as garden and kitchen wastes. It is best to keep your home composting to the waste of vegetarian animals and vegetable matter, meat and dairy require higher composting temperatures, consider burying this waste instead. Once the composting is under way, start a new bin or pile and use the older heaps for garden fertilizer. Composted vegetable matter is even more important than nitrogen sources like manure for feeding your plants.

If you are involved in a food co-op or something similar, such as a commune, or even a group of like-minded individuals living on your street, you should designate someone as the official composter. Sending all of your organic waste to the compost cuts down on your waste output as well as that of the whole world. Once the compost batch is done, distribute it out to those growing food.

Most coffee places especially if asked will bag their used coffee grounds for people who want to use them to add to their soil. It's 100% free, and can be a great additive to your soil.

Crop rotation

Some crops like wheat will remove nitrogen and nutrients from the soil, while others actually increase available nutrients. It is important to remember that one crop grown continually will burn out a field and will attract pest infestation. Some examples of good rotations to improve overall soil nutrition are alternating rice then cotton, or soybeans then maize, old Europe farmers planted rye the first year, oats or barley the next year and nothing the third year. The Irish potato famine could have been prevented had crop rotation been used. Sweet-clover is a great fallow cover crop with very high nitrogen fixation but be careful as it can cause bloat in some animals if they get into it. Also remember to use all available compost and green manure to improve soil nutrition. Chemical herbicides and pesticides can kill the nitrate fixing bacteria in the roots of your plants. Here are some vegetables that do well when they are planted together: beans-potatoes; peas-carrots; peas-turnips; cabbage-beets; kohlrabi-beets; spinach-cauliflower; spinach-eggplant; corncucumbers and corn-beans.

Nitrogen fixation in legumes grown under irrigation of 8 inches of H2O/yr

Crop - Nitrogen Fixed Symbiotically (lb N/ac)

Sweet-Clover - 223
Fababean - 267 (Must have proper irrigation or nitrogen fixation drops greatly)
Field Pea - 178
Lentil - 134
Soybean - 134
Chickpea - 108 (good in dry soil)
Dry bean - 62

When we grow tired of war as a species there will be a great surplus of explosives and gunpowder, when the time comes consult a soil chemist as to which powders and explosives can be safely turned into valuable non-toxic nitrogen fertilizer.

Farm Animals

Bees

A fun way to commune with nature and help out your own crops is to start and run a bee hive. Try to be organic in your bee farm by not using weird chemicals. Bees like to stay in one place. Don't bother them by constantly moving their hive or smoking them. Leave them part of their honey for food. Don't completely substitute corn syrup.

A web search will turn out several good designs for beehives but the basic idea is a stackable wooden box with a small entry at the bottom and vents toward the top. Proper design allows enough ventilation for easy cooling in summer but closed enough that the bees can keep warm in winter as well as easy regulation of humidity, if your hive doesn't address these design issues the bees will have to waste energy fixing the problem thereby consuming more honey and and spending less effort collecting. Honey comb frames are slotted into the the box and beeswax sheet is attached to these frames, be sure there is gap enough for the bees to add honey or larva cells. Bees are calmed with a smoker, it knocks them out, a brush helps knock off the stragglers. You carefully remove your frames once they are full of honey and press it out, keep enough wax to roll out and restart a new honeycomb sheet. You can make a bee keepers hat by putting a drawstring around a mosquito net and wearing it over a wide brim hat, gloves and long sleeves, closed collar with scarf or tie, and long trousers to reduce skin exposed to stings. Expect to get stung occasionally as you raid for honey.

Design

(wikipedia)

The Langstroth bee hive is made up from top to bottom of:

Telescoping cover or migratory cover
Inner Cover
1 or more hive body / hive bodies or honey supers made of wood, polystyrene, or plastic
(optional) queen excluder between brood box and honey supers
8-10 Frames made of wood or plastic per hive body or honey super
Foundation made of wax and wires or plastic
Bottom Board with optional entrance reducer

Outer cover

This is a wooden or polystyrene cover that fits on the top of the hive. In the north, where the cover usually telescopes down around the inner cover and an inch or so down over the top super, it is called a telescoping cover. Many commercial beekeepers use what is called a migratory cover, which is a solid cover that does not extend beyond the sides of a hive body.

Inner cover

The inner cover provides a barrier between the telescoping cover and the bees. In the more temperate climates a plastic foil may be used as an inner cover. (It is not wise to winter bees under plastic foil, as the hive would become wet and bees can be lost easily). In areas with a hot summer a solid inner cover with a communication hole provides dead air space for insulation against heat and cold. It prevents the bees from gluing the top cover to the top bars of the super under it. With an inner cover, the top cover is easy to remove from the hive. When the frame of the solid inner cover and telescoping cover is notched it can serve as a top entrance for the bees. A communication hole in the middle allows bees to reach emergency food placed above by the beekeeper if it becomes required.

Granulated sugar can be poured onto the inner cover near the hole and the bees will be able to get to it during even the coldest of days.

Hive body and hive super

Hive bodies and hive supers are four-sided boxes with standardized inside dimensions. There are generally four different sizes. Outside box dimensions vary depending on the type of material used. Polystyrene boxes have much larger outside dimensions than boxes made out of wood. Deep and medium hive bodies are provided to serve as the brood chamber, the part of the hive where the queen lays eggs and the bees care for the larvae. Medium, shallow and comb honey supers are used for honey stores and to harvest the honey. The inside width is 14 11/16 inches (373 mm) and the inside length is 18 5/16 inches (465 mm). The frames rest on a rabbeted side along both ends of each box.

The deep hive body is normally used only for brood as it becomes too heavy to manually handle if it is filled with honey. Commercial operations usually use one or two deep hive bodies for brood and additional shallow hive components for honey supers. Most hobbyists prefer to standardize on all mediums. Shallow supers are not ideal for the brood chamber of the hive because the bees need to form a single compact sphere during the cold winter months -- a sphere that can expand and contract without being divided by a horizontal plane in the middle caused by the gaps between combs in multiple hive bodies.

Type

Deep body

Medium (Illinois) super

Shallow super

Comb super

Depth

9 9/16 inches (243 mm)

6 5/8 inches (168 mm)

5 3/4 inches (146 mm)

4 3/4 inches (121 mm)

Frame length

19 inches (483 mm)

Frame depth

9 1/8 inches (232 mm)

6 1/4 inches (159 mm)

5 3/8 inches (137 mm)

4 1/8 inches (105 mm)

Frame width

1 1/8 inches (29 mm)

The hive body or hive super holds 8-10 frames that are standardized in length. The frames hold the foundation and the honeycomb that is built on it.

Bottom board

The bottom board supports the hive. It must be strong to hold the weight of a hive that is filled with honey. The hive weight may exceed 300 pounds (140 kg). The bottom board is the floor of the hive with a 3/4 inch (2 cm) rim around three sides to allow the bees to enter the hive on one side. It also extends 2 inches (5 cm) in front of the boxes to provide a landing board for the bees. Because it is close to moisture in the soil, it is the first to show any sign of decay or rot and it is advisable to use bottom boards constructed of cedar wood. When the hive body sits on the bottom board the provided opening is 14 11/16 by 3/4 inches (37.3 by 1.9 cm). This opening may be suitable for a strong bee hive during the summer but it also may be reduced with a hive entrance reducer when necessary. A reduced opening allows a weaker hive to defend itself and prevents mice and cold winds from entering the hive.

Many bee keepers have screened bottom boards instead of solid bottom boards to aid in hive hygiene, air circulation and to screen for diseases. Some beekeepers add a slatted rack between the bottom board and the hive body. A slatted rack helps the queen in establishing brood comb closer to the entrance of the hive.

Chickens

Even if you only have a small available run area, like an urban rooftop, raising chickens will help eliminate some bugs and provide you with eggs. Use a bright light after laying to shine through and find the unfertilized eggs if there is a rooster around. Unfertilized eggs will rot if not harvested. Have a dark box for the hen to lay in otherwise she will hide and bury the eggs, be sure to get the unfertilized eggs before the hen eats them which many hens do when not brooding, keep putting the hen in the box until she nests there. Let your chickens run wild if possible, as they will usually stay near the feed. Ducks, quail, pheasants, and peacock are also fun to raise for eggs. These birds can live off of fresh compost bin stuff, cracked grains and corn in winter. Placing a bright light over their run will tell their bodies to produce eggs even in winter, be sure to feed them enough that egg laying will not overtax their bodies, most hens produce an egg once a day or every other day. Save the high nitrogen manure soil for fertilizer. In an apartment with a balcony or rooftop lay a few square meters of soil on a tarp and provide shade. Chicken hens are fun safe pets for kids but teach them to not abuse them.

It is still possible to order chickens and other farm birds in the mail, do a web search, or take a drive to the country and visit a feed store, a rare pet shop might be able to help you. After Easter go door to door collecting live colour dyed chicks to raise for your brood, most of these will be male throw-away chicks, which is OK if you are a carnivore and plan to kill them anyway for food.

Speaking of killing, use a big knife or hatchet to behead your birds, hopefully a very quick death after a healthy free range life. Pluck the bird before opening, some people like to quickly dip the dead bird in a bucket of boiling water to loosen the feathers, although this will alter the taste. Cut open the abdomen and remove the guts, give them a quick look to make sure they are smooth and glistening, otherwise the bird might be sick, most guts are good for use in cooking, don't waste them. If you are still hungry after this, bon-apetit.

Goats

Goats are smart, probably as smart as a dog when compared to dumb sheep, they need stimulation to keep them out of trouble, once bucks (males) mature they can sometimes get aggressive depending on breed. Goat does (females) will start giving milk after having their first litter of kids, there are very small pygmy goats that still produce one to two liters of milk a day if they are fed well. Goats will eat almost anything and are useful for clearing a yard of blackberry overgrowth and mowing the lawn. But they will also tear plastic parts from cars, rubber tires, house siding, nails, and other non healthy things if they are too close, especially if they are bored and have nothing else to do. They will also eat a rope if they are tied up. They are less able to survive solely on scraps and also need hay if there is not grass to eat. As with chickens they need place to be free and they like a high place to stand on sometimes. Some goats can be trimmed for wool.

Sheep

Domestic sheep are friendly although a little dumb, they need a lot of help which a smart sheep dog will provide. The natural maternal instincts of a Shepard dog pushes them to herd and protect these sweet dumb animals. Pick a breed that won't be too hot in your climate. Once a sheep has lambs you can start milking the sheep. Shear sheep right before hot weather sets in. Sheep are too dumb to move if they have eaten all of the grass and will mow an area bare, don't let your sheep cause erosion problems, keep them moving.

Aquaculture

If you have a pond where you live or if you can lay down a plastic liner in a depression in the ground you can start raising fish and aquatic plants. You can start by stocking fast growing fish which you either catch or buy and then introduce them into your pond and feed them. You will need to watch water temperature and aeration (oxygen) as well as pH so you fish will survive. Adding aquatic plants both helps feed and oxygenate the tank the plants are also fed by the fish. Chicken wire fence will help keep robber animals like raccoons from stealing the fish.

Cows

American size cows take up too many resources to be practical. If used as a tractor to pull a plow or wagon having a cow might be justified. Cows are easily seen from the road by agriculture dpt. inspectors, a problem once compulsory animal registration is enforced.

Donkeys

A donkey is a great choice for a labor helper animal. They are usually gentle and sweet if treated well. Horses are mostly a wasteful extravagance in both food and care, you can walk while the donkey pulls a cart or carries a proper load. A harness or saddle must be fitted by someone trained in this skill, always check for rubbing and soreness. Never ride or work a new donkey until you have taken him to a veterinarian for a checkup.

Rabbits

Rabbits are the workhorse of meat animals. Two females (does) and one male (buck) can produce enough offspring in a year to provide at least one meal a week for a small family. Rabbits can be fed hay, commercially produced pellets, or vegetable scraps. Dietary changes should be made gradually to avoid gastric upset. Pelts can be tanned using salt/alum or even brain tanned.

Animal Medicine

Merck & Company, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies, offers an on-line version of its book, The Merck Veterinary Manual:http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp. You can also buy the 2,700 page print version from the usual sources.

Canning and Pickling

REFERENCE: Complete Guide to Home Canning, Extension Service, USDA, 1994.

If you have a good harvest from your greenhouse or if you want to preserve a particularly good dumpster haul you should consider home canning. Canning is a way to preserve food by heating and killing bacteria and then sealing the food in with special lids so no new bacteria can enter ruin it. Most canned foods last around a year although the more acidity the longer the life even if the acid removes some nutrients. If you can find glass jars that fit canning lids it is OK to use them for canning as long as there are no chips around the rim and that there are no hairline cracks anywhere, but real canning jars are always the best. The very best canning system is to use a pressure cooker, this vessel might be expensive if you get a proper model capable of the 15psi, they might also be hard to find, especially in tough times, but watch thrift stores for deals but know how to recognize good form the cheap low pressure models. We will only discuss hot water bath canning which requires only a container of hot water at a minimum. As with many subjects that we cover read up on the subject before starting, we only cover the very basics.

Many stores sell canning lids, these lids have a special compound which seals to the jar rim. DO NOT REUSE jar lids, they are not designed to seal twice, especially do not reuse the screw on lids from store foods, these are just not safe. Jar lids are inexpensive and there is normally no reason to substitute. Most lids have sealing compounds that can be shelf stored five years from date of manufacture and after that may not seal properly. Some older books recommend using wax as a sealing compound for reusing lids on jams and jellies, this is not the best as the seal is questionable it often allows mold in.

If normal canning you food is not possible due to lack of proper lids and jars we suggest cutting the food into thin strips and sun drying fruits and veggies under a fly net or salting and smoking or oven drying meat and fish at around 100C(212F) until the meat is hard. Improper canning is a waste of your food, it will spoil, although cold vinegar and salt pickling in a reused clean jar should work for a few months on boiled eggs, and raw or slow cooked fish, and meats.

Always use your senses to tell you if the seal is good on your stored foods

Is the lid sucked down, and does it pop when you open it, or is it bulging from rot?
Is the coloration normal or do you see unusual spots or discoloration
Does the food smell wrong?

If any of these or something else makes you suspicious throw the food out, there is no reason to poison yourself, your friends, or pets with botulism, molds, or other toxins from improperly canned food.

The only foods that may be safely canned in an boiling water bath (non-pressure cooker method) are highly acidic ones with a pH below 4.6, such as fruits, pickled vegetables, or other foods to which acidic additives have been added, such as vinegar, citric acid powder, ascorbic acid, or lemon juice.

Canning Process

Here is what to do:

Pack food firmly into jars. Leave 1/2 inch headspace at the top of the jar.

Note: Some fruits will need to be precooked before packing into jars. This is called the "hot pack" method. To "hot pack," the fruit is brought to a boil in the syrup, juice, or water, cooked briefly, and packed into hot jars. Hot liquid is poured over the fruit. Hot packing helps to prevent fruit from floating in the jar.

Pour boiling fruit juice, water, or syrup over the fruit in the jar. Fill within 1/2 inch of the top of the jar. Run a non-metal knife or spatula along the inside of the jar to remove air bubbles. Wipe off the top of the jar rim with a clean cloth.
Place hot sealing lid on packed jar next to glass. Screw band on jar until just tight.

The canner(or large pot) should be covered during processing. The hot boiling water should cover the tops of the jars during the entire processing time.

After processing time is completed, remove hot jars and place on a towel or rack to cool. Keep jars out of drafts. DO NOT TURN JARS UPSIDE DOWN. When jars have cooled, check for sealing.

Processing Times

Processing Times For High-Acid Foods Using A Boiling Water Bath Canner (212° F)

Fruits & Vegetables | Pints(1/2 l) | Quarts(Liter) |

Apples (hot pack)	20 minutes	20 minutes
Apricots (raw pack)	25	30
Berries (raw pack)	15	20
Cherries (raw pack)	20	25
Dill Pickles (raw pack)	10	15
Sweet Pickles (raw pack)	10	15

{Fruit Juices (hot pack) | 15 | 15 |

iFruit Jams and Jellies	10	10
{Peaches (hot pack)	20	25
jPears (hot pack)	20	25
{Plums (hot pack)	20	25
{Pickle Relish (hot pack)	10	—
•Rhubarb (hot pack)	10	10
{Tomatoes (hot pack)	35	45
jTomato Juice (hot pack)	35	40	- If using the raw pack method, have the water in the canner hot, not boiling. Placing raw pack jars in boiling water may cause the jars to break.

If the rack does not have handles, leave the rack in the canner and place the jars in the rack using a jar lifter.
When fruit is hot packed the fruit is heated before it is placed in the jar. Raw packed fruit is not heated, but it is still covered with boiling liquid.
Tomatoes are normally considered to be an acid food. However, some varieties may have pH values above 4.6. Therefore, if tomatoes are to be canned as acid foods, they must be acidified with lemon juice or citric acid. Add 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid per quart of tomatoes. For pints, use 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid.

AgriBiz and Seeds

It can't be stressed enough that corporately designed and patented GMO seeds will grow GMO crops. Sadly, there are a number of seed companies that are owned by the largest agricultural businesses with the illusion that they are independently owned. Six companies (Aventis, Dow, Du Pont, Mitsui, Monsanto and Syngent) reportedly control 98 percent of the world's seeds. On every continent, these companies are opening research facilities and acquiring local seed companies.

The following is a list of seed brands that are known to sell GMO seeds (as compiled by Garden-Of-Eatin.com at://www.garden-of- eatin.com/how-to-avoid-monsanto/)

Audubon Workshop, Breck’s Bulbs, Burpee, Cook’s Garden, Dege Garden Center, Earl May Seed, E & R Seed Co., Flower of the Month Club, Ferry Morse, Garden Trends, Gardens Alive, Germania Seed Co., HPS, Jungs, Lindenberg Seeds, McClure & Zimmerman Quality Bulb Brokers, Mountain Valley Seed, Osborne, Park Bulbs, Park Seed, Park’s Countryside Garden, Rocky Mountain Seed Co., Roots and Rhizomes, Rupp, Seeds for the World, Seymour’s Selected Seeds, R.H. Shumway, Snow, Stokes, Spring Hill Nurseries, T&T Seeds, Tomato Growers Supply, Totally Tomato, Vermont Bean Seed Co., Wayside Gardens, Willhite Seed Co.

The Council for Responsible Genetics maintains a "Safe Seed Resource List" of non-GMO seed dealers in the USA, Canada and France, complete with addresses, phone numbers and website links:

http://www.councilforresponsiblegenetics.org/ViewPage.aspx?pageId=261

The following books contain information on saving seeds for future harvests:

Basic Seed Saving by Bill McDorman
Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties: The Gardener's & Farmer’s Guide to Plant Breeding & Seed Saving by Carol Deppe
Heirloom Vegetable Gardening: A Master Gardener's Guide to Planting, Seed Saving, and Cultural History by William Woys Weave
Saving Seeds: The Gardener's Guide to Growing and Storing Vegetable and Flower Seeds by Marc Rogers and Polly Alexander
Saving Seeds As If Our Lives Depended On It by Dan Jason
Seed Sowing and Saving: Step-by-Step Techniques for Collecting and Growing More Than 100 Vegetables, Flowers, and Herbs by Carole B. Turner
Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners by Suzanne Ashworth and Kent Whealy
The Zero Mile Diet: A Year-round Guide to Growing Organic Food by Carolyn Herriot

3. Free Clothing

Last updated: 21 April 2011

Corpgov propaganda posted in the break room walls and employee handbooks are more than happy to tell you how to dress. A name tag usually must be worn at all times so they know who to punish if a member of the upper middle class is somehow offended by your presence. Shoes are to be clean and only certain color slacks or skirts and socks are to be worn. More advanced slaves are required to wear ties and jackets. For many, this is a continuation of institutional life that is common in schools, work places, and prisons. Of course, none of this applies to “the man”. He can walk in with a Hawaiian shirt and tennis shorts if he wishes while talking to the 20 year old intern he is cheating with behind his battleaxe wife on his cell phone while walking through the halls. He will get his pit bull manager to fire you for a bad attitude if you bring this up, though. Firing folks himself is beneath him and interferes with golf, wine, and church.

Some people rebel against this in their “free time” (which really only is free because it costs your employer nothing). Taking their cue from the only free source of information they see in daily life, they try to imitate artists, musicians, actors, and models. Maybe they think that through osmosis that by dressing like those that have lots of freedom, they may appear to be free too. But, this is an illusion. All the stars where chosen by agents of BigMedia through a sort of fucked up lottery. The style and fashion of the stars is not picked by the stars but by large clothing firms that sell being able to dress like you are free to the masses. Indeed, some of these “fashions” are really silly and many not very utilitarian outside of the fake social event world or certain scenes and subcultures.

But, fear not. We here at STW have your back with good field tested advice from the pros. Plus, you will not have to pay us 100 USD for jeans with “STEALTHISWIKI” embroidered in 4 inch letters across your ass that we paid 12 year olds in China 3 USD a day to do in a sweat shop.

1 Getting Clothes
1.1 Charity
1.2 Thrift Stores
1.3 Big Box Stores
1.4 Hand Me Downs
1.5 Layering
1.6 Donate and Give Back
1.7 Make and Repair your Own
2 Clothing Insights
3 Outdoor Clothing
4 Walking Billboards
5 Shoes
6 Work Uniforms
7 Hidden Pockets
8 Deodorant and Hygiene

Getting Clothes

Of course, this is “Free Clothes”, and we would not be doing our part without telling you how to get some.

Charity

If you are absolutely destitute or can play the part, The Salvation Army has been known to let folks get some clothes. But, like any “charity”, there is a chance of some off handed remark, questions into your judgment or character, or a small dose of Jesus that may not apply to your situation at all. Other times, they may actually show some compassion and dignity and let you have something no questions asked. Women and youth tend to get a bit better treatment. Do not expect it to be anything that will win you any modeling competitions or impress the bohemian coffee shop crowd with your fashion sense.. But, some guys' old faded Super Bowl Champion jacket from 10 seasons ago will keep your ass from freezing off till you can get something better or summer comes again.

Thrift Stores

Thrift Stores are a great resource. Often, these are run by the above mentioned “charities”.However, it is hit or miss. The quality of the goods really depends on the area, what time they get donations in, and how many folks pick the place clean each week. Of course, this is after the workers pick through the best stuff! The problem with thrift stores is that when the middle class “donates”, much of the time they are only dumping off their trash. But we know that one mans trash can be our treasure sometimes. It is common in thrift stores to find aisles of nothing but 4 year old tee shirts from an old advertising campaign to sell stuff to the lower class and pants that are either way too big or too small. Common sizes of stuff with no advertising tends to move quickly. You really have to search to find gems. Nice stuff like suit coats and ties are usually pretty easy to find and are usually in pretty nice shape if you need one. After all, most people hate these get ups and only wear them once or twice then get rid of them. However, be sure to take any suit or business dress to an alteration service so you do not look like a clown. The thrift store does not deal with socks, underwear, gloves, bras, or have a good selection of shoes most of the time. Not that you would want some old geezers shit stained drawers or someone's washed too many times socks, anyways.

Big Box Stores

You would be surprised to hear this from a radical site, but the big box stores have decent items. In fact, for socks and undergarments, this is pretty much the only game in town - that is, if you do not want to go to some “upscale” store and spend 20 USD on socks that may look sharp but will tear up in a month of hard use. If you get your clothes here, it is about 4 to 10 times more expensive than a thrift store. But, every size imaginable is here with the exception of stuff for the unnaturally tall or morbidly obese. Move past the racks they place in front with merchandise proudly displaying TV commercial sound bites and images, sports, and pop culture silk screened on them. (We rant on this Corpgov bullshit a bit later in this article.) A solid color, well made plain shirt and some okay pants are extremely versatile, will let you be accepted in a huge variety of places, and never become unfashionable. Socks are cheap here. We suggest the white socks. Black socks may be needed to infiltrate certain areas, but lack the absorbency or last as long as good white athletic socks.

Hand Me Downs

Some people's body type store fat easily and their weight fluctuates from year to year. If you have one of these folks in your social circle, and you notice them losing or gaining pounds, most of them will be glad to get rid of old clothes which have nothing wrong with them to get closet space. There is nothing wrong with recycled clothes.

Layering

If you find yourself with it turning hot to cold suddenly and often, it is very easy to layer and not look stupid with the right choice of outfits. That plain, collarless black tee shirt with no lettering can go from a single shirt to a decent looking undershirt with the addition of a button up shirt. Sweaters can be tied around waists of it gets hot. Of course, in a destitute cold survival situation you could put on 2 or 4 sets of everything at the expense of having to wash more often. No need to buy 50 sets of clothes if you stick with basic ingredients and mix and match as you need.

Donate and Give Back

Nothing pains us after struggling day in and ay out and watching our brothers and sisters struggle than the upper middle class lady with a room full of 200 pair of shoes she never wears or the guy who still has good stuff in five closets he has long not been able to fit in left as food for the moths. If the clothes are over a year old and you will never wear them again, it is time to give back to society. Someone, somewhere could use your clothes. Somewhere, someone just got out of jail and is freezing to death because he has no coat. That old, ugly coat you have not used in five years is worthless to you but can save this man's life. Some where, some kid decided he had enough of being raped in the butt by his or her step dad. He or she ended on the street with no pants and only shorts. We do not think he or she will mind wearing your 4 year old Lee Jeans with a hole in the knee that is too large for you.

In fact, we here at STW can only think of one reason why someone would need that many clothes. If you are an entertainer or socialite, it is usually very frowned and can cost a career to be seen in the same outfit twice for an event. Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac had to save every bit of her clothes because she wrote it off as a business expense. When the IRS started screwing with her like they do most big stars, she had to take them to rooms to show them all the outfits she had and that she needed them. But, chances are, you are no Stevie Nicks if you are reading this, so recycle!

Make and Repair your Own

A bit of fabric, a sewing machine, some thread and some creativity can go a long way. We have seen some real quality stuff come from knitters and tailors. You can also doTanning if you are an outdoors type. It takes time, practice, and skill, but once you get good you can repair your stuff and make your own.

Even if you never want to make your own clothes, we recommend everyone have a kit with at least needle, black thread and white thread, a few extra buttons, and some safety pins. Some nicer hotels give decent kits away to guests for free and you can score one if you can fake the part of a hotel guest. This way you will be able to mend emergency pants blowouts if they are not too bad and put a button on if you need to. It is not incredibly hard. Even if you are not that good at it, even a shoddy sewing job will hold a rip until you get to a good alterations place or get replacement clothes without your bare ass or other things revealed to the world..

Clothing Insights

In kindergarten, the teachers have little charts with pin up clothes to show developing minds about what clothes are best for what situation. We at STW really are not into any scene or culture. You provide that yourself. We can already hear the whining as we type this that having band tee shirts with pot leaf hats or showing your drawers and not wearing a belt is “revolutionary”. We are not going to argue with you. Indeed, it DOES give attention and displays your approval in certain groups and can give a sense of belonging. But, consider this story:

One martial arts instructor had been to Japan to learn ninjitsu. He then returned to his hometown with a little cash and a black belt to start up his own studio and teaching center for kids. The first day, all the kids came in dressed to the nines. They had all ordered the cheesy black ninja masks and the ninja gi from an ad in Black Belt magazine. The instructor shook his head and regretted not going over a dress code before signing folks up. He started a lecture. The whole point of the ancient ninja was that the ninja was being invisible. He or she could move into and out of any situation without attracting the attention of the pigs of that day or unsympathetic folks. Black garb and masks were only used in ceremonial occasions or just a simple, easily disposed of mask worn if identity needed to be hidden. The question he then asked is, are your clothes attracting the wrong kind of attention? Are they versatile and can get you in and out of many situations? Or, is it something the movies sell? The next class, everyone wore street clothes except for two students whose parents were probably pissed off they spent 60 USD on a costume and were hell bent their kid was going to wear it!

While that story is a cheesy story from the era of 1980s martial arts flicks, we tend to agree with the instructor. A true revolutionary is immune to mind control can drift in and out of any situation with ease. He or she chooses clothes that fit the occasion, are versatile, and does not paint a big sign on us that says, “mess with me!”. Our enemies in the Pig Empire are many. Right now, as you read this there are classrooms in police academies, retail sales offices, and advertisement agencies. They teach “profiles” gathered from premier sociologists and psychologists of behaviors, hairstyles, race, and dress to make their job very easy. There are crackheads who while are stupid, are very perceptive and know what a rich, dumb ass tourist looks like and will bash them upside the head and take their money just as quick as they will give blowjobs for another fix. They have been doing this for as long as anyone can remember and will not stop because it works. Why make their job easier by making us identifiable?

Bottom line: Look average, not rich, but clean, and nondescript and usually get left alone. Look disheveled, with eyes bloodshot red, and a “LEGALIZE NOW!” pot leaf or counter culture outfit and maybe get body searched or caged. Dress with obviously expensive stuff, gold watch, and a bulge where your billfold is and maybe get mugged. Reek to high heaven, laid out in public, obviously drunk and maybe get hauled in for vagrancy. The kindergarten teacher was telling some good stuff, but was missing some pin ups for the chart. Always wear the right costume for the right environment.

Do not get fooled by someones ideology that something must be worn to be considered part of that ideology, especially if you are not getting benefit from it. The old, classic “Che shirt” of past anarchist/socialist circles is a great example. Che never had to wear a shirt to say he was a revolutionary or remind himself he was part of some group. Capitalists came in to make some lunch money much later off that clothing line. He was revolutionary because of his actions. His only dress was a suit and tie for the occasional political social event and rugged, nondescript outdoor wear for everyday guerrilla operations. Dressing the part does not make one a revolutionary any more than wearing sports team jersey with all the equipment make you a player for that franchise. It just means you paid someone money.

Outdoor Clothing

If your activities lead to you being outdoors for extended periods of time or in really cold or hot weather, you need to be more selective with your clothes. Avoid cheap cotton because when it gets wet, it is worthless as insulation. Camping has more ideas on proper outdoor gear whether you are between shelter or just like outside.

Walking Billboards

The actors that make a living doing commercials get paid for their time after splitting the check with an agent. All the players in professional sports, even the bench warmers, get paid CEO salaries. But, what if we were to tell you that you can pay to advertise! That is right! Corpgov calls it brand recognition. The object of the game is to make the name of your product or service appear everywhere. If people see this every day, they will subconsciously think about the product in a purchase decision over a brand they have not heard about. No tin foil hat here, but it is almost mass mind control.

Wear what you want, but ask yourself this: Are the Dallas Cowboys breaking you off a portion of ticket sales or ad revenues to wear a jacket with a big football helmet with a star on it? Is the media company that makes anime paying you to have beautiful drawings of their trademarked characters on a shirt? Does Snoop Dog break you off a piece of his blunt for you to wear his shirt with picture of him smoking a blunt? And why in the hell does a clothing designer like Girbaud or FUBU need to plaster the brand name covering your entire ass and charge you 100 USD for the privilege? Shouldn't simple quality be enough?

Oh, and while you are at it, ask yourself why you never see “the man” or his wife wear anything like this unless he is an ex college frat type that still goes to ball games. Or why, on reality TV, they have to “blur” out anyone's shirt wearing brand name ads. It is because they are not getting paid for this.

As we say, dress how you would like. If it is a friend's heavy metal band and you want to support him, awesome. If it is a protest, go ahead and wear a protest shirt for that event. Just be aware of this trend that has been going on for a bit amongst the working classes and working poor to get them to pay for someone's ad campaign and further an agenda that may not mesh with your own.

Shoes

You can cheap out on pretty much all clothes, but get good shoes! Nothing tacky that screams “rob me” like rapper Air Jordans, these tacky skull punk rock star BDSM Doc Martins that they sell nowadays, or crap like that. Only good, comfortable, quality shoes. You will be sorry otherwise! For walking shoes, nursing supply houses have the most comfortable white shoes known to man or woman. Avoid the Croc shoes, though. Only hospitals will let folks get away with that. For boots, construction boots are the best boot out there and can double as dress shoes (and hide white socks!) if they are black and polished.

Shoes are an issue. As much as we would love to run around barefoot like the pagan earthy crowd talks about, being barefooted is a safety and health issue and also a stigma. You will be run out of most legitimate public places without shoes. With parasites from pet droppings, athlete's foot fungus, broken glass, and all manner of other hazards, barefoot walking is limited to the realm of your own pad or martial arts classes. Shoes, particularly old or these cheap slave labor Chinese shoes they have been dumping on the market lately, tend to get three major problems towards the end of it's useful life.

Most common is that the insoul of the shoe gets covered in foot sweat and bacteria or deteriorates. This can be very uncomfortable and leave a very bad smell that can be very strong and ruins socks. New insouls can be acquired to extend the life of the shoe. Get a cheap box of baking soda and put this all in the shoe. This will draw out moisture and keep folks from getting pissed at you for smelling your feet. Rotate shoes if you can and have more than one pair.
Second most common is that the bottom of the shoe comes loose from the body of the shoe. You are going to get new shoes in this case soon, but you can delay this somewhat. Get some superglue. Superglue this back together. That should buy you a few days. Do not do like one contributor did (blush) and try to use construction caulk! It does not work and you really WILL have to find shoes then. If these are nice boots or dress shoes, many cities still have actual cobblers around that can take care of this for a few bucks. The cobbler businesses are usually located in downtown areas where there are lots of lawyers and such that have nice shoes. They usually will not fix ratty tennis shoes, though - only business attire type stuff and nicer boots. Don't think they're being snobs or anything. Higher end boots and dress shoes are still made to be repairable, whereas very few other shoes are. You can buy new soles for Red Wings and Allen Edmonds, but not for Nikes or Adidas.
Third most common is that the bottom of the shoe simply wears out from use and gets holes. If you walk a lot, walk with a slight limp, or even these cheap shoes that use cheap bottoms, you will have this problem eventually. Depending on the size of the hole, you should be okay for a bit. Problem is that if your feet get wet, this is miserable and will start smelling. Like the insoul problem, liberal use of baking soda will hold you over for a bit. If these are really nice shoes like the 1990s Doctor Martins or business shoes, a cobbler can reheel these for far much less than retail price. Red Wing boots are the best about this, as any city with a Red Wing store can repair them. Red Wings are also still union made (by hand, to boot) in Minnesota, too. Otherwise, this is pretty much a done deal. Shoes only last so long.

Work Uniforms

As we talk about later in Get a Job, many jobs have clothing requirements to be employed there. Sometimes this is something simple like just getting a certain color pants. Other times, this can be a scavenger hunt in order not to be ripped off. After all, you probably have just been unemployed and money may be short. Of course, while CorpGov want it's money up front, you could wait up to three weeks or more to see the first of your paltry paycheck if they hold back a week and pay every two weeks.

If the requirement is only a certain color pants, the thrift store has probably got you covered. If it is a certain color shirt, it is still possible to find a plain one like this

Banquet and fine dining waiters probably have it the worst. Tuxedos tend to run around 200 USD , jacket and all. That is on the cheap side. You probably will not find this in a thrift store, either. If you go to a tuxedo rental place, often they usually have damaged rentals in the back they well let go for very cheap if you explain that you have taken such a job. Be sure to get the hem taken up on the pants and you should be good to go. Look over the shirt. It will probably have a stain someplace. If it is not bad, you should be able to get by until you get tips. Bow ties, you may have to bite the bullet. They are only 10 USD to 20 USD, though. Many places will give you a jacket, which is good. If not, waiters must wear a jacket that shows their ass and are usually disallowed to wear long jackets like the upper class. It has it's origins in slave days where the “help” was not trusted with silverware and one actual silver fork melted down could equal up to an entire years salary for a slave! Tux shop may not be able to help with this, but you can ask. More likely, you will have to order online.

Scrubs are not just for nurses and doctors. Even if you only mop floors in a medical facility, you must wear scrubs. Nursing supply houses sell cheap stuff on clearance sometimes. Make sure the clearance scrubs have pockets! If you find 4 USD a pair scrubs, usually, this is the reason. Do not go to the big box stores. Most of the time it is only frilly girly type pattern stuff and much more expensive. Thrift store, you may have some luck. But, the clearance rack at the supply house will have better stuff for a dollar or two more and sometimes less than the thrift store most of the time. Even if you eventually quit or get fired, these make excellent lounging and work out clothes. They are loose and comfortable.

Nice clothing stores only hire rich kids for a reason. It is a scam. They make them buy several complete outfits from their line once per season, even if they work part time. The boss man/lady only hire those he or she figures will spend most of the check on clothes, anyways. Even at a discount, these clothes can take up most of a paycheck.

If you need a cheap actual suit and tie, the thrift store is your best deal. As we mentioned when talking about thrift stores, a good tailor is worth it for a recycled suit. When infiltrating the suit world, extremely perceptive people can spot subtle differences in actual class by noticing the tailoring job. Where it is most noticeable is what sociologists call the “proletariat gap” between side top collar of the shirt and the shirt collar. A person who lives and breathes in a suit and tie will not have this. A working class person who never wears a suit except when someone dies or gets married will have this.

Hidden Pockets

Whether or not you occasionally partake of bags of herb or other things that tend to attract bacon, hidden pockets can be a very valuable security measure. A folded hundred dollar bill carefully hidden in a sewn hem after a rough encounter can be a lifesaver. If you are carrying a large sum of cash, this can let you get away from a robber. Make sure your pocket is truly hidden and the item you are trying to hide will not be felt as a bulge during standard police search pat downs. Even if you get taken in on a warrant, you may have a chance to palm and dispose of any contraband before more detailed searches at the station or even in the squad car if you are stealthy.

One of our favorite tricks that works in tandem with the hidden pocket is the dummy wallet. Losing your identification can be more of a pain in the ass than losing cash in certain situations. It is not like a pickpocket will give your cards back to be nice, either. Keep your ID not in your wallet, but in a different pocket. Keep a wallet with a few bucks and maybe some old debit cards with the numbers melted off with a hot butter knife. If some one lifts this, they get nothing. If someone tries to rob you, throw the wallet down on the ground and run if you can. This has gotten a couple of folks out of tough spots in the past.

Deodorant and Hygiene

Hey, wait a minute? Isn't this supposed to be in a some stupid hygiene article? No. Most body odor that brings oppression to people that deal with anyone not homeless comes not from lack of bathing, but from sweat getting into clothes if they must be reworn.

If you find yourself in this position, your type of deodorant will help a lot, but you must do this before the sweat gets into the clothes. If sweat gets in and bacteria starts growing, it is too late. Get a deodorant that is an antiperspirant. The best kind are the name brand white stick deodorants. Do not mess with the gel, sprays, generics, or roll-ons. These suck. Women's deodorant for the most part suck as well. “PH balanced for a woman” our ass. Many ladies use only men's deodorant and swear by it. Your problem with this may vary and it is largely influenced by diet, genetics, and body type. The right deodorant and trying to stay somewhat clean may get you another day or two's wear in an emergency where there is no laundry access.

Freebreeze is some good stuff. Sprayed into the crotch area of pants, it will keep the odor down for a day or two. That is, if you do not start breaking down with chemical allergies! Do not over do it.

Do not neglect your shoes! Use baking soda.

And, no.. cologne or perfume over already smelly clothes does not help. In fact, it makes it even more gross smelling. It's time for Laundry.

Of course, some folks just do not sweat much and may not need this advice.

Common sense helps. If you work a slave fast food job and your boss works you every day but only gives you one uniform (common practice) you will need to look at Laundry's ideas because of grease.

Laundry

Last updated: 7 May 2011

Go back toAssorted Freebies

Keeping clothes clean without access to a private washer and dryer can be expensive and time consuming. Also, the man does not like you showing up around his customers with clothes smelling like yesterday's body odor unless you work some outside job. No one is going to tell you you smell either. It can affect peoples attitudes significantly.

If you are between housing, Low Impact Crashing has creative ideas as well.

1 Apartment Laundry
2 Campus Laundry
3 Corporate Laundry
4 Bathtub
5 Barter
6 Air Wash
7 Piggyback Laundry
8 Homeless Shelters and "Opportunity" Drop In Centers.
9 Creek, Stream, and Ocean Washing

Apartment Laundry

It is very possible to find a apartment complex with or without a gate or locked laundry room. Larger complexes are best to check. Go at night when landlords or nosey staff are away if you do not live there. Expect to extorted by the landlord if those apartments have no washer connections in the units and he has a monopoly. Many landlords charge outrageous prices for old, poorly working machines.

Bring stir sticks, cue tips, or zap strap for coin operated machines. Push the coin mechanism in, remove it a quarter inch, and insert these items as wedges about 45 degrees in angle. Force the slot in, and the machine should start.

Please note that some machines have a "coin gate" that will shut when you push in the coin mechanism, screwing up your picks and not allowing the machine to start. Also realize that this is technically a criminal offense, and if caught you may be charged with theft of services or mischief.

Campus Laundry

If you live near a college campus with dorms, they often have free (or cheap) laundry machines. Go to the nearest campus, wait by the door with your laundry, get let in by some sorority type, and make your way down to the laundry room. They tend to be placed in the basements of residence halls. Students often leave detergent around, so cop some of that, and you're golden. See also Low Impact Crashing for more ideas. Be careful as more campuses are requiring school name badges to be worn at all times. Be sure you look like a student.

Corporate Laundry

If you have inside information and are feeling crazy, some larger companies will have laundry rooms for their employees. At many these are free. You can wander around campus and just ask "Hi, I'm new here ... oh, I forgot my badge." Corporate rent-a-pigs assume you are a lost client and will usually gently escort from the premises at worse, unless they think you stole something. Companies are like cults or tribes, they often have their own specialized lingo. Be sure you look like you(and your container for laundry) belong there.

A problem is many places have RFID and keypad door locks. You really can't get too far without a badge or a code. Some places like casinos or hotels have staff that washes and presses the clothes for folks and will recognize you.

Some companies may have do it yourself guest registration; if you snag a registration badge and step out of the lobby security will mistaken you as "lost" and often ignore you.

Infiltrating has more information if schemes like this tweak your interest.

Of course, you can always work for a place that has this as an employee benefit. However, we have found most of the places that offer this tend to be in hospitality type fields like extremely large destination resort hotels or casinos and will only wash work related clothes under threat of disciplinary action. Of course, the boss man is immune to this rule. Still, not having to worry with scrambling to get clean wage slave outfits with limited time to get to work can be a good thing.

Bathtub

If you at least have detergent, hot running water, and a bathtub, you can wash clothes old school style. It is very labor intensive and does not take care of pet hair or some tough stains quite as well. Be sure to rinse the detergent out thoroughly as it can cause skin irritation. Cheap powder detergent can also leave residue on the clothes if not rinsed off very well. In general, use very little detergent because agitation of the clothes will do most of the work of removing dirt and grime. Be careful over soaking travel soiled white socks in bleach as it tears them apart.

Hanging dry may keep wrinkles down for most normal use. You will still need an iron for occasions where you must be clean pressed like waiter uniforms or business attire.

Quick drying can be done by placing a garment flat between two towels, and you will have to press on the sandwich to squeeze out the water so the towels absorb it. After doing this several times, the garment should only be a bit moist so the rest of the drying can be done by placing the garment near a heat source. Only do this if you have no other option and need a clean shirt quick.

Barter

If you know someone that has a washer who will not steal any valuable clothes you may have, you could make a deal to buy detergent, a pack of smokes, favor, or whatever for use. Some may not be agreeable to this, since they may not expect company for 2 hours every few days and it can get old.

Air Wash

In Amerika people usually machine wash their still clean clothing after wearing it for only a few hours, this is ridiculous especially in cooler or dryer climates where for most people socially unacceptable body odors are not produced in large amounts to linger in the garments. If the clothing you are wearing is not actually dirty or just has a few food spots you can often just spot wash the dirty bits if required. You may still have the funk smell, but even in winter a few hours of air and sunshine will often get the body stink out, rain is not a problem either as long as the wind doesn't blow your garments into a mud puddle, just let it drip dry after the rain shower. This method is much easier on your clothing than machine washing and will lead to much longer life especially for natural fabrics.v Synthetics and some colors are best hung in a well vented area indoors or in the shade to prevent sunlight degradation of the fibers and some dyes and pigments. The smell test will sometimes fail clothing after a few airing outs and you will need to use soap or detergent in a more conventional wash. Your underwear and socks which end up collecting most of the body odor are easily washed in a small container and hung to dry with your outer clothing.

Even if washing or hanging outside is not an option hanging your already worn clothing open over a chair or door as you sleep will let some of the smell dissipate and is quite a bit better than wadding your garments into a ball and throwing it onto the ground where the stank will just get a stale tinge.

Piggyback Laundry

This may not work but can be worth a try in public laundries. Wait in a laundromat. Tell someone with a light load that you will watch the machine for them if you can stick a small amount of your clothes in with theirs.

Homeless Shelters and "Opportunity" Drop In Centers.

Many cities have laundry services for the indigent. Sometimes this is part of a shelter's service and other times a separate facility. You usually have to sign up and pick up your clothes at a later time. Most will not let you wash them yourself for fear you may "break" something. Some charge very small fees while others are free. They will probably not wash weeks of laundry, either, and probably will set a hard limit of maybe 2 to 5 outfits. Of course, like any "charity", expect strict restrictions, rules, maybe some snide remarks,and regulations to be able to use this service.

Creek, Stream, and Ocean Washing

It is possible to wash in a creek, lake, or stream. The only problem is that many bodies of water like this are highly polluted with oil, pesticides, and other nastiness and have a high degree of sediment in the water. This includes almost all creeks running through major cities, near river ports, and heavy agricultural areas. It still may knock off some stench if it is not too polluted, though. So, in this case, whites and professional type stuff are out of the question as some creeks and lakes will ruin those clothes. A clear stream like those in the Appalachians or Rockies would work much better.

Be sure to let the clothes dry after dipping them in the lake or creek, especially if you have open cuts or sores, as these bodies of water carry bacteria.

The ocean can be an idea as well. However, your results can vary with this. Some beaches like those in Florida are crystal blue in places. Others, like the Mississippi Gulf Coast is nastier than most reservoir lake water.

Now, in the old days of our great, great grandparents and even in third world countries, this is still a viable way. If you are dealing with caked on mud or dirt, get an old school wash board and start scrubbing. Some of our ancestors would fill a wash tub full of creek water and heat it over a fire to help remove the tougher dirt. Of course, this was an all day event and took the whole family.

Tanning

Last updated: 8 September 2011

Maybe you're just too cheap to pay for anyone else to do the job (local shops can ask up to $200 to tan a coyote hide). Use this method for rabbit hides, deer hides, moose skin, or coyote pelts, just to name a few.

1 Skinning and Storing
2 Ingredients
3 Mixing
4 Final Preparation
4.1 Doing Business

Skinning and Storing

After hunting or processing livestock for the table, it's a shame to toss out a nice pelt. Use this low cost tanning method for mammal pelts to leave fur on the skin. It will result in a soft and workable hide which can be used as is or cut up for sewing projects.

Cool fresh hides immediately. Trim the flesh and visible fat from the hide and lay the skin flat and fur side down in the shade, preferably on a cold concrete or rock surface. When the skin is cool to the touch, immediately cover the fleshy completely with plain, uniodized salt. You will require three to five pounds for a sheep or deer skin. If the hides aren't salted within a few hours of when you removed the flesh they will decompose and lose their hair during processing.

Transport the skin flat and store the pelt out of reach of animals, who will gnaw the hides. Don't stretch the skin, but make sure it has no curled edges. Add more salt as some will have fallen off during the transportation, and fill low spots where liquids will pool.

Allow the skin to dry until it is crispy, which may take between a few days and a couple of weeks. When completely dry, the skin is very stable and won't change or deteriorate appreciably.

Ingredients

When you're ready to tan the skins, or you're getting ready to go out and find some, assemble the following:

7 gallons water 2 pounds (16 cups) bran flakes 16 cups plain or pickling salt (not iodized) 2 large plastic trash cans (30 gallon) and one lid 4 foot wooden stirring stick 3 1/2 cups battery acid (from auto parts store) 2 boxes baking soda wood rack or stretcher neat's-foot oil nails wire bristle brush

This recipe makes enough tanning solution to tan four large animal skins; or ten rabbit skins; or about six mediumsized pelts such as groundhog. (Cut the recipe in half for fewer skins).

Mixing

Soak the dried skins in clear, fresh water until flexible for a few hours before you tan. Boil three gallons of water and pour over the bran flakes. Let this sit for an hour, then strain the bran flakes out, saving the brownish water solution.

Bring the remaining four gallons of water to a boil. Put the 16 cups of salt in a plastic trash can. Pour the water over the salt and use the stirring stick to mix until the salt dissolves. Add the brown bran liquid and stir.

When this solution is lukewarm, you are ready to add the battery acid. Read the warning label and first aid advice on the battery acid container. While wearing gloves and an old, long-sleeved shirt, very carefully pour the battery acid down the inside of the trash can into the solution and mix thoroughly. don't let it splash.

At this point, you can peel the dried inner skin. If you have fresh skins, use as is. Add the skins to the solution and stir, pressing the skins down carefully under the liquid until fully saturated. Leave them to soak for 40 minutes, stirring from time to time to make sure all parts of the hides are exposed to the solution. During the soak, fill your other trash can with clear, lukewarm water. After 40 minutes, soaking is complete.

Use the stirring stick and carefully move the skins one by one into the other trash can. This is the rinsing process, which removes the excess salt from the skins. Stir and slosh the skins for about five minutes, changing the water when it looks dirty.

You may want to add a box of baking soda to the rinse water at this point. Adding baking soda will neutralize some of the acid in the skin - this is good because there will be less possibility of residual acid in the fur that will affect sensitive people. This also may cause the preserving effects of the acid to be neutralized. If skin or fur will spend a lot of time in contact with human skin use baking soda, but skip it if the pelt will be used as a rug or wall hanging.

Final Preparation

Remove the hides from rinse water. They will be very heavy. Hang them over a board or the back of a firm surface to drain. Now, using a sponge, rag or paint brush, swab the still-damp skin side of the hide with an ounce of neat's- foot oil. It should be absorbed quickly, leaving only a slight oily residue. Tack the hide to your "stretcher." We use salvaged wood pallets. Gently pull the hide as you tack it so there's some tension in the skin. No need to exert excess pressure or overstretch. Set the hide in a shady place to dry.

Your acidic tanning solution can be neutralized for disposal by adding a couple boxes of baking soda. It will froth and bubble vigorously and release a potentially toxic gas, so give it plenty of ventilation and get away from the bucket while this is happening. Do not pour it down your drain.

Check the hide every day. When the skin side feels dry to the touch in the center, but still flexible and somewhat soft, take it down from the rack. Lay the fur side down and go over the skin with a wire bristle brush. This softens the skin and lightens the color. Don't brush heavily or excessively in one spot, just enough to give a suede-like appearance. After this, set the skin where it can fully dry for a day or so longer.

Doing Business

Once your friends know you can tan hides, be prepared for them to bring around their hunting trophies and livestock skins for treatment. Don't do it for free. Commercial tanners get $25 to $45 to tan a hide, and you should price your work accordingly. Otherwise you'll find yourself swamped with every skin in the region and no spare time.

In exchange, give your friends a professional, quality job and an upfront understanding about what might go wrong. People get very sensitive about their skins and this precaution will prevent potential misunderstandings and keep your friendship.

4. Free Shelter

Last updated: 7 August 2011

All over the world, the promise of increasing wealth has left behind a huge population of people who are unable to continually afford the inflating price of housing along with other basic services.

Some people become homeless when that last paycheck is unable to cover rent for another month and they are evicted. Then, not having a home, and couch surfing to survive being hard on the schedule, they begin to experience trouble at work, they lose the ability to return to regular housing, and they become homeless.

Others see the problem of the inflating economy and the slavery of debt-based home finance or permanent payout to a slum lord and refuse to play by the crooked rules of their game, they opt out, they are now out camping, homeless by choice.

In the United States especially, homelessness is associated with the worst elements in society; the ones we are at war with; drug users, anarchists, the poor. This societal psychological distancing is required so the public will accept the regular abuses that they pay the police to perpetrate against those less than human. These protectors of justice strictly enforce that the laws forbidding the homeless to sleep in any but well hidden scarce shelters, thus protecting the public from seeing the reality and feeling the shame that they have not taken any real action to help the less fortunate.

Often programs to assist the poor and homeless are corpgov pork programs to steal from the taxpayer and grease the palms of a few cronies.

The homeless should be the ward of the radical since we are clearly the only ones who will take up their cause. There have been repeated stories of the homeless being paid by "corpgov activism" to picket for a cause; the homeless are our natural allies, not theirs.

One of the most frightening aspects of not having a permanent address is the loss of most of your civil rights. Since you likely do not own the property where you camp (even if you do) the police and courts will empower themselves to search and seize your property either for trespass or for possibly being stolen. If the police can leave the scene with your things and not give you a receipt they have become defacto owners of your things and you will have no way to retrieve them.

The most vile aspect of state abuse of the homeless is taken in the name of child welfare. If the state feels that it has a compelling reason, it will confiscate your child and place them in a home where they will be properly programmed as good corpgov citizens.

Many homeless people suffer from depression, as either a cause or effect felt by those who have been cast out against their will, without their corpgov insurance to pump them with prescription antidepressants. They often turn to taxed alcohol abuse or reliance on hard drugs. We must as brothers and sisters radicalize this population and give them something to strive for. If we let the welfare system do our job these people will be deactivated with a meager income just enough to keep them from trying to have a life. This tactic of depression and payoff has been effectively used to destroy (North American) Native, African originating, and other minority peoples movements in the United States and Canada.

In our world we are seeing the full extent of the greed and manipulation that banking and finance can exert onto the basic human need of a safe place to lay their head for the night. This basic desire along with the need for an expensive education have been harnessed through the use of loans at interest paid off over around half an average lifetime to enslave the Amerikan and much of the worlds population. Fearing for their house and confiscation of their worldly goods a person becomes a willing or unwilling robotic tool for the super rich who need a moving economy to harvest from. Because low cost alternatives to the traditional condo and house allow a way out of this contrived enslavement there is immense political pressure to destroy these alternatives in the name of keeping housing market prices up. When demonstrating against corporations let at least part of your wrath fall upon these banks.

Free Shelter Articles

The Street - Surviving houseless.

Low Impact Crashing How to crash in almost any building or room without needing traditional appliances.

Free Land Buying a small piece or squatting a National Park.

Backpacking - Stealth camping, staying in a hammock or bivy bag.

Camping - Living out of a tent.

Urban Living - For all the ways of finding undisturbed sleep, starting a housing co-op

Free Furniture - Creative methods for kitting out your dig.

Rural Living - Everything country sleep related.

Squatting Seth Tobacmans 1987 pamphlet edited and updated by the Steal This Wiki team

Not in Free shelter but useful:

Community Centers - Ask in infoshops and social centers.

Communes - Finding and starting your own.

Tree sitting - Live rent free supported by brothers and sisters while fighting corpgov

Get a Job - Volunteering on farms, all expenses payed, or cashing up.

Vacations - Drifting

Liberate - Finding free shelter in specific cities.

The Street

Last updated: 7 May 2011

Many of the homeless in the North America are youth turned out by hateful, abusive, or perverse parents or stepparents. This chapter is to address the needs of a street person during the first few hours to weeks until they find a safe support group and hopefully some kind of proper shelter. The language of this chapter is mostly directed toward teenage women but the survival tips apply equally to both sexes and any age. The streets are not an option in terms of living, the fact that you are out there means you had to run before there was time to plan, you must move quickly to find safe shelter and support.

1 Reasons to Leave Home
1.1 Physical Abuse
1.2 Sexual Abuse
2 Reasons not to Leave Home
2.1 Dangers on the Streets
2.2 Unprepared
2.3 Evil Helpers
3 Choosing Good Helpers
4 Personal Needs
4.1 Shelters
4.2 Food
4.3 Getting Off Drugs
5 Services
5.1 Rape and Battery Support Groups
5.2 State Welfare Services
5.3 Foster Home
5.4 Stealing
5.5 Mail
5.6 E-mail
5.7 Health Clubs
6 Men, Women, Roommates, and Safety Pacts
6.1 Crash Pad Romance
6.2 Mental Illness
7 Survival
7.1 Shelters
7.2 Sympathy Psych
7.3 Destitute Sheltering
7.4 Alcohol and Cold
7.5 Hot Water
7.6 Other Tips
8 Other

Reasons to Leave Home

If you are seriously considering leaving the reasonably free supply of food, clothing, heat, bed, safe storage, secure space, and roof over your head you must have a very good reason. But NEVER trade sex or abuse from your alleged guardians for these! Leaving might be the right choice, but the street is what happens when you have no choice, think hard, don't you have a relative, friend, teacher, co-worker, anyone you can go to for shelter to avoid the street?

Physical Abuse

If you are in a situation where you fear for your personal safety or have already been assaulted you should do two things first of all file a police complaint and open a file with family services documenting the problem. It will probably save the whole family from the physical abuse of the type you have been suffering. Unfortunately abused parties like drug addicts suffer from withdrawal, you may be in more hot water for removing the abuser from the home by those who remain. If these actions cause no change and you have tried every other place to hide it might be worth risking a flight away even to the dangerous cold streets to escape worse violence at home.

Sexual Abuse

At the first sign of sexual abuse leave your house and open a file at welfare services and the police as well as demanding a temporary restraining order be placed that day. You must do this to protect not only yourself but any other vulnerable family members. If the police, court, or social worker takes no action attempt to find a friend or relative to hide with. Sometimes this separation is all that is needed. Especially in second or third abusive relationships you might not be able to expect even your mother to believe your claims of abuse, unfortunately this may be the end of your relationship with your sick family. Only as a last ditch emergency action should a girl go onto the streets to avoid rape or sexual abuse since a teen girl is also a prime target for street predators.

Just because you have been raped or sexually abused even repeatedly for a long time doesn't mean you are used up and there is no reason to resist. Survival sex is a slippery slope of being softened up often leading to the most abusive and undesired acts step by step while letting those with the money rule your body and often get their hooks deep into your soul. Previous victims of abuse often try to cleanse themselves by trying to grab the power back in the wrong way, by becoming a more depraved abuser they are chasing the dragon of becoming a whole person. Don't enable the abuse of others by feeding a dangerous addiction to abuse. You also risk becoming another abuser if you choose the wrong path toward healing and self empowerment.

Reasons not to Leave Home

Annoyance with your parents or siblings, discipline, or school related problems are probably best dealt with in your own home, you have no idea how bad the streets can be especially for a girl, a sexist world it is, most every perv wants to take a piece of a teenage girl, plenty like to find a boy to abuse too. We are not worried that you will remain homeless for more than a few days, our concern is that your leaky roof and stained bed will be owned by a brutal pimp and your rent will be paid in depraved sex acts with diseased strangers.

Dangers on the Streets

Since you have no safe storage on the streets everything you own must be with you at all times, this leads to the bag lady or shopping cart homeless that you have seen.

If you are underage you are unable to sign a legal contract for a car or apartment and are considered something similar to property of your parents or guardians, get a fake ID as soon as possible. Identification Papers has information on fake IDs and a hack to get past underage work laws.

Most cities make it illegal for the homeless to sleep hoping it will make them disappear or die, when you are asleep behind a bush or on a bench don't be too surprised if others rifle through your bags and pockets stealing any useful or valuable things they might find, not to mention placing you in a very vulnerable position for physical or sexual abuse.

Worse yet a young woman without any hand to hand combat training is at the mercy of a huge abusive rapist type. Your best defense is being in good shape and sprinting away from the first sign of trouble.

Sometimes you happen to be in a dead end street or the exit door is blocked there is no option of running away. While some naive feminists and well armed police may disagree, the idea that an armed woman is just some weakling who is only going to turn over her weapon to her attacker is just foolish. If you bring justice to an abuser through an act of self defense you must realize that the police, courts, appointed lawyers, prisons and parole boards all discriminate heavily against the homeless and minorities we feel it is almost impossible to give you good advice whether to hide the evidence and run or to find a good lawyer. There is much danger from the (un)justice system when a woman protects her own life but sometimes it's the only option.

If during your fight for survival you become somehow involved with someone who is in the drug trade and are arrested at the same time as them you can expect the system to attack you like a mother bear. Once you are convicted with a felony drug crime, almost all social services including healthcare, food stamps, and student aid can be denied to you for the rest of your life.

It seems to us that the system needs to maintain a class of people who only have the option of larceny, selling drugs, or prostitution. It is catch-22 laws like this among other abuses that make us realize the legal governance of our nation has been overthrown and we must fight a revolution to return our legal constitutional republic.

Unprepared

Most decisions to hit the streets happen in a fearful rage after an attack. Hopefully you got out with at least a warm jacket, shoes, and clothes. Unless you managed to grab a wallet or purse you have no money, ID, or phone. In this case you must find the first police station or hospital and report the crime, but be wary of giving identifying information - you don't want your abuser to convince the cops to send you home. Many people make the mistake of wandering the streets for hours or days as the evidence quickly looses its potency. Get help but be cautious if the help includes a lock down type facility.

As an aside, if you managed to grab your phone think hard about who pays the bill and who controls the account. Your abusers can easily file a missing person report or even a stolen phone report and track you down that way, you might just pull the battery out to be safe for a few days. Credit or debit cards also leave a trace where they were used. If you really need cash have a friend with a car withdraw cash from an ATM on the other side of town.

Evil Helpers

There are those men and women who prey sexually on the freshly homeless. Be wary of a single man or women of any age who offers you a place to stay with no strings attached in their own home. Never accept room and board for any kind of sexual favor. Never accept any drinks or drugs from strangers or those you have recently met.

Even churches cannot always be considered a safe place, the same is true with homeless youth shelters, unfortunately these low pay positions are an easy place for men who want to abuse young people to meet their prey.

Be on very high alert and avoid places where prostitution is common, pimps may recruit by coercion or they may just kidnap rape and begin to sell the body of a young woman. Many pimps use the introduction to hard drug addiction and controlled supply method to enslave men and women. Sometimes you will even feel pressure to engage in survival sex to get a place to stay or food.

Choosing Good Helpers

Only accept help from a Pastor, Rabbi, or volunteer once you see their home has what appears to be a normal husband, wife, and children, don't stay alone by any singles, widowers or divorced, a normal dinner with the family should usually be enough to scan for weirdness, especially watch how the kids interact with their parents, look for fear. Some Christian types may try to push their faith on you, you already know what you believe you don't owe them that, but for survival pretending that you are listening is a small price for a safe roof and food to eat until you can get on your feet. At the same time you can also be looking for another place to stay. DO NOT ABUSE THIS TRUST, DO NOT STEAL FROM THESE HELPERS!! If you need something ask.

There are cults that might take you in even give you a place to sleep, be careful and bolt if it appears that they are into locking down doors, brainwashing, punishments, or trading food for conversion or good deeds.

Personal Needs

Until you can find what is a safe place to stay the temptation is there to shoplift for your needs, this might indirectly solve your shelter problem with a night in jail but it could also dump you back in you abusive and now wary former home.

Shelters

Most shelters require a sign up some time in the early afternoon, stop by a few of them and see which ones are clean and which ones will try to turn the underage back over to their abusers. Homeless shelters are one of the first places the police check during a man hunt. Expect to have your stuff pawed through as you sleep unless you are literally on top of it, stash valuables someplace safe before hitting the shelter for the night. Systems like the federal "Homeless Management Information System" are a real concern because many police agencies can tap into it without a warrant. See http://epic.org/privacy/poverty/ for more information.

Food

If you knock on doors you would be surprised how most people will give you either part of a warm dinner or at least a can of creamed mushroom soup that was in back of the cupboard if you ask nicely, sometimes just to get you to go away. See Free Food for more ideas.

Getting Off Drugs

See Free Dope#Getting Clean

Services

Before identifying yourself be sure that the service you are checking into will not inform your abusive family of your location.

Rape and Battery Support Groups

Some of the best services for women are rape and battery support groups, some will even match you with a safe formerly abused woman to stay with and counseling. Don't get freaked if some of these women are a little fragile or weird, they had to glue their shattered life together from some serious shit, you are part of their healing. DO NOT STEAL OR TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM! Be wary that some groups are based on the premise that all men are evil, overlook this and work on your healing. Unfortunately there are few services for abused and raped males, ask at the free clinic though.

State Welfare Services

This varies from one state to another be careful since some states if they believe your story will throw you into something similar to juvie hall for abused kids with lockdowns and regular searches. As we know abused people learn to abuse be careful not to jump from the pan into the fire.

Foster Home

Most often a state welfare agency will send you to a foster family who will assume full parental power over you for at least a limited time. These people are often unsung heroes but like teachers may have become burned out and now do the service for the stipend. Keep your eyes open for potential abuse which rarely occurs and keep in good contact with your social worker. It is a good idea to set up escape plans now while things are cool in case the freaks at state welfare decide you are a liar and send you back to your abusers. Stashing escape gear, making deals with friends, teachers, and spiritual leaders for emergency shelter is vitally important. An effective tactic is to go for help where they wont expect, for example Catholic kids asking Jewish welfare agencies for help, Muslims going to Protestant aid institutions, etc. Take counseling seriously and if you feel that the worker is getting nowhere with you ask if another social worker could be assigned. O

Stealing

In some times and places you may be forced to shoplift to survive (although if you look around there is usually an alternative.) No matter what, never steal from those who take you in to help you! You are first of all hurting yourself as you seriously risk being turned back out back to the cold street, you also burn the people they might have helped survive in the future. If you have a need for some survival item or cash just ask them, or get it in some other way.

Mail

In 1994, the Postal Service issued a ruling that the homeless are eligible for a PO Box if they can provide a piece of official identification, a way to be reached, or proof that the postmaster knows them. The rule also declared that homeless people are entitled to general delivery service indefinitely, not for just 30 days. See Postage for more info.

E-mail

Most cities have at least one bookshop or cafe with a free public access computer.

Public libraries usually have free internet access, but aren't always the best place to log in (if you have a library card) because they often keep extensive usage records. They also sometimes put time restrictions on the machines. Library cards (often required for access) are hard to get if you don't have an address verification.

Just remember that no public computer can be trusted as safe. Don't do anything crazy. See Internet Communications for more information.

Health Clubs

Would you ever expect us radical yippie types to suggest you go for one of the biggest CorpGov ripoffs of all, the gym? Yup. Athletic clubs basically subsidise the price of membership because ninety percent of the overweight slaves who sign up never show up for the first week, but they are stuck in some crazy year contract. If possible beg the ID from a person who resembles you or modify the ID and use his key card to get in. Once the employees get to know your face they will check your ID less, don't get to friendly though since the homeless are really not welcome at these clubs. Women may want to find a women's only club so they don't have to put up with guys harassing or oggling them. Most gyms have the locker rooms in front of the desk, so if you just need a shower, you can usually just walk in. Even if you have to pay it is often worth the money if you are without a proper home for the following services:

Clean Showers - you have no idea how nice a private clean shower stall is when you are in a filthy squat or shelter hopping.
Therapy Pool(warm pool) - the streets are cold in the winter, it is amazing what an hour in a therapy pool will do for your back and muscles cramped from nights on the ground shivering.
Sauna - If we manage to find an abandoned room the chances of it having proper heating are pretty low, often we can find a dank damp moldy building to squat somewhere. An hour or so sweating it out in this dry air and cleaning the fungus and mold out of your lungs can make such a difference in your health and energy level. This is also an oppertunity to dry our your feet and prevent immersion foot.
Exercise Equipment - not that we really need it so much, we are on our bicycles or walking all day but it is a good idea to work your abs and back groups to prevent back injury. Use the stretching stations to limber up and prevent injury.
Locker - try to rent a big one, this may be your only safe storage space.

If you want this plan to work you need to visit a public restroom and pre-clean yourself, at least your visible areas, before hitting the club, also put on some bagged clean cyclist or workout clothing. The employees must NEVER know that you are homeless or they will surely terminate your membership!

Men, Women, Roommates, and Safety Pacts

A word to the young women (but can also apply to young men, TG's. and homosexuals of both sexes) who are forced out of their family home for whatever reason and into one of the many less desirable shelter scenarios presented in this book. Until you get a serious case of street smarts (don't ever fool yourself that takes several hard years and lots of very painful mistakes) be very wary of taking residence where there are any males in the mix.

Unfortunately thanks to a chemical called testosterone, that courses in amazing quantities through the veins of males from their early teens onward, the normal rational judgment of even the sweetest smartest guy is clouded to a varying extent when it comes to interaction with young women. If possible make your life easier by rooming or crashing in a female only environment, if at all possible with a strong locking door and secure windows. All of the catty female politics that might annoy you are infinitely simpler and safer than dealing with some confused guy who might decide to stalk you or get his hands on you. Please do not be surprised if you are attacked by these well meaning women as well. Women can be as vicious as men, even more so when they are being made to feel that only men cause pain. Just remember that psychological pain and jealousy can be even more powerful than sex hormones whatever their orientation do not stay with someone who is a threat to you, you need a place where you can be safe.

Your best plan is to make a long term pact with one or two trusted like minded people in a non physical relationship who swear to stay together and guard the safety of the others first above any other consideration. It is also every revolutionary's responsibility to watch out for the safety and care of newly homeless girl and boy and to guide them into them own safety pact group.

Crash Pad Romance

Nearly every guy in our movement is a decent honorable person but we want to leave no room for error with our most vulnerable, the abused run-away. Let your mixed social interaction take place only in public or group areas. Realize that an abused woman or man may have varying feelings toward romantic advances from either sex, from disinterest to active revulsion, pushing the issue can not only prolong and interfere with their healing but may also lead to a misunderstanding and serious allegations of misconduct against you.

Mental Illness

A reality is that an unfortunate percentage of those seeking or living in alternative housing are not there as a form of protest against a broken CorpGov system but because they have untreated and sometimes dangerous mental illness, do what you can to see them get proper treatment, at arms length if you must, but don't make them your problem as well. Choose your friends and roommates wisely.

Survival

Shelters

The idea is to somehow get inside and warm and safe. Homeless shelters, squats, and alternative shelter can all provide some of what you need if you can get inside, anyone who has been out knows that emergency bed space for both men and women is a precious and limited commodity often denied for dubious reasons, especially considering the crazy rules and waiting lists that can be involved.

Sympathy Psych

If you can dress and clean up nicely and act the non-destitute, normally successful part people will actually have more sympathy for you as they see a small reflection of themselves and their life in your situation. This might get you into shelters, people's homes, and other options where a "gross" homeless guy would be turned away in disgust. Play to your audience for success in sheltering. Women should not overplay abuse or fragility. No matter how hard it is, acting as "normal" as possible will pay off in protecting and sheltering yourself and any children with you. It is amazing how a firm handshake, a steady look, and a confident posture will change attitudes on the homeless.

Destitute Sheltering

If all else fails and you are stuck overnight outside we would hope you have some wilderness camping gear and can get to a park or industrial area. Most homeless forced to sleep outdoors are not so well equipped due to dire poverty or theft. Even a cardboard box and a plastic trash sack is better than nothing at all. Try to insulate with cardboard and crumpled newspaper - this could save your life. Keep your torso, groin, neck and head insulated at all costs. Hide under anything that will give some protection from the elements.

Alcohol and Cold

It may make you feel warmer, but alcohol will speed the progression of hypothermia (getting too cold) by letting all of you heat out of your core areas to your arms, legs, head, and face. Hypothermia is the leading cause of overnight death in the homeless population. Don't drink alcohol to stay warm!

Nearly all drugs and medications interfere with the bodies natural temperature regulation of the body, either inhibiting blood flow and risking frostbite or by allowing heat to escape and risking hypothermia.

Hot Water

No matter how you do it, acquire a thermos and keep it filled with hot water, you should be drinking this hot water by the gallon every day and night. It is usually not to hard to walk right in to a restaurant, convenience-market, or gas station and fill up before the staff can even begin to complain or kick you out. The other good source for hot water is to use a pocket stinger heater Pack your bag#Immersion Boiler and plug in wherever you can find power, many outdoor signs have a place to plug in - keep your eyes open Power plugs are everywhere, even outside. Most hot water faucets you will encounter just don't put out water warm enough to keep usable heat even if stored in a thermos. Even if you are not getting enough calories in you diet, drinking the hot water will save the caloric energy you would have used to keep you warm in cool or damp weather meaning you can get by on less.

Other Tips

See Free Clothing for tips on increasing the warmth of your clothing.

Other

Call 911 if you think the cops or ambulance can help you or get to a pay phone and dial these free numbers

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800 799 SAFE

Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) Hotline: 800 656 HOPE

National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline: 866 331 9474

See Free High School for information on how to get emancipated, becoming a legal adult before 18

See Low Impact Crashing andSquatting for more homelessness tips

http://www.1800runaway.org/ Find A Place To Go in Your Area Find a place to go in your area. these places are especially for runaway and homeless youth and children.

http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/shelters.html Shelters, Homeless and Otherwise Doesn't list every shelter, but it's a good resource.

http://www.covenanthouse.org/houses Covenant House Listings if you need a place to stay or want to stop being a drifter/homeless and are under age 21, this is the place to go.

Low Impact Crashing

Last updated: 12 June 2011

When, for whatever reasons, you are homeless or living on the Streets (some of us like to call it "Being Houseless" because Home, Baby, is where the Heart Is!), cleanliness can help in so many ways, and yet it is one of the first things to get blown off by some people due to the foul attitude that sometimes accompanies being Houseless against your will. Stay cool, and dedicate yourself to remaining clean and healthy, no matter how bad The Man wants you looking nasty to give fearful yuppies another reason to avoid confronting the nastier problems in our society. Tell yourself that staying clean and healthy is your way of saying "Fuck You" to stereotypes of homelessness and poverty. Maintaining a high standard of personal hygiene can both keep you healthy and turn around people who would normally be quite hostile to brothers and sisters who are either down on their luck, or simply unable or unwilling to tolerate abusive employment conditions.

You will often find yourself with access to an abandoned building, open unused room, and maybe even a bed in a house but for social, security, or other reasons no access to a normal kitchen, laundry, or bathroom. Many of your needs will be met using your regular camping gear like sleeping bag, ground mat, and stove but often you can take advantage of the utilities and environmental control offered, but beware security systems.

Check out Pack your bag for easy packable urban crash gear.

1 Kitchen
1.1 Portable Electrical Cooking
1.2 Pots and Containers
1.3 Refrigeration
1.4 Pot-in-Pot Refrigerator
1.5 Microwaves
1.6 Sterno
1.7 Other Stoves
1.8 BBQ Grille
1.8.1 Charcoal
1.8.2 Newspaper Logs
1.9 Chimney Stoves
1.10 Hobo Stove
1.10.1 Buddy Burner
1.10.2 Hand Sanitizer Stove
1.10.3 Advanced Hobo Ovens
1.10.4 Box Oven
2 Washing Clothing
2.1 Laundromat
2.2 Detergent
2.3 Bucket Wash
2.4 Public Restroom
3 Drying Clothing
3.1 Improvised Clothing
4 Clean Water
4.1 Irrigation
4.2 Garden Hose
4.3 Filtration
4.4 Boiling
4.5 Solar UV Sterilization (SODIS)
4.6 Bleach
4.7 Fire Sprinklers (and Why You Shouldn't Use Them)
5 Bed
6 Humidity
7 Bath
7.1 Soap
7.2 Indoor Bathing
7.3 Shower Bottle
7.4 Frugal Bathing
7.5 Hot Water
7.6 Outdoor Bathing
7.7 Showers for Sailors
7.8 Baby Wipes
8 Toilet
9 Electricity
9.1 Power Jacks
9.2 Pop open the meter
9.3 Alternative Voltages
9.4 Outdoor Power Taps
9.5 Testing
9.6 Long Runs
9.7 Free Electricity
10 Lighting
10.1 Stealth Light
11 Heat
12 Staying warm
13 Cooling
14 Computer
15 A Word on Batteries, Solar, and "Wind-Up" Gadgets
16 Pest Control

Kitchen

Portable Electrical Cooking

You will likely have access to electricity once indoors. If that's the case, it is better to use this for cooking than risk fire and waste expensive fuel using your fuel stove. See Cheap Chow for some pocket immersion cooker (stinger) recipes and be sure that the whole coil stays underwater so you don't melt or burn out your water heater. If you are in a location where you will be staying for a while, a hot plate or coffee cup warmer and Sierra cup for minimalists might even be smarter to cook with than a stinger since there is no fear of gooping up your heater. A useful portable hotplate is a folding travel iron flipped over run at full power. Just be careful not to spill anything into the internals.

Pots and Containers

Camp pots and pans work great, as do cheap dollar store cookware, these latter may not have the strength or lifetime of high end kitchenware but you will probably transition to something better or different even when living a nomadic lifestyle.

We learned in rural India how big a treasure a Hawkins pressure cooker was. For a USA$10-20 investment a family could cut their kerosene cooking fuel bill in half. One of our teams used one while traveling in Asia and later found them to be sold in the US as well as other inexpensive brands. The Hawkins seemed to cook faster than some of the other brands, this is probably due to it having a higher operating pressure. One problem was if you don't pay attention and the cooker runs dry and overheats a special metal safety 'fuse" plug will melt and let off the pressure, we had to replace this plug twice due to careless visitors sharing the pot. Fortunately these fuses are cheap, in the meantime we found a small rubber plug to block the fuse hole. A spare rubber gasket is a good idea whatever cooker you are using, a web search will let you know what other if any spares to get. We have been told that nicer expensive pressure cookers are heavy but only require a new gasket every few years and cleaning the valves.

Acquire used plastic food buckets for washing and trash/compost/recycling, and plastic bags for storage. Large, empty and very clean cans can be used as cooking pots. Just remember that if the food inside is hot, so is the can. Use pot holders of some sort, or hold it carefully with a pair of pliers at the lip.

Keep your food in resealable containers like plastic bags or deli tubs. Food left out can either spoil or attract unwanted critters of all types. Remember to keep anything that touches your food (including your hands) as clean as you can. Also, zipper seal type bags can be washed out and reused. Turn them inside out to air dry.

Refrigeration

If there is no refrigerator, get ice from the local convenience store or fast food joint and put it in a plastic bag with your food. If you buy a large bag of ice, keep it closed. When it melts, you will have clean drinking or washing water. If you can score a cheap Styrofoam cooler, do so and use it! Some of the pharmaceutical cartel cold transport boxes even come with an ice-gel pack that if you collect enough can be refrozen by sympathizers with freezers, water filled frozen soft drink bottles work good too and you can drink the thawed contents. Often just asking nicely will get the drug dealers (pharmacist) to save these cold boxes for you. Since it was free you won't be too sorry leaving it behind if the cops or security sweep and clear your squat.

Pot-in-Pot Refrigerator

The Pot-in-Pot refrigerator originated in Africa but has been proven worldwide to work to preserve food at about an average of 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The idea is that you take a large unglazed clay pot and place a smaller pot inside of it. Then you fill the space between the two pots with sand. The sand is soaked with water. The food is then placed inside the smaller pot and is stored. The device is then covered with a thick wet cloth. This will then use evaporative cooling to keep the food inside stored at a temperature of between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit higher in the hottest parts of summer. The only thing that is needed is that one adds water to the sand about 2 times a day and one keeps the thick cloth covering wet. Be sure to keep this cooler in the shade or it will still get hot. If you have a fan aim it at your pot-in-pot to cool not only your food but the whole room. Best results are obtained in arid climates, in very humid areas your results may vary. Below is a link to a picture of one of these devices, using two regular orange terracotta plant pots one large one small.

http://www.organicauthority.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/POTFRIDGE.jpg

Microwaves

Make friends with the staff of a nearby convenience store, most have microwaves for heating up the junk they sell. If you ask nicely, you may be able to use these to heat food you've acquired elsewhere as well as the expired one day foods the employees let you "rescue".

Sterno

If the electricity or gas is out, a Sterno-style camp stove that folds flat can be worth its weight in gold. While canned gel fuel burns for two hours on average, the metal "candle" types with liquid fuel used for buffet warming pans (often called "chafing fuel") can burn for as long as six. Just remember to burn them in a well-ventilated area. You can also use a taper candle cut into small sections and placed inside a tuna or pet food can. A variation of this, the old boy scout "buddy burner" discussed below. An upside down coffee can placed on top makes a good surface for cooking. Be sure to poke some holes in the top of the can to allow oxygen to the flame and a door at the bottom in order to access and control the flame. For baking, an improvised oven made of an aluminum foil tent over a pan or pot can serve well. One clever trick is to use a pair of aluminum pie pans and hold them together with binder clips.

Other Stoves

Petrol(gasoline or Coleman fuel, white gas, Stoddard solvent, naptha, lighter fluid, some charcoal lighting fluid) and kerosene(jet fuel diesel, fuel, furnace oil) stoves can only safely be used in a fireplace hearth or out of doors on stone or mineral earth, that said some are able to generate amazing heat, designed to quickly melt and boil snow for mountaineering teams. In many places in the US and the world liquid fuel or oil heat tanks are found outside or have a fill pipe outside, just ask permission and use a fuel transfer pump to fill up your fuel bottles, often a removable strainer is found on the fill pipe.

Alcohol and solid fuel stoves are discussed in Backpacking

Keep a pail of water and a box of baking soda, mineral earth, or salt handy should a fire break out, a wet towel works too if it is a small fire. Baking soda and salt snuff out grease fires, while water causes them to spread. Dry mineral soil, such as sand or clay but not dry organic duff or mulch, works as a good extinguishing agent for all types of fire.

BBQ Grille

Both kettle type and "Pyromid" foldup charcoal grilles are good for very secluded squats and longer term camping, those cheap flat bottom grilles at the grocery store never seem to work very well for us. REMEMBER! Never use any charcoal burning devices or barbecue (BBQ) grills indoors in a well sealed room, since the carbon monoxide can kill you! Always make sure that you are in a burn resistant area like on strictly sand or concrete or in a fireplace with a working chimney. The smell and heat of your stove, charcoal, campfire smoke, or cooking food may alert security or the police to your squat or activate fire suppression systems.

You can bake in your covered grille, for things that you don't want to have a smoke smell like bread and cakes cover the pan with a lid or foil. A cooking thermometer can help you figure out temperatures, don't be surprised to find burn spots on your food but most of it should be edible once you get some practice in timing and setup.

If you don't have a nice BBQ grille you can always improvise. One of the ways the classical American grille does its job is by holding the heated gasses under the hood to cook from all sides. Get ahold of a charcoal pre-heater can, the kind with holes in the bottom and a handle on the side, it is reasonably portable and pretty cheap. Acquire a grill from wherever, disposable foil BBQ grilles are a good source. Get a fire going and down to good coals, now put the grille over the top and follow with a large coffee can or cookie tin, the can will retain the heated gasses just like a grille hood or lid, poke a hole in the top of the can to allow some gas to rise out instead of just around the bottom edge.

Charcoal

Auto maker Henry Ford was a prolific inventor and industrialist who is credited with pioneering the assembly line form of mass production. He was also a racist, xenophobic, Nazi loving, fascist, antisemitic fuck and the only American favorably mentioned in Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf (Ralph Manheim's translation). At his Rouge River plant he ordered the leftover charcoal used in making Model-T cars recycled to make some extra cash. Turns out that bastard invented the Kingsford briquette (named after his brother in-law, businessman E.G. Kingsford). Today Kingsford is part of the Clorox Company and there are other briquette makers but our experience is Kingsford is still usually the best. If kept in a cool, dry place in a sealed bag, the briquettes will have an almost indefinite shelflife. In cheaper sheet metal grilles, stack the briquettes on edge so they get better airflow and cook hotter. You can use lighting fluid, or match light briquettes but they both cost extra. Sawdust mixed with wax can be purchased as sticks for an easy firestarter or you can DIY. To speed the warm up of your coals you can use a blower or hair dryer to move the air around. A piece of pipe works too but you might get a head rush from blowing too much.

Newspaper Logs

You can hand roll newspaper into longer burning logs if there is no wood or other fuels to burn. These will burn leaving plenty of wasted ash and sparks. If you have the time in summer you can wet roll newspaper logs which burn much cleaner when dry. Just soak the newspaper overnight and carefully roll into "logs". Smooth out the wrinkles and bubbles as you go. Use a one inch thick smooth PVC pipe or wood dowel so there is a hole down the center, this will make them dry faster. Make the "logs" no thicker than two to four inches thick. Slide off of the pipe and than let dry in the sun for several days, standing them on end will speed drying.

Chimney Stoves

You can get a much better ventilated fire using the chimney concept to accelerate the intake and output gas of a wood fire increasing the heat and greatly reducing smoke and smell. Find a piece of steel (other metals may melt) or clay pipe at least three or four inches wide. If all you have is a straight piece of pipe at least a eighteen inches tall cut or break a feed hole and light the fire, a cinder block or two can be broken into shape to make a stand to keep the chimney from falling over, cut several one inch wide half circle or v shaped holes around the top so the hot gas can escape around your pot. Even better is 18 inches of pipe for a chimney a 90 degree elbow and about a foot of horizontal feed pipe, this all increases the draft and makes for a hotter flame, you can partly block the intake side on the bottom to slow the flame, feed the fire with wood or charcoal pushed in with a stick. A covered ash hole at the back of the elbow will let you clean the stove while it is burning. Cement pipe and base will not last long unless you make a thick protective layer of clay mud and bake it hard, cement turns into lime at the temperatures of a chimney or rocket stove.

You can also build a great chimney stove with clay mud if you can find it where you are camped, dig out the fire area and just form a chimney, the heat will help fuse it into a usable long lasting stove, most cultures use a tapering cone shaped like a beehive.

Cardboard and newspaper balls in both the horizontal feed pipe and a few in the chimney section help get the draft jet started and blow the coals or wood to blazing life quickly. Be careful as this stove can make lots of sparks with some kinds of wood and almost always with paper and grass, some screen over the top of the chimney will stop almost all sparks.

Hobo Stove

During the Great Depression of the 1930's, many of the destitute cooked their meals with Hobo Stoves. These were made from large metal #10 cans (like one ones used for coffee), with holes cut along the sides near the top and bottom for ventilation, and a small covered opening at the bottom to put your fuel source (Cut a door, but leave enough for a hinge). Canned fuel works great for this, but put it on a heat-proof base like a cinder block, stone floor tile, or some bricks. If you use it outdoors, you can burn small scraps of wood, paper, or just about anything that will burn.

Buddy Burner

Often a buddy burner was used with the hobo stove, this was a tuna can with a strip of cardboard that is the same width as the height of the can, roll up tight like a snail shell to fit the can. Fueling with melted wax is best but food oil or kerosene can also be used although these are both a bit more dangerous and more difficult to carry, a powerful flame is produced. Be careful melting wax on anything but a double boiler, stove top melting can cause it to catch fire, liquid it is like a kerosene fire. The flame can get pretty big so you will need a way to control it, to regulate the flame use the can lid and cover part of the flaming surface to reduce heat, smother with a larger can or lid to kill the flames. To re-fuel the burner when cooking feed small chunks of wax onto the burning cardboard or spoonfulls of fuel. One fuel that is easy to find for free is used fryer oil, look behind restaraunts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobo_stove

Hand Sanitizer Stove

This is easy, some businesses especially hospitals and clinics now offer a dispenser of hand sanitizer in the bathroom near the door. Clean out a small can like for tuna or even better dive for a cat food can as these sometimes come with a plastic lid. Pump out some of the sanitizer into a container with a good lid, pour into your can, light it. To extinguish cover with a can lid. The stuff burns like Sterno gel but sometimes leaves behind some goop, an added benefit is it doesn't splash. This will often goop and clog up Pepsi can stoves, just burn in an open top can.

Also, on many dispensers (at least purell) you can reach under the bottom up against the wall, and press up. That's the button to open it. Now take the whole bag of hand sanitizer for later use if you can't find a better stove by then.

Advanced Hobo Ovens

The old buddy burner works well using charcoal, but an inside oven is useful in your squat. If you have a simple hot plate with a variable heat setting you can make a small oven.

You will need:

a coffee can or larger sheet metal box
the metal coffee can lid for a floor plate
a tool to punch holes
Steel electric fence wire for grate and to suspend the floor plate
an oven thermometer
a ceramic plate or pot lid

Both top and bottom of the can are removed and the can is placed onto the burner (an exposed coil type burner is better than a closed flat one). Three holes are punched about one cm. above the level of the burner. Wire is laced through these holes to suspend the loose can lid as a oven floor. Punch a ring of holes one cm. large about 2-3cm from the edge of this floor. 1/2 way up the can punch holes and lace wire to make a grate for food. A ceramic plate will sit on top to make the roof of your oven. Cut three or four small triangle vents in the top of the can to allow the heat to rise. A hole in the side near the grate can be punched so the thermometer probe can enter. Adjust the hotplate to set temperature, keep an eye on your thermometer for temperature drift.

If a hot plate is unavailable you can attempt to use a 100 watt incandescent light bulb. Leave the bottom of the can intact except for a hole that you can thread the light bulb bottom through, adjusting temperature by opening holes in the top under the plate. The "Easy Bake Ovens" sold in toy stores work this way.

^Image:ThreeHobosChicago1929.jpg

Box Oven

Due to safety issues we mention this apart from the indoor ovens. A cardboard box can be used with a hotplate that has no overheat safety shutoff to cook or smoke food. You will often see these hotplates in thrift stores as the type with a large solid spiral coil and stainless steel reflector. Place the hotplate or a can with several hot charcoal briquettes at the bottom of the box. An optional can or cookie sheet with wood chips will add smoke flavor. A layer of foil above the cookie sheet will catch meat drippings. Meats can be suspended with clean wire clothing hangers carefully poked through the top of the box. It might be a good idea to double the box and be sure to remove all tape inside the box. A candy thermometer carefully pushed through a hole in the side of the box at the level of the food gives you an idea of temperature. ALWAYS USE THIS OVEN OUTSIDE!! Only use this box oven in an area where a burning cardboard box would be safe, always have a watcher seated nearby to unplug the hotplate and extinguish any fires. Aluminum foil can be used to cover the inside walls to lengthen the life of the box and for some extra safety.

Washing Clothing

Laundromat

If you have the change to spare sharing a washer and dryer at a laundromat you will get the best clean. Second best is a bathroom sink or bucket hand wash and laundromat dry, especially in cold damp weather. Since you likely are only carrying one or two changes of clothes, get some friends together and load up the machine to a full load. Pennies can be used to activate some washing machines that use quarters; Place the penny in the quarter return slot, press the coin return button and flick the penny up into the slot. Sometimes it will take a few tries but it will register as 25 cents. This trick works for some dryers too. Be wary that you are not caught using this trick, since it will become apparent to the manager if it is used too often in one place.

Detergent

Regular laundry detergent powder works best but can stink up your pack and contaminate food and clothes. Some soaps claim to be concentrated, so look for the one that needs the least soap per load. Some places sell soap in the bulk section by weight. In some stores, you might find bars of washing soap. This can be used to pre-treat stains. Wet the soap, wet the stain, rub. Remember that some washing soaps like Fels-Naptha are strictly for clothing and not for personal use (although some swear by it for treatment for rashes caused by poison ivy and other skin-irritant plans). You can also grate up bars of ordinary bathroom soap although it takes much more bar soap flakes than normal laundry detergent for the same effect. Most health food stores sell Dr. Bronner's liquid soap in various size containers (from a 2 ounce tube to a gallon bottle). As an all-purpose soap that is also vegan and not tested on animals, it can be used to wash almost anything. It's concentrated, so you'll need to dilute it in another bottle to at least 1 part soap to 2-3 parts water. Look for the bottles with the text-filled labels (Note: They're all scented expect for the "Baby Mild" with light blue text).

Bucket Wash

A plastic bucket and laundry detergent or liquid dish soap (NOTdishwasher machine soap!) works great for washing clothing. There are metal agitators that can be bought through catalogs that specialize in non-electric households. Lacking that, you can use a rubber toilet plunger (preferably one that HASN'T been used in a toilet) and a large bucket or bath tub, using a long broom handle makes using the plunger/agitator easier as you don't have to bend over. A metal washboard can come in handy if you will be staying for awhile, but might be hard to find in some areas. Try a store that caters to migrant laborers. Remember to use your camp stove to boil some water to add if you need a warm water wash, or use your stinger immersion boiler directly in the bucket.

Public Restroom

A public restroom is also good to wash your clothes, especially socks and underwear.

Pre-treat any stains before you arrive with damp detergent paste, liquid dish detergent, stain spray, or stain stick
Plug the drain, packing a flat universal drain plug with you is a good idea here
Half fill sink with warm water and some detergent or the provided hand soap if you cant get real wash soap
Soak for a few minutes and squeeze occasionally
Drain dirty water and squeeze water from clothes
Add clean water agitate and drain, repeat if dirt or soap remain in the clothes but one or two rinses is usually enough in a rush
Dry small stuff with with the electrical hand dryer, wear the rest to dry it

Drying Clothing

A narrow bungie type cord makes a great dry line, but dont leave it outside when not drying clothes, sun and weather will make it rot. Make sure there is air circulation in the place you hang your clothes to dry or you might end up with a unhealthy mold problem in that room. If you need to wash and wear, you can carefully roll one or two pieces of clothing in a large dry cotton towel, then twist and hold for about a minute removing most of the moisture. Hold damp socks and thin gloves over the opening of a hand or hair dryer, be careful not to burn synthetics with a hair dryer. If you have no other option spend the money and go to the laundromat, this is often the safest and easiest way to dry a sleeping bag in winter.

Improvised Clothing

see Free Clothing for ways to increase the insulating power of your clothing

Clean Water

Irrigation

Irrigation systems can be tapped for water. This may be your easiest source if you are camped under a bridge, although it may not be safe to drink. Double check on that water since some irrigation systems, especially those in desert areas, often use "greywater" or "sullage" that is treated waste water (Yuck!) and is not safe for washing or drinking. If the nearby fire hydrants or junction boxes are painted purple, then that is the most likely case. Irrigation systems usually run on a timer and flow during the late evening so you will have to store the water you need for the day.

Garden Hose

If you have a friend in the forest or fire service they can likely get you the flat nylon jacketed garden hose that is thrown away after forest fires, you can also get this flat hose on a reel in garden stores, this packs small and light and is useful if you need to get water to your squat from a hose faucet or to wash up behind nearby bushes. Don't forget to get a light hose nozzle and valve.

The knob on most public water faucets is removed so the homeless can't get a drink or wash, but most are standard square and are available at hardware stores. Most useful to us is the key shaped faucet turner or even better a "fourway lawn faucet key" made to be carried in your pocket or pack. If you have the choice, get a key or knob with wider wings or a larger knob diameter as this gives you leverage when trying to open stuck faucets. You might need a way to shim or break a padlock in some parks and golf courses where the "water pump" looking faucets are in use. see LockSmithing

For all but assured clean drinking water use your backpacker's water filter or boil. Allow the hose to run for a few minutes or be careful to drain after every use to eliminate the problems of stagnant water. The FDA has standards for drinking water hose, so look for certification on the package if buying a new hose (The ones certified for drinking water use are often made of white plastic).

Filtration

If you need a water filter and can't afford a proper backpacking model maybe you want to make the terracotta/organic water filter which removes most harmful bacteria. This design is by a team in Manatuto in East Timor including ANU materials scientist Mr Tony Flynn.

You will need:

straw and cow manure or wood for fuel
terra cotta clay (high clay mud)
used tea leaves or coffee grounds or rice hulls

Instructions:

1- Take a handful of dry, crushed clay.
2- Mix the clay with a handful of your organic material.
3- Add enough water to make a stiff biscuit-like mixture.

4- Form a cylindrical pot that has one end closed.
5- Dry the pot in the sun.
6- Surround them with straw.
7- Place in a mound of cow manure or wood fuel.
8- Light the straw and then top up the burning manure or wood as required.

In less than an hour the filters will be finished. Fill the filter and let the water slowly drip through the bottom into another container. As far as effectiveness against bacterial pathogens and larger Giardia this filter removes 96.4 to 99.8 of E-coli bacteria, well within safe levels.

Boiling

When all that is available is questionable water but you do have a good fuel supply most parasites and other microscopic troublemakers can be eliminated with this method.

Filter water with a coffee filter, paper towel, or several inches of cloth stuffed tightly into a cut off bottle.
Bring water to a boil and shut down, it is pasteurized.
Collect and store water in a clean container free of contamination.

Why just to a boil? And what is with the city always saying 20-30 min with additional instructions water temperatures? The reality is that above 160° F (70° C) all pathogens become inactive within 30 minutes and above 185° F (85° C) within a few minutes, so in the time to reach 212° F (100° C) all the bad microbes will become inactive. The first filtration is to remove larger microbes and cysts like Giardia which are a bit stronger.

Solar UV Sterilization (SODIS)

This technique uses the ultraviolet rays of the sun to kill or inactivate the bacteria and virus found in untreated water. However, it will not kill larger cyst organisms like giardia but these are not difficult to filter out. See the sand filter design on this page. This solar UV method was researched by the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Sciences and Technology (http://www.sodis.ch/index_EN):

Use a Polyethylene Terephthalate or "PET" plastic bottle (the ones with the "1" on the bottom), that is clean, unbroken, has no labels, no colored plastic (a bluish tinge is okay) and is 3 liters or smaller.
Fill the bottle with water and tighten the lid (If the water is murky or cloudy, filter it).
Place the bottle laying on its side exposed to the sun for at least six hours (a sheet of corrugated steel works perfectly as a base for multiple bottles). During this time, the UV radiation from the sun kills pathogens that would make you sick.
If more than half the sky is covered by clouds, let the bottle sit in the sun for two consecutive days.
The water is now ready to drink. To prevent contamination, the treated water should be stored in the bottle.

Download an English language flyer here:

http://www.sodis.ch/methode/anwendung/ausbildungsmaterial/dokumente_material/flyer_e.pdf

Bleach

Unscented bleach can be used to purify water it you can't get it straight from a known safe faucet. This is the cheap Clorox type without any additives to improve colors or smell. Try to filter your water .

Filter water with a coffee filter, paper towel, or several inches of cloth stuffed tightly into a cut off bottle
2 drops of bleach per quart of water
8 drops of bleach per gallon of water
1/2 teaspoon bleach per five gallons of water
If water is still cloudy, double the dose of bleach.

The treated water should be allowed to stand covered for 30 minutes, it should have a slight chlorine odor if it doesn't give it another dose and let the water to stand for another 15 minutes. If the treated water has too strong a chlorine taste let it stand exposed to the air for a few hours. Be careful the bleach will leave holes in your clothes if it spills or splashes, rinse out quickly. Warning: if you choose to use to use your leftover bleach to clean your floors, DO NOT, under any circumstances, mix it with ammonia. Bleach and ammonia create chlorine gas fumes that will give you an agonizing death. Ammonia is found in some products you might not expect, such as Windex. Watch out!

Fire Sprinklers (and Why You Shouldn't Use Them)

Don't try to tap a fire sprinkler system for water! You will set off the alarm and your squat will be discovered. Once you drain even a few PSI from the system it will fill with water and alarm, if it is an air pressurized system. Water filed systems are often filled with an antifreeze mix, these systems also alarm and call the fire department if any water flow is detected.

Bed

Several layers of corrugated cardboard on two or three wood freight pallets make a passable mattress getting you off of a cold or damp cement floor. A hammock suspended from pipes, ceiling supports, or eye-bolts anchored into a cement wall is a comfortable way to sleep dry. Of course your sleeping bag and pad will work almost everywhere.

see also Free Furniture, Pack your bag, and Backpacking andCamping for more bed options

Humidity

If you are in an unheated room over winter moisture becomes your enemy. Moisture robs you of heat when you try to sleep in damp bedding, it also promotes the growth of mold which make most people sick when it gets concentrated in a badly ventilated room. Open or uncover a window every day and get fresh air into the room if possible. The condensation will saturate your sleeping bag or bedding and gear if you are not vigilant. Sleeping bag and bedding must be shaken out and hung to air out. If you don't air out after just a few cold nights you will have a damp bag, there is a risk of you trying to bed down and finding a frozen sleeping bag. Cook outside of your room, the steam will stick to the walls and condense on your stuff. Used properly a fan or electrical heater really helps keep stuff dry, just don't put everything so close to a heater that you burn or melt it. Kerosene heaters or safe wood burners can work well if they have a good chimney or ventilation, just be careful as theys present a greater fire hazard. If possibel 'cook' the room out for a few hours at least once a week, this will help you clean the crud out of your body and will help dry out the room, once you shut off the heat open the windows and let the hot moist air out.

Bath

Failure to properly wash hands, face, and food especially after going to the bathroom has been shown to be a larger cause and vector of Hepatitis, Giardiasis ("beaver fever"), E-coli Cholera, and Typhoid and other potentially deadly bacteria and viruses than even polluted water both in urban and wilderness environments. Wear sandals in any shower or communal bath area where foot fungus is possible; foot rot can ruin your best mode of transport.

Part of your hygiene regimen must be keeping your nails trimmed very short especially on your hands, this is a way insect and worm eggs or skin infection bacteria can easily be spread first by scratching your skin or hairy areas, then later these are transferred to the mouth or other body areas during a meal or scratching itches. Your toenails should be trimmed straight across to prevent ingrown nails which quickly become infected at least immobilizing you and possibly leading to a life threatening cellulitis or other deep infected abscess in your feet.

Soap

Going to a hotel in around noon and asking maids with their cleaning carts for a few bars of soap is one way to stock up. Asking a doorman at a nice hotel, just walk up as direct and nice as you can, and say, "I am homeless, may I please have one bar of soap?" will work more times than not. Bring a plastic grocery bag into a fast food restaurant and squirt out a good five or ten pumps of liquid hand soap. Store it wisely, or else the stuff in your pockets or backpack will be wet with sticky cleansing goop. A bottle of liquid soap with a neck cord is great for quick commando showers, and won't fall down to a disgusting bathroom floor.

Indoor Bathing

You can buy a hose with either a standard faucet thread and rubber gasket or a stretch over connection that fits loosely over about half of the faucets you will find, both turning the faucet into a long-hose shower head. Both are available for a few bucks in the plumbing section of most of the big-box "Mart" stores, some pet stores, and hardware stores, it can turn a secluded public restroom with a floor drain into a private spa.

With the rubber universal shower adapters slowly turn on the water and keep the pressure down so the adapter doesn't pop off the faucet. These shower kits are reasonably lightweight as long as you get the all plastic ones. For adaptability you can remove the stretchy rubber faucet adapter and get a threaded plumbing adapter for your regular faucet, in addition try to get a garden hose thread. A warning for first time users of the universal adapter; it is known to spray water everywhere, sometimes even the screw down adapters will not fit quite right and can make a spray mess.

For more privacy while washing off you might use a door jamb lock available at luggage stores, or a door stop to lock the bathroom. Only use this option during off hours and at a location where there is another bathroom available for people to use. Leaving a hardware store lock hasp might work, but leaving that kind of obvious evidence of your activity might get a convenient bathroom closed by management.

Shower Bottle

Grab a milk jug cap and/or a soft drink bottle cap and either drill or melt with a hot nail a dozen or so 2mm holes. Since they are so light make one or two for different bottles in your area, they will be in your pack ready to screw onto what you find. A black plastic bag will let your bottle warm up in the sun even in late spring and early fall. Pre-mix heated water with cold, boiling water will deform most plastic drink bottles. Some bottle caps also match drinking system bladders which will also work for showering.

If you heat a large nail or bolt you can melt a hole to join two bottles so a cut off bottle can be used as a filler funnel (this also works for the cut off bottle sand filter) watch out for damage to the cap threads and seal edge.

Frugal Bathing

If you are overloading a squat or house and need to conserve hot water, are at a public restroom with a very small water heater, or you are dipper bathing from a bucket of warmed water, here is a way to not waste your limited supply.

1-Wet yourself down with a washcloth
2-Turn off water
3-Soap up head, groin, armpits, and any places with tough dirt
4-Rinse

If you are limited to a bucket, you should use a large cup to wet and rinse yourself, dumping the bucket over your head is a good way to accidentally run out of water while you still have soap on your body.

Even more frugal is to remain dressed and wet your hands or washcloth with water (warm if available) and wash first your hands, then your face, breasts(especially when nursing), armpits and abdomen, groin and butt crack, finally your feet. Be sure to then cleanse your hands and washcloth well so you do not contract or spread disease. This would be a good time to change and wash your socks, underwear, and washcloth. A large soft sponge with sudsy liquid bath soap is a helpful for situations with minimal water, especially for getting at those unsavory orifices.

Hot Water

Your electric stinger immersion water heater can be put into your wash bucket and used to warm around three or four gallons of water(20L), enough for a dipper shower or a washcloth bath.

In summer a dark colored garden hose laid out on the roof or pavement will collect solar heat and around noon you can take a quick hot shower by turning on the water.

If you have somewhere semi-permanent to stay and access to a garbage dump, a very good water heater can be easily made. Find a discarded refrigerator, even beat up you can sell the freon to a recycler making some cash and protecting the ozone layer. Take the collector off the back of a fridge (that is, the coils on the back or bottom), run two high temp hoses into it and tighten down with hose clamps from the auto parts store, one input (cold) and the other output (hot). Now, mount the collector on something shiny, be it cardboard covered with aluminum foil or the back of some insulation. Make sure it's nice and secure. Build a frame around it with wood or PVC, or something else which won't get damaged by temperatures around 150C. A glass or plexiglass cover is nice too, but if you can't get one it will still work. Now, you'll have to prime the heater by sucking some water through it. Once this is done, simply raise the cold water input higher than the hot water output and the unit will gravity siphon. This unit can get water VERY hot, and it can do it fairly quickly on a sunny day even in winter, so be careful. Let it drain when it's not hooked up, otherwise it will be filled with superheated water that can cause serious burns for the unsuspecting user.

If you can find an insulated container, either an old water heater or a sports team barrel type drink cooler connect the cold water (lower input) to the lower part of the water container and seal with caulk. Now do the same with the hot attaching it to the high side. Be sure both tubes stay below the water line and it will convection pump the cold water to the bottom of the solar collector and also pump the hot water to the top of your hot water container, no electricity or pump required. The key for the convection pumping is your insulated water container must be above the whole collector to work properly. If your collector works well you will need a supply of cool water to mix in for safe showering.

Outdoor Bathing

One editor used to wash up in back of a church with a garden hose and a bar of hotel soap, drying himself off with his own shirt or pants, whichever was cleaner at the time. The clothes dry off in minutes, even faster if you first wipe the water off you with your hands and flick it away, and it's a great feeling knowing you can keep clean and healthy under your own power under nasty life conditions. A trick used by a number of hobos and rail-riders is to carry a large squirt bottle with diluted baby shampoo. The idea is to wet yourself down, squirt yourself with the diluted shampoo, lather yourself from head to toe, rinse yourself and then dry off. You'd be able to clean yourself in about 3 minutes.

You can use your bucket and portable shower hose to make a siphon shower. Submerge the whole shower hose set into the bucket and let the bubbles go out. Hang the bucket from a tree branch, pipe, or other hanger, now quickly bring the shower head down to a level below the bucket allowing the siphon to begin sucking water from the bucket (it might help to tie the other end of the hose to the bucket handle). Be sure the adapter end is as close to the bottom of the bucket as possible, if you have two feet of hose drop below the bucket it produces a nice spray. If you break the siphon just suck on the shower head (for wide shower heads use the side of your mouth to suck and your cheek to seal most of the spray holes) until it starts flowing again. If this is too complicated you can hang a flower sprinkler and tip it with a rope to shower.

If you are camped out or can't find a bucket use your sleeping bag stuff sack and a plastic shopping or garbage bag liner to hold the shower water. Don't use the draw string on the sack as this will likely rip out when you hang it up. Instead insert your hose and make several wraps of cord around the neck of the bag now hang up the bag, to start a siphon shower squeeze the sack. Try to find a large flat stone or cement pedestal to stand on, clean it off as best as you can and place below your hang shower. In forested areas look for trees that drip pine sap which is very tough to get off your feet. If you just can't find a stone wear your sandals to keep your feet clean.

If you can't use your electrical immersion water boiler you can heat some water in a cook pot and add it to your bucket or bag of cold water to warm it up.

It is a good idea to hang up a privacy sheet using your hostel sack and clothing line or at least wear a light swimsuit while you wash down since straight neighbors might call the police for public nudity, that and the pervs who might get the wrong idea.

Showers for Sailors

If you want a good old fashioned hotel like bath and are in a coastal area here's a tip that usually works to find a good bath. Go to a boat marina during business hours with your pack in tow. Tell someone if they ask that you've just come in from a night out fishing and you want to clean up. They'll then usually leave you alone. If no questions are asked go to the restroom which usually has a shower in it and take your shower. Often the marina bathrooms will have little rooms that you can lock yourself into for a long awesome hot shower with no one bothering you for at least a half hour or so.

Baby Wipes

Baby wipes give you a refreshing clean feeling when you are away from normal bathrooms, especially if you are on the road, the downside is they are expensive, heavy, and wasteful. If the package is left open the wipes will dry out lightening your load, just add a small squirt from your water bottle to a balled up dry wipe in order to rehydrate them.

The good news is it is easy to make your own wipes. Flannel, terry cloth and plain cotton t-shirts can be cut into squares and make great cheap washcloths. Put a few drops of diluted soap in a plastic baggie and you can get clean wherever you are. If they dry out for some reason, just add a little more water.

Toilet

A chamber pot or pee bottle is a good idea if you want your trips into and out of your toiletless urban squat minimal to avoid detection. Women need to find bottles with a large opening or a urine stream funnel which can be bought or made from a diagonally-cut 1 liter bottle. If there is no toilet, or it doesn't work, use a 5 gallon bucket (check the dumpsters outside the local fast food joints) and improvise a toilet seat (Anything flat that can hold your weight and with a hole big enough will do). Get some dry earth, sawdust, or cat litter to pour into the bucket after each use to kill the smell. If you can get the lid to the bucket, keep it and use it. Also, line the bucket with disposable garbage bags. Double bag it because you do NOT want it to leak when you're taking it out.

WARNING: DO NOT MIX CHLORINE BLEACH WITH URINE! It will produce chlorine fumes and in a closed room can cause lasting lung injuries or chemical pneumonia. It might also melt your bottle or bucket from the heat of the chemical reaction between the bleach and the ammonia in the urine.

If the toilet in your squat is not clogged but doesn't flush when you push the lever or you have no water pressure to refill the flush tank, a bucket of water dumped into the toilet will cause a flush cycle.

Toilet paper can be expensive or hard on the sewer or pipe system in some parts of the world. While it may seem disgusting to some readers here is the post toilet cleaning method we saw while in Jordan. The left hand is wet with the bathroom sink or a bottle of water if outside, now the wet hand is used to wipe your butt repeat until clean, then wash your hands really well.

A large soft sponge with soapy warm water and plenty of rinse water is a better alternative to getting your feces all over you hand.

Electricity

Electricity is a big part of the magic of the modern world. Ask anyone who has had to hand wash laundry for a whole family, charge batteries with a stationary bicycle generator, or hand crank a wheat grinder. With electrical power we can heat our squats and tents, charge batteries, and run full size computers. Without electricity we are back in the 19th century either freezing our asses off or burning expensive, sooty, and often unsafe fuels.

You can check to see if you have electricity by switching the breakers off and on; if you have a power meter on the back of your building, you may be able to activate it yourself, but this should only be attempted with extreme caution. Pirating electricity may be as simple as running an extension cord out to an outlet at the foot of a streetlight, but if it's not, don't attempt it unless yoou are a trained expert, the same goes for messing with damaged wiring.

Working with electricity is a very useful skill to our movement but if you are not taking proper precautions can also easily be deadly. If possible find a free vocational electricians course or even take a electrical apprentice position for a few months.

Power Jacks

Power jacks are found in almost every room around the First World. If the jacks are turned off there are in-line light fixture adapters that screw in and still allow the light bulb.

If there is only fluorescent fixtures a few wire nuts and a chopped off extension cord or heavy speaker wire with a power receptacle on the end will let you tap into the power. Be sure that the power or breaker is off when you are doing your work. Tape over the switches so nobody surprises you with a ZOT of electricity when they enter the room. Sometimes there will be a blank panel of the right size where you might expect a switch or wall jack. Open it up and test the wires to see if they are live. Many institutions use a weird screw head pattern to open up electrical panels; a few minutes of work with an old screwdriver and a file should make the right tool.

Pop open the meter

If you're careful about how you remove the tamper indicator, you might be able to concealably open the meter, allowing you to short past it, preventing the power company from noticing your usage. A powerline going to a building has two opposite phase 120v lines and a neutral line, all of which you will find within the box, running through the meter. Stealing the meter from an active institution will cut power. Also, apparently one of the means the power company uses to shut off power is to cover the contacts on the meter with plastic caps, which you can remove. Since you can't shut power off in here, wear rubber gloves and exercise extreme caution.

Alternative Voltages

Think about 110/220v flexible gadgets when buying travel items - you never know where you will be globe hopping.

If you can score a fully charged vehicle or (even better) a deep cycle battery, consider investing in a DC to AC power converter/charger with battery clips. Be sure not to let the battery drop below 10 volts or it will cause wear on the battery plates. Some highway signs have a big 12 volt solar panel that will charge car batteries. Small 12v to 110 or 220 converters are now cheaply found especially in truck stops and gas stations. see Cars

If you can find a working car alternator it is possible to charge storage batteries using homemade windmills, exercise bicycles, water wheels or whatever creative way you can get some mechanical energy. This is much easier to find or build than solar panels. The batteries must have some charge for the alternator to create a charging field.

Outdoor Power Taps

’!!DANGER!! High skill required!! DANGER!!' A person with appropriate skill can remove a bulb or splice into wiring from public light displays or streetlights, appropriate safety and training must be used as there is no way to shut off power for this work, serious life hazard is involved. Remember power in light poles is live even during daytime or off hours, and can carry as much as 40 Amps of power and be over 480 volts (1/8th Amp is enough to kill you).'!!DANGER!!'

Know the voltage of the line you're tapping.

While using proper insulating safety equipment (gloves, etc. on a case by case basis), expose the leads you wish to tap into. Then connect the appropriate number of transformers. For example, when tapping a 480 volt streetlamp, you'll want a pair of euro-us device transformers in series to give you a nice approximately 120 volt output. Add more in parallel if you're pulling more power. Of course, if you can score a higher power transformer somewhere, USE IT. Some 120 to 35 volt toroids rated around 600 watts can be found for ~$30 online, and can be used on some street fixtures to step down the voltage to usable 100-120 volt AC that US appliances will accept.

Have we mentioned the '!!DANGER!!' yet?

Testing

A very small glow bulb AC power tester can be purchased in most hardware stores, these are safe, easy to use, and don't burn out. Use this tester to determine if there is power in the wiring of a building and if the grounds are connected on a plug. You can also use this to test where the electrical company has cut off power (sometimes it is right at the meter). On 220 volt systems both "hot" wires will give you a glow when connected to ground, on 110 only one "hot" wire will give a glow when connected to ground. The ground is the bottom round pin in Amerikan 110 volt plugs, the ground diverts power away from you if an appliance short out inside, this is important in metal cased appliances and tools especially when using them on wet concrete.

Long Runs

If you need to transmit electricity for a very long run 110 volts is often too low and resistance losses in the line will quickly reduce available electricity on long extension cord runs. The easiest way to get better distance out of narrow wire is to use a transformer and boost the voltage. High voltages require narrower wire and incur less losses for the same wattage but High Voltages are More Dangerous!

Use extreme caution using surplus military communication, network wire, or other other wires when stringing out to your destination, people will not expect a non-official power line to be running high voltage. Split the wires and run them parallel at least a foot or so apart, use electrical fence insulators where you hang wires in trees and buildings, inspect regularly for damage. A three or four amp rated four to one ratio transformer will convert 110 volt to 440 volt which is much better at transiting long stretches of line. You will need another four to one to step back down to 110v, be careful to install the second transformer to step down or you will be boosting to about 2000 volts! Consider installing a sensitive circuit breaker at your electrical source transformer box, on of a lower value at your destination power box should help you avoid a long hike to flip the breaker. You might get one USA to EU power converter and one EU to USA converter to boost up to 220 and back to 110 at the destination, this will require some additional adapter tips which often come with the travel converters.

Free Electricity

Contact your electrical company and relief agencies to see if there is a fund or discount for the indigent, some programs are for the elderly or homes with children. These programs are often part of the contract that the power company has with the community public utilities commission. Power to the People!!

Lighting

A small, cheap desk lamp shining upwards can illuminate a whole room. A compact florescent lamp that screws into a regular light bulb socket will give lots of light (and very little heat) and be a very minor electrical drain; this is good if you are tapping the light socket power for other uses.

Small oil lamps and the oil used to burn in them can be had at the big box stores and hardware stores. Just remember that those things get VERY HOT after a while. If you use candles, never leave them burning unattended. You can increase the light by putting a mirror or aluminum foil behind the candle and reflect the flame. You can also make an improvised oil lamp using a glass jar and any vegetable oil (NEVER use motor oil or other petrochemical lubricants!). Heat up the bottom of the candle until it's soft, press it into the bottom of the inside of the jar, and when it cools, pour vegetable oil up to where the wick is exposed, then light the wick. The oil will burn with the candle. Some oils will be sooty and will smoke, so keep a window open. Keep it away from foot traffic, because if it spills, the spilled oil will spread flame VERY quickly! These type of open flames cause most of the deaths and property damage attributed to squatting.

For a DIY oil lamp, just make a clay bowl and use a cotton shoelace as a wick.

Many grocery stores sell a seven day candle often with religious images on it. Look in the Mexican foods section. These are great for night lights and the tall walls and splashing wax usually put the fire out if there is a tip over. If possible choose white wax and clear glass so you will get maximum usable light compared to colored candle residue and containers.

If you are in an underground squat, something like an old abandoned subway or utility tunnel a Coleman type lantern using pressurized liquid fuel which gives the best large area coverage might be a good idea, the propane type lantern might also be considered if you can get a big propane tank like is used for a barbecue grill, look at camping shops or online for a long adapter hose. Above all be careful with fire safety.

If you plan to spend hours or days exploring underground tunnels a carbide type lamp which is fueled with water and calcium carbide. The cheapest way to find a carbide lamp is in an antique shop but be sure that it is in good shape and the drip valves still work. Carry a backup LED light if you plan on using a carbide lamp. If you accidentally drop it or otherwise have the carbide lamp go out, you may need some lighting to see enough to reignite it

Stealth Light

If you are concerned with being noticed in your squat as you fumble about at night you should not use a full power flashlight or even a standard white LED light. Some flashlights, like the one used by the army, come with color filters: red to preserve night vision, and sometimes blue which is harder to notice on a dark night. In any case, if you really want stealth it might be smart to go a step further and poke a pinhole in some foil and blue filter the light too. Avoid swinging the light it is better that it not move as this attracts less attention. Blinking the light on and off as needed is what distress beacons do to get attention, bad idea for stealthy squatters. Do a light survey with a partner outside and assess the visibility, consider paper or cardboard over the lower windows to stealth your squat if they are too visible.

Heat

If you are lucky you will have access to electricity or find a heated room. There are ways to get the most out of heat even if you are paying for the electricity. Even in a large house move all appliances especially the oven, if possible the hot water heater, and refrigerator into your sleeping room and be sure to seal the window with plastic if needed and have a rolled rug or blanket to block the gap under your door, many interior doors would be helped with weatherstripping to further reduce drafts especially in windy areas. If the central heating is not in use be sure to block up the vent which might be drafting cold air into your room. A candle flame, smoke from an incense stick, or lit cigarette are all good tools if used carefully to survey your room for drafts. You may be surprised to see that we mention keeping the refrigerator in your room but in reality a fridge generates lots of heat as it works to cool the food inside so instead of keeping all of you food frozen outside why not let the fridge do double duty heating your studio. You will develop an eye for heat sources to keep in you room, a hair dryer is a great way to warm up your sleeping bag, a cheap air popper popcorn machine makes a snack as you warm your room, but be careful when cooking since just living in a cold room causes condensation which leads to mold related health problems so much more so with pots of boiling water. Running a fan in your squat while you are gone sometimes helps with condensation problems. If you just cant find a small room in the building you inhabit consider setting up a tent to live in or making a canopy bed (see Free Furniture) these are both small spaces you can cheaply heat if you have an electrical heater. Kerosene and propane heaters are available at most hardware stores and they produce great heat as long as you can afford the fuel although these also have a greater risk of fires if something flammable is placed too close. Do not fall into the temptation to bring in a charcoal stove for heat unless you have the gasses vented out a chimney, carbon monoxide is a known killer of squatters.

Staying warm

If you have no heat of electricity, insulate the walls with carpet or similar material, and use thick plastic to make tents for sleeping. You can use candles and kerosene heaters and lanterns, but don't store kerosene near them or leave them burning while you are asleep or absent. Steal a fire extinguisher or two, or leave around buckets of sand or water, and put up smoke detectors.

Watch for heating vents on buildings and sidewalks, hand-dryers in bathrooms, and other public sources of air that can be used to expand inflatables, which can be custom-made to fit these sites. One folk scientist made a series of inflatable tents that could be attached to the outtake ducts of building ventilation systems to provide housing and warmth for their homeless occupants

You can make a hand-warmer out of a used Polaroid film canister once you're done with it break the cartridge open, take out the battery to use for something else, and connect the wires - it'll be quite hot for a few minutes.

You can keep a little warmer on those cold, cold nights by eating foods high in fats an hour before you go to sleep. It may also help to switch the layers of your clothing, so the one beside your skin si not damp with perspiration. No matterhow cold it is, don't sleep in more than two pairs of socks - this will constrict your circulation, without which no amount of clothing can keep your feet warm.

You can make a pocket hand-warmer by filling a cloth bag with dry beans plus rice or corn and microwaving it; it should retain heat for a couple of hours and if you get hungry, you can always cook and eat your hand warmer.

You can keep warm in winter by lining the inside of your clothes with plastic; this will work best if you place the layer of plastic riht next to your skin, although it will make you sweat a lot.

Cooling

If you can get a fan, all the better. We like the small cheap clamp-on models. You can make an improvised "swamp cooler" by putting a bowl of ice in front of the fan, and let the air blow across the ice. If you can find a rack to hang a towel or damp clothes in front of the fan (but not over it), wet the towel with water. As the water evaporates, it will cool the air. If you can get a hold of a small sprayer or ultrasonic fogger that generates a constant mist, you can spray the air in front of the fan. Just remember to keep the water away from the fan itself. Water and electricity don't mix.

During the real dog days of summer a cool bucket of water for your feet can really make a difference, add a well ventilated chaise lounge and you are ready for a nice siesta.

The heat of the day is the ideal time to bathe and wash your clothes and wear them wet, you will feel clean and your damp clothes should keep you cool for a while. This works best in dry areas, but even in a humid place sitting in front of a fan with damp clothes will cool you down.

If you have made a squat inside a building with HVAC there might be a thermostat for you to manipulate. Most won't allow you to set desired temperature but a hot pack in summer or ice pack or snowball in winter should get you closer to that desired temperature.

Computer

A PDA or small laptop gives you access to the net, if you are willing to pay corpgov for their cellular service you can get on almost anywhere but it is traceable to location and expensive. Better to hunt out a a free wi-fi hotspot, an open home network (a cantenna works great for these two), go to a local college / school computer lab or the nearest public library. Either find a program or write a script to download all of the websites you frequent at an open WiFi zone, that way you can quickly grab all of your daily news and reading in a minute or two and sit and enjoy it in your squat. A laptop, embedded device, or PDA with a DIY cantenna, yaggi, or patch antenna can often use wifi from a great distance if there is a line of sight

A good WiFi hacking tutorial can be found in the Internet Communications chapter.

Free internet can also be accessed in a library (sometimes you need a card, sometimes for a limited time). You can also go into your local Apple store and 'try' one of their laptops. They all have unlimited Internet access.

A Knoppix or Damn Small Linux disk lets you take over a Windows-owned machine and run your free unlimited system on it bypassing most blockages. A USB keychain drive lets you carry your files and photos as you document the fight and get your information out to the people. See alsoInternet Communications and Free-Telephones

A Word on Batteries, Solar, and "Wind-Up" Gadgets

You might see ads for various electrical devices (radios, flashlights, etc.) that generate their own power by wind-up motors. Many of the expensive ones often use a small rubber belt in the pulley drive that gets stretched out and slips after a few years. They are a bother to replace, if they can be replaced at all.

Others require LOTS of winding, since the hand crank is connected directly to the dynamo. It's best to wind these things up to charge the on-board batteries when you have nothing else to do, since you want the power when you need it. Gadgets with a small solar panel are best.

If you can score rechargeable batteries and a charger, great. Just remember that plug-in chargers need constant voltage (the town library usually has a few unattended outlets), and some cheaper solar powered chargers need about two days of steady sunshine to charge the batteries. Also, rechargeable batteries lose their power in storage, so check the charge and try to keep them refreshed. If you can find a larger solar panel like is used by the road department on signs or the little ones from car lots for keeping car batteries charged, these will work more quickly than the little solar clamshell chargers.

see Cycling for bike generator charging andBackpacking andCamping for larger portable solar cells.

Pest Control

Keep your squat very clean, you might even consider eating and storing food in a different location than you sleep. Leaving your food in your pack is an invitation to have a mouse or rat chew a hole.
Shake out and wash if possible all clothing and sleeping bags as bedbugs like to collect here.
Vinegar can sometimes get rid of ants and roaches, if this fails try boric acid from the pharmacist/chemist or the hardware store. Remember, these insects don't create or spread filth (in fact, they prefer to eat it or take it home), so instead of wearing yourself out smashing them individually, try to track down what's attracting them and clean it up.
Bay leaves, mint, and other aromatic herbs will help keep insects out of your gear.
Citronella candles are expensive; try to find pure citronella oil sold for cleaning, this is the extracts of the oils from the citronella plant, it can be burned with a wick to drive off flying insects but also gives away your position from its strong citrus-like smell.
A buzz haircut helps avoid lice but if you have long hair a drop or two of olive oil on you comb every the morning is healthy for you hair and skin but also prevents the lice from finding a dry spot for gluing their eggs to your hair near the root.
Eating raw garlic will repel many insects including mosquitoes, it is no substitute for a net in areas infested with malaria or other flying insect carried illnesses.
In malaria country remember to tuck the mosquito net edges under your mattress at night after you have inspected for holes and mosquitoes, fold up and store during the day.
Don't forget to take your malaria prevention meds every day in an afflicted area.

Hobos used to "boil up" every chance they got. What this meant was they would put their clothes and bedding into a tub of boiling water and hard boil any bugs or their eggs living in there. Frequently boiling up your clothes and bedding combined with buzzing your hair, pits, and pubes leaves very little place for the bugs to hang on.

Free Land

Last updated: 11 August 2011

A life without landlords is a common Americans dream real estate agencies love to sell. However, it takes a lot of work to own property without becoming a slave to financial institutions or the Government. A typical homeowner on a very small plot with a house in the suburbs usually has make payments for up to 30 years! If the owner loses their job or is forced to move, the property can be foreclosed, and sold at a fraction of the price to vulture investors with the banks still asking the difference .

Furthermore, because some Americans are worrisome creatures, there are many restrictions on what can and cannot be done to a piece of land. Zoning practices can keep you from setting up the front of a house as a storefront. In quite a few areas a home must be of a certain square footage to "keep up property values" (Read: more tax money for the slime balls in StateGov). Ritzy neighborhoods may have in place community covenants where your nosy neighbor could actually get you fined or force you to sell! Typical covenants range from required lawn mowing, not being able to change the oil in your car or even wok on it in your own driveway, even down to what colors you are allowed to paint your house.

However, some of the benefits of owning versus renting are great. There will be no landlord to tell you that you cannot grow eggplants in the backyard. Even if you want to knock out a wall to renovate, no one will stop you. Not to mention, even the worst loan contracts for buying a house or land are much more favorable than a renter's lease if hard times fall.

So get some free land and tell the landlord to shove it!

Contents

1 Adverse Possession
1.1 Repo Your Own House From the Bank
2 Buying Cheap Land
2.1 Free Kansas land
3 Developing Undeveloped Land / Keeping Cheap Land
3.1 Undeveloped Land
3.1.1 Should I commit to building a home?
3.1.2 Time
3.1.3 Cost
3.1.4 Questions to Ask Yourself
3.1.5 How to Build A Home
3.2 Cheap home, urban setting
3.3 Building codes and how even anarchists can follow them
4 Into the wild

Adverse Possession

Adverse possession AKA squatters rights is an ancient common law legal process now codified into law in most English speaking areas. It essentially consists of acquiring legal title to a piece of property belonging to another party after spending a specified amount of undisturbed time acting like you are the owner and sometimes also making certain improvements on the property. This law covers both rural and urban properties. If the family of a passed relative forgets about a property or you move in quickly and clean up an abandoned or foreclosed house as though you had purchased it there is no reason that anyone would suspect anything until several years later when you make your claim with the county or state for full legal title. It might even be possible to assure repayment for your improvements and place a lien on a property in case the owners ever return and demand the property before you can make your claim, in the face of the lien they may just leave you alone. Unfortunately one of the obligations of an owner is paying property taxes, but to make finding a property easier look on the county or state unpaid property tax rolls, this might help you narrow your search for abandoned property. So paying taxes is one good way to document that you are using the property, the good news is most counties will happily accept tax checks from both parties usually not telling the old owner what you are doing. A great way to establish a claim is to arrange for a friend with a squeaky clean look and record to 'trespass' on your squatted land as soon as possible after settling down, call it in to the cops, maybe they come by maybe not, this will leave a record in the police blotter that you are acting as the exclusive landowner.

It is important to be vague on how you entered a structure to occupy it, breaking and entering is hard to prove unless you admit it, in the US the 5 th amendment means you can't be forced to testify against yourself, if the cops or anyone else ever asked just say you legally entered the premises, your home, and moved in, nothing more. If neighbors ask just say that you have a deal with the state and bank be vague, some neighbors will be jealous if they see you grab a free house that once belonged to their friend and might expend foolish amounts of time an money to keep you from getting your free lunch.

All you need is the balls to do this easy task and for one occupation you a street kid can be picking up homes for free, the equivalent of a six figure income, more if you adverse possess something in downtown Manhattan or Hollywood hills. If you decide to adverse posses additional properties and rent them out this is also a way to occupy the property in order to meet the statutory requirements, ordinary property owners rent out houses all the time and so can you in addition the contract is legal proof that you are acting as exclusive property owner. Now is the time for the rebellion to legally grab the free unused land, buildings, and means of production before the laws change or property values return to sanity.

What is important is that you meet the following conditions:

You must actually occupy and use the property in the way a real owner would.
Your occupation must be open and obvious, stealthy squats do not qualify.
Your occupation must be exclusive, the current title holder must not concurrently enjoy any use of the property and you must be the only person openly acting as the landowner or landlord.
Your possession must be hostile as in it must not be with the permission of the property owner, and hostile to his interest in retaining ownership of the property.
You must be able to document that you have been acting as the landowner for the full period required by law without interruption.
Claim to legal title must be either based on what is assumed to be legal title or squatters rights as established in state law.
The statutory period or statute of limitations as established by law must have been met, it might be possible to count a previous squatters occupation and transfer to you as part of the legally required total occupation period.

A property owner may make the following defenses to block your claim to title in squatted lands or property by the following:

Permissive use, you had permission to use or live on the land from the owner, pretty much never talk to or have any contact with the former owner without a lawyer skilled in property law and adverse possession present.
Public lands may be exempt from adverse possession rights.
The owner may make a defense that you did not make sufficient use of the property to establish your claim.
The owner may claim that he or others also acted in the manner of a property owner during your period of adverse possession.
It may be claimed that your possession did meet the full required statutory period or that there was an interruption of your occupation.

Because you will likely assume tax responsibility it might be better for some squatters to claim easement rights to dwell and use the property while leaving the landlord in actual possession with tax liability. If he is somehow able to drive you off for a specified period of time after you win adverse possession without you suing him for damages or filing a complaint he regains full rights to the land under the same legal theory.

Repo Your Own House From the Bank

Especially now with the foreclosure mess and housing bust you may be foreclosed out of your house, if you go along with that and move your stuff to storage there is no reason not to move back. The trick is that banks don't want to be responsible for a foreclosed property but if they don't kick people out there would be no societal stick to keep everyone paying mortgages. They will foreclose in court but not take title, this is an easy search in county records to find out, you still have your paperwork right? You can move back in and tell your neighbors you made a deal and now own the home outright, make the vague deal sound heartbreakingly expensive so they wont get jealous and poke around. Your old paperwork will probably work fine to reconnect the utilities and everything should be ducky until you can ride out the often shorter with-paperwork possession time period have the court give you your clear title and you will own the home you were cast out of by the bank without paying another penny to the banksters. As always it is good to invest some money to have the advice of a lawyer competent in this area of law advise you especially since you wont have a mortgage to worry about.

Buying Cheap Land

If you are wishing for the ultimate retreat or the future site of your own revolutionary compound, rural land can sometimes be picked up reasonably. By reasonable, we mean around 5,000 to 20,000 USD for a usable large parcel of land out in the sticks ranging from 5 acres to 10. Of course, the price jumps exponentially the nearer to a city you get or if any resources like timber, or farm structures are located on it. Note, that this does not include the possibility that you may have to pay the power company and telephone company to run wires, a water company to lay pipe, or need to install a septic system. Nor does a land for this price usually include a house.

Craigslist and eBay can be good places for the frugal Revolutionary to look for cheap land, but do not shy away from a good realtor either. While the Realtor wants a commission, all state certified realtors have access to a database of all land being sold in the state they do business in - even many not listed in newspapers or on the web. That includes cheap land as well as luxury country club mansions. Most realtors will even offer free rides to the land to "show" it to you and will help you with the massive paperwork and financing. Be forewarned: Many of the really cheap properties listed are out in the desert, only accessible across miles of very rough road. Some may be located in flood plains than stay underwater every good rain or may be out in the swamps only accessible by boat. Most will have no utilities or cellphone coverage, or have no real farmible or arable land, and the nearest source of water may be miles away. If the main selling point is that the land is "affordable", it may be going cheap because no one wants to buy it. Also, get a property lawyer always to keep from getting screwed.

Speaking of rural land, you can still try using the antiquated free mining claim laws. Unfortunately, it appears that this frontier option is only left open for megacorps today with good legal departments. Even if a mining claim can be made legit, we are doubtful on the option of camping out on the land. The laws as we read them seem to imply actual documented mining activity and forbid all camping or residential structures on the claim without a prior waiver from the US Department of the Interior.

If being isolated out in the middle of nowhere just is not your style, there also deals to be found in many cities with a bit of research or the help of a realtor, if you tell the realtor exactly what you are looking for. Many cities have blighted housing which they cannot afford to tear down. Most of the time, you get a sliver of land with a dangerously messed up house for 2000 USD to 10000 USD. Problem is, most of the time, the city is going to give you a set time frame to demolish the house or make efforts to fix it or end up taking it back in short order. They may want to see that you have the funds in a bank to do this. Now, if you have useful trade skills like electrician, plumbing, and carpentry - you are golden. But, if you have no skills or the cash, it can sometimes take more cash to fix up than would be to go into debt slavery to buy a small place with few problems.

Free Kansas land

Kansas has a program to reverse certain county's negative population growth trend. Certain counties in Kansas offer plots of free land around the size of 10k-30k sq. feet, or about half an acre, or about a 1/3rd a size of a football field. They do this in exchange for the promise that someone will move to this land.

Usually the acquisition of this land requires that you demonstrate that you plan to build a house on this land soon after acquiring it. This means that you need to install a pre-manufactured home, have a contractor build on site, or build the house yourself. The land's still free and usually in an accessible area (and if there aren't roads, often the town will split the cost of developing a basic road with you), you just need to build a house. This program is only useful if you're looking for residential land.

Kansas Free Land (http7/kansasfreeland.com/)

Developing Undeveloped Land / Keeping Cheap Land

If you buy a plot, and you want to use it as a place to live without having to worry about occasional run-ins with the police, you will need to do three things.

1. If there is no residential structure (house/trailer) there already, build one or move one in.

2. Pay property taxes once a year.

3. Build/keep any residential structures up to code.

Doing these things not only keeps you out of the cross-hairs of the state, but it makes you look like a model citizen in the eyes of the public, even if you have weird ideas, and make unusual decisions about what plot of land.

As already discussed, here are the three ways to get cheap land.

buying/getting for free undeveloped land and building a house on it
buying/adverse possession of a cheap home in a run-down, depopulated district of a city or town
buying a cheap home in a rural area where property values are rock-bottom===

Let's examine how the above three obligations apply to each of these methods.

Undeveloped Land

If you're interested in "roughing it" out in nature (in which case, see the "Into the Wild" section below), you can get away (at least until you're found out) with building your own home that's entirely not to code, and not paying property taxes at all.

But in all other cases you'll need to pay property taxes or you'll get in trouble. It's not impossible to use property inspectors to your advantage if you feel the state is overcharging you, or simply find a state with very low property taxes. But taxes are the most basic way the government pushes people into wider participation in and support of the general corporate economy. In that way, they are very important to government, and tax evasion is one of most actively prosecuted behaviors. This is not a movie. You cannot take on the entirety of the government on your own. If you want to buy a piece of land just for you and a couple of people, you are generally going to have to pay property taxes. That's the game.

Likewise, if you build a home yourself in an area where it might receive electricity or water, then it's an area where it will be quickly found out that you're building a home. You're going to need a permit for that. Even if you're building an unorthodox residential structure, most local civil employees will actually be glad to work with you on licensing you to build it (cool, kooky eco-homes, or eco-communities could equal tourist money. Even with that out of mind though, municipal civil employees have slow workdays). It is a mistake to assume that just because you are doing some things which subvert a larger socioeconomic system, that the entirety of the legal system is angling to destroy you. It's not.

Should I commit to building a home?

Building a home yourself, and especially building a home to code, is hard work that requires dedication, lots of time, and lots of money. Building your own home is an expression of conspicuous leisure, won't overthrow the man, and is not the most efficient cost-effective way to get a home.

Are there good reasons for building your own home? That's for you to decide. But building a home is a commitment. You have to decide why you're doing this before you start.

Time

If you have never touched a power tool in your life, then expect to take at least a year, and very likely more than two years. This will be the case even if you can occasionally enlist a friend, or have a partner who is working with you on it. In fact, this will be the case even if you are well-versed in some of the tasks that come into play in construction or remodeling (drywall, finish carpentry, tiling, etc.) The only way you can expect to beat the one-year mark or bring the home reliably close to the one-year mark is if you have spent years working in remodeling or construction.

Cost

If you are experienced, building a 1-story, 1000 sq. ft. home (including buying tools on site) may set you back only 1015,000. If you are new at this, it will probably set you back 20-30,000. This is not including lodging and food for the time you spend building it. Unlike buying a house for $15,000, a single person (who hasn't run their own one-man construction business for the past few years) can't get a loan which they can pay back over years. So buying a 15,000 home will hurt your wallet less than spending $15,000 to make your own home

Questions to Ask Yourself

Although it would be really cool to build your own home and get you lots of street cred, it is wise to put aside those childish considerations when deciding whether to do it. Building a home is very isolating, will take up a large chunk of your life and will likely give you a back injury or two.

Before building a home, ask yourself these questions:

Why am I doing this? What do I get out of it? Is the reason I am doing this a good enough reason to be worth all the hours and dangers I will face in building a home?
Could I complete this home faster by simply working a job and then paying a few people or a company which is better and faster at building homes than I am to build it?
Am I building this house to live in, or am I trying to build it to a level of quality where I could sell it and get some money back? If I am building it to live in, do I really want to chain myself to this area for several years afterward? Would building it "worth it" if I might want to move away a year or so down the line anyway? What if I lose my source of income and must move far away?
(Let's be honest now) Am I building this to prove something to myself, impress my friends, or impress people I am attracted to (and then get laid more)? Do I really need to prove something to myself? And... do I really want to hang with folks that only like me if I have a house they can move into or crash and party at? Merely owning possessions that increases social acceptance does not solve issues like low self esteem or poor interaction skills.
If I am in a corpgov approved marriage with an actual marriage license (or been living with the same person for years under common law), have I made arrangements on who will get the property after all this work if the relationship turns sour? Selling off during a divorce can often mean selling at a loss or losing the place outright to a vindictive spouse with a good lawyer. Property owned before a marriage can be taken, too if the spouse can claim they contributed towards the equity of it. But, this depends on state.

How to Build A Home

Buy a book. Lots of books. Go to public.resource.org for building codes. Start reading. The majority of your time needs to be spent on research beforehand. If you do all your learning "as needed"/"as you go," you will make many, many costly mistakes and end up spending much more time and money on fixing those mistakes then you would have if you didn't make them in the first place. This will also give you a sense for how very much work needs to be done.

Altogether, this wiki is not the place for a complete guide on construction.

Cheap home, urban setting

As usual, property tax depends on the state. If it's based off of property value like in California, then that helps you out a lot. Then again, you might not want to buy in California as Prop. 13 has created a housing market where even broken down house's have an artificially inflated property value and cost.

That said, the problem of keeping this new cheap property by remodeling and keeping the building up to code can be approached three obvious ways:

Buy a home that may need substantial remodeling, and pay for the basics or do it yourself.

No need to make the place last another century, but this is an opportunity to take care of all those holes in the floor.

Seek out a home in a run-down area that doesn't need too much remodeling.

There are plenty of homes in Detroit which are on sale for $1 because they're in a largely-vacant neighborhood whose only residents are rabid dogs and career criminals. Many of the homes in neighborhoods are falling apart and need remodeling, but there are quite a few which don't and only have such a low property value because of the setting.

Seek out a home in a run-down area in a metropolis that is so busy with its own problems, it won't pay any attention to yours.

In many poor neighborhoods, say far far south (past 80th st.) Chicago, falling-apart homes in poor neighborhoods is just the way life is there. You're likely to get in trouble if you're squatting, as its a common crime there so police watch out for it, but there are plenty of other people there who do it. And if you buy your own place in the neighborhood, if you do anything to keep the home up, that's still much better then the landlords around you, and you'll be left alone. Of course, if you're white, you're probably going to stand out in the neighborhood quite a bit for blocks in any direction and no matter what you'd like to think your skin color is a force for gentrification and your neighbors being pushed out of their homes. But if you're concerned about the hostility from that, you can always go for the poor white areas. Nothing wrong with living like everyone else in this country does - flat broke.

Building codes and how even anarchists can follow them

Whether you buy a home, are building your own, or are trying to acquire a home through adverse possession, you will have to do construction or remodeling of some kind to keep it up to code. Most radical types I know scoff at building codes as just some capitalist obstacle meant to hinder their free-thinking. It's not that simple.

Building licenses and Building Codes are there for a good reason

They're part of the process by which our society makes sure buildings which the majority of the populace ends up in are safe and don't kill anyone. Although in a different society, a different process could be used with more friendly human interaction, this is a process that has been built to work within the capitalist system to put a limit on reckless corporate behavior. You will find that because of its undiscriminating gaze, though, that it also greatly constrains your small-time personal behavior in building a home. In that sense, codes do make building a home inaccessible for the "little man" who does not have a pile of money or time.

As unfair as it may seem, there is a good reason for all this red tape. What may strike you as a nice but usually unnecessary feature (mandatory height distances from floors to outlets in basements, GFCI outlets in all bathrooms) will occur in the same way to many a thrifty contractor, and many home-building contractors or teams are just as small-time as you and your friends are. If everyone got to build what they personally thought was "safe enough," and made that decision around avoiding personal inconvenience and expenditure, we'd have a lot of unnecessary deaths in this country. Although the existence of building codes could be posed as a sacrificing-freedom-for-security tradeoff, it is without doubt that if these codes were not mandatory (and thus home safety was determined by the capitalist market), no home that was affordable to the poor would adhere to them in the slightest, and thus choice of home design would be a "freedom" and a luxury that only the rich could afford. Instead of assuring freedom to the poor, most of the poor would still be confined in their choice of residence, only now to one which was manifestly unsafe to save development moguls a few dollars.

Getting city approval and cooperation doesn't have to be difficult

As a result, if you are building or significantly remodeling a home (rather than just, say, changing the flooring up) you're going to need to learn a lot about building codes, and interact with a lot of government employees (property inspectors, HUD clerks, courts, you name it). As mentioned above, it is a mistake to assume that just because you are doing some things which subvert a larger socioeconomic system, that the entirety of the legal system is angling to destroy you. It's not.

For example, municipal, small-time civil servants like these are often disconnected from the machine enough to appreciate (when presented to them properly) that the letter of the law is not the spirit of the law. If you are seeking to develop a unique home, do unordinary remodeling, or in any sense build your own home in their county most of them will be happy to work with you, guide you through the process, and give you leeway and flexibility when you're having trouble doing something. This is not always the case: some of them are hardasses, or will be antagonistic to you. The best way to get a municipal building inspector antagonistic to you is to assume a relationship of antagonism from the start.

How to make city approval and cooperation difficult

For example, if you are building a home, don't go in there having never built a house in your life with the clear belief that because you are an anarchist/communist/free thinker/environmentalist/whatever that you will be able to build in one or two years a specialty home that is safer, more efficient, and better designed than any home all of Western civilization has built in the last hundreds of years.

Drop the attitude. Don't be condescending or patronizing. Your worldview may be superior, they may be living an empty, boring life, and you might really be right about how much smarter you are than everyone, but be smart and keep your mouth shut about it while you're there. When someone feels that you don't respect them or are making fun of them, they're much less likely to help you out. You already know how radical you are, and they don't need to know, so there's no need to make this about how radical you are.

You are entering their domain and field of expertise and they are doing you a favor: show respect for their customs like you would if you were a visitor or intruder anywhere. Dress like them (business casual or blue-collar clothes when you go to their office, blue-collar clothes on-site), look like them (have someone go in there / meet them who doesn't have dreads or a rat tail, cover up tattoos at least to the elbow, remove piercings if convenient and possible), talk like them (keep slang to a minimum, especially "ironic" or mocking slang).

Conclusion

If you have unusual goals for building or remodeling projects, figure it out, do your homework, and go in there allbusiness about addressing that goal. Be assertive, but only about what you're there to do. You're just another person going in there to work on a building project. They are the place to go to for help, and they are there to help you. Don't bring your ideology into it. The average Jane or Joe is happily willing to help you with an unusual, interesting, or smalltime building or remodeling effort. But they are not interested in indulging your ego. Don't bring it up.

Into the wild

In the 60s there was a big move of hippies living rough in national parks, some communities still exist today:

In Alaska you can stay in logging cabins undisturbed.
In Humboldt county people camp out growing masses of weed, too much for police to find and destroy.
In Berkley, yippies turned a barren parking lot into a community center with grass, swings, free-form sculpture and gardens. The University of California, with the aid of Ronald Reagan and the Berkeley storm troopers, fought with guns, clubs and tear gas to regain the land from the outlaw people. The pigs killed James Rector and won an empty victory. For now the park is fenced off, tarred over and converted into unused basketball courts and unused parking lots. Not one person has violated the oath never to set foot on the site. It stands, cold and empty, two blocks north of crowded Telegraph Avenue. If the revolution does not survive, all the land will perish under the steam roller of imperialism. People's Death Valley will happen in our lifetime. The Berkeley People's Park reopened in 1972 and is accepted by the University as a park. However, activists and police still clash over it sometimes, and the fascists from the '60s have no regrets for their actions, not even the murder. There is a very good article at the moment on the English Wikipedia (https7/secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/People%27s_Park) .

Backpacking

Last updated: 5 April 2011

Backpacking and Camping are both viable ways to live without a permanent address. Backpacking implies much more mobility and deeper wilderness, the equipment is mostly suitable for touring both on foot and by bicycle. Camping is more stable and often involves more comfortable bedding and cooking equipment. A camper hitches a ride, drives, or even uses a trailer, while a backpacker can easily move on his own. See also Camping

1 Backpacking
2 Packs
2.1 Internal vs. External Frame Packs
2.2 Daypacks
3 Sleeping Gear
3.1 Sleeping Bags
3.2 Sleeping Pads
3.3 Bivvy Sack
3.4 Hammock
4 Food Preparation
4.1 Stoves
4.1.1 Liquid Fuel
4.1.2 Compressed Gas
4.2 Open Fuel
4.2.1 Solid Fuels
4.2.2 Triangia Stove
4.2.3 Drink Can Stove
4.3 Pots
4.4 Refrigeration
4.5 Pressure Cooker
4.6 Insulation
4.7 Mess Kit
5 Forest Forage
6 Water
6.1 Purification
6.2 Drinking Systems
6.3 Giardia
6.4 Hydration
7 Clothing
7.1 Footwear
7.2 Clothes
7.3 Jacket
7.4 Hat
7.5 Underwear
8 Electronics
8.1 Communications
8.1.1 HF Radio
8.1.2 Handheld Radios
8.1.3 Packable Sat-Com
8.1.4 Sat-Phone
8.1.5 Primitive
8.2 Power Generation
9 Light
9.1 Flashlight and Headlight
10 Bug Repellent
11 Navigation
12 Toilet
13 Walking Sticks
14 Tools and Repairs
15 Other Skills
15.1 Cycling
15.2 Skiing
16 Ultralight
17 Where to Stealth/Free Camp
18 Washing
18.1 Hot Springs
19 Deep Wilderness

20 Avoiding Vagrancy Problems

Backpacking

Contrary to what the magazines and gear shoppes would like you to think you don't need to have the most expensive equipment money can buy to take to the hills. There is sometimes a trade off in comfort, weight, and function with the expensive gear, but never let price keep you from choosing this option, we hope some of our ideas can get you out without breaking your budget. Often the price difference in the ultra$$ brands is because of expensive advertising. Just remember many successful hobos and cowboys only had a tarp, a blanket, a pocket knife, a spoon, some rope to make a blanket bundle bag and a old can or pot to cook stew over an open wood fire.

Don't forget to visit mom and pop army-navy surplus stores for lots of weird junk mixed with some useful and sometimes very high quality camping gear, unless you swiped it from a base a bit of the money from surplus supports some generals slush fund, but the deep discounts are worth it, just watch out for obsolete, worn out, heavy, or low quality gear. Unfortunately unless you move fast most of the best deals are quickly grabbed and sold at online auctions.

Lastly a good general rule especially for used or DIY gear is to test it out like you plan to use it. Eat your planned camping menu while you are working a heavy physical labor job or training for sports to ensure it really satisfies you. Cook a meal or two on a multifuel stove using diesel fuel or old gasoline on a windy day. Set up your tent at night or in the wind. Spray the tent, bivvy sack, or your rain gear with a garden hose. Wear your loaded pack and trail boots on several local hikes. Camp in the backyard or park in your sleeping bag. If you figure out the problems and limits in a safe environment you will be ready and equipped properly in the deep wilderness. There is something to be said for the power of learning in the school of hard knocks, but minimize the pain and save the knocks for bigger lessons.

Packs

A quality pack is very important, fit is very personal, you need to try on the loaded pack (take 30-50 lbs of well sacked sand bags or call ahead and see if the store has some) before you buy and walk around for at least an hour.

Quality external frame packs while not in vogue are often cheaper and let you carry lots of heavy gear, the internal frame packs hug tight to your body giving you more stability. Be sure the straps are comfortable on your shoulders and chest and that the sternum strap can be moved to a comfortable place Women especially need to find a pack with shoulder straps contoured to not rub their armpits or breasts when cinched tight.

The old US Army ALICE (All-Purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment) frame pack is an excellent buy if you can find one in good shape on the surplus market and it fits you, don't pay over $30-40.

Care must be exercised since a high priced pack might have bad stitching or components and a really good pack might be sold for very cheap if it is a brand unknown in the US.

Things to look for: well ventilated back pad, anti-damp shoulder straps and belt pad, useful outside pockets, drinking system compatibility, gear attachment loops, modularity, quality zippers, and durability especially at the shoulder straps and seams.

A pack cover with a draw string protects your pack from rain and also makes it difficult for pickpockets to quickly find the zippers. A pack cover could be reversed to cover straps during air travel.

Internal vs. External Frame Packs

There are two main styles of backpacks: Internal Frame packs and External Frame packs. As the name implies, internal frame packs have frames inside the pack and usually consist of two metal slats that are molded to one's contours. Internal frame packs offer more control of weight and are often more comfortable. An external frame pack consist of a frame in which a bag and straps are attached separately. External frame packs allow more air flow between the packer's back and the pack. Also, external frame packs are offer more compartments allowing for better organization where an internal frame offers one main compartment and a few external pockets. While external frame packs can be loaded as much as needed by attaching more compartments and hanging items, the contents tend to be more exposed to the elements and the pack is noticeably heavier in deadweight than an internal frame. Talk to your local outdoor outfitter to see which one is best for you.

Daypacks

When traveling by train, bus, or airplane find a good daypack that is comfortable when either attached to the main pack straps or looped forward on your arms as well as when you wear it on your back. Keep your valuables in the front day pack where you have control of it an leave your bulky stuff in the main pack. This method makes you an easier target for robbery since you will have difficulty defending yourself and is best for moving in terminals or short walks to a hotel or hostel. A good daypack is useful if you are setting up a secure base camp and taking hikes or overnight trips from there.

Small light-duty backpacks and tote bags are available which fit into a key chain or back pocket and weigh almost nothing. Stuffable packs are good for unexpected shopping when walking or cycling, it is also a good place to stick a jacket or sweater if the weather gets hot.

Sleeping Gear

See Camping for picking the right tent and living out of it.

Sleeping Bags

The price difference in sleeping bags is mostly a factor of name brand style, weight, and packed size versus warmth. The difference is in the construction, fill material, the shell, and in the lining. The shell is usually nylon and is thin or thick depending on if durability or weight are desired, for any shell the weave should be tight to prevent snags. Fill material available is constantly changing, 600 goose down is the gold standard for insulation but is worthless if wet, we don't recommend it. Synthetics claim many qualities, but good fluff is what you really need; claims of new 3D fibers and such pop up every few years, be skeptical of amazing powers contained in the newest expensive fiber filling. Lining is usually nylon, coolmax, or a nylon-cotton mix, the cotton and coolmax synthetics make the liner more comfortable in hot weather, while nylon is lighter weight. Multi day camping trips or people in homelessnes situations should avoid sleeping bags with cotton as an ingredient in the bag liner and fill, synthetic mixes are now made which simulate the comfort of cotton but dry quickly. Cotton makes warm summer nights and entry during cold nights during indoor sleepovers more comfortable if it gets wet it is nearly impossible to dry out without a serious heat source. Construction is very important, some features mentioned only apply to a mummy style or rectangle bag, look for the following: neck and face draw-strings, quality (YKK is good) zippers, full length zippers, compatibility to zip two bags together, hang loops, mesh gear pocket, foot contour, thicker insulation on bottom, and box baffling of insulation.

A low temperature and a medium temperature mummy bag give you a modular extreme cold system, nest the smaller bag inside the larger for very cold nights, and in warmer weather if the zippers match you have room for two.

Many inexpensive sleeping bags can now be found to include many of the features needed to keep warm even in cooler temperatures, while not performing badly in terms of weight and packing. An army poncho liner blanket is very light and can be stuffed into any place in your bag where you feel cold.

A coton or silk liner makes entry during winter more comfortable althugh we recommend sleeping in your long underwear and some loose fitting fiber filled warm slippers. A bag liner makes keeping the sleeping bag clean easy too just wash that since you are not in contact with the sleeping bag, and you can use it as a hostel sheet in summer when couch surfing.

In nice weather a sleeping bag or blanket is enough, the dew that forms will evaporate quickly in the morning. Sleeping under the stars is great until the bugs arrive Sewing a section of insect net onto the opening of your bag or just including it in the stuff sack is a very cheap way to avoid the itchies at the least and nasty stuff like West Nile virus or even Malaria in some areas. If it stays on your head a baseball cap is a great way to keep the bug screen off of your face as you sleep outside.

If you're really down and out, one or more of the "lint" blankets given away by homeless shelters inside of a taped or melted-shut piece of visqueen plastic sheeting will keep you warm and block the wind, but the blankets and bag need to be seperated and dried out every day.

Sleeping Pads

The best choice for a sleeping pad is a well made self inflating pad, it is both light and durable. However, if you are on a budget, stick with the old indestructible closed-cell foam roll-up mat, it will keep you warm and dry, but packs big. Cardboard or newspaper can be used to insulate yourself from the ground. Be sure to avoid sleeping with little-to-no insulation, especially if in the woods, as temperature changes and dampness can make you uncomfortable and even sick.

Bivvy Sack

A quality Gore-tex bivvy sack will set you back about $300 unless you can find a military surplus one. These manufactured bags are of high quality, tough, and waterproof. A bivvy sack is almost weightless when compared with a tent and greatly increases the cold rating of a sleeping bag. Quality bivvy sacks usually load from the top only because it is very difficult to have a leak proof zipper. They usually also have a zip-shut bug screen for the face and a draw string to close the opening.

Gore-tex type waterproof but water vapor passable fabric can be found at some large fabric stores. You might mix a few unmatched remnants to save money, remembering that every seam is a potential leak point (so be sure to seal them well!), the bottom can be ordinary waterproof fabric if you need to save money.

Hammock

Your hammock is a good way to stay stealthy, cool, and comfortable in hot weather, you also don't need to worry about how rocky or uneven the terrain is, even a steep hillside will work for a stealth campsite. If you are properly tied in with a harness or safety belt(if you don't tie into an anchor and your harness it is an easy way to die in your sleep) you can even hammock up on a rock face, building sit in, or tree sit using tree or rock anchor points or bolts. Best of all even a fancy tent hammock will weigh in at less than a kilogram.

Don't wear your shoes in your hammock, this causes wear on the mesh or fabric, lying on your side at an angle to the centerline can make finding a comfortable position easier. Try to use wide straps to wrap around trees or find another way to protect the bark. Check that a tree is strong before jumping into your hammock, a rotten tree might look fine especially at night but as you lay down the cord tension multiplied by pulling at an angle could pull a rotten tree down and easily smash a joint or snap bone, maybe your thick skull, a good hard shake or shove should do the trick for a safety check.

If you hang a tarp like a tent on a piece of cord strung over your hammock you will protect yourself from rain and gain a bit of privacy, it is a good to stake down the corners with a bit of cord if you want to have better wind and rain protection. If the weather is nice your tarp line can also be used to hang a bug screen, be sure to tie it below you or tuck under your sleeping bag. Use a bivvy sack if it looks like a real bad storm is coming. It is now possible to purchase one piece tented-over hammocks which are both bug and rain protection. A cut down sleeping pad will protect you from cold air below you, the hammock compresses your sleeping bag reducing its effectiveness on the bottom.

Don't be intimidated by the price of combo tent hammocks at high end backpacking and cycle shops, while well worth the money if purchased used, most $5-10 cheap mesh hammocks work good for starting out or lighter people and the expensive tent type hammock can be DIY made. The best DIY trick we have found is to double over the last six inches of hammock fabric and wrap your hang cords around the bent fabric about ten times and tie tight in a fisherman type knot. The Hennessey brand tent/screen hammock we tried was expensive but has two features worthy of copying, a centerline entry slit about 2/3 of a meter in the foot area which allows the bug net to be sewn directly to the medium weight nylon hammock and an angled rectangular asymmetrical hammock footprint allowing the sleeper to rest off of the center angle for more comfort, a last nice feature was a centerline adjustable cord which kept the bug net out of the face and held up a small pouch for our glasses or a LED reading light. The person doing the testing found that her silnylon rain poncho was a drop in replacement for the manufacturers rain fly saving her a few grams of weight.

Like in stealth tenting look for a little bit of brush between you and the public areas sticking to dull colors for gear.

Food Preparation

For camp and backpacking recipes see Roadside Chow

Stoves

Liquid Fuel

For vagabonding, international, and back country travel real multi-fuel backpacking stoves with a heavy and light fuel jets tend to be the best as at least one of the following fuels: gasoline, Coleman fuel, white gas, stoddard solvent, drip gas(from natural gas wells), some charcoal lighter fluid, naptha, lighter fluid, should work on the light fuels jet; heavy fuels jet should burn furnace fuel, jet fuel, kerosene, or diesel fuel. Around the world you should be able to ferret out something that is available, but remember alcohol will ruin the seals so if that is the only stuff available make a pepsi can stove. Biodiesel has been shown to work in some kerosene stoves but you must be sure it is a lye processed biodiesel and not one that contains alcohol which will ruin your orings. Liquid fuel stoves generally put out the most heat, some enough for melting snow in large volumes. Some of us really like the MSR Whisperlite International(the regular Whisperite only burns Coleman fuel), and MSR XGK, although they are both expensive new (the Whisperlite will set you back about $100, the XGK is about $160.) They burn most any liquid fuel and can get volcano-hot, so be careful! The Whisperlite simmers better and packs smaller, while the XGK is tough and burns like an afterburner. They are still running years later with only the tools that they came with. It really comes down to the old adage, "you get what you pay for." There are other good stoves on the market like the Optimus Nova, MSR Dragonfly, and Primus Multifuel so visit a few camping gear stores, and do some research. Here is a good site to learn about alternative fuels http://zenstoves.net/Fuels.htm

Remember that most of the pressure stoves on the market will do the job, white gas is for all intents and purposes gasoline, ordinary gasoline (NOT biogas or E85) will burn nearly the same as the far more expensive, specialized white gas. Used gear from a yard sale or junk shop can often be fixed by cleaning the generator tube and jet tip on better stoves or replacing the generator tube on the more common Coleman and clones small stoves. Be very careful to know what fuels your stove is rated to burn before buying; most better multi-fuel stoves have one jet for light fuels like gasoline or white gas and a second for kerosene and diesel, if the alternative fuel jet or other parts are missing you can often order another or just get a service kit with new jets and other repair parts.

Since these stoves require a warm up period especially with some of the heavier fuels always light outside your tent and use extreme caution even when you think you have the flame under control. Inside a building only light a stove in a real fireplace with open chimney and flue, use of a warmed up stove inside a kitchen on a large stone counter or on top of an oven might be safe if burning kerosene but often results in carbon blackening of paint especially the ceiling.

Compressed Gas

Compressed gas stoves are lighter, easier to control, and can be cheaper. Compressed gas stoves, with due caution, can even be used inside your tent fly vestibule to cook during rain and snow. Some gas stoves include a non-battery piezo-electric spark igniter.

Open Fuel

This category covers pellet, alcohol, and wood stoves as well as many other improvised stoves.

Solid Fuels

Fuel pellet stoves like the Esbit or butterfly stove fold small and light, are very cheap up front for both stove and a few days of fuel pellets, and you can mail the fuel to yourself to pick up as postal general delivery but are usually only used for emergencies due to fuel pellet prices over time. Esbit folding butterfly stoves are a good emergency stove and don't take up much room. The Hexamine fuel pills, which look like large sugar cubes or horse pills, burn hot and give off no smoke. The bad side is that they often give a strong smell and noxious fumes (so never cook food directly over them outside of a pot or pan), can leave a heavy residue on your cookware, and are expensive compared to other fuel sources.

There are also a few fan blown wood scrap burners which makes your fuel price free and you just need batteries for the fan.

An interesting improvised stove is one made from an old oil filter and some welded steel break line, a feed hole is cut near the bottom and ash holes on the bottom a steel tube several inches long is attached a few inches up and it looks like a pipe with a giant bowl. Plastic or rubber tube is attached and a small double bellows is connected to the tube to blow the flame or you can use your lungs, good heat and easy lighting make this a real winner even in damp areas especially since it uses wood and bark bits as fuel.

The hobo stove, DIY chimney or rocket stoves, and charcoal pre-heater cans also work as good camping stoves.

Triangia Stove

Triangia of Sweden makes an ultra light cook set which includes an open top alcohol burner, It's not as fast to boil as cartridge gas but it's cheaper safer than petrol/kerosene stoves indoors when it comes to fumes, although it shares the splashed or bumped fuel spill fire hazard with the DIY soft drink can stove. It can be difficult to find spirit/alcohol stove fuels in some countries but always check for liquid fondue fuel and chafing dish fuel also a search in the paint thinner section at different hardware stores, fuel line antifreeze like Heet, or the hard liquor section for 95% or higher alcohol. Don't use Isopropyl alcohol often sold as rubbing alcohol if possible, it is often only 70% with 30% water robbing a large percentage of its heating ability and often leaving behind water after burning the alcohol out, in any case it burns leaving soot on your pots and is poison, consider burning iso-alcohol straight in a small can instead of a jetted stove.

Drink Can Stove

An inexpensive spirit(alcohol) stove can be made from 2 soft drink cans. Both cans are cut about 4cm above the bottom and the center flat/dome of the bottom is removed from one, force the cut out center piece into the uncut half. Stretching one cut can with an unopened full soft drink can makes this easier, a few drops of water in the can to be stretched can be heated with a stove or lighter so it will pop off of the full can from steam. Make an inner wall up to the cut edge from left over can top and insert into the center hole of the stove. Punch small holes every 4mm. This stove can only safely burn methanol, ethanol alcohol(paint store), brake fluid antifreeze, chafing dish fuel, and rubbing alcohol, although isopropyl or rubbing alcohol will produce some soot. The stove is very cheap and light but over time the fuel is expensive when compared to gasoline, diesel fuel, or kerosene and produces less heat per ml.

.*.,Image:220px-realCanstove.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverage-can_stove

CAUTION!! This basic model soft drink can stove has been field tested by us and it works well with care, but be careful as the fire that is caused by the Alcohol cannot be put out with water. One of our writers bumped his stove and almost had a room fire on his hands. Fortunately though he had an extinguisher close by to put it out with. But water didn't work. So be extremely careful with all of these open top alcohol stoves both manufactured and home made.

Pots

Stainless steel seems to be the way to go for durability although aluminum does win in a weight comparison. Some people are concerned that uncoated aluminum cookware might leach small amounts aluminum into your food, which some fear may cause health problems eventually, however this has not been proven, we suppose that non-stick coated aluminum should be okay though. Even so some of us still use aluminum pots in our ultralight camping gear. Non-stick is easy to clean until the non-stick coating scrapes or burns. Titanium is light and strong but very expensive.

River sand or wood ash will help scrape out most gunk in a steel pan. Be sure you have large enough pots for real trail meals and good handle or pot lifter. A kettle which nests in your pots is good for easy boiling and pouring. A few plastic containers are good for leftovers and mixing bowls. If you are part of a group a Chinese wok might be worth the weight. Look below for pressure cookers, some are small and light enough for backpacking. see also Roadside-Chow

Refrigeration

Opposite of how to cook something up comes how to store something for a while that may go bad before you have a chance to eat it. In the unlikely event that you have a large cache of food, you can create a refrigerator that does not run on electricity. Simply take two porous clay pots and insert the smaller pot inside the larger. Fill the space between with wet sand, cover, place in a shaded area . This contraption works by cooling as the sand evaporates and will chill the food 15 to 20 degrees Celsius below ambient temperature for a few days. This invention won Mohammad Bah Abba $100,000!

Pressure Cooker

A pressure cooker which can handle 15 PSI (Pounds per Square Inch) raises cooking temperature to 250F meaning that food requiring an hour of boiling in an open pot only takes 15 minutes and more nutrition is retained due to faster cooking. This is a great way to cook dried inexpensive staple foods like beans, dried corn, and rice acquired from railroad cars or bulk bins. Pressure cooking also helps those who are hiding out in the mountains above 3500ft to cook with reasonable results where it might be impossible otherwise to ever soften beans by boiling. A pressure cooker is heavy but modern ones have so many safety features that the old grandma's steam explosion stories are now unfounded, and they easily make up their weight in fuel and time savings for multiday trips. Pick something in the 1.5 to 6 quart or liter range depending on the size of your group as anything larger can get quite heavy. Be careful of less expensive or lighter designs may be below 15 PSI capable, greatly reducing its effectiveness and hence its time and fuel savings value.

Insulation

A Thermos type insulated container saves fuel by holding a near boiling cooking level heat in for many minutes after you shut off your stove. For example, bring your pasta or lentils and rice to a nice boil in a minute or two and then shutdown and pour into your thermos. It will finish cooking in there although often the beans remain a bit crunchy. If you have the tie pre-heat the inside of your thermos with a cup full of boiling water, gently shake and let sit. There will sometimes be pressure when you open the thermos. Now pour that hot water back into your cup for some tea and add the stuff you actually wanted to keep hot. We have found that the glass line vacuum thermoses would hold heat longer but one drop on a hard surface and the tube would break. We have chosen to stick with metal. On a long camp-out or trip a thermos can easily be worth its weight in fuel.

An insulated commuter cup keeps your drink warm; This is especially important in the cold or when bicycling. At a discount store we found a plastic insulated cup with a good seal and a handle which clipped tightly onto our bicycle handlebars and backpack belts. We looked through the whole display and bought the cups that didn't have a leaking problem either. The insulation was just a dead space between the inner and outer plastic shell so we filled that with styrofoam bits. Hot drinks are important in cold weather.

Mess Kit

A lexan bowl, some quality bamboo chopsticks, and a good set of stainless steel or polycarbonate nesting utensils will work to serve most food you will be able to make in the wilderness.

Forest Forage

Many of these life saving emergency ideas are cruel or illegal unless you are lost and starving, even then you might be fined or punished.

Don't expect to be able to survive on gathering, fishing, hunting, or trapping, indigenous peoples in what is now known as North America were very few in number and the wildlife was not as stressed, many first nations people also practiced agriculture.

If you somehow are stuck in the woods for a long time drink pine needle tea for the vitamin C to avoid scurvy. Some soft (unripe) pine cones have food value cooked or raw. The seeds in mature pine cones are also edible, having large amounts of fat and protein.

The inner bark of many trees can be eaten for reasonable food value with carbohydrates and sugar etc. Cut thin vertical strips off and spread between many trees, cutting a circle around or cutting too much bark off will kill the tree. Using a small hatchet or knife chip/peel off the outer bark first then peel out the soft inner bark. Most common tree species are edible such as beech and spruce/other pines. Fry or boil the bark, alternatively it can be dried and ground for use as a flour substitute. While not the best taste, if you are stuck in a large plantation then you should be able to survive on it for quite a long time. However, this will often kill the tree.

Young plant shoots, soft inner stalks, and soft or bulbous roots can often be safely cooked or eaten raw, learn what is poisonous and edible along your travel route and local area. Always find a guide who is actually eating the foods to be sure failing that become very skilled in using a plant food guidebook for emergencies, pay special attention to the danger plants in your camping area.

Steel wire snares or baited fish hooks are a way to survive by trapping animals and birds, place these traps so they will catch small animals running trails or along frequently traveled branches. The idea with the snares is they will catch their neck and fall off the branch, on trails the plan is they will be running and stick their neck through pulling it tight. Check your traps regularly.

Cut and cook or smoke to thin brittle jerky all meat as soon as possible to avoid waste, for a large kill where you are short on time in hot weather, skin and open fire roast or boil the meat first to preserve before smoking and salting.

A good rule is to never eat any plant foods that are bitter or burning unless it is a known food like peppers, although even rotted meat can be safely eaten in most cases if very well cooked or boiled for several hours. Always cook or smoke and then hang meat since bears, mice and raccoons are still interested in your food.

Most foods can either be stewed in a pot which is boiled on coals of at least an hour preserving most nutrients, if this is impossible cook chopped meats and fish on a skewer over the coals of a fire.

Even if you find your meats have started to rot the maggots that will come can be collected, cooked, and eaten. Culturally disgusting in the west they are actually easier to digest and higher in nutrition than the meats they are found on, they are popular treats in many parts of Asia.

A fish net or hand made fish cage placed at a choke point in a river, such as between two large rocks or after a log will often collect many fish. You can also string baited hooks from overhanging tree branches, check these several times a day.

Spearing fish is an option especially in tide pools, while carving a spear with a barb works barbed frog spears are available at sporting goods and fishing stores are stronger and he barbs stick better.

Rotenone is a organic pesticide from a South American plant, it can be used to stun fish in a pond or slow moving river drop the poison up river from fish and run downstream and scoop up dinner, rotenone is harmless to warm blooded animals. For wilderness alternatives to rotenone crush green husks from butternuts or black walnuts and use this to stun fish.

Use fish and animal guts for bait.

For more tips on gathering edible plants, check out the Foraging page.

Water

Purification

Water purification pills, boiling, and unscented bleach will kill bacteria. but take around half an hour to work. Most backpackers who don't have access to plumbing want the convenience of a filter. We teach the construction of a drip filter in Low Impact Crashing, but hand pumped models work faster and can remove pathogens from large volumes in a shorter time (if you can devise a pump for the improvised filter element above with no bypass this will work too). The two most common types of filters are ceramic and paper filter systems. Ceramics provide a scrub clean filter that will last for countless trips and allow for field repair but generally require more time to pump. A paper filter provides a shorter pumping session but requires replacement filters often which could become more costly in the long term. Talk with your local outdoor equipment provider to find the best filter for your needs. Be careful that you pump out all water in and keep inside your coat in freezing temperatures as ice can crack the filter element. MSR, PUR, and Sweetwater make good filters.

If you are on the ocean or in the desert or near an open, natural water source or even damp soil or green organic matter during a sunny day with moderate heat, you can use what is called a solar still to generate fresh water. Foam in the water is bad, it means pollution or something else wrong, pure water does not foam. Solar stills are usually inflatable buoys that consist of a flattened black base connected to a parasol with a collection tube attached to the bottom of this. It works by collecting water, green vegetation, damp soil, or anything containing water onto the bottom part and then using the sun to evaporate it. This leaves behind dissolved substances (like salt). The vapor is then collected inside the top of the cone and condenses. There is usually a thin fishing-line type cord that spirals down the inside of the top and empties into the tube. You can lead this end into a bottle or pouch to fill with clean water. It usually takes a while to get a lot, but additional stills will make this better. These are good for use if you are camped for a somewhat extended period of time in a desert area, or if you are out at sea. It is still a good idea to bring this distilled water to a boil to sterilize any bacteria.

Another alternative is Ultraviolet Water Purification. These pocket sized lights emit UV radiation to inactivate bacteria. These purifiers do not remove any material from the water (like a filter would) but do sterilize the water for drinkability. For more information on water purifiers, visit the BackpackGearTest Gear Reviews (http://www backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Water%20Treatment) . Don't pay too much, these are just a few ultraviolet LED's and a battery in a waterproof case.

Drinking Systems

A backpack tube type drinking system makes sipping easier and increases water intake preventing dehydration in all weather conditions, adding a shutoff valve will prevent leakage if the bite valve is accidentally compressed, blowing air into the tube will keep that next gulp of water cool in the pouch especially if you have ice. You need to clean the tube and bladder well and store with a paper towel puffing out the bladder to prevent mold and slime. Many drinking systems have a large opening which is threaded and compatible with water filter pumps.

Giardia

Giardia is a protozoan that lives in almost every stream and river in Amerika. When ingested, it multiplies in the intestines and causes its victim to violently expel out both ends, a condition known as "beaver fever". It usually won't kill you, but you'll sure wish it could.

Filtering or boiling will make the water safe from these parasites, but remember to also use clean water to wash your face and dishes. Melted snow, having been below 0 degrees for its entire history, does not support giardiasis organisms. High altitude streams are also safe in the vast majority of cases, as rivers flow downstream and all the beavers (and thus the infected beaver turds) are harmlessly downstream of you.

Flagyl (a.k.a. Metronidazole) is used to treat intestinal parasites, including giardia. You can get it for relatively cheap, but you'll need a prescription. (Just tell 'em you're going hiking for a couple weeks, they won't think twice about it.) It is a one-dose antibiotic pill that should bring dramatic relief within 4-8 hours of taking it.

Giardia, being a parasite, will only cause massive infestation once per person; however, after being infected once you are a symptom-free carrier, this has little effect except that you should try not to shit in mountain streams so you're not the one that infects it.

Hydration

Be sure you are getting enough water to drink, plan minimum two liters a day if camped in cool weather, more if moving or the day is hot. Your urine should be a clear when in the field, dark or cloudy urine is a sign of dehydration, most Americans are chronically dehydrated. Even if the weather is cool insufficient hydration and urine output could lead to bladder and even kidney infection especially in women.

A dilute drink mix can make guzzling water easier and helps soft drink addicted Americans replenish electrolytes, this should taste like watered down soft drink. You can carry a concentrate to add to water while you are on the trail.

4-5 tablespoons sugar
1/8 and 1/16 teaspoon of salt
1/16 teaspoon salt substitute that contains potassium chloride
1/2 packet of unsweetened drink powder(no artificial sweeteners) or 1/2 cup lemon or lime juice
1 litre(4.5 cups) of water

You can substitute powdered citric acid for the drink flavor powder to add zing, experiment with concentrations. Packets of freeze-dried lemon juice crystals can be substituted for lemon juice for a completely dry concentrate.

Clothing

Footwear

Footwear for backpacking depends on your ankles. If you have steel ankles and arches you might be able to get by with trail runner shoes or light hiker boots. For the rest of us non-bionic humans the weight on our feet is paid off by the superior support of a mountaineering boot. The price of these giant boots is offset by the vibrant resale market where a slightly stinky used pair of $400 boots can be had for around $50.

If you will be establishing a longer term wilderness base camp, trail runner type shoes might be worth the pack weight for short trips from camp. River sandals are also an option for short trips especially if you will be walking through water. For the most part waterproof footwear is a problem either because about 30% of people perspire too much and the inside gets damp or because they step in water over their ankle and it takes forever to dry the shoe out since there is a waterproof barrier.

If tramping through swamps and rivers the old Vietnam jungle boot is a good workhorse although it gives less support than a big mountaineering boot.

Big woolly socks help prevent blisters, even in hot summer go for the big fluffy socks, we know some who wear an inner silk or synthetic stocking but watch for folds that can cause blisters.

It is vitally important that you get a good fit and do not jam your toes into the end. Jammed toes lead to ingrown nails and blisters, which can become infected and potentially lead to immobility or major damage. When at the store do heel and toe kicks at the ground, walk around for a few minutes, and if possible, walk or in-place-step up and down on an incline to see if your foot stays tight without jamming your toes or making any rub spots. Have a sheet or two of moleskin when you set out on your journey to protect sore spots before your feet toughen up.

Be sure to get good durable laces and at least two sets of spares for your repair kit, forgetting your spares will haunt you when walking out and one shoe is falling off of your feet.

Clothes

Cotton clothing is cheap, but loses all its insulating power when it gets wet, you'll probably be much better off with other fabrics. The word in wilderness rescue is "cotton kills" whether on the mountain where you got wet and caught in the cold or in the desert after night falls and the temperature drops, cotton takes forever to dry and is generaly not the best suited fiber to long trips to the wilderness.

Synthetic zip off trousers/shorts are easily available at the writing of this book, these are good for durability, ease of washing and drying quickly but some do hold body odors.

Camping and ski stores often carry synthetic button shirts and t-shirts, although for the money discount, 100% silk Hawaii print or colored dress shirts work just as well, although you will look like a Hawaiian tourist poser. (A dye job will fix that.) Look for a durable tight weave.

If you're in a cool, rainy climate, your best bet might be a plain old wool sweater and wool scarf. They're cheap, warm, and retain their insulation when wet. Check your local Salvation Army or Goodwill; you probably won't be winning any fashion contests, but who cares? We'll take function over form anytime. Remember that wool and synthetics worn together make static electricity which can destroy electronics especially if you have them open while doing a repair.

Jacket

In most locations, if you already own one, a light mountaineering type parka shell combined with one or two liner layers is a lightweight way to protect from rain and cold. The army surplus camo gore-tex jacket fits the bill, we have heard of some people successfully coloring them black without ruining the gore-tex.

If you are in a very rainy location think about roll up Gore-tex rainpants. Mountaineering gaitors are waterproof and keep your legs dry if you need to move along in wet brush or grass after a storm or heavy dew.

Under your shell layer lies the main insulation layer (fleece jacket and trousers although a fleece vest is fine in summer), sometimes your tighter vest and looser jacket are combined to add insulation in serious cold. Long underwear finishes up your three layer system. Remove layers to keep you from sweating.

In the far north, the more insulation, the better. Additionally, hoods should have fur or fake fur around the edge to help keep in breath.

Hat

Wide brimmed boonie type hats are great for hot, sunny, or wet weather but a good insulated military helmet under hat or wool cap will keep you warm in the cold.

Underwear

Spandex sport bras and underwear works well for preventing chafing and providing support, bike shorts also work well and prevent most thigh chafing when walking. Another option for women is to wear a one piece competition bathing suit on the trail for support and at your destination you are ready for the water.

Long underwear of the real polypropylene and NOT a cotton mix is a super lightweight bit of gear that really helps keep you warm, don't forget both tops and bottoms. Some people will make cutoffs of their long underwear and stash the leggings and sleeves in their pack, when it gets colder just put the cut off parts back on as part of your layering system.

Electronics

You are limited in the amount of batteries you can carry into the wilderness and by what to do with them after they are used up, see our thoughts in Low_Impact_Crashing on batteries, solar and wind up gadgets (http://wiki.stealthiswiki.org/wiki/Low-Impact-Crashing#A-Word-on-Batteries.2C-Solar.2C-and-.22Wind- Up.22-Gadgets) with extra emphasis on solar since it provides electricity without requiring you to expend extra effort.

Communications

HF Radio

For Communication a tiny HF QRP radio transceiver will keep you in touch on a regular enough basis to keep you on top of everything, some kits can even listen to shortwave broadcast too, look for a kit or radio set with low battery consumption. Have planned meet up times with a ham radio operator or member of the underground with a serious radio and antenna to check in several times a week who will also read you email and type up responses for you. Be sure not to compromise on making a quality wire antenna and set up on a hilltop if possible when you transmit. If the pigs are looking for you and can get line of sight to your hilltop they rarely might be able to DF(direction find) a HF radio set, keep your transmissions short and hope they are not looking or transmit from a valley and pray that the other station can hear you. Learn Morse code as that works when almost nothing else will and it has an effective range many times that of voice.

Handheld Radios

Walkie talkies are fun and sometimes very useful in the woods or urban jungle but they are super easy for the cops to zero in on, if they have the right gear, even if there is very little chatter. We find either a 2 meter ham or quality FRS walkie-talkie work best. Some dual band ham wakie-talkie radios have a crossband repeater which means you can set up a radio and solar panel in a tree on a large hill and cover several miles around the peak, of course then everyone needs compatible radios.

Most radios including handhelds can take an external antenna, a telescoping antenna matched to your radio band is good to keep in your pack when you need extra range, when in camp an external j-pole roll up antenna will really extend your range, just hang it from a tree, these are easy to make from twin lead antenna cable, look online for plans.

Packable Sat-Com

Satellite communications using low Earth orbit ham radio sats and around $100 of gear will let you communicate with associates across the continent and if the orbit lines up right you could even cross an ocean. For the most common satellites, you will need a 2 meter band transmitter and battery pack which transmits at least five watts, and a scanner which will cover the 440 band. It might be cheaper to get a dual band or 145/440Mhz ham radio, then you have only one gadget. You need to make or buy a yagi antenna which can be done for about $10 in wire, coax cable, and a 1"x2" piece of wood. You will need to visit Radio Shack or other electronic parts dealer for the parts to make a antenna duplexer if you have a dual band radio. See Communication for a more in depth coverage.

For worldwide communications you need some kind of computer or data device, since some satellites have a data store and forward BBS or a digipeater function which will beam a satellite radio email to other stations who automatically forward the email via Internet. If you have no tracking program, sweep your antenna north or south and scan the downlink freqs until you hear a OSCARS satellite beacon or voice traffic. After reviewing the satellite design and the tech involved we have determined that if the pigs suspect you of using this communication method they can use it to track you to within a few dozen miles after a few passes using knowledge of the orbital mechanice and doppler effect, this same satellite tracking technique has been used for many years to locate crashed aircraft and stranded sailors.

Sat-Phone

Prepaid and monthly plan satellite phones are available but are insanely expensive (airtime can be as much as $2 a minute!) and extensively tracked since the Iridium satphone system is OWNED by the US government! On the upside, they work like a mobile phone except in high polar regions.

Primitive

A signal mirror works for many miles hilltop to hilltop for simple signals, the difficulty is sending and receiving morse code effectively to another party. Smoke and other pyrotechnic signals in the wilderness will attract fire and ranger attention especially if used in the summer.

Power Generation

Most people given the choice choose solar power for wilderness power generation although large systems can get really expensive. The best backpacking solar systems are either crystalline or thin film flexible cells and fold up into a nice package. Solar power systems are expensive and while it is often better to have too much capacity be realistic with your power needs, most of us at most need to charge a mobile phone, MP3 player, and some AA batteries, maybe a rechargeable bicycle headlamp but probably not a laptop if you are backpacking. A good way to estimate needed power is to look at the voltage and then the mA (mili amps) rating on your gadgets and figure out how long it takes to charge, especially if you chose toys that all use USB charging you can use a USB hub. It is important to set a alarm timer so that the different equipment would be rotated once the battery was charged so sunlight hours were not wasted especially in winter, direct charging is best since a storage battery is either heavy if lead/acid or expensive. Suspend or prop up your panel to point straight at the sun for maximum efficiency, you can move the panel during the day or if you want to leave your solar panel in camp all day just tilt it at around a 45 degree angle facing southward in the northern hemisphere.

Light

Flashlight and Headlight

A headlamp is a must when camping, a dual beam headlamp will give you a powerful halogen beam for long range and an LED bulb for reading and camp chores while keeping your hands free, although a LED only headlamp can be quite light and cheap. Pressurized fuel and candle lanterns, fluorescent lamps, and light sticks all have their place but a LED light usually wins because of battery life and weight. A hand generator pumpable or shake light is smart too since you might not be able to afford batteries, again LED seems the best idea since the bulb is nearly eternal and it stays lit for a few seconds between pumps.

Bug Repellent

Often in high mosquito areas you need protection outside of your tent or bug screen. DEET containing insect repellents are the gold standard for now in keeping the bugs away, sprays, creams, and even sun screens are available with this ingredient. It is important to keep the liquid away from any nylon or plastic gear , these bug sprays do destroy these items, even touching plastics shortly application will melt your fingerprints into many plastics. It is worth remembering that citronella can be burned as an oil or candle in your camp to drive off mosquitoes.

Garlic eaten in large quantities will repel both insects and your friends, and is one of the very few repellents even marginally effective against the blackfly, scourge of eastern Canada and the far northern states.

Pyrethrins, naturally-occurring compounds with insecticidal properties derived from chrysanthemum flowers and are used in many household products for controlling insects. Permethryn is not usually applied to people but to gear like clothing,mosquito nets, or sleeping bags to repel and prevent bugs from nesting, it is also used to to cure lice infestations in humans and fleas in pets. Extremely rarely there are sensitive problems with permethryn in humans or pets.

Navigation

Most people really believe in the GPS, we like it too but we really don't trust Uncle Sam and his boys at the Air Force to leave it working right for us citizens if they really start cracking down. We like the army lensatic compass with the perma-lit tritium elements so the important parts will be glow for about 25 years. You sight this compass like a gun while viewing the degrees dial so you can easily choose a landmark to walk towards. This is around $120 new or $10 if you can find a soldier a week before payday. For a big quality drop there is a functional copy of the army compass sold at camping stores for $15 but you must be very careful to check that the needle points true and doesn't stick. Silva and Brunton also make excellent compasses for navigation but are not as tough as the army ones. Learn how to use a compass with a map at www.learn-orienteering.org/old/ (http7/www learn-orienteering.org/old/)

Toilet

To minimize your own impact on your surroundings, dig a hole at least 6 inches to poop in. This gets down to soil with bacteria that will decompose your waste. Do not pee in the same hole as this will kill the helpful bacteria. Make sure that your hole is at least 200 feet away from any water sources to avoid contamination. If you can, use natural items for toilet paper such as smooth sticks, round rocks, or leaves (make sure it isn't poison ivy!). If you must use toilet paper, put it in a sealed plastic bag and throw it away - even "biodegradable" toilet paper can take up to 50 years to decompose.

Walking Sticks

A pair of lightweight telescoping ski type poles have become popular with the backpacking crowd. Essentially they make you into a four legged animal giving you more strength while climbing and better stability while descending or crossing water. In the tents section above there is a description on how to use a tarp and telescoping hiking pole to make a ultra-lightweight tent.

Tools and Repairs

Tent wands can be repaired by wrapping pop can around the break a few times and securing with duct tape.
Tents can be repaired by gluing a piece of the nylon packing bag over the hole and seam sealing it.
Inflatable pool toy repair glue will save an inflatable mattress.
Have o-rings, pump cups, and silicone lubricant for all stoves and filters.
Carry a bit of tent screen patch.
Some wire can save a broken zipper and act as a zipper pull.
Cable ties are just always useful.
A zipper that is stuck open can be lubricated by rubbing a candle or a bar of soap on the teeth.
Pack a well-stocked sewing kit with some patch material, carpet thread, Velcro, large needles and safety pins.
Military duct tape is amazing but the goop it leaves is tough to get off for real repairs. Wrap a meter or two around a golf pencil.
A stick of hot glue can be melted with a lighter.
Assorted small nuts, bolts, washers, pins, and screws have many uses.
A tube of contact cement carried in a double bag is great for glue patching tents and repairing shoes
Carry lots of lantern mantles (and make certain they're the right model for your lantern).
Shoe laces can make the difference in walking out
Quality pliers multi-tools are always good to have in or out of the woods
A smaller scissors multi-tool is useful on your keychain.
Camping stores carry a pocket-chainsaw which is a roll up linked saw that you can either use with the included handles or make a bow-saw with a stick, it rolls into a four inch pocket size flat can.

Other Skills

Check out Low Impact Crashing and Pack your bag for more camping related skills and gear.

Cycling

Camping while Cycling is a popular way to overnight when touring, Just stick your backpack in a trailer (have plans for wet weather) or better yet distribute your gear in pannier bags, since weight savings are still important to cyclists backpacking gear is traditionally used. Very popular is the Hammock with a rain tarp to minimize the bedding and tenting load. An especially interesting item for long expeditions and mobile-homelessness is the combination tent-cot- trailer which folds out into a bed with a tent over it for quick tidy camping. Remember that if you are stealth camping to cover reflectors so you are harder to detect through casual flashlight/torch or headlight sweeps.

Skiing

see Skiing and Boarding for backcountry winter movement.

Ultralight

There is a niche of us who after years of being weighted down decided to try the ultralight way. The benefits are that you can make much of your own gear, you won't be tired from a big load at the end of the day, and all of your gear will can easily fit in a small pack, bike pannier, or on your lap when hitchhiking. The downside is most of the gear has a shorter wear life and if purchased from a store can be very expensive. Ultralight can become an obsessive lifestyle and sometimes confers (often rightly) the superiority complex also seen with ex-smokers, vegans, and the fervently religious. If you like go the slow route and trim your gear down to minimum. Testing is very important to be sure that your gear is good enough for the job you are planning it to do, don't go so light that you cannot handle changes in weather. We strongly support going the DIY route so take our advice and borrow a sewing machine. You can often have fuel and food sent ahead to post offices via general delivery.

Tent-Military surplus parachute panels are a great material to sew your tent from. Once you sew your tent you might consider spraying it with a water repellent, but this is optional. Test your new design by staking down and spraying gently with a hose. Many designs assume you will be using telescoping walking sticks and incorporate them as poles. Three or four quality aluminum stakes should be enough to keep the tent tacked down even in moderate wind. Look above for the tarp tent design, alternatives are using a bivvy sack or survival plastic tube tent.
Sleeping Bag-Your sleeping bag can be the heaviest component in your pack. Goose down is a great way to save weight but it gets damp easily and then looses it's warmth. One option is to sew a top only sleeping quilt stuffed with a light insulator from parachute cloth and let your ground pad keep your bottom warm. You can also increase your warmth by wearing loose long underwear and clothing to sleep.
Ground Pad-From cut down yoga pads to sheets of tyvek house wrap, you need to keep ground moisture from stealing your precious body heat, this is a place to save lots of money and weight if you are creative. Alternatives include using a camping hammock to get you away from the cold damp ground.
Pack-A simple thin backpack should be enough, since the load will be light a frame is not needed. If traveling it might be smart to have a bit tougher pack due to questionable surfaces like boxcars or barns as well as unexpected abuse.
Shoes-Since you are not overloaded many people are able to get by with lightweight trail hiker sport shoes.
Clothing-A layering system and adequate head and neck cover can save quite a bit of weight. A base of long polypropylene underwear followed by soccer shorts, a fleece fest, a wool or fleece hat possibly with wrap around ear flaps, and a fleece scarf. A packable anorak wind jacket and thin warm up pants will form an outer layer. Some choose to use a lightweight umbrella instead of a waterproof jacket for rain protection on the trail.
Cooking-Some swear by DIY alcohol soft drink can stoves, others use Esbit tablet solid fuel. Depending on the fire and environmental conditions a natural wood fire might be what saves you the most weight, making a Dakota fire hole can intensify the heat and save fuel, punching holes in a steel can and making a mini hobo stove is also an option.
Pots-Some people like to carry a single aluminum kettle for heating water to pour into their bag or bowl ramen, couscous, or converted rice. Others carry a sierra cup, cut off aluminum can, large tuna can, or a super cheap non stick pot from a dollar store. Often chopsticks and slurping straight from the bowl is enough.
Water-Soft drink bottles have been popular for years, lately there have been warnings that sunlight can break the plastic into undesirable chemicals. Many filters are large although we describe making a drip filter element in Low Impact Crashing, or just use a small filter from the store. Many ultralighters choose to use iodine tablets and put up with the bad flavor.
Food-Lightweight carbs like rice, potato flakes, and couscous, protein like beans, egg powder, or oven dried meat, and oil to add fat to your diet, a favorite spice or mix adds flavor. Energy bars, peanut butter, and cookies are great for ready to eat food.
First Aid-Band-Aid plasterer's, butterfly bandages, antibiotic ointment packets, iodine swabs, Immodium and aspirin tablets, thin maxi-pad, flattened roll of tape, aloe packet.
Other-LED keychain or headlight, TP, small multi-tool, compass, sewing needle, thread, parachute silk patch, whistle, signal mirror, two butane lighters, space blanket, sunglasses, wide brim hat, pixie QRP radio, tea light candles
Urban-You can apply your ultralight skills even when you are not going to the wilderness. The freedom when visiting, traveling by air, cycling, and hitchhiking is because your simplified bag can go in almost any locker, corner, or carry-on luggage bin. A stinger electrical immersion boiler means you can plug in instead of searching or paying for fuel. A thin rubber sink stopper is good for washing clothes, a synthetic towel is pocket sized so you can stealth wash yourself in a sink and dry off. For news an earplug size FM radio keeps you informed. Several folded plastic shopping bags are a good way to stow trash, carry a bit extra gear or food or to protect your gear from getting wet.

Where to Stealth/Free Camp

Public land can often be the easiest choice. National Forests and BLM land are free to enter and, unless otherwise marked, free to camp on. In some cases, a backcountry permit is needed. National and State Parks, on the other hand, often have designated pay-camp sites (anywhere from $5 to $30 for a night) and rangers can be very strict about camping in these sites only. Backcountry camping is an option here, although occasionally a fee will be charged for a pass.

We prefer to find a nice spot off of the road and just set up camp far enough away from town that the cops won't bother us. If getting away from town is not practical at least camp near or inside a park treeline, a hill between you and town helps. Be careful if you find a beautiful soft green field in the middle of summer, you may be surprised by pop-up water sprinklers at two in the morning. Easy camping locations to find on a map are where creeks flow or a cemetery is located, there is often trees to hide near these locations.

In nearly all jurisdictions as long as the place you camp is not clearly marked "No Trespassing" you can not be cited or ticketed until you are asked to leave and refuse, don't assume that small town cops understand the law, keep most of your stuff packed and ready to go, but if you litter or do ANY damage at all the homeowner might be able to seek damages or press charges.

Look at the terrain you are in for signs of water flow especially in desert areas, this means avoiding both dry river beds which can drown you in your sleeping bag during a surprise flash flood or just paths or erosion indicating a water flow that could soak you and your gear in a storm.

Don't enter fenced areas when stealth camping. While it is possible to cut the fence with the right cutters in an emergency you are then liable for the damage. Easier is to avoid lockable areas totally, then there is no worry of being trapped until someone comes to rescue you.

Always get dull colored gear if possible, a big part of the stealth camping we do is not being noticed, this is especially important as you near urban areas. Going into the brush and trees even a little bit breaks up the outline of your tent, dull colored (non-damaging)dye art on your rain fly will help break up the outline but will also make you easy to identify. You will develop an eye for using terrain and foliage to conceal your camp. Look behind buildings with parking large lots, train tracks, and near large factories for a field to camp in, industrial areas may not have services but they also often have a much lower competition for viable camping spots. The dullest colored gear will not hide you if you stumble around with your headlight or flashlight on, once you approach your planned camp our rule is lights out, even in your tent unless you want someone to see you.

Washing

Need a shower? In the countryside I have sometimes found pubs which have external rooms for rent, with a separate bathroom which can be entered from the outside. Go when the pub is closed and try the door to the external bathroom. In the Summer a lot of places will leave these unlocked for toilet use for drinkers in the garden. Not guaranteed, but probably the easiest way to get a free shower.

Another alternative I've found in the countryside for a shower is some smaller campsites which don't have much of a reception or any barriers may also have unlocked bathrooms (for campers to use the toilet in the night). Some of these places are run by couples or individuals and an night are left unguarded. Shower and get out of there!

Small sports centres only charge for using such things as time on the tennis courts so you can use the changing rooms for free.

Hot Springs

If you can find a camping spot with a hot spring nearby you will have access to one of the great outdoor treasures. Hot springs are the result of a normal water table encountering the volcanic heat of an active volcanic chain like in the Rocky Mountains or Cascade range similar to the way geysers are formed. Many hot springs have a cult like following who regularly visit them, even skiing to them in the snowed in months, these groups may have even upgraded an open pit in the forest or hole on a river side to fancy wood tubs or even bathhouses. A great hot soak is like good surf waves, be cool and give preference to the locals, they do much of the work to keep the place nice.

If you come across undeveloped hot springs you need to be careful, the water can be boiling hot!! Use a cup on a stick to dip some steaming water to determine the temperature, if it feels just right use a shovel to dig a pit large enough for you and friends to sit in and and enjoy. If the water is too hot for safe enjoyment you need to either direct the flow toward a source of cold water such as a cool spring or creek, and using rocks or logs as dams and bypass trenches adjust the mix to fill your tub or pit with comfortable water. Use plenty of caution if you are using a really hot spring and be ready to jump out of your soak if the flow changes and overheats your pool.

Even the most remote hot springs have likely been mapped and are occasionally visited by rangers or backpackers. If you are hiding out this may not be the best location to do so.

Deep Wilderness

Serious planning is required before taking to the deep wilderness such as northern Canada and Alaska, the skills and gear required is beyond the scope of this book which mostly covers near to civilization escapes. If you plan to do an ultra deep wilderness retreat pre-position enough food for your whole stay, even if it takes a few trips. Plant food and gear caches along the return path in waterproof and animal proof bucket or tree caches. Fats like canned Crisco, lard, or olive oil carry the most calories for their size and preserve well for emergencies but peanut butter is a more complete food. Carry powerful antibiotics for the most common infections and illnesses, Diphenhydramine (AKA Benedryl), and epinephrine (inhaler or injectable) for severe allergic reactions. If you cross any creeks, riverbeds, or rivers find out about the times and conditions when they go to flood stage, also learn about the dangers of and plan for being trapped by an early winter blizzard. Learn how to cross obstacles like rivers using rope that you bring. Don't cross obstacles that could cut you off for a long period of time unless you have substantial extra supplies and the right emergency crossing equipment and training. For extended stays either carry an aircraft band 121.5 MHz AM aircraft radio transceiver or a EPIRB satellite distress beacon for dire emergencies. Your best plan is to bring a buddy or two who can get help if needed and keep you company if everything is OK. See the movie Into The Wild(2007) for a worst case scenario of an Alaska wilderness stay.

Avoiding Vagrancy Problems

Unless you are taking a planned wilderness vacation those on camping or cycling nomadic walkabout it is a good idea to carry as vagrancy protection some or all of the following. Personalized business cards for your real or imaginary consulting service, hostel card to prove you are a legit tourist and not from the migratory poor, student ID to prove you have corpgov slavery lock-in but are still allowed to be free and not drive everywhere in a Lexus, credit cards (even if they are canceled but in date) to prove you are living the go-go life of debt slavery. A journal showing your travels may soften the heart of a slave nation cop or property owner who hates the poor and homeless that he fears he might yet become himself, similar to homophobia. Of course all of the quick-draw ID should be in the same name to avoid trouble. Legit out of state ID easily acquired if you crash for a while elsewhere, can be presented to show that you are just traveling and not a local bum, this is most useful at urban youth hostels. A certain level of non-permanence in your camp site and good grooming will also help the WASP majority identify more with you opening the possibility of camping in yards, free meals, and less calls for the police. In unfriendly locales be sure to be very stealthy in camping and only be seen walking with clear plans as to where you are heading.

Camping

Last updated: 13 September 2011

Backpacking and Camping are both viable ways to live in wilderness areas without a permanent address.

Backpacking implies much more mobility and easier access to deeper wilderness, the equipment is mostly suitable for touring both on foot and by bicycle, kayak, or canoe. Camping is more long term stable and often involves more comfortable bedding and cooking equipment. A camper may make many trips with supplies and building materials, arranges a ride, drives, or even uses a trailer, while a backpacker can easily move all of his shelter and gear on his own. see also Backpacking

You may also wish to check out Hunting and Fishing since many times camping goes hand in hand with those activities.

If you are looking for a more permanent home in one location, or prefer something closer to the comforts of home camping could be your solution. Camping is also easier if you have children and they are unable to carry their own gear.

1 Tents
1.1 Choosing your tent
1.2 Cheap Tents
1.3 Wear Prevention
1.4 Stakes
1.5 Tarp Tent
1.6 Rain Protection
2 Trailers
3 Shacks
4 Log Cabin
5 Cooking
5.1 Dutch Ovens
5.1.1 Pottery
6 Electricity
6.1 Solar
7 Lanterns
7.1 Troubleshooting Liquid Fuel Pressure Stoves and Lanterns
8 Toilet
9 Water
10 Water Conserving Cleanup
11 Furniture
12 Cold Caching
13 Campfires
13.1 Barbecue Grilles
14 Other Options
14.1 Fire Lookout
14.2 Forest Fires
15 Replacing Consumables
16 Camp Farming

Tents

Larger tents can be rented or purchased from a place specializing in their sales. Army surplus tents are very durable and can last several years in the elements, most tents are intentionally razor cut before the military releases them to the surplus market, watch shoddy repairs to this damage. Insist that the dealer erect and allow inspection of any used or surplus tent, don't forget the poles, stakes, and guy-ropes.

Lighter family tents can sometimes be expensive and usually are intended for only a few setups, left erected they can last for months if in a shaded area. You should buy a tent with plenty of room to stand up, roll out several large sleeping bags with foam mattresses, and stow your gear.

Often tarps or large plastic drop cloths are used as an inexpensive way to improve waterproofing, block sun damage, and even increase insulation of a tent used for long periods of time.

Choosing your tent

A tent serves several jobs; insect protection, privacy, sun shade, and weather protection; the tent construction will affect the performance in all of these areas.

For insect protection be sure that there are full closing zippers, some inexpensive tents leave the bottoms of windows and doors open, durable screens and zipper seams are less likely to rip out quickly.
Privacy is the easiest to get, even the cheapest tent is usually opaque, a luggage padlock on your zipper will keep the honest drunk and stoner from crashing out in your tent while you are away.
Sun protection is best achieved by buying a polyester tent with UV resistant coating or in desert areas aluminum impregnated into the tent giving the fabric a silver color. Even a good tent should be pitched in the shade if possible to reduce degradation. An inexpensive tarp or space blanket can be suspended over or tied down onto your tent for sun protection.
Weather resistance is much of what makes the difference between a $20 tent and a $800 one. High quality tents are season rated, a one season tent is made for use in summer only resisting rain, two also includes late spring and early fall meaning it has better ventilation, three season is for early spring and late fall meaning it can take light snow, a four season is reinforced to withstand heavy snow and still not collapse.
Construction quality varies widely between tents look for the following. Bathtub bottom construction means that the waterproof ground cover extends up a few inches to resist light flooding. Proper multilayer urethane coating on the tent fly will resist the strongest rain and not rot quickly. Quality Easton aluminum is lighter and purebiotix review

(http7/www.bestpills4weightloss.com/purebiotix-review.html) stronger for pole construction than the cheapest fiberglass especially when surviving wind and heavy snowfall. Taffeta inner walls that reach to near the bottom of the walls will help prevent condensation, be sure the fly is well separated from the inner wall to give good ventilation. YKK zippers are the industry standard and much better than the ones on inexpensive tents, glow zipper pull add -ons are nice at night. A mesh gear loft is handy to place a light, watch, glasses, phone, or keys. A large tent fly that extends from the tent can be used in rain or snow for stashing water resistant gear and careful cooking.

Cheap Tents

Without all of these fancy features we have successfully tested $20 tents for whole summers in dry locations with occasional rain. If the weather is clear don't use the fly at night on a cheap tent, the small "skylight" screen and the zipper door open but leaving the bug screen closed will release enough moisture that condensation will not be too bad. On every tent buy quality seam seal and reseal all of the seams with three light coats to prevent leakage through the stitches.

Wear Prevention

If you will be camping out for any length of time a layer of plastic sheet under your tent will reduce wear damage to the floor and also add a tiny bit of insulation. A sheet or tarp laid out inside the tent will also protect the floor from snags and wear, it also makes cleaning as easy as shaking the sheet out. If at all possible pitch your tent in the shade, it obviously makes it cooler during the day but also prevents solar degradation of the fabric, just check for sap dripping from some trees which is almost impossible to remove.

Stakes

For all but the best tents you will need to replace the stakes. The stakes made from drawn wire bent into a hook will bend and become useless. You can buy good lightweight extruded aluminum stakes made from T or angle aluminum which will actually stand the test of pounding into the ground you find in campsites, you can also DIY from aluminum at the hardware store ground to a point. In wind a good tent will remain standing setting it apart from the cheap tents which will bend or break under stress. Staking will prevent your tent from blowing away in light to medium wind but piling your gear inside will also help keep your tent in place but this may cause damage in wind, especially with cheap tents. It can be a pain to properly place stakes in rocky soil or hard baked clay, if you have climbing gear use a piton hammer, a large group might consider carrying a tough plastic stake hammer. Do Not Stomp Stakes In! You risk slicing the side of your foot or even punching the stake through the bottom of your shoe, holding a rock in your hand is also a risk for hand injuries, if you must use a thick stick as a bat to knock them in. Removing stuck stakes is often best accomplished by tying heavy cord onto the bottom third of a thick stick and looping through the stake, then using the added leverage to pop the stake out. A good bit of advice is even a well staked tent should not be left standing without at least one person watching over it ready to take it down, strong winds can pick up and either blow them away tearing out the stake attachments or on less expensive tents breaking the poles or wands, better to take down and stow the tent if you will be away.

Tarp Tent

For ultra light weight camping a UV treated nylon tarp and your walking staff makes a tent,

1- shorten your walking staff and stick into the ground
2- Connect one corner to the top of your staff
3- stake the corner opposite the staff to the ground
4- spread the other two side corners with five foot cords
5- stake side cords to the ground.

This gives good protection from sun and if placed mindful of terrain or a angled gutter is dug to divert runoff it will also protect you from rain. Suspend a light bug screen for insect protection.

Rain Protection

The US army type poncho is a multi-purpose item that can be used to, among other things, create a quick shelter. Two can be snapped together to form a pup tent or one as a tarp tent. Recent surplus ponchos are not only woodland camouflage but are designed to match the infrared background in a forest which is good if you are a fugitive but bad if you are lost in the woods. If you look in books like the army ranger handbook you will find ideas for using ponchos as rafts, emergency stretchers, and other useful things. In fact, a poncho is probably least useful as a piece of rain clothing.

While backpacking, rain gear (that is, a top jacket and a bottom pair of rain pants) is far superior to a poncho. Ponchos, while very cheap, are extremely awkward to fit over a backpack while hiking. Also you are likely to get at least as wet from the sweat and condensation trapped within the poncho as from the rain coming in. Rain gear is more expensive, but infinitely more comfortable for the serious hiker. Still, it's hard to beat the price of a $0.99 poncho vs the $20+ rain gear.

Trailers

A trailer or motorized camper can be very expensive if purchased new, like most yuppie retirement toys the value drops like a rock once it looks used inside. Be sure the appliances work since repairs can be expensive. Inspect the wheels and tires of a trailer, make sure lights and brakes work correctly and that the tow vehicle is able to connect. Pop up campers must be inspected carefully for mechanical function and rot especially in canvas panels, ask to leak test the camper with a garden hose. Never overload a vehicle with a large trailer, this can be very dangerous!

Shacks

A shack can be built from whatever roofing and wall material is available and are mostly limited by your ability to get the building materials to your site. A good place to acquire what you need is to watch in town for the big dumpster associated with a remodel operation. It is often difficult to seal the roof from leaking and this is where the ever popular blue tarp roof image comes from, be aware that this is quite visible especially from the air. Most shacks are made from light materials and so are somewhat safe even in a collapse, the most notable exceptions being a badly designed straw bale construction or log cabin.

Log Cabin

If you have the knowledge and time, like if you are on the run from the man and can't get out of the country, a small log cabin can be made with just a saw or axe and your hands and of course trees. It is a good idea to spike your logs together with a long nail, section of rebar, or long lag bolt to prevent collapse. If possible or use an auger to bore a hole and force a peg through. Build a small short shelter just large enough for your bed and pack. Use the largest stones you can find and move to your build site as corner stones. Dig out an entry tunnel instead of a difficult to make sealed door and use some sort of trapdoor construction unless you have lots of tools and construction supplies required to make a strong door and door frame. Continue digging a depression to make more headroom for yourself inside the cabin. Jam moss and leaves between the logs to make the cabin more wind proof, once the logs are seasoned you can use mud to parge the inner walls for a better draft seal. Make a single slope shed type roof and cover with bark, leaf, or wood shingles or a thick cover of pine boughs, if you have plastic sheeting or a survival blanket consider using it as a roof liner. If there is high clay soil you might be able to make a fireplace and chimney but watch for heat damage to your logs, otherwise make a small campfire in the center of your floor and have a smoke hole that you can cover in the roof.

If a USFS trail or fire crew sees any unauthorized construction expect to see it demolished so stay away from lakes, ponds, hiking trails, and other places frequently patrolled by rangers or visited by campers.

Cooking

If you are using a camper trailer most have propane stove installed so cooking is just like at home. For tent campers the old Coleman pressure stove is a good option. For longer trips out you might want to invest in a gas powered stove and use a distribution pole and gas hose to run it from a five gallon or larger LP gas tank, these poles have a connection on top for a propane lantern and extra valves for other propane gadgets. Bottled propane is cleaner to transport but you get more cooking per liter and most often also per dollar with liquid fuels.

The army tents used to have an chimney hole for a diesel/wood fueled stove but supply of these stoves are drying up. A person good with welding or rivets, a metal drum, and some stove pipe could build a stove for heat and cooking surface. Be careful to inspect the stove pipe hole on these tents for burning or damage.

See in the backpacking section for discussion on pressure cookers which will let you use about 25% fuel and time to cook most hot meals.

Dutch Ovens

Cast iron pots often with a lip to hold coals on the tight fitting lid and short legs to stand above hot coals is a very useful cooking tool if you will be camping for a longer time. It is possible to stack several dutch ovens if required for a large group or for multiple dishes. The cast iron lid can be flipped over and the inside used as a skillet if you don't have a fry pan, you will need to oil and cure the whole pot and lid before using. This was standard pioneer equipment that can also be used inside modern ovens as a casserole dish or to cook a roast. A common dish was a stew or beans with cake batter or corn bread floated on top, after an hour or so there will be a nice cake on top of the stew. It is also possible to bake bread inside the dutch oven. The most important use was to leave the dutch oven in a pile of coals to slow cook a dinner.

Pottery

If you are unable to get a proper dutch oven for cooking in your fire you can make something similar from clay. Pottery is not as durable as iron but is still very useful. To see if the clay in your area is suitable for pottery, roll a small ball into a stick about 18 mm in diameter, then bend the stick into a ring about 5 cm in diameter. If you have good clay it will not split and the ring will be firm enough to set on edge without sagging.

Form a pot with a mouth formed around a can or pot for roundness, allow to dry, add stub legs as it is drying and verify the roundness and evenness of the pot lip. Once everything is even and dry a minimum of 24 hours in hot summer sun or a few feet from a fire if you are careful to turn it regularly then you can fire it. Fire your pot in a hot campfire for three to four hours, it has to get red hot. Once the fire goes out let it cool slowly for the rest of the day and maybe overnight if you are not in a hurry. Now make the lid, a dome is a bit stronger, add a lip on the edge to hold coals, also add a thick ring with a wide base on top to use as a handle Press the still soft lid onto your pot, use some ash dust so the lid doesn't stick, this ensures a tight fit. Fire the lid as you did your pot and allow to cool. Ideal thickness for any clay part is about 1/2 inch (13mm). For a more waterproof inside and outside you can use a smooth tool like a spoon to rub the clay shiny once the pot is partly dry (leather dry) or apply a ceramic glaze or metal oxide paste to the outside before firing.

Electricity

Unless you really need lots of power like for some sort of pirate radio gig a gasoline powered generator is noisy and a real invasion of the solitude of the wilderness. Running your car engine to charge the batteries feeding your inverter is also a huge waste of fuel. Try to minimize power and if possible stick to solar for charging your deep cycle batteries. see alsoCars

If you are planing long stays it makes sense to try to harness the power of a nearby river or high winds to generate power. Both can be belt powered using a deep cycle storage battery and old car alternator adjusting pulley sizes to match the required gear ratio for maximum power generation. Remember most rivers and wind are somewhat seasonal, but they can still be used to your advantage with good planning.

Solar

Unless you can score a deal, maybe some old highway department programmable sign solar arrays, you will be paying a high price for a simple solar setup.

During our winter solar camping test everything went fine with our 25watt 12 volt folding system for charging a computer, phones, and batteries until we got the polarity wrong on our lead acid storage battery which weakened its charge holding capacity. Always use a voltmeter to check voltage and polarity to prevent damage and to assure that you do not overdraw your battery. Several sunny days and we thought we had everything set, then the rain came, we were unable to do anything past charging four AA batteries a day. We were able to use our storage battery at camp to run a netbook with its internal battery removed for three days to quickly boot up ,check email, and shut down and also to charge our mobile phones and an MP3 player, after this we had to charge batteries in town. Since we did not depend on solar electricity for light(liquid fuel pressure lantern, and LED lights) or cooking(kerosene pressure stove heating a pressure cooker) our electrical demand was mostly for non-essential items.

We decided the best safety policy was to attach the polarity color coded battery clamp modular attachment to the solar panel and leave it attached to our large storage battery, we turned the panel every few hours on its wooden frame so it would be aimed toward the sun all day generating the most power. At night or during rain we would take the battery into our tent and used a 12 volt cigarette lighter receptical(same as the power port in most cars) with battery clamps colored for polarity to attach to the battery so we wouldn't accidently reverse the voltage and burn out any of our gadgets. During a nice day we could clamp the power port to the charging battery out in the sun and plug in our chargers but were careful to put the electronics inside a plastic bag in case of unexpected rain. A cigarette lighter receptical doubler meant we could charge the netbook using its car charger cable and the AA/AAA battery charger or a phone too if needed. We purchased a cigarette lighter port USB converter(12v to 5v) and four port USB hub to charge many of our small electronics(phones, a PDA, and MP3 players) at the same time, this hub also worked well for multiple device charging from the library computer in town.

For safety only attach equipment that can handle voltage surges up to 24 volts, like our netbook car charger cable does, since the idle voltage on our panel was around 17v on a sunny day. Since we wanted to test everything we could get our hands on someone attached a portable DVD player directly to the solar cell on a sunny day, it might have already been damaged but after we plugged it straight to the solar cell it would never do anything beyond showing the power on light. The other solution is to only attach gadgets when a storage battery is attached and you have double checked using your voltmeter or make/purchase a 13.6 volt max regulator.

Solar power on this scale is not enough to cook or even run those electrical car coolers, pretty much anything we could do with liquid fuel instead of electricity we did realizing how expensive solar wattage is.

Lanterns

If you have a propane or liquid fuel pressure lantern for light, seriously consider replacing the glass globe (that glass thing that surrounds the mantle) with one made of steel mesh or at least get one for a spare. Glass breaks too easily when you're roughing it, OTOH glass lets more light through and protects the mantle from breaking in wind. Steel mesh globes are available on-line and at better sporting goods stores or can be made from steel window screen.

You can try lighting a gasoline pressure lantern with diesel or kerosene, this take patience and if possible preheating the generator tube, this has been tested on a Coleman dual-fuel mini lantern and it works burning with a bright yellow light, but you need to keep the pressure up and pre-heat the generator tube otherwise some kerosene is wasted at the start. Always light your liquid fuel pressure lantern in a fire safe area outside. The pump cup, fuel cap gasket, and generator tube are replaceable on most lanterns, ask at most hardware and camping stores.

Troubleshooting Liquid Fuel Pressure Stoves and Lanterns

The pump cup, fuel cap gasket, and generator tube are either replaceable or cleanable on most lanterns and stoves, ask at most hardware and camping stores and if possible have spares. If the tank wont hold pressure it is probably the fill cap gasket, don't tighten it too tight as this can ruin it. If the pump doesn't work first try turning the pump handle a few times, and afterward don't forget to gently tighten. If there is still a problem lubing the pump cup with some rubber safe silicone based oil or grease or in a pinch saliva, we have used Crossman brand pellgun(that is how they spell it) oil made for BB guns, while regular oil will destroy the pump cup on many lanterns and stoves. The pump cups in the best stoves are made from leather which resists rot better than rubber and might be improvised if you are careful. If the system can be pumped up to pressure but won't flow when you open the valve suspect a clogged generator tube. The generator is a brass or steel tube that runs into or near the flame and vaporizes the liquid fuel into a gas. Some generators such as on the MSR stoves are made so that you can just pull out the cable and clean it others are made to be thrown away and replaced, the disposable generators like on Coleman stoves can often be taken apart or soaked in alcohol, the narrow tip hole can be pricked clean with a special but inexpensive stove/lantern tool that includes a generator wrench. Do NOT try to clean out a stove or lantern by burning alcohol in it this will destroy the rubber seals in many stoves and lanterns and might be a fire hazard. MSR and many Coleman stoves and lanterns have automatic pricking clean of the orifice with either a shake of the stove, turning a small lever, or by turning the on/off valve several times.

Toilet

Many people plan on using chemical toilets when they are not constrained by weight, to some these also seem cleaner. These are usually not warranted if you are able to dig a small toilet hole, the exception being in stressed wilderness environments where overuse is taxing the area. To minimize your own impact on your surroundings, dig a hole at least 6 inches to poop in. This gets down to soil with bacteria that will decompose your waste. Do not pee in the same hole as this will kill the helpful bacteria. Make sure that your hole is at least 200 feet away from any water sources to avoid contamination. If you can, use natural items for toilet paper such as smooth sticks, round rocks, or leaves (make sure it isn't poison ivy!). If you must use toilet paper, put it in a sealed plastic bag and throw it away - even "biodegradable" toilet paper can take up to 50 years to decompose. If you have a plumbed trailer or camper only dump your waste into a sewage system and not into a body of water.

Water

If you are downhill or beside flowing water and plan to stay for awhile a piece of blue tarp can be sewn into a cone shape and clamped to a garden hose fitting, this is tied in the flowing water, a length of hose can be attached with a valve at the end to deliver water to your camp, let the hose flow to remove stagnant water before using.

A small electrical pump can be attached to a length of hose, drop into a lake or creek and fill up, remember to add chlorine or install a filter in your water system that will remove Giardia.

Remember to filter or treat any water you get from the wild. River water may look pure and fresh, but it might be flowing over a dead animal upstream. Avoid drinking water dripping off of melting ice from rock formations. It may contain pulverized stone.

If you poke around country stores or ranger stations at night you will surely find a water spout, use your handy faucet knob and plug in.

If you camp near a river or stream, consider the US Army's priority of where activity is to be done concerning the river's flow. Furthest upstream is where you get your drinking water. Further down is where you wash your clothes and cookware. Last down is where you bathe.

Water Conserving Cleanup

Tools:

1 new reusable spray bottle adjustable for spray and streamfood quality).
1 or 2 recycled or disposable 1 quart plastic food containers with lids
1 dish sponge with scouring side in ziplock bag
1 dish towel in ziplock bag
1 wash cloth in ziplock bag
1 hand towel in ziplock bag
1 travel size bottle dish soap
1 travel size baby shampoo

Some people prefer to have a separate wash basin for dishes than for personal hygiene, they worry that the same basin their dishes will be washed from had pube wash water in it just a few hours before. These basins can either be used on a table or rock top or suspended between two parallel pieces of twine attached between trees, clips or clothespins can help keep the basins attached if you go this route. If you can get for the right sizes the whole kit should store inside of the nested containers.

The spray bottle is preferably tough and cam be switched from spray to stream to off and has never contained anything poisonous, you must only fill it with filtered drinking water lest you contaminate your food prep gear or your hands.

Your dish and body washing sponges and towels should be left to dry in the shade if you have time and then ziplock bagged to keep your other gear from getting dirty, until you are in a place with good water it will accumulate some dirt using the low water method.

For soap some people prefer to use Dr Bronners for everything but most people want a tough soap for dishes and baby shampoo for bathing in case there is a problem getting rinse water. Use only a few drops of soap, dump gray water away from open water to reduce environmental impact.

The dish method: For dishes start by adding a drop of soap to a sponge in an inch or so of water in your basin, sponge or scrub all of the dirt loose from the pot or dish, once the scrubbing is done rinse clean with the spray bottle. If you are in a cool or damp area you can scrub all of the dishes first but in dry areas the soap will dry onto the pots before you are done and you will need to waste water. Your clips or clothespins can often be used to hang wet pots and plastic dishes from your dry line or wipe clean with a dish towel.

The body wash method: Add a few drops of baby shampoo to your wet washcloth an basin water and wash down your body starting with your face and working down to your less clean areas, rinse off with your spray bottle, towel dry. Every other day, sometimes more in many areas you can get by by just spray bottle rinsing and toweling dry. If you want warm water remember to start with cold water in the basin and add stove boiled water, straight boiling water will melt your plastic basin.

Furniture

Army folding cots or medic stretchers make great beds and keep you from the damp ground, in cool weather use a foam pad on top.

Be careful about swiping picnic tables from Smokey Da-Bear, he will send the Forest Freddies after you.

Proper plastic folding tables are the best, resisting the elements for several years. Plastic folding tables will work outdoors and take a while to rust the steel legs even in rain, try to bring them in. The older pressed wood folding tables will warp once wet.

Folding lawn furniture and stackable resin is superior to indoor folding chairs for long term camping.

Cold Caching

Occasionally you will have drinks or foods that keep longer or taste better if kept cold. Find a place in a cold river or creek where the current is not to strong. Place the food in a durable container or mesh stuff sack and either trap it among rocks or tie a anchor line to a nearby tree. Remember that except right off of a melting glacier this method is not as cold as a regular refrigerator and hence will not preserve the food as long.

Campfires

Before you start a campfire, make certain that you're not in a drought stricken area. If a ranger sees the smoke from your fire, you're up for a fine or maybe even arrest, at the least the forest cops will will run your ID.

Stick to the old fashioned Boy Scout methods. Check to see that nothing flammable is within a six foot radius of the fire. Dig a small pit and circle it with rocks, then build a small compact fire that generates more heat than smoke, a upside down cone of sticks with tinder or paper inside seems to tbe the easiest way to get a fire going.

When cooking food over a fire, don't use fresh evergreen wood if possible. The wood releases resins and tars that can harm the flavor of the food. If there's a lot of warm grease in your pots and pans, throw a handful of white ashes into it and stir. The lye in the ash will turn the grease into a weak soap that will help in cleaning.

To put out the fire completely, pour water over the embers, stir the ashes, douse it again, and then carefully feel the muck.

Always try to pack a full sized axe (a purloined forest service pulaski tool is even better) a shovel, and a bucket when driving into or base camping in the wilderness and know how to use them and mineral dirt to extinguish a fire.

Always scrape away the organic duff and only burn on mineral earth. If there is no moisture in the ground even down to a half meter, and if when you split logs they are dry as a bone be very careful, fuel moisture is very low and a fire will be hard to fight.

Large fires almost always throw off firebrands which can light the forest on fire, even if there is no forest fire since everything is green firebrands will burn holes in your cotton and nylon tents and gear, save wood and keep the fire small.

Barbecue Grilles

If the fire danger is high a grille can be very useful to a camper. In Roadside Chow and Low Impact Crashing we discuss very creative uses including baking bread and cakes inside the grille dome.

If you need charcoal and don't have any cash or access to a store get a fire going using pieces no larger than three inches wide and once the fire is down to good coals rake them into a pile and cover the whole thing with slightly damp soil. After a day or two the coals should be cool, collect them and use as regular charcoal.

Other Options

Fire Lookout

Many US and Canadian Forest Service lookout towers are no longer occupied at all times even during fire season. A maintained shelter often with a wood stove awaits. These are always unoccupied after fire season unless the area has a camper rental program. You may need to pick the lock.

Forest Fires

If your area is threatened by fire the best option is to get out. Learn to understand what affect regular wind patterns and terrain have on fire movement where you set down. If a mature forest catches fire up in the trees there is almost no possibility of surviving in place. Relocating yourself to a meadow, parking lot, center of a stream, or even the middle of a road could make the difference in survival. Some army surplus stores carry the forest service aluminum-foil and fiberglass fire shelters. These will protect a person even if the light brush around them is aflame although they are quite heavy for their rare usage. In an emergency a silver space blanket might deflect some radiant heat if you are in a safe place but will not protect anything like a real fire shelter.

Replacing Consumables

Out in the wilderness there are a few ways to make cash if you get creative, the upside is the overhead costs are low, just try to keep your nice gear from wearing out, that can be the biggest expense.

Silver or pewter jewelery sculpting can be a fun creative job.
Gold panning is a way to make a living good enough to support a camped out lifestyle, a special gold pan is used to allow the current to wash away and then swirl out the lighter dirt and pebbles but keep the heavier gold dust which is best found deposited at turns in rivers and where the current suddenly slows. Practice in panning and knowing where to look improves yields. A small turkey baster and clear jar are good for sucking the smallest gold flakes from the bottom of a pan.

Sometimes mushrooms or truffles become very valuable on the world market and harvesting and selling could buy you months of supplies.
Although very unconventional, if you have a solar panel a mobile phone with internet and a laptop or lower power netbook you might be able to use the Internet to take part time with editing, translating, and writing jobs even from the forest as long as you can cantenna wifi from a cabin or a cellular signal.
Growing pot might not be a good idea, even though the payoff is good, as if you are caught you will loose even your backpacking gear.
Try whittling! Just be sure to have the means to sharpen your knife if you spend a lot of time on this. Make small crafts to sell at street fairs or music fests! A couple good examples include a fat, shapely cat statue from balsa wood (just paint in the eyes) with some small holes with cut fishing line glued in for whiskers; miniature Buddhas or other religious items.
Crochet old plastic shopping bags, with the "Green is In" fad people are happy to buy often for a decent price items crocheted from plastic bags.
Set up a sign and offer bicycle or camping gear tune up and repair near a popular bike trail, have extra spokes, chain, screws, and tubes for bikes, stove and tent tools, spares, patch material, glue, and heavy nylon or poly carpet thread.
Reviewing gear and tourist areas can get you equipped with camping, cycling, skiing, and travel gear for free or at large discounts, if you go beyond testing gear to writing or free lancing your reviews you can include stays at hotels, bed&breakfast's, and commercial campsites as well as getting airline and travel discounts, not to mention being paid cash for your work.

If you are already in trouble or can be heard hunting a silencer might be considered for your poacher .22, Drill holes every half inch or so on the last few inches of your rifle and wrap that section with steel window screen, secure with duct tape, you will run the risk of ruining the accuracy of the firearm so only do this modification on one you can loose.

While it is possible to make a bow and arrows this is not an effective way for most people to survival hunt if a firearm is available, bow hunting requires quite a bit of skill and arrows are easily broken or lost, a modern high power compound bow can not use improvised wood arrows safely.

Camp Farming

Urban Living

Last updated: 7 September 2011

1 Moving Out
1.1 Furnishing
1.1.1 Kitchen
1.1.2 Sleep
1.1.3 Bath
1.1.4 Plumbing Basics
2 Legal, Leases, and Landlords
2.1 Leases
2.2 Eviction
3 Starting Out Cheap
3.1 Inexpensive Apartment
3.2 Weekly Rate Motels
3.3 Hostels
3.4 Rooming Houses
3.5 Roommate Situation
3.6 Sofa Surfing
3.7 Homeless Shelters
4 Creative Methods
5 Free Naps
5.1 Rooftop
5.2 Bridge
5.3 Spaces between and behind buildings
5.4 Parks
5.5 Storage Space Rental
5.6 Bike Locker
5.7 Tent Cities
5.8 Dumpsters
5.9 Underground Structures
5.10 Abandoned or Unused Structures
5.11 The Street
6 Suburban Living
6.1 Garden Shed
6.1.1 Garden Shed Kit
6.2 Car
6.3 Squat a House
6.4 Fuel Up

Moving Out

If you are still getting together the money to move into a permanent address of your own, you should also be assembling your hope chest of things needed in a modern home. Since you should have already assembled camping and road survival gear you have many basics to use it if you need to. Remember that your camp gear is optimized for portability while home furnishings are designed for comfort without mobility in mind. Don't wear out your expensive sleeping bag or other gear when you could pick up a blanket and futon mattress for cheap.

Check the papers and online for places to rent, avoid rental agents, they just surf the papers and net for you saving maybe a few hours and then charge a months rent, payoff for them is between $200 and $1000 per hour.

Furnishing

Here is a list of some of the things you should consider getting if you are taking a semi-permanent address.

Kitchen

Silverware of some form: a knife set and cutting board, steak knives, paring knife, utility knife, and a good cleaver (look in the Chinese food section). Cookware varies by need. When living alone, all you need is a small pot and a tiny frying pan, but that is if you never have visitors. If you're cooking for a group, get bigger. The thrift store can be your friend here. Honestly, though, if you're getting an apartment and like to cook, it may be in your interests to drop a little dough as soon as you can on good cookware, silverware, and cutlery. A Chinese wok makes for inexpensive quick meals from nearly any meat or vegetable available. Add a bamboo steamer for more utility. A good pressure cooker can be cheap or expensive but a good set set saves you large amounts of fuel, electricity, and time when cooking. Research before buying. For unfurnished places a hotplate, some pots and pans, a toaster oven, and maybe an inexpensive pressure cooker or two let you cook most foods. Microwave ovens are mostly just for warming things up very quickly, although you can sort of cook in them if that is all you have. If you happen to be in the presence of some more technologically gifted activists, and you score a microwave oven for cheap or free, please consider its potential value as electronic parts, where cooking with it may be unproductive. There are combination microwave/toaster ovens. Some even have hot plate pads on top. Consider the price against buying separately. If the place has no refrigerator, just buy dry foods and things that keep at room temperature. If you buy meats cook them right away, which will preserve them for a day or two. Most of the stuff in a refrigerator is moldy leftovers or stuff that would be fine at room temperature or in an DIY evaporator cabinet cooler.

Sleep

You need bedding pillows, sheets, and pillow cases, consider a big electric blanket, even if you cant afford to heat the whole house you can sleep warm, even then get one or two comforters. A note on bedding, if you plan on sharing a bed, and once you have, sleeping alone will never be enough again, get your top sheet and any blankets a size or two bigger than your bed. If you have a full size bed get queen bedding, if a queen, get king. This will kill that "don't hog the blankets" argument before it even begins. As for the bed itself, save up as much money as possible and get the best you can afford as soon as you can. You spend a third of your life in bed, and quality sleep affects your entire lifestyle. Don't skimp on your mattress. Oh, and buy it new, or you run the risk of 6-10 legged roommates sharing your bed. Eeew. If you don't have the money for heat think about making the canopy and curtains mentioned in Free Furniture.

Bath

Towels! Get them new, for the same reasons as the bed. You should consider your soaps and the like before moving as well. A shower curtain, toilet brush, and Do Not Forget a toilet plunger; you will regret it. We actually advocate giving them as housewarming gifts, because no one ever remembers the bloody things until it's too late. Don't bother with expensive things at this point, though. Just get sturdy and practical. Lots of bleach and maybe an industrial cleanser or wax stripper will help you clean off the nasty crud you find when you move in, and you might not be afraid to let your boy/girlfriend visit the place. There are scrub brushes which can be used to scrub mop the floor, but if the gunk is really bad use a putty knife, just be careful not to damage the floor.

Plumbing Basics

If you have a clogged pipe or drain start with a classic suction cup shape plunger, this is useful for more than clogged toilets, you can plunge most any drain including shower and floor drains and sinks, there are smaller plungers made for sinks, don't get one of the plungers with the tapered end made only for toilets. Another thing to do if your sink is clogged is to unscrew the U-bend with your hands, often it is just a glop of mixed hair and grease clogging the works, this is also where stuff that falls down the drain can be recovered. If the plunger or disassembly will not clear a clog but the pipes appear intact you can try snaking the drain. A drain snake can be very cheap but the cheapest snakes are only good for small pipes to poke holes in a clog, better snakes are thicker, longer, and let you crank the end to drill through tough clogs. For the many everyday clogs a cup of lye pellets and some boiling water will dissolve most hair and grease clogs, if you cant get lye in your hardware store concentrated clothing bleach works too sometimes, add the lye and boiling water or bleach and leave so the clog has time to dissolve.

Legal, Leases, and Landlords

The term Landlord has it's origins in fuedal times where serfs would work the fields and lands and give all of the fruits of thier labors to one person or family in return for a right to live there and keep a modest amount of food not to starve. In modern times, it basically works the same way. Landlords, along with the Employer, the Banker, and some say Cops are forces that can cause real inconvieneince if things turn nasty. Do not get us wrong. Some landlords are actually very good in thier role as long as the rent is paid, and have a reputation of charging a fair price and fixing what needs to be fixed. However, many are cut-throat slumlords choking every last penny they can eek out of a tenant while fixing nothing, invading privacy, and placing folks they do not like on quasi-legal databases they share with others of thier kind. Even the kindest little old lady landlord will lose no sleep at night charging you extortion late fees and have maintainence gleefully tossing all your picked-through stuff on the curb if you are more than a week or two behind (sometimes more sometimes much less)! She will have another tenent in a few weeks, while you will be looking at The Street orSquatting if you have no emergency funds or back-up.

Leases

Be sure to read the contract carefully. A favorite legal trick of ours is to line out and initial anything unfavorable or prejudicial to our renters rights in the contract you sign, if you can get away with it. Just draw a single line over the words in black ink, no X-es or scribbles; it must still be readable under the line out, You can also box and X paragraphs and sections, again initialing them. If they even read the contract and object to your changes, move on to another place. They do not need to countersign these edits because this is the document they will use to attempt to evict or sue you. The judge will laugh them out of court.

Know the laws about reasonable inspection and notice for eviction and repairs. Many states have minimum statutory punishments paid in months of free rent if the owner walks on your rights. Be brutal if the landlord is a big slumlord.

Be sure to document any damage and keep the photos so you will not be charged for the damages. A big scam with slumlords is keeping deposits for even the tiniest scrape on the wall or smudge in the carpet. In some areas, it is so common that half the landlords practice this.

Do not cosign leases with folks you do not trust. Stories have been told of folks cosigning for thier buddies to get an apartment and in roomate deals, only to get screwed when the rent has been skipped on and the place has been damaged.

Eviction

The laws vary state to state and even city to city. Know these laws. Even in the most landlord friendly places, they are at least going to have to file and give you a court date before the 'notice to vacate' notice is given (which in some states is 30 days, others 24 hours!) While most judges deal with landlords on a monthly basis, it may be in your interest to go to the court. The biased court system always awards an eviction by default if the tenant does not show, but delays the decision if the landlord does not.Be sure to bring all reciepts to the court as some slumlords will 'lose' payment records. If you can prove that you are sincerely trying to pay what you owe, but are going through hard times, some (but not all) judges may give you a bit more time to pay - or secretly plan to screw the landlord, get another pad, and your stuff to safety!

In some cities, there are churches that may pay all or some of your rent one time only. Folks have reported varying success with this, but that may be worth checking into.

Rooms for rent, hostels, bunkhouses, and boarding houses usually go by the more landlord friendly laws governing hotels and motels. Most places that have weekly or daily rent operate like this. The landlord can kick you out on spot for little reason and do not need a court order or eviction procedure.

Starting Out Cheap

Inexpensive Apartment

This is perhaps the most optimal starting out arrangement. You will have to be 18 or older with a valid ID or emancipated and declared legally adult by a judge. You will also most likely have to sign a lease saying you will be there for a period of time ranging from a year to 6 months. What keeps some folks out of this is the enormous amount it takes to set up. Most landlords are going to want a deposit equal to the first months rent plus the rent itself. Many even tack on an application or processing fee of 20 USD to 100 USD on top of that. Some may even want the last month's rent as well. Bear in mind, this is before hooking up utilities. That said, if you look around, deals can be found on deposits and reasonable rent can be located as well. In college towns, the best times to look is during the summer or right when semesters are ending as students tend to take up all the reasonable housing. It is even possible to get utilities paid apartments, but be careful because many of these get skimpy with heating or air because they pay it.

An apartment can be cheaper than motels, hostels, or rooms for rent if you take into account security of stuff, privacy, and piece of mind if the initial start up can be met.

Once again: do not cosign a lease with anyone you do not COMPLETELY trust. The authors of this project know many who got screwed like this.

Weekly Rate Motels

This is the most expensive way to go. However, it bears mentioning because it has the one advantage of not needing a sizable deposit. Unlike hostels or rooming houses, they will tolerate kids. Even the crappiest motels offer a TV for entertainment, a clean bed, hot shower, and privacy. This is much preferable to the street as long as money is available and you have immediate plans to move to a more economical housing solution. However, the cash to maintain one of these can be higher than nice apartment rent, even if reduced weekly rates are used. Be sure to load up on the free towels and soap when you depart to make up for paying high rates. Be sure to get any stuff out before checkout or you may lose your stuff. This is only to be used in temporary situations and more income is on the way. Unlike Hotels, most of these also do not require credit cards, only a valid ID. Be also aware, that during certain peak season events in places, motels have been known to jack up rates with little notice.

Be aware that these Hotels can be traps for the working poor. Eating out all the time combined with rents that take up most of the paycheck has many trapped in situations where they cannot save to move out without 2 throwaway jobs or one really good paying job.

Hostels

Hostels are located in many adventure tourist destinations worldwide. Most are going to require an out-of-state ID to get in, though. Research the rules and clientele that hostel is aimed at. Most hostels are for college age travelers, but long term housing for low income people or migrant workers exist as well. It is a good idea to get an idea of the social scene and find out how much a stay is. Many hostels are dorm type arrangements where you may be rooming with a dozen or more people. Also don't be surprised by people engaging in sex hidden only by their sheets, loud snoring, and questionable hygiene. Keep a close eye on your gear and never let anyone see anything of value. Before taking a room at a hostel check for hotel discounts and coupons especially in the off season that may be actually be cheaper than a hostel dorm room.

Rooming Houses

You can find ads for these in the newspaper or occasionally craigslist, though most traditional rooming houses advertise by newspaper. Like hostels, rooming houses may consist of a private room where a bathroom is shared or sometimes just bunks. Still, this can be much cheaper than motels and less picky than Hostels. Most of the time the management is going to want a week's deposit plus one weeks rent to move in, but this varies widely. Be sure to be cautious with your stuff for theft. Also realize when the pigs bust rooming houses (often because some are in high crime areas), they may knock in every door, leaving your stuff exposed.

Roommate Situation

Sometimes, it can be practical to move in with someone who has already set up a pad. There are numerous ways to find these people ranging from your circle of friends, coffee house bulletin boards, craigslist, and the newspaper. The amount of cash needed to get into a roomie deal varies greatly from more than to get a nice apartment (from many folks trying to pay for huge house that they can not afford) to less than a rooming house. Most roommate situations are very temporary things. The more roommates there are, the more volatile this situation can be as eventually some will move off, some may come up with some excuse about the rent money, or person disagreements about living styles can get out of hand. Be sure to interview to make sure your potential roomie is going to be compatible with you. Also be cautious of rooming with friends because if bad things happen, some friendships can be lost.

The advise we give under leases and landlords applies double in this situation, even above renting apartments. Bad roommate deals can end up with someone being caught with the lease. Do not sign this unless you truly trust the folks you are rooming with and have known them for some time.

Sofa Surfing

If you know several sympathetic friends, you can ask to sleep on their floor or couch. With the right network of friends, you may be able to bounce from place to place for a certain length of time. Bear in mind, however, this can get old very quickly. Welcomes can be worn out. Also, friends that are coupled or find a new boy/girlfriend are going to be less likely to agree with this than single friends. Do not get complacent and stop looking for ways to get your own place just because you found a temporary couch. Misunderstandings or bad scenes concerning sex occasionally happen if you are crashing with both gay and straight apartment owners even if they are already in a relationship. Unless you are down with it, be frank. Don't be clueless and carefully analyze both your intuition and the advice of friends, be wary of engaging in survival sex.

The advice to travel light and watch your stuff applies double in this situation. Few people want to have their pad stacked with tons of someone else's stuff. Always be packed up and ready to leave forever on short notice. Never leave anything unattended unless you have known who you are crashing with for a long time and they are very trusted. Avoid pissing off those who lend you their hospitality by leeching their food, smokes, or other supplies unless offered. Respect their personal rules of the house and do not bring anyone or anything over without approval. Try to spend the day out (even though being out may cost more money) so they don't get sick of your face. Come home at a reasonable hour so they don't have to wake up or get their door in pajamas to let you in. Stay clean, shower every day, shave and use deodorant, take your shoes off by the door and keep the place clean. Making the place smell from you or your wet dog is their easy excuse to kick you out. If friends are giving you crash space because you are a hard luck case (especially if you have also borrowed money from them or eat from their supply) NEVER NEVER come around flashing cash, a new gadget, or expensive unshared food! This inducement to jealousy is easily the last straw for many couch crashers we have known.

Intended for travelers and adventurers, conservative use of the couchsurfing website for "in town" crashing is discouraged and might hurt your couchsurfing reputation and scare people out of hosting, but it is a good tool for emergencies if you can make yourself seem on vacation.

http://www.couchsurfing.com - resource for sharing short term, free living space. Just keep in mind that couchsurfing is largely about community and forging friendships, so someone who just wants a crash pad and nothing else might have a tough time. Every couchsurfer has an online ID and people who you stay with will rate you. This is to weed out the creepy types, so be somebody who people would enjoy to have over, token gifts and good stories are a nice touch. For the greatest success, contact a number of people weeks before you're planning to visit and aim to stay in less popular cities and/or travel during less popular times.

http://www.hospitalityclub.org - free accommodation community with 437,042 members.

http://www.globalfreeloaders.com - free accommodation community with 56,961 members.

http://www.bewelcome.org - free accommodation community with 7,236 members.

http://www.tripping.com - global community of travelers offering free accommodation.

http://www.belodged.com - more confidential system of free accommodation networking.

http://www.warmshowers.org - community of touring cyclists offering free accommodation.

http://www.Stay4free.com - Members make their spare room available to visitors for free in return for accommodation when they travel themselves

http://www.place2stay.net - Provides a network of people who need and offer free accommodation worldwide for travelers.

http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Shopping_and_Services/Travel_and_Transportation/Lodging/ Lodging Directory The lodging directory on yahoo. go stay with a family, rent a room, share an apartment, stay on a farm....

Homeless Shelters

The last resort after all of the above, Homeless Shelters do offer a bed and bath. Most even offer meals or laundry. However, most shelters require you show up in the afternoon to secure a bed and kick you out in the early morning. A few go a step further and may require a letter from a church or social worker and may require you to enroll in certain drug rehab or job training programs. You may not hang around there or store your stuff. The time you have to be there actually hurts people getting jobs as night work leaves you back on the street during daytime and many daytime jobs may let off too late to claim a bed. Day beds are very rare. A few may allow you to come in later if you a have a note from an employer. Be careful if you do this, because some employers may make unfair assumptions about you as a person due to homelessness if they find out. Do not even think about coming there highly intoxicated as some may refuse to let you stay. Shelters are popular places for cops to raid looking for fugitives.

Many cities are forcing anyone who wants to stay in a homeless shelter to get tested for TB before even being allowed to stay (except during inclement weather conditions). Most only give these on certain days and it takes two days for them to read the test, so you may still be outside anyways. Once it is read, many facilities give you a card to show when you show up again.

Some only take men and some only take women. Women's shelters tend to have better funding and less waits for beds, but this can vary according to area. A few will take kids (either runaway or rarely homeless families), but expect social services to be nosing around asking questions pushing for foster care or being shipped back to a relative if a minor is involved. Sometimes during inclement weather, they have been known to open up more beds.

You may have to put up with the facility's religion if the facility is part of a religious organization. Even if the faciity is not religous, perception amongst the staff tends to look down upon those who are in situations where there is no alternative. You are automatically assumed to be irresponsible, a drug head, or criminal. While caring people exist, most are jaded from years of dealing with the mentally ill, addicts, and liers. Expect indifferent treatment at best and outright contempt at worst.

Because of all these limitations and hassles that can many times hinder more than help, we suggest you use one of the above methods or grab a cheap tent and try your hand at stealth camping if the city you are in has stretches of unpopulated wooded areas if worse comes to worse.

Creative Methods

Good for you if you find a good place to stay in the city without having to use creative methods. But if not below are some ideas for those who might think they are out of options. You will sometimes even find yourself with access to an abandoned building, open unused room, and maybe even a bed in a house but for social, security, or other reasons no access to a normal kitchen, laundry, or bathroom. Many of your needs will be met using your regular camping gear like sleeping bag, ground mat, and stove but often you can take advantage of the utilities and environmental control offered. See Low Impact Crashing for furnishings, basic utilities, and services. Be smart about using really expensive camping gear if you are walking the very gray line of creative urban living, this stuff has a great resale value on ebay, and it would be a shame to either wear it out or have a cop or fellow cam dweller lift your gear to sell for a few bucks. Keep your gear packed and organized at all times so you can pick up and run if the heat comes down on you. Don't overload yourself with gear, if you cant wear your pack everywhere and keep it safe while sleeping there is no reason to expect it to stay around for long, some crackhead will rip you off and sell your stuff just as readily as he will give blowjobs for another fix.

Free Naps

Anywhere you find seats you can usually catch some Zzzz. Often just a fitful nap not the peaceful sleep you really needed, expect to be awoken by security after a time.

Airports are the best for this and can often get a whole nights sleep in. See http://www.sleepinginairports.net/
Hospital - Try crashing at the Waiting Room of the local hospital. Tell the nurses that you're waiting for your sister/friend/whoever to have a baby, then lay down on the floor and catch some Zzzs. Might not be too comfy, but definitely safer than sleeping under a bridge. Eventually, the hospital staff will get wise to you but hopefully by then you'll have gotten some rest.
Library - Find a book or newspaper to hold, which is quite easy at the library, and doze off, since it appears you were legit and just reading they will likely not throw you out unless it is a security guard or cop and your skin is the wrong hue of brown.
Bus and train stations.
Malls - Most are open from about 10am to 9pm, and have assorted seating areas indoors and out. If you can stand the noise, sleeping in a mall is fairly safe as far as unwanted attacks go. When was the last time you saw someone raped in the middle of a mall? Not that rent-a-cops are the most attentive personnel, but to avoid being woken up sunglasses, headphones, and a book are helpful when you want to be left alone. Make sure to use your pack as a pillow, lying directly on top of it, or tie the straps to your arm and keep it in between your body and whatever you are sleeping on.
Big furniture shops.
If you're in a college town, simply go figure out where the frat party is, make friends there and find a couch to stay (or pass out late at the frat house). Only works if you are around the age of a typical college student. They will not want some 40 year old showing up.
Under a tree (not fern), in a doorway or bus shelter.

Rooftop

Many buildings have a flat roof and parapet to keep people from falling off. If you don't want to challenge a fire escape you could set up on businesses with flat parapet roofs like one story strip malls and mini marts, climb the dumpster or something else in back, just remember if you make too much racket running around the roof they will probably come up and find your squat. If the rooftop has both a real drain (most do) and a hose faucet if you are lucky you are set. There are even some rooftops with unprotected electrical outlets in range of wireless Internet! If it was not for blazing hot temperatures in the summer daytime sometimes in excess of 120 degrees F or vulnerabilities to strong winds knocking your tent off the roof or lightning dangers, all the comforts of home are here if you can keep quiet.

On larger buildings it gets trickier but the payoff is your "yard" can be quite large. You will either have to attach a ladder to the roof from the fire escape or pick or break the inside lock to the roof access. Even then you need to assure regular access to the roof from outside while keeping random people from noticing your squat. We have seen people try to bicycle lock a ladder nearby to get up on the fire escape, and rope it up once on the roof, but this is a real workout to raise and lower it every day, it is suspicious activity to any witness, and the ladder is easily stolen. Once you have access to the roof you can build a shack to live in or just camp out in your tent or hammock. Take advantage of electricity and water connections running to air conditioners and lights, but be careful these are live deadly electrical wires and there is no way to turn them off unless you can access the fuse or breaker box inside. In addition to a squat your rooftop might have enough space to start a rooftop garden like we discuss in Farm It. If you are a legit renter, get tight with the building manager or borrow and copy the roof keys. If you know someone living in such a building ask them to help you get access, the rub is they have to trust you to not rat them out if you get busted.

You might also try to access attic space to survive in winter but again be sure to use extra stealth when entering or exiting the building, some attics are also safely accessible from the roof through vents. If camping in an attic you may have to lay down plywood or boards to keep from stepping through a sheet rock, plaster, or other weak ceiling. You must try to keep your activity to places over a hallway where people will not be too suspicious of your occasional sounds. This is a difficult to keep secret squat and often requires lots of work and resources. Consider a different idea unless you have a friend in the building who can help you out. But, like roofs, attics get dangerously hot during warm summers with temps going even above the rooftop itself!

Bridge

We all have seen campers under bridges. Bridges offer protection from sun and rain and, if located in a nonresidential area, there are often longer times between camp breakups by cops compared to more exposed camping spots. If trash starts to visibly build up the city will often kick everyone out and come in with a prison work crew to throw everything away including your camping gear. Some bridge campers will tap lighting and irrigation systems to provide basic electricity and water needs, there are dangers of contaminated or untreated water and obvious electrical dangers involved with these activities as many bridges have the same 440 voltage or higher lines as streetlights do..

Spaces between and behind buildings

Think about the narrow space between buildings, Some boxes or a dumpster blocking the entrance give you some privacy. If you keep it clean and move out during the day the owners may not brick or fence over your camping spot, but remember that it is first come first serve every night.

Parks

Most urban parks have overgrown areas large enough to allow real camping. Try to find a place hidden by thorns and vines that will discourage city workers. A regularly used trail will lead other homeless or even park services to your hideout. To avoid making a trail use rocks as stepping stones if possible. Steep forested hillsides are great to hang a hammock for a few days. Hammocks can be regular blankets or drapes with both ends tied into a knot and tied to the tree with strong rope. Never make a mess, as this will attract the attention of park services and force them to evict you. Leave packaging in the dumpster where you found its contents. Leave no trace! Urinate away from the wind or you might have your little set-up smelling. Do your other business away from your camp and bury it.

Treehouses are also a real option short term. Without too much trouble a little platform can be created by a crafty houseless person. Add an army poncho for camouflage and shelter from rain and you have one of the most ideal places to sleep. You sleep well hidden and away from animals, both human and not. The difficulty is the obvious damage to the tree from repeated climbing by an adult human.

Storage Space Rental

What freak has not dreamed of renting a storage unit for a home? Unfortunately, the on site management is almost always against this. One inspection by the fire marshal, and the site manager is canned and the owner is in big trouble. It might be possible to bribe a manager but the trouble of modifying the unit, lack of water or bathrooms, and the locking of the buildings are all problems that make it almost not worth the trouble. Most of the time, merely asking about this will prevent you from renting in the first place. Or it could earn you a stern 'get the hell out and take your stuff with you' if you already are.

The good news is that a small storage unit can be very useful to a person without a regular home. Just be sure the overall cost of storage and moving does not exceed the value of the stuff. Sometimes it is cheaper to just start over and build up anew than hold onto stuff. Storage facilities, depending on area, run for fairly cheap and provide a great haven for valuable items that are not realistic to carry with you or may need when a better living situation comes around. Be sure to have a friends mailing address, valid phone number, and ID as well. As always, when conducting business, dress as cleanly as possible when opening the unit.

Day use policy of a storage unit varies from one place to another. Stories are told of some homeless people using a rented unit to catch a daytime nap on a cot with the door open and the permission of the manager. Some managers won't mind you using a light bulb electrical outlet adapter to run or charge electronics, but this all depends on the attitude of the manager. If you want to try any of these day use tricks do it in a storage site different than where you are keeping your stuff.

No matter the scam, do not jeopardize your stuff's storage by trying to camp out there! Being homeless and getting kicked out of your storage is not pretty. At best, you may have to move your stuff on very short notice to somewhere else. At worst, you could be arrested and upon return find your stuff picked though and in the dumpster.

Bike Locker

Some say that rented city and college bike lockers can be converted for personal use by modifying the lock. Even if not such a realistic place to urban camp, this is one of the few 24 hour accessible lockers that a homeless person can safely stash some gear in. Check rules about city inspection of contents.

Tent Cities

Many cities have an informal or well organized homeless movement which often with local assistance is working for the right of homeless groups to establish transitory or permanent settlements in or near urban areas where there are many services and sources of sustenance available to the homeless person. Examples are Dignity Village in Portland Oregon, or Tent City Three and Four in the Seattle area although there are usually car parks and small tent enclaves hidden in most cities near older industrial zones, electrical sub stations, railroad easements, and parks. Occasionally unauthorized or contested tent camps will be raided, the cops have been know to slash their way through camps with razor blades to destroy tents and packs hoping to drive the homeless away. Acquire shelter materials or a larger tent locally for long stays and use this for your shelter, try to keep your nice tent packed away for emergency moves or in safe storage elsewhere once you get settled. Always keep your gear neat, organized, packed, and ready to go . Many tent city campers will leave a cheap tent, ground pad, and sleeping bag in camp during the day, it just depends on how safe the camp is and with sleeping bags how bedbug free it is, you will find only the naive or foolish leaving anything of value in camp when they are out.

Dumpsters

This is simple, don't sleep in dumpsters. The reason for this advice is that while you are having a stinky but restful night of sleep safely hidden from the cops and security who want to arrest or molest the homeless you might easily oversleep and wake to find yourself being dumped and compacted in an automatic dumpster unloader garbage truck. So while it may be one of the easier places in a downtown area to catch a sticky nap, don't do it, try stealth camping in an industrial area or under a bridge.

Underground Structures

Many cities have old established tunnel, utility, or unused subway networks that might be opened for our use. Be sure to explore large drainage tunnels during the dry months of the year and if safely possible active train tunnels although this may entail serious risk unless there is a maintenance walkway wide enough to prevent a fall onto the tracks when a high speed train passes. Just check any interesting holes, tunnels, access pannels, or doors that appear to lead into walls, sidewalks, or hillsides. In New York and London lost subway stations have been turned into meccas for street punks and the homeless. In rural areas re-purposed military nuclear war bunkers and missile silos can be found although most are on farmers land, made into historical sites, or destroyed by the DOD, a famous example was a group producing the majority of Amerikan LSD operating out of an abandoned underground nuclear missile launch silo.

Abandoned or Unused Structures

You can see many ideas onSquatting in that chapter. Remember that even if there is a bad draft or leaks a building is a great way to conceal your regular camping tent and living activities. If you are traveling light a hammock suspended from lag bolts anchored into the wall studs beats sleeping on cardboard or newspaper, tarp or plastic sheet suspended above your hammock or mat will protect you from leaky roofs. Remember to restrict indoor cooking to cement floors or fireplaces because of the fire hazard, also ensure adequate ventilation of your cooking area because of the real danger of carbon monoxide poisoning, best practice if possible is to cook outdoors in a concealed location.

The Street

When you run out of options, you are stuck out onThe Street. It can be so bad that some people turn to survival sex exchanges or commit petty crimes just to get a nights stay in jail.

Suburban Living

Suburban areas are likely the most difficult to improvise housing. Short of renting a basement or garage for a very small amount, it will be difficult. The suburban sprawl was designed with a petroleum powered vehicle in mind, so most services are a highway drive away. Radically-dressed and -minded outsiders will likely be harassed by the local police

Garden Shed

In older neighborhoods with large lots adjoining park or wetland areas there are sometimes disused sheds or old garages. Look for unkempt yards or long grass without foot trample around the out building this may indicate an elderly homeowner or uninterested renter who has no use for the building. Choose and use a path of approach that does not leave a trail visible from the house or easily noticed from other homes. Whatever the plan light and smoke discipline are absolutely essential for most of these ideas, bored neighbors are either totally oblivious or constantly snooping for any excitement.

Garden Shed Kit

A mini-barn or garden shed can be purchased at most North American hardware stores. All that is really needed is a concrete platform or four stone corner pedestals to start. These quick shelters have two benefits in a suburban area they may not be noticed by neighbors if built quickly during the work week, they are also a quick way to get shelter on a piece of land you plan to build a larger alternative home. These were proposed as a third world emergency prefab home after disasters. A good idea is to build on property of a friend who you will share utilities with. Contact a manufacturer with your plans, most will have at least one design with a normal size door and windows, some will custom cut the wood to include windows and doors where you want them as well as the overall height and size to your liking. If a move is required most quality sheds in good shape can be transported on a flat bed pickup truck and only require a new cement platform to be poured at the new location.

Useful upgrades to a quick build shed home include the following features:

Normal size house door with proper lock (as opposed to double barn doors).
Windows angled to catch summer and winter sun.
Overhang roof and extended length cement platform or gravel porch.
Garden hose plumbing or buried pipe for regular water utility.
Drainage into a gravel/sand pit or garden next to your shed-house if soil drainage allows.
Rain gutters and storage barrel for washing water.
Electricity, include a circuit breaker of a lower value than the circuit you are connecting to so your breaker will flip first.
Solar electricity and LED lighting is a viable option for charging a few electronic devices and batteries.
Dry wall, paint and insulation make this shed house more livable.
Shower curtain rail around porch for showering in summer.
Fold away bed and table saves room in your shed house.
Freight pallets cut to size and plywood make a good floor above the cold cement, tile or carpet over.
Propane gas for heating and cooking can be plumbed in using camping components.
Fireplace or wood stove for heating and cooking makes sense in some areas.
A directional WiFi antenna mounted on the roof can let you connect to a house even hundreds of feet away.
Toilet plumbing can be a challenge to include on a low budget; an outhouse or chamber pot would be easier.
Tall bushes, garden trellises, and shrubberies around your shelter will obscure the view by neighbors giving you privacy.
Solar water heating system can be made and insulated hot water storage can use LP gas or kerosene to heat water in winter.
Telephone service only requires stringing or burying a two conductor wire from a nearby building.
Rigging a 12 volt DC system for lighting and small appliances (available at RV stores and truck stops).

Car

How to camp comfortably in yourCars

The practice of finding and squatting a random unlocked car can be quite dangerous, as angry auto owners have been known to attack and even shoot homeless people sleeping in their vehicles. Use this tactic as a real last resort, and try to only use clearly abandoned or unused vehicles with dust on the windshield or flat tires if you must.

Squat a House

At the edge of the suburban rural boundary, in badly planned cul-du-sacks, greenspaces, or wetlands, and near parks there are often pockets of older neighborhoods where a house may sit for years unoccupied waiting for inheritors to sue each others asses off until the lawyers take the house and divide the spoils amongst themselves. Look near large construction projects for houses slated for destruction or partially finished structures with a good roof abandoned by bankrupt contractors. An old weathered for sale sign might be a house open to squat, but could also mean somewhat regular visitors depending on the housing market, take down the realtor's sign. Even better finding an incomplete subdivision with some nearly finished homes.

Deciding to squat a house takes some good detective work. Find a place where it is apparent that the yard work is not being taken care of, peek in the windows has anyone been home in a few months. Does it appear that the house has been squatted or burglarized without any cleanup? All of these are good cause to stake the place out. Put a padlock on the front door and see if it is removed, camp out in the back yard if you can do so discreetly just to be sure. Try before you pry, an open door or window might remove the charges of breaking and entering if you get busted.

Squat the place. While you are squatting light up your devices you use and go outside to see what is visible at night, pull the shades and check again, light and motion will give you away most easily. Keep your travel in and out infrequent, at night only if possible, no music or noise. Cooking fires, cigarettes, and grilling might be noticed from the smoke and smell. If you kept clean you will be hard to spot. To the average WASP the homeless are dirty and distant, the suburban and rural townies and cops won't tolerate filthy bums, but will they even notice a clean one?

Always make your living space as near as possible to the back door on the ground floor, clean that room up first for occupation. Since this is not your house be ready to run if you hear someone trying to enter through the front, legit owners drive up and enter through the front door 99% of the time without doing a walk around, pile up junk in front of the front door to make noise and slow them down. Barricading the back door means that even if the owners or another squatter tries to take the place you will have the option of using the back door for escape when the give up and head to the front. Always have your bags packed for a quick escape, if confronted be apologetic but be sure to get away before anyone gets violent. It might help if you tell a story of your dead grandfathers house in this town that you thought you were squatting in, this is just a weak distraction to get out the door and prevent violence, be cool, smile, grab your pack, don't let anyone get their hands on you, know your escape routes have at least two. Expect the cops in the area soon so get away from the property and into a store or movie theater, lock your bike at a different store bike rack and stash your pack safely nearby, maybe do a covert tree stash, the pack really gives you away, retrieve everything after dark.

Fuel Up

In many places oil heat is still in use or a partly filled tank remains. Most older systems are easy to tap but unless you can access the basement require a fuel transfer pump, just ask nicely for some fuel and fill up by pumping from the outdoor fill pipe. Camping stoves designed to burn diesel fuel and kerosene will burn furnace oil just fine.

Free Furniture

Last updated: 9 June 2011

Go back to Free Shelter

After a hard day supporting the revolution, you may need something to sit on. If you're broke, moving, or just plain creative there are plenty of ways to get furniture that don't involve a small loan from a specialty store or flimsy fiberboard and plastic box store crap. Furniture is everywhere, literally being given away... if you know how and where to look.

1 Improvised Furniture
1.1 Plastic Milk Crates
1.2 Free Boxes
1.3 Table
1.4 Foam and Bean Bags
1.5 Recycled Junk
1.6 Auto-man Furniture
1.7 Lawn Furniture
1.8 Kids Stuff
2 Free Furniture
2.1 Reuse
2.2 Diving for Furniture
2.3 Futon
2.4 Mattress
3 Build Your Own Furniture
3.1 DIY Japanese Screen
3.2 Frame Bed
3.3 Victorian Curtain and Canopy Bed
4 Simplicity
5 Moving the Stuff
5.1 Hand Truck
5.2 Strapping
5.3 Cycle Moving
5.4 Find a Friend With a Truck

Improvised Furniture

Plastic Milk Crates

Plastic milk crates are reusable containers that milk factories use to ship milk jugs to grocery stores. You can usually find many of these on the back docks of grocery stores awaiting return to the factory. These can also sometimes be found in trash or even left by other people. Regardless of the stern legal warnings promising stiff fines for private use imprinted on the handle (mostly to keep them from being used by other dairies), these crates have been used for decades. Quick and easy storage boxes, stools, and even temporary bookshelves when combined with boards are just many uses.If you find a large piece of plywood and place this on top of four of these, you have an instant make-do coffee table. Use your imagination.

Free Boxes

If you need cardboard boxes to store stuff in, check with local businesses. Most of the time you can go up and ask the manager to save some boxes for you because you are moving. It is possible to have the US Postal service and other shipping companies send you free boxes. There was a website since closed due to a FedEx lawsuit showing how several dozen flat packed boxes could be cut and folded into useful chairs and sofas. However, thanks to the Internet Archive, you can see photos of the various projects:

http://web.archive.org/web/*/://www.fedexfurniture.com

Table

Two saw horses or police/construction barricades + one door = one large dinner table or desk. (Remember to remove the door knob.) Construction signs made of sturdy, painted plywood and improvised legs screwed together make a very distinct coffee table.

Foam and Bean Bags

If you have a knack for sewing you can make simple bean bag type furniture and fill it with whatever stuffing you can get your hands on. Styrofoam shipping pellets are surprisingly comfortable in a bean bag seat. Liberate some closed cell foam as used in most furniture and kids mattresses and use this as a more solid filler for your furniture. A piece of NiChrome wire and the proper power supply (measure the ohms of the cutting wire with a multimeter and add resistors if needed) you can make a large hot wire foam cutter.

Recycled Junk

If you know where your local newspaper is located, their dumpster will surely have some of the thick cardboard tubes from the huge rolls of newsprint. These are about six feet long, and can be cut into pieces for use as legs on desks, tables, etc., but not chairs, as they are too thick (6"-8"). Either way, four three-foot sections of that tubing, and a 3x5 piece of plywood liberated from your local construction site will make a bitchin' table. Another free table is the big wooden cable spools used by the power and phone companies.

Auto-man Furniture

Take the seats from an old or totaled beater car. Backseats, especially the bench-style found in older sedans and mini-vans, make great couches when put up on blocks. The bucket seats that usually make up passenger seats and middle rows in vans can be converted into nifty easy chairs. If the car is old enough to not have electric seat adjustments, it will probably be a recliner, too. This means that bench seat can often be converted into a short double bed. Score!

Lawn Furniture

Lawn furniture is light and folds easily to fit into your car or bicycle trailer. Many people dump the one year old lawn furniture at the street in spring or fall. While a chaise lounge is all right to sleep on solo, making love is a good way to make it fall apart.

Kids Stuff

A crib can be made from a laundry basket and an easily washed pillow or a folded blanket in a pillowcase. A plastic bucket is great for bathing baby. Your stroller, or a baby bike seat strapped to a chair make a cheap high- chair. The cheap vinyl shower curtains at dollar stores are very effective 'rubber sheets' spread out under the fitted sheet. A hand towel with a head hole cut and hemmed is a good washable bib.

When traveling or taking a temporary home with children along, your camping ground mat or exercise mat is a great bed; there is no worry about falling out if they roll off, and children usually prefer firmer beds. Car seats are very important, as the leading cause of death for children 14 and younger are car crashes. Call your local hospital or fire department and ask if they have vouchers for a free car seat. Also check http://www.seatcheck.org/ to find a location to have a free check performed on your child's car seat to insure that it's safe.

Free Furniture

Reuse

You can often find free furniture on http://www.craigslist.com , http://www.freecycle.org/ , http://www.regioshare.org and other community sites, if you look in the free section for whatever area you are in. All you would need to do is contact the owner of the furniture and pick it up from the location listed there. Also, sometimes folks who need to move quickly will simply give you nice furniture just so they will not have to haul it with them. You can also score used furniture by keeping up with apartment staff that evicts folks about a week or two after rent time or keeping an ear living in dorms near the end of terms.

Diving for Furniture

Making furniture out of scraps of garbage that you find around when doing urban forging can be wonderful, and any DIY shop will have salesmen willing to explain how, or you can check online for a DIY site. Additionally, furniture can be found whole when foraging, especially in the back of furniture stores, and drop offs, like the back of thrift stores. (Warning: Taking items dropped off at thrift stores or donation boxes constitutes theft of varying degrees depending on what jurisdiction you're in.) Most thrift stores don't have cameras despite the frequent claims to the contrary on the signs they often hang up, so try hunting out by the side of their dumpsters at night for furniture the employees were too lazy to lift into the dumpster -- often times it's still in decent condition and just didn't sell within a certain time frame. You can also pick up some pretty good furniture from the curb of an uppermiddle class neighborhood on trash day.

Futon

It is often possible to acquire a second hand futon pad without a frame, these are great for a convertible sleep and work area since they roll up or fold into a couch. As soon as possible a base must be made from something which will allow air to circulate under the pad otherwise you will likely ruin the pad with mold growth, this will also make the futon pad a health problem for future users. Check all new and used futon pads for mold. Several wood cargo pallets will provide sufficient ventilation to prevent mold growth. We try to find futons after college ends in the spring, futons outside in winter are usualy already wet and sometimes moldy, so check, and there is no easy way to dry them

Mattress

Sometimes, mattress stores that deliver the mattresses to people's homes will haul off the customer's old mattresses for free as a service. Near the end of the stores hours, go to their loading docks and ask if they have any used mattresses that are going to be thrown away. Usually, they will give them to you or just point to the dumpster. If they are not willing to give away, waiting until the place is closed (an hour or so and the parking lot is empty) and checking the dumpster is also good. One revolutionary reports a place in his area that always has 2-3 in a clean dumpster every day. Be sure the dumpster is not shared with a restaurant or other place that may foul up your new score. If you do not like what is available, you can always check back the next day. Don't fear a stained mattress, modern spring mattresses are mostly synthetics which dry quickly especially in summer Some dish or laundry detergent can be rubbed wet into the stained areas and rinsed out using a garden hose or shower head, allow to dry by propping upright outside on a warm day, turn over several times so the water doesn't just collect at the bottom.

Hotels and Motels typically change mattresses on occasion. Many of the nicer motels change out all mattresses on a seasonal or yearly basis while others replace mattresses as they get stained or torn.

Foam is by far the cheapest mattress. Go to any furniture repair, sewing, or upholstery shop to have a piece cut for you. Don't buy it unless they let you lie down on it to test the firmness. It is smart to cover the foam to keep it clean and prevent mold and mildew. If you are handy at sewing, you can make yourself a fitted cover. Failing that, stack up those free homeless shelter blankets or dive some couch cushions from the dumpster of a furniture or thrift shop.

In cool and damp conditions it is necessary to take extra precautions to prevent mold from growing on your mattress. Flip the mattress every other day, and every fourth day also turn it to face the opposite direction. This way different parts get a chance to dry out. Propping up your mattress at an angle during the day with a stick or broom is also a good way to let it dry out. We also hear that occasionally dusting it with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) or borax might make mold growth less likely and help get rid of any used furniture stank.

Build Your Own Furniture

DIY Japanese Screen

With a roll of paper, some small brass hinges, and lightweight wood framing you can make Japanese type screens. Use these to make light movable dividers that will not take the light out of a room. Excellent for separating a sleeping area which is cleaned up in the morning to make a larger living/work space. You will also have the option to paint and decorate your screens to your liking.

If you are careful in placing hinges at the exact same locations on every panel (use a measuring tape and mark location with a pencil, then add the hinge) after your screen is built you can tap out the pins from the small brass hinges and insert a nail or cotter pin into where you removed the standard pin. Now you can connect as many panels together as you like for a wall and still easily take them down or separate when moving or redecorating.

Frame Bed

Get ahold of some two by four lumber, this is easier than it sounds, if you are squatting and can't afford buy lumber(which is the best choice by far) there are going to be all sort of sources. Try looking around construction sites, or the shipping dept of some local company. If possible get some one by six lumber about 80 inches long too. You will want to make a bed frame that the inside area is 39 inches wide and 75 inches long, the size of a twin bed, that way you can use standard size sheets and blankets and maybe even scam a real mattress at some point. Read these directions twice with a handy friend before cutting or screwing anything together What you need

2x 80 inch long 2x4 lumber
2x 40 inch long 2x4 lumber
2x 80 inch long 1x6 lumber (2x4 will work in a pinch)
12x 39 inch long 1x4 lumber (skimp too much and the bed will be weak)
1x box two inch wood screws
1x box one inch wood screws
4x 12 inch long 4x4 lumber

An electrical drill to drive the screws helps, a professional grade cordless drill with extra batteries is best for disconnected squats

Leave the long (80 inch) boards a few inches long (you can trim the extra later)
Lay the boards on edge on the floor and mark the location of the 39 inch boards with a pencil so that you have a 39x75 inch inner area
Long 2x4 boards to the outside
Screw wood screws through the two long 2x4 boards (on their edges) and into the 40 inch 2x4 boards (also on their sides)
Measure the inside of the frame to be sure that a 39x75 inch mattress will fit (with a little extra space if possible) before continuing. You now have a rectangular frame.
Screw the 1x6 boards down securely onto both sides with long screws flat against the bottom of the frame, attaching to the long boards as well as the 39in inner boards so the bed frame won't twist.
Saw off the excess long board so it is flush with your 39 inch inner frame rails
Place the 4x4 legs onto all four corners and use at least 8 screws to tighten them down through the 1x6 lumber(you should get helpers to hold the bed frame level for this so the legs mount flush)
Screw your 1x4 slats down leaving even spaces, these gaps allow the mattress to breathe.

If you have some plywood or left over lumber building a headboard and securely attaching it to the bed frame with 2x4 lumber makes it much easier to read in bed and keeps your pillow from falling off.

Push two of these frames together to make a queen bed for a couple, this is easier to move and stronger than one big frame.

Victorian Curtain and Canopy Bed

When we think of Victorian four poster beds we forget that those long spindles were not for style, but a place to hang the curtains and canopy, turning a bed into a little tent of warmth. No more cold morning wake-ups even in the coldest, dampest squat; you can even hang your clothes up inside your canopy and be warmly dressed before inhaling the cold, damp squat air. A word to the wise: even in a regular home curtaining your bed and dressing warm will reduce your home heating fuel waste. Think green!

The height of your canopy poles is up to you. Higher poles will make it easier to dress in the morning, while lower poles will make it easier to keep warm. You don't need to use anything bigger than broom handles screwed tightly to your bed frame with a few pieces of metal strapdown tape (fold in the edges so there are no sharp points). Use thin cotton bedsheets as curtains and canopy; they breathe the easiest and won't get too damp from condensation. Cut and hem them to size (twin sheets should be pretty close in size). Reinforce the canopy corners and punch a large grommet; this will slip over a screw or peg at the top of your canopy poles. The same is done for the top two corners on each of your side curtains. It is a good idea to sew tie strings every foot or so so that the curtains can be puled tightly closed. A split overlapping curtain on the side you like to wake up on will make getting in and out easier but keep the draft out.

rfImage:Bedpost.png

If roof leaks are a problem in your squat think about using a tarp for a second upper canopy, but make some sort of hoop frame to keep your breath from condensing on the tarp and dripping onto you.

Simplicity

Try not to overload a small room or flat with too much furniture. We try to be simple and frugal. The acquisition of too much junk ties us down and makes boosting out and onto the road more difficult. Don't screw over friends and supporters by leaving a room filled with junk when you disappear. If you can, live as much as possible out of your pack, even during long term crashes. This is especially important if you are in a situation that requires a high degree of mobility. For example: couch surfing, homelessness, jobs that require traveling, or volatile situations where you may need to move quick. See Pack Your Bag

Moving the Stuff

Moving tons of furniture is a pain in the ass. Professional moving companies usually charge high, by-the-hour rates then only give you two guys who proceed to slowly bubble-wrap everything and take their own sweet time. The bills can easily get to 800 USD or more to move a small flat full of stuff across town. This may be okay if you have loads of cash or irreplaceable family heirloom antiques, but a bit much for the rest of us. Of course, there is always U-haul. But, this too has drawbacks. Uhaul may be pretty reasonable for in-town moves, but if you are moving a great distance, can go into the high hundreds or more. Uhaul is also going to want to see insurance, a valid driver's license from someone, and a credit card. If you have a car, you could try using multiple bungees, loading it down, and praying the cops do not look for someone to harass. But using a small car takes many trips, is only economical for cross town moves, and you cannot exactly strap refrigerators to the top.

If you are moving across country, you need to consider if all of your goods make economic sense to take with you. As you have seen above, furniture is pretty cheap. Shipping, Renting trucks, or paying movers to cart the stuff across the state or country is not cheap. It may, in some situations, be better to sell or donate your furniture to someone who needs it and reestablish later.

Some of the more creative ideas are below:

Hand Truck

Simple: Get, beg, liberate, or borrow a hand truck. Your life will be easier. A hand truck or dolly will help a team of movers move the largest furniture. Even a refrigerator can be moved across town by a minimum of two strong people on foot, be careful on hills and plan for emergency stopping. The best hand trucks for appliances are extra wide and have a big strap which will wrap around the appliance but rope and the right knots will help in a pinch.

Strapping

If you are likely to encounter stairs the only safe way (at least for the furniture or appliance) is to use heavy strapping to help you hand carry. We are talking about the heavy strap like is used for seat belts or making rappelling harnesses, we need something that will resist abrasion.

One type of strap carrier uses between twenty and twenty five feet of strap and a heavy steel slide buckle (tied or sewn properly works too) to make a loop with adjustable size, be sure to slide a cutoff wool sock or tape over the buckle to prevent scratching your furniture. Your big loop crosses under your load and the loop ends rest on the shoulders of the two carriers. Stand up properly with straight backs and the load lifts as well.

Cycle Moving

With creative use of rope and either caster wheels screwed into the frame or a strapped on caster platform or skateboards even couches and beds can be moved good distances as long as there are no major hills involved. If possible move during the day when traffic is light and attach plenty of orange or white flagging. If you are looking to avoid cop trouble look into the laws for non-motorized vehicles like horse carriges, this said even if you are legal in some places the cops will jack you and tow your furniture, seriously with a flat bed tow truck to the impound lot!

Find a Friend With a Truck

Not to be underestimated is to ask a friend who has a valid Driver License and a working vehicle to help you move your stuff from your old pad to your new pad. Being able to offer cash, beer, or other valuable substances can more easily persuade this person to help you. Needless to say, be sure wait to let them imbibe in such beer or substances until after the move is done to avoid DUIs or other unpleasantness.

Rural Living

Last updated: 9 June 2011

For the purposes of this article, rural living means somewhere between the suburbs talked about in Urban Living but not quite to the point of wilderness survival or camping. However, with the over development of land, this is disappearing in many parts of the country. Fortunately, there are still many places in the Empire along the numerous parish and county highways and byways. The payoff in privacy and peacefulness can be well worth it. If you are accustomed to the purple haze of the nighttime city sky, you will be amazed at the detail and majesty of what the stars look like without light pollution! Some of the communities of rural Amerika can be very kindhearted people, if not a bit nosy and gossipy. If you get a good legal spot, you will not have to worry about city or suburban covenants telling you you cannot have your broken down car in the front yard or be able to paint your house purple.

Rural living does come with drawbacks other than limited services, though. Almost all the vast tracts of land are owned by somebody. You either need to own this outright, get permission, or simply be able to avoid notice. The nearest supplies which were as simple as a quick Wally World run in a city or suburb may be an arduous miles-long trek. You may also find services such as internet, cable, and in some places electric and water to be limited. Living out in the sticks can also leave you very isolated compared to being even in a small city (which actually some folks may consider an advantage!)

Rural survival can work if all this sounds like your cup of tea. Be willing to research and reach out following leads. Do not being dissuaded by dead ends and rejections. It is very possible to find some old hippy or soft heart with a patch of unused land. You could to be able to set down a shack in the back 40 with maybe some bee hives or a garden! We knew a drifter who did this once he got to Hawaii and he is still living there by selling honey every few months and eating from his garden. Unlikely? Who knows. But - maybe your story awaits here, too.

1 Rural Housing
2 Communes and Compounds
3 Stealth Camping
4 Creative Construction
4.1 Recycled Sea Shipping Container
4.2 Straw Bale
4.3 Yurt
4.4 Ferro-cement
4.5 Greenhouse
4.6 Mobile Homes
4.7 School Bus
5 Interesting Rural Places
5.1 Slab City
5.2 Immigrant Labor Camp
5.3 Black Mesa Navajo
5.4 Wilderness

6 Adverse Possession
7 Guides
7.1 Remote Areas Development Manual
7.2 Peace Corps Building Manual
7.3 Magazines
8 Original Rural Living

Rural Housing

Just because you are out in the boondocks does not mean there is a lack of rentals. Rentals still exist, but are much further apart and less numerous. Rural trailers, rooms for rent, sheds, cabins, and even work-for-rent ranch and farm deals can usually be found in the newspaper of the nearest major city or state newspapers. Sometimes even craigslist can be given a go as internet begins to spread in even some of the more isolated areas. Be sure to follow our advice in Urban Living about apartments, leases, landlords, and roommates. Bad deals and slumlords are out in the sticks, too. You can get screwed even worse than the city by being stuck way out there with a very high rent and maybe a choice of 2 to 3 jobs or sometimes none for dozens of miles!

There are no homeless shelters but the woods of the highways and byways and what ever lean-to you may be able to build. Rural stealth camping will be covered later, if you find yourself without shelter in the middle of nowhere.

Truck stops usually maintain showers and lounges for a small fee to use. Some even have bars or cheap rooms for rent or a rest lounge with a couch for tired folks, if someone seems nice or is down on their luck. No one will usually have an issue with you car dwelling for a certain period of time, but be careful. In times past (and some would say to this day) these places have been hotbeds for drugs and prostitution because of frequent traffic from well paid truckers and travelers.

It is very possible to find abandoned stables, storage sheds, barns, shut down mills and factories, and even abandoned military installations in the spaces between civilization. However, just like squatting in an urban environment, always check for signs of recent activity and traffic to and from and into the structure. Even stuff way out there can be checked into by land owners or even other squatters from once a year to once every week or so!

Communes and Compounds

While there are examples of urban communes and housing shares, the majority are located in rural areas and small towns. The types of communes vary very widely. Many are based on some sort of theme like a religious belief, sexual orientation, lifestyle, political beliefs, and pretty much everything under the sun. Some advertise openly on database sites and others are only spread through word of mouth.

If you want to try this out, make sure you do research into that particular community's requirements. Some have rules where EVERYTHING must be shared meaning your car could end up being driven by everybody and your road laptop could end up in the community computer lab with little say so. Some go further with sharing than that where even wives and husbands are shared. Some may have no sharing at all and you will be frowned on as a leech if you do not buy your own food and provide for yourself. If you occasionally partake of herb or drink a bit, you may want to check into this too. Many places may either encourage or strictly forbid these things. If you are just traveling through while on an epic adventure, make sure they are cool with that. Some communes may want more permanent commitments while others actually love to get free spirits for the tales of unusual places.

Make sure your political beliefs match. You will not get along with an ex-convict white supremacist sanctuary showing up with "Eracisism" bumper stickers on your car or if you are black. Nor will you be very welcome if you are a guy and try to drop in on a Wiccan ultra-militant lesbian feminist ranch. We at STW encourage you to avoid narrow minded zealots of any type! Be careful also that while there are sincere communes out there, some egotistical folks may be using it to keep people there for their own source of followers and henchmen to cough up money and labor. Be prepared to leave at any sign of brainwashing, physical or mental or sexual abuse, and avoid any place that "locks" you in. Even out in the boondocks with no car, you always can travel if you have two functioning feet.

More on communes is underCommunity Centers and Communes in our Fight section.

Stealth Camping

While most all of rural land is owned by someone, many people own so much land that they cannot possibly patrol it all or merely keep land for investment purposes and visit it rarely. In most places standing common law is that short term camping is explicitly permitted anywhere that the land is not posted with no trespassing signs. The homeowner can find you and demand you leave immediately but must allow you to pack up, they can ask the police to prosecute you for doing any actual damage including littering so keep it tidy. It is very possible to obtain a small dull colored tent or hammock and camp in forests quite a ways behind trees off of rural highways. One place to do this on interstates as they tend to have many cop cars but they never seem to pay attention to the trees set up to absorb the highway noise. Very important is to make sure your tent is not visible from the road. Make sure you avoid camping near brier patches near water sources as these tend to be areas that attract guerrilla pot farmers. You do not want your tent slashed by some pig thinking your tent is a base camp for a huge pot grow! Be particularly mindful of leaving valuables around during hunting season. Try to avoid camping in plots of woods within earshot of inhabited buildings or trailers.

If you are lucky, we have known folks get away with this for months. It probably is not the best solution for sheltering, but if you are biking cross-country or are just sick of squatting in a city, this can be fairly safe if common sense is used. Set yourself up with a farm job, a bike, and near a rural truck stop or general store and you are in for an adventure.

Now, if you are fortunate enough to have a car, you will probably be more limited in secure spots. Getting past barb wire fences and getting through ancient locked gates probably is not the safest place for the car. Recent car tracks or a strange car on the land is a sure giveaway and can lead irate landowners armed with high-powered rifles to your location, just remind them of your legal camping rights and then leave as asked. Neither is just leaving your car parked alongside a road as rural county cops regularly put tow notices on cars that look to be abandoned. Stealth camping is best done with a bicycle or small motorcycle that can be walked up into the hidden screen of woods with you. Consider tarping over your bike since the reflectors really stand out and people might come looking for the shiny abandoned stuff in the woods.

By all means, if you are stealth camping, remember the "stealth" part in camping. Walk light to avoid leaving visible trails from the entry point in the woods directly to your camp, try to follow an established trail or road and branch off from there. Do not be a total slob and leave the land littered with garbage like water bottles, discarded clothes, and cigarette butts, this will get you busted if they are looking to punish you for camping. Keep your voice down as sounds can carry further than you think in the woods. Try to use a camp stove, but if you must build a wood fire, keep it small, infrequent, and short-lived leaving no trace afterwards, most of all don't start brush or forest fires, also think wind the wood fire smell carries as does grilling meat and cigarettes. Avoid overuse of flashlights, mobile phones, and computers as sometimes this can be seen from outside the woods for much further than would be liked - even from a bored county cop surfing porn after sundown from the side of the road on his 3G laptop!

For more detail into camping, read the Camping article also in Free Shelter.

Creative Construction

If you have either permission from some kindhearted soul or manage to own a slither of land, you suffer none of the ordinances of the city nor stupid "community covenants" that plague some suburbs. This means you can be really creative with your shelter. Some of the wilder ideas that we here at STW have come across, we will share.

Recycled Sea Shipping Container

Super strong and designed to be waterproof, the standard 24 and 40 foot shipping container can be made into a house by cutting holes for and installing a door and windows. It is cheaper for a company to sell a well-used container than to scrap and recycle it. If you plan to use it as a home or barn you will have to address ventilation and insulation issues, otherwise you will face condensation problems. Strength is mostly in the stacking direction, twisting or loads against the walls like from burial may cause structural failure.

Straw Bale

Straw bale is one of the easiest, simplest, cheapest ways to build either a full size house or hut. For a small structure all you really do is create walls out of hay bales, staggering them like giant bricks, and add a waterproof cover, sometimes coating the outsides with concrete, mud, leaves, or wood to keep the walls dry. This is not necessary. With properly placed support beams, the house will stay safe through wet times and rain. Straw also acts as an insulator. If you will be living in a very cold or windy area with an abundance of hay, we would suggest doubling up walls. A small sleeping hut consisting of straw bales, freight pallets to support the roof bales, one or more large tarps for wind and weather protection, and rope or fiber tape to secure the tarp could be made for a very low price, don't forget to save a few bales for a raised bed or floor so you won't loose body heat to the cold ground. Ask at the feed or hardware store if they offer cheap or free delivery out to your building site.

Yurt

For a few grand a decent sized yurt can be purchased. The mountain peoples of China, Mongolia, and even part of Afghanistan use yurts for mobile housing. A canvas roof, round wood walls, and a smoke hole or plastic skylight are normal features. A quality yurt will last up to ten years in a damp climate and longer in a dry one.

Much information about yurts (yrts or gers) is online. Some links for building plans can be found on these sites:

http://www.chaingang.org/yurtquest/links.html http://www.chaingang.org/yurtquest/yurtp.pdf

http://www.bioregions.org/pdfs/GerOwnersPamphlet.pdf http://www.tiny-house-living.com/yurt-plans.html http://www.nmt179.com/resources/yurt-plans.html http://www.currentmiddleages.org/tents/ http://www.livingintheround.org/?tag=yurt-plans

Ferro-cement

Ferro-cement is an extremely strong, easy-to-deal-with material. Not to mention cheap, and ferro houses can take just about any shape, making them easy to hide in places the pigs would never think. Below is a free e-book about ferro. Very informative.

http://ferrocement.com/casa-contents/contents.en-ferroHouse-web.html

Greenhouse

PVC tubing arches and UV resistant plastic make for an acceptable shelter and an excellent source of food for under $100. These are most effective in low wind areas which have mild winters but become unbearable to live in in summer. Black plastic sheeting over the soil and a perforated garden hose under the sheeting allow irrigation and conservation of water slits in the plastic allow plants to grow. Twine hanging from the arches can be used to hang overloaded cucumber and tomato plants.

See Farm It

Mobile Homes

The mobile home often elicits snickers and jokes with heavy racist and classist overtones when mentioned. Of course, this may be part of the CorpGov marketing machine scaring people into buying/renting overpriced and over-sized houses financed with adjustable rate balloon mortgages. There is no shame in a manufactured home. The quality is comparable to the contractor built houses found in most Amerikan subdivisions. A word of caution though, be very careful reading the contract and loan, there have been many cases of 'gotchya' clauses which include overpriced land leases, surprise fees, or even repo/eviction clauses for failure to pay on time these are less common when choosing to use your own piece of land and paying cash for the house.

One advantage of a mobile home is it can be moved if needed, but not on a regular basis. You are going to need to find someone with the proper flatbed truck, crane, and equipment to move it to a new prepared site. Be careful and get an inspection before buying as the mover is usually not responsible for a house that falls apart during moving due to rot or abuse.

Purchased used single wide mobiles are sometimes as cheap as three to six months of minimum wage earnings plus transportation costs. Beyond the trailer park style single wide homes there are also double, triple, and even larger designs that many would think were built on site. Some commercial trailer park sites charge for the lot, but this is usually much less than apartment rent. Also, be aware that most mobile homes are not as secure as regular homes in inclement weather such as tornadoes or hurricanes. Have a disaster plan in mind for the small chance of this happening.

School Bus

Even if it will never run again a school bus is still a possibility for shelter; tow it to your site put it on blocks and remove the seats. The upsides are a reasonably large living area and potential for relocation. A bus cabin is real cleanup problem when you vacate, it will also invite police attention so place this option towards the bottom of your list.

Interesting Rural Places

The spaces between cities can be as diverse and filled with interesting places and people just like any city. Below are a few examples that some of the contributors at STW have run into during travels.

Slab City

You could always park inSlab City (4 miles outside of Niland, Callifornia) and call that home. Not many resources of any kind. You need to buy water and solar is about the only way to get cheap electricity. Mild winters but flaming hot summers.

Immigrant Labor Camp

If you happen to appear somewhat browner skinned, most rural WASP's will look right through you if you play to their expectations, taking on Latino laborer dress and keeping your mouth shut can work as great camouflage. Migrant labor camps are usually provided for workers as part of their pay. Conditions are often sparse to tragic as CorpGov and independent farmers just want to make a buck, these are usually not the place to look for shelter unless you look and speak like a native of the lands south of the Rio Grande and are in a very tight situation.

Black Mesa Navajo

The Native peoples of Black Mesa, AZ run a program for outsiders to come and live and work with a family or an elder. You will be expected to perform physical labor, and drugs and alcohol are strictly forbidden. They ask for a commitment of at least a few weeks, but shorter or longer stays can be arranged. Visit http://www.blackmesais.org/cultural_sen.html or email blackmesais@riseup.net

Wilderness

See Backpacking and Camping

Adverse Possession

In Free Land we describe acquiring abandoned property legally by squatting for a defined period of time. This is an excellent way to gain a good shelter and useful private land, you can even sell it later, this doesn't work for public land.

Guides

Remote Areas Development Manual

Search http://eric.ed.gov/ for the "Remote Areas Development Manual" it is the pocket size book that gives you almost every DIY technique to build a well run farming village.

Peace Corps Building Manual

Visit the website http://home.comcast.net/~kellyjmorris/build_docs.html which has a free download of the Peace Corps Construction Manual which teaches how to make block and brick construction with minimal concrete or local soils, it also covers digging wells. Like military manuals the Peace Corps publications are written under government contract with your taxes and are in the public domain, feel free to print, bind, and even sell these books.

Magazines

Back in the 1970's the big back-to-the-land magazine was The Mother Earth News (TMEN). Many back issues are sought-after for their still relevant information and DIY projects (They also sell CD-ROM archives of many of their projects and articles from the 1970's, considered to be TMEN's heyday). In 1986, they were bought out by New American and changed much of the magazine's demographics to suburban types. In 1990, much of the editorial staff left and founded BackHome Magazine ("Your Hands-On Guide to Sustainable Living"), which maintains the rural emphasis of the original TMEN.

There is another publication; Backwoods Home Magazine. While it does have some good information on homesteading, some of the editorials often have a conservative libertarian bias and sometimes veer into conspiracy theory-land.

Another magazine, again with a similar name, is The Backwoodsman, which has heavy emphasis on primitive living and wilderness survival. It fittingly uses "The Magazine for the Twenty-First Century Frontiersman" as it's motto.

All four of these publications maintain websites and sell collections of their past articles and projects, either in book or CD-ROM format.

BackHome Magazine: http://www.backhomemagazine.com/
Backwoods Home Magazine:http://www.backwoodshome.com/
The Backwoodsman: http://www.backwoodsmanmag.com/
The Mother Earth News: http://www.motherearthnews.com/

Another good publication on self-sufficient living is Countryside & Small Stock Journal, which started in 1973 when Small Stock Magazine (founded in 1917) merged with Countryside (founded in 1963). It's more of a network of homesteaders than a slick publication, so you will have access to lots of useful information.

http://www.countrysidemag.com/

The Energy Self Sufficiency Newsletter was published for only two years (2005-2006), but the editor, Larry D. Barr, saw fit to archive all the issues on-line as .pdf’s. You can download each issue seperately, or in a bunch (46.4 Meg) as either .zip or .tar.gz formats.

http://www.rebelwolf.com/essn.html

Original Rural Living

If you are considering moving to the country, especially as a group, you are talking about farms and farmland. There are some farms for rent, and occasionally a family that has to be away for a year or two will let you live on their farm if you keep the place in repair. These can be found advertised in the back of various farming magazines and in the classified sections of newspapers, especially the Sunday editions. Generally speaking, however, if you're interested in a farm, you should be considering an outright purchase.

First, you have to determine in what part of the country you want to live in terms of the climate you prefer and how far away from the major cities you wish to locate. The least populated states, such as Utah, Idaho, the Dakotas, Montana and the like, have the cheapest prices and the lowest tax rates. The more populated a state, and in turn, the closer to a city, the higher the commercial value of the land.

There are hundreds of different types of farms, so the next set of questions you'll have to raise concerns the type of farm activity you'll want to engage in. Cattle farms are different than vegetable farms or orchards. Farms come in sizes: from half an acre to ranches larger than the state of Connecticut. They will run in price from $30 to $3000 an acre, with the most expensive being prime farmland in fertile river valleys located close to an urban area. The further away from the city and the further up a hill, the cheaper the land gets. It also gets woodier, rockier and steeper, which means less tillable land.

If you are talking of living in a farm house and maybe having a small garden and some livestock for your own use, with perhaps a pond on the property, you are looking for what is called a recreational farm. When you buy a recreational farm, naturally you are interested in the house, barn, well, fences, chicken-coop, corrals, woodsheds and other physical structures on the property. Unless these are in unusually good condition or unique, they do not enter into the sale price as major factors. It is the land itself that is bought and sold.

Farmland is measured in acreage; an acre being slightly more than 43,560 square feet. The total area is measured in 40-acre plots. Thus, if a farmer or a real estate agent says he has a plot of land down the road, he means a 40-acre farm. Farms are generally measured this way, with an average recreational farm being 160 acres in size or an area covering about 1/2 square mile. A reasonable rate for recreational farmland 100 miles from a major city with good water and a livable house would be about $50 per acre. For a 160-acre farm, it would be $8,000, which is not an awful lot considering what you are getting. For an overall view, get the free catalogs and brochures provided by the United Farm Agency, 612 W. 47th St., Kansas City, Mo. 64112.

Now that you have a rough idea of where and what type of farm you want, you can begin to get more specific. Check out the classified section in the Sunday newspaper of the largest city near your desired location. Get the phone book and call or write to real estate agencies in the vicinity. Unlike the city, where there is a sellers' market, rural estate agents collect their fee from the seller of the property, so you won't have to worry about the agent's fee.

When you have narrowed down the choices, the next thing you'll want to look at is the plot book for the county. The plot book has all the farms in each township mapped out. lt also shows terrain variations, type of housing on the land, location of rivers, roads and a host of other pertinent information. Road accessibility, especially in the winter, is an important factor. If the farms bordering the one you have selected are abandoned or not in full use, then for all intents and purposes, you have more land than you are buying.

After doing all this, you are prepared to go look at the farm itself. Notice the condition of the auxiliary roads leading to the house. You'll want an idea of what sections of the land are tillable. Make note of how many boulders you'll have to clear to do some planting. Also note how many trees there are and to what extent the brush has to be cut down. Be sure and have a good idea of the insect problems you can expect. Mosquitoes or flies can bug the shit out of you. Feel the soil where you plan to have a garden and see how rich it is. If there are fruit trees, check their condition. Taste the water. Find out if hunters or tourists come through the land. Examine the house. The most important things are the basement and the roof. In the basement examine the beams for dry rot and termites. See how long it will be before the roof must be replaced. Next check the heating system, the electrical wiring and the plumbing. Then you'll want to know about services such as schools, snow plowing, telephones, fire department and finally about your neighbors. If the house is beyond repair, you might still want the farm, especially if you are good at carpentry. Cabins, A-Frames, domes and tepees are all cheaply constructed with little experience. Get the materials from your nearest military installation.

Finally, check out the secondary structures on the land to see how usable they are. If there is a pond, you'll want to see how deep it is for swimming. If there are streams, you'll want to know about the fishing possibilities; and if large wooded areas, the hunting.

In negotiating the final sales agreement, you should employ a lawyer. You'll also want to check out the possibility of negotiating a bank loan for the farm. Don't forget that you have to pay taxes on the land, so inquire from the previous owner or agent as to the tax bill. Usually, you can count on paying about $50 annually per 40-acre plot.

Finally, check out the federal programs available in the area. If you can learn the ins and outs of the government programs, you can rip off plenty. The Feed-Grain Program of the Department of Agriculture pays you not to grow grain. The Cotton Subsidy Program pays you not to grow cotton. Also look into the Soil Bank Program of the United States Development Association and various Department of Forestry programs which pay you to plant trees. Between not planting cotton and planting trees, you should be able to manage.

Squatting

Last updated: 2 June 2011

Note:The contents of this page are based on the graphic novel "Survival Without Rent." Survival Without Rent was originally published in 1986. It was revised and expanded in 1989. Not being all text, it included fantastic illustrations, some of which can be viewed at a site that contains images by squatter, activist and artist Seth Tobocman. Small stylistic changes were made as it was keyboarded for uploading to the Internet in February 1997. This book is intended to help people take back the homes that have been taken away from them by government and business. It is dedicated to Eleanor Bumpurs and to the East Fifth Street Squat.

As we all know, laws and police tactics change over time, but the principles remain the same, and we can always use this information. Repurposing a run down structure as a shelter is a tricky, yet rewarding task. This section is designed specifically for locating an abandoned building and making it your somewhat legal residence for as long as possible. As opposed to Low Impact Crashing, where any survival trick goes and the stay is expected to be of a shorter duration, the steps listed in this section are designed to be as legal as possible in order to prolong your squat and make it more CorpGov resistant, eventually you can sometimes even become the recognized legal owner if you can stick it out through the legal concept of adverse possession, see Free Land. As this is now part of the wiki it has been over time edited to differ from the original squatting guidebook which was very specific to New York legalities. We expect to see many more abandoned buildings and homeless squats as the USA and the world visits the economic slums in the near future and present. If you see something that is out of date, the base document is after all over 25 years old, and no longer correct as with the rest of the wiki, fix it!

1 Legal Issues
1.1 Foreclosure Squatting
1.2 Authorized Foreclosure Squatting
1.3 Disputed Loan Hassle
2 Security
3 Repairs
3.1 Leak Management
3.2 Drainage
3.3 Replumbing
3.4 Shower Enclosure
3.5 Rewiring
3.6 Door and Frame
3.7 A Warm Bed
3.7.1 Cargo Pallet Bed
3.7.2 Hammock
4 Living Arrangements
5 Stealth Squats
6 Defense in an Eviction
7 Original Content
7.1 Introduction
7.2 How to Form a Group
7.2.1 Choosing Your Team
7.2.2 Assembling Your Squat Team
7.2.3 Rules
7.3 Finding a Building and Investigating It
7.3.1 Finding
7.3.1.1 Triage Marks
7.3.1.2 Ownership
7.3.2 Inspecting the Building
7.3.2.1 Walls
7.3.2.2 Major Code Violations
7.3.2.3 Entry
7.3.2.4 Interior Inspection
7.3.2.5 Stairs
7.3.2.6 Floor Joists
7.3.2.7 Pipes
7.3.2.8 Door
7.4 Getting In
7.4.1 Outside Door
7.4.2 Posting Your Claim
7.4.3 Security
7.4.4 Establishing a Claim
7.5 Emergency Repairs
7.5.1 Roof
7.5.2 Planning
7.5.3 Temporary Roof Repairs
7.5.4 Windows
7.5.5 Frame Repairs
7.5.6 Stair and Floor Repairs
7.5.7 Pipes
7.5.8 Debris Removal
7.5.9 Asbestos Safety
7.5.10 Document Homestead Repairs
7.6 Light, Heat, and Fire Safety
7.6.1 Light
7.6.2 Heat
7.6.3 Kerosene Heaters
7.6.4 Wood Stoves
7.6.5 Smoke
7.6.6 Fires
7.7 Makeshift Toilets, Water, and Cooking
7.7.1 Waste
7.7.2 Food Storage
7.7.3 Alcohol Stove
7.7.4 Stoves
7.7.5 Make it Comfortable
7.7.6 Windows
7.7.7 Utilities
7.8 Legal Hassles
7.8.1 Mail
7.8.2 Registered Mail
7.8.3 Appearance
7.8.4 Neighborhood Association
7.8.5 Bureaucracy and Eviction
7.8.6 Welfare and Children
7.8.7 Public Officers
7.8.8 Legal Notices
7.8.9 Public Safety Evictions
7.8.10 Public Support
7.9 Organizations
7.10 Outside Links

Legal Issues

Seeing as squatting always involves entering someone else's property without their consent, it is often useful to notify yourself of the local laws. This can encompass anything from Illegal Trespass to Criminal Damage, police laws on eviction of houses, renter protection laws(sometimes apply), homeless protection laws (yes, they exist in some very cold countries), etc. Even if squatting has been made completely illegal it will help you stand your ground should you get arrested or kicked out for it. On the sunny side there is often laws that deal with eviction or can even give you rights as an occupier. This could mean you can officially request water, gas and electricity to be connected, or that you can prevent or postpone eviction. It can mean the difference between being evicted the first week or staying there for years.

One useful link in this can be the legal guide of Squat.net:http://legal.squat.net/

Foreclosure Squatting

In late 2007 as the foreclosure machine gets into full swing and the banks are taking away the apartments and houses of even those who pay their rent every month a new opportunity is available to squatters. Often landlords bought and built on speculation of ever rising land values and low interest rates. Now as additional credit is no longer available the risk taking of the landlords affects the renters as a surprise eviction with only days or weeks can be attempted by the banks or government. If this happens to you a ready made squatting solution may have been delivered with the eviction notice. After the eviction notice discontinue paying rent, the old owner no longer has a right to your money if he has lost the property because of delinquent taxes or bank foreclosure, but continue paying regular utilities so they are not shut off. Stash any valuables you want to keep with friends as your eventual evicter may be rough with your stuff. Now get legal help and unite your building and others like it in defiance of the CorpGov banking system, squat your own apartment!!

Authorized Foreclosure Squatting

Here's a novel form of squatting; your own home. See, times are tough and lots of people are defaulting on mortgages. Quite a number of them continue living right there, not making payments, as defacto caretakers of the bank's property. Letting you stay keeps it maintained, prevents vandalism, and keeps squatters out!! The banks have sometimes found it less expensive to not to finish the foreclosure and eviction process, instead holding off the final eviction waiting perhaps for a federal bailout. In late 2009 a program is offered by many banks where you turn in the title and sign away all rights to keeping the home in exchange for being allowed to remain while paying rent.

Oh, you're already out of a place, and need one? Contact a big bank and offer your services as a live in caretaker. Offer to do it in return for living space- maybe they can toss in the water and electric as fringe benefits, maybe not, but it's a legal home, a way to mooch off the system that kicked you out to begin with, and a temporary but hassle free living place. MAYBE it can even turn into a long term way to earn a living as a caretaker. This is worth exploring.

Disputed Loan Hassle

Lastly always show up for all court hearings, with a lawyer if you can still afford one, about your property or loan and protest the legitimacy of the banks ownership of your loan and right to even attempt a foreclosure. This tactic has earned many people a free house since it is difficult to reconstruct the complete undisputed loan holder paper trail what with the twisted derivative and option markets and bank credit corporation bankruptcies of the last few years. The trick is that most banks flipped the mortgage ownership to wall street traders a few weeks after the home sale to package and sell as dodgie investments, they are often impossible to properly track considering the crash and brokerage closures they caused. The banks have to pay the lawyers that are trying to take your house and right now the housing market is crashing, it is a losing investment to a bank that is facing bankruptcy anyway, make the job too expensive and they might go away. Once you publicly repudiate the loan or foreclosure rights of the bank you just need to successfully stick it out for the statutory period of adverse possession without them bringing any more legal actions to become the undisputed legal freeholder of the property.

See Free Land for more on acquiring legal rights to a property through adverse possession of property aka squatters rights.

Security

Since YOU broke in to a squat, do not assume that others will not. Remember, you do not have any legal rights to squat or secure your possessions on this squat, and others may want to freely acquire them from you. To put it simply, you must think ahead when choosing a building and finding a way to secure your possessions.

When first inhabiting a squat, find or create a "safe room." You will want this to be as small and indistinguishable as possible. Put a dead bolt on the room and use it for the storage of valuables. Make sure there is enough room to keep anything you wouldn't want missing when you leave the squat as well.

In a day or two you should have all the windows boarded up, and all but one entrance sealed. Attempt to have the one entrance look as inconspicuous as possible, and keep a locking mechanism on it at all times (from both sides). Make sure the hinges face THE INSIDE of the door. A good way to secure a door is to place two deadbolts near both the top and bottom corner of the door, opposite the hinges, and paint over them. On the inside secure your entrances with a bar.

Do everything to prepare your squat for siege! Most abandoned or foreclosed properties are located in really scrappy, low income neighborhoods and their lots may already be used as dealer grounds or other dangerous criminal activity. Honestly, if a person, or a group of persons, wants your stuff badly enough, they will find a way to take it unless you're adequately prepared and able to defend.

Repairs

Leak Management

If your squat place has a leaky roof buckets and pans might be enough until you can do some repairs. For major damage that threatens to rot or mold your place you need to set up a system of tarp pools and chutes. Large tarps and sheet plastic can be used, we found good instructions in an old firefighters training manual.

For a pool the tarp is under-rolled from four sides with the under-rolling forming walls, then the corners are folded under to keep the rolls tight. If a spillway is needed one corner can be left without an underfold. The pool can be emptied with a garden hose siphon, don't let the spoiled water touch your mouth, coil the hose up in the full pool forcing out the air and plug the end, when you are downstairs unplug the hose and the siphon will run.

A tarp water chute is made by under-rolling the sides of a tarp and running it downhill or stairway to the outside.

It might be possible to make a large cone from a tarp or plastic and clamp drain pipe or hose to run water out from a large building, it is best to drain this into a storm sewer.

Drainage

In a condemned building squat where there is no possibility of rebuilding the bathroom plumbing you might consider cutting a hole in the floor and installing a drain using inexpensive drainage tubing and cement or roofing compound for a seal and running it out to the city storm sewer, this will only work on upper floors where a gravity siphon will carry the water down and across the yard. If possible also seal and build up the floor to slope into the drain, have a cleanout or elbow trap in the pipe to catch valuables, crud, and hair making repairs easier. Before you give up on clogged pipes and tear them out try the following, dump a bottle of bleach, lye, or drain cleaner down the drain to dissolve most hair or grease clogs. A toilet plunger, wire hangar with hooked end, or a drain snake will open most plugged pipes that bleach won't open. The downside to bleach is it is toxic and can cause pollution, snaking is pretty safe but can be very messy.

Replumbing

If the pipes are ripped out of your squat start by replumbing with scrap pipe, garden hose, splices, and hose clamps all attached to the wall and easy to repair, an improvised reinstall will not look too nice but will work just as well as real pipe in the short term when there is a question of how long your stay will be.

Shower Enclosure

If you are not fortunate to have a plumbed squat building or access to a lockable public restroom but can access an unused room with a floor drain you are still in luck. Plastic sheeting is an inexpensive way to make a temporary shower enclosure in a room and still be able to live in it without soaking your gear while also providing some privacy. Hang your siphon shower directly above the floor drain, then hang the plastic sheeting from a hula hoop or PVC pipe frame, it should work to hang it directly from the ceiling, wrap the curtain sheet around with an entry slit and attach a second piece that acts as a collection tub on the bottom, cut a hole for the drain and tape down around the floor drain, an extra flap of plastic over the opening slit will help prevent splash out. A kids inflatable pool is another good way to catch water, be careful especially with the larger pools as they can end up being quite a heavy load on a rotten upper floor, siphon the waste water out the window with a piece of hose if you have no nearby drain or tarp drainage chute.

Rewiring

Attach wire or extension cords high up on the walls, be careful about taping and protecting splices and don't overload the capacity of the wire. A rule of thumb, warm wire is always dangerous shut it off now, cool wire still might be dangerous, get a real electrician to check your work as a first priority. Keep any wiring that is not strung inside the walls up too high for kids or water to get to it. For any long term squat you will need a circuit breaker box to protect against shorts and overloads. Get help from somebody who is properly trained electrical repair to plan the wire, breakers, and anticipated loads for your system, an unplanned ad-hoc setup often causes fires.

Squatters who have not rewired a structure should try to keep electrical loads a low as possible, heating cooking, and even clothes drying are best done with gas appliances. Refrigerators and even large shop vacuum cleaners will also stress an electrical system.

Door and Frame

It is a good idea to upgrade the door frame with heavy timbers or brick and cement and connect it to the existing door frame and wall with steel bolts. A 2x4 or larger wood door bar that can be dropped into place across the doorway and heavy steel braces will hold the bar on your new reinforced door frame. This makes eviction squads or other competing squatters work that much harder to take away your home as well as making it safer from those who would do you harm.

A cheap personal alarm with the door jam sensor is a good portable and noisy way to monitor doors and windows against surprise visitors.

A Warm Bed

One of the most miserable parts of alternative housing and homelessness is that it seems that you are damp and freezing your ass off 24/7 all winter long. Most squats have no electricity or piped in gas so heating is really expensive and often dangerous. The worst time to feel cold is when you are trying to sleep, being chilled at night ruins your health and keeps you from getting proper rest, making you ineffective to your cause.

Cargo Pallet Bed

For the most part we spend our first cash to equip ourselves with a decent sleeping bag and this is your top priority in getting proper bedding. Once this is taken care of you need to get off of the ground and get some sleep. Even a dry floor in an unheated squat steals heat and collects condensation preventing a truly warm nights sleep.

Dry cardboard and newspaper have some insulating properties if you have no other options but they get gross and collect condensation sometimes as quickly as one night or two in winter.

While you are collecting the stuff you need to make a proper bed, find two or three wooden freight pallets in good condition to get you off of the floor. They are behind almost every business, factory, and strip mall. Be sure to hammer down all nails so you don't rip your bag or hurt yourself, now pad the pallets with a few of those cheap lint blankets they give away at homeless shelters or if you cant get any blankets use a protective layer of newspaper or cardboard. If you already are carrying it cover the rough surface of the pallets with your closed cell foam (non- inflatable) camping or yoga pad.

Now that you are off of the ground and feeling a little better lets try to make you a decent bed that will really keep you warm and keep the cold out. See more beds in Free Furniture

Hammock

If you travel light you might have a hammock in your gear, just screw some heavy duty eye-bolts or hooks into unrotted studs in the wall, if you want to insert a hook into cement you will need a drill and plastic or metal inserts. The tarp you hang over your hammock when camping can also protect you indoors from roof leaks.

Living Arrangements

It is a good idea to clearly mark the entrance of a women's only squat if that is how you want to form your group. Making a squat female exclusive is not to be a hate or anger based settlement decision but should serve the security and emotional needs of the squat team. Women must make every attempt to have a solid locked door by the first night of occupation as much physical and most sexual violence is directed at women.

It is also not a bad idea for men to try to find male exclusivity in living arrangements to reduce the likelihood of a misunderstanding which could result in accusations of sexual assault or harassment of women or minors. A segregated squat will also put any temptation of actual misdeeds at least against women beyond arms length.

If a family with children is seeking to occupy a squatted property a parent or guardian should be present at all times the child is in the squat. Presence of a legal guardian is to safeguard the child both from the so called child welfare authorities who may try to illegally capture and hold a child, as well as from potential predators who may reside in or attempt to take over the squat. Squatting is not a legal reason for the state to take your child away, know your child's rights.

Stealth Squats

Flip to our chapter on Urban Living#Squat a House for more on tactics and safety for temporary stealth squats

Defense in an Eviction

Buildings are ready built obstacles waiting to be barricaded. Occupy these early, as contractors will attempt to destroy or occupy them. A building waiting to be destroyed is also a completely valid source of materials. Consider first whether to barricade the whole house, just the upstairs (removing the staircase, blocking off the stairwell and using an upstairs window as the only access), or just one "strong room". Decide according to the amount of people, time and materials available. Barricades can be done on a very low budget using materials collected from skips or disused yards in the area. They need to be solid and able to resist sledge hammer blows.

You will need:

Tools - Hammers, saws, shovels, buckets, a crowbar, sledgehammer and screwdriver.

Materials - Nails, screws and fencing staples; timber, old bed frames, wire, tin fencing and wire mesh (often used on building sites, can be borrowed, perhaps), doors, anything heavy or that could be filled with rubble, water or earth (e.g. oil drums); car tyres, mirrors, anything else you like! For concrete, mix sandy gravel and cement in a 3:1 ratio.

Make sure you have a good store of materials within the building before starting.
Keep the details of barricades as secret as possible and develop your own eccentricities!
Pulleys help when lifting heavy objects.
Tempt people to help with tea, cakes and bourbon cream biscuits.

To make a barricade, alternating layers of planks or doors and metal nailed into the doors or window frames make a good start point. Next, nail vertical beams behind these with a support prop to the floor at 45 degrees. Reinforce the base of the prop with another beam nailed behind it into the floor joists. Then fill the whole area with rubble, car tires and other debris.

Stairwells can be sealed off using long planks, with water or rubble-filled oil drums on top. Removing the staircase as well makes access to the first floor even more difficult. It is vital to leave clear warning messages that any attempt to cut through the planks will result in a serious headache!

Entrance points must be kept shut at night and should be quick and easy to secure. Reinforce wall cavities with concrete. Floors should be reinforced or strewn with rubble to make entry into barricaded rooms from below harder. Consider digging into the floor or basement, building a wooden box bunker and then filling the remaining space with rubble and tires. Have a good access tunnel with lockable gates. These have been used on Claremont Road and at the Darwen squats during the M11 and M65 campaigns in 1994

These blocking tactics push the focus for their assault onto the roof, forcing use of expensive cherry-pickers. Attic spaces should be occupied, filled and reinforced from both inside and outside if possible. Chimney stacks are ideal fixtures for lock-ons, although for safety they should be demolished to the level of the roof tiles. Heavy chains cemented into the building make a good connector for catching cherry-pickers (see chapter 12). Scaffolding or wooden towers emerging from the roof are a bonus, as are nets between houses and from trees to houses. Nets, as with tree defense, help movement around the threatened area if ground level is sealed off.

Original Content

Introduction

The housing situation in NYC rapidly becomes worse and worse. Abandoned buildings deteriorate with every winter. Low income housing and homesteading programs have disappeared along with our elected officials' promises. Now is the time to take the situation into our own hands. What we're saying is that housing policy is dishonest and an insult to anyone living in welfare hotels, crowded conditions or in the park. These laws are put together by people who can only be described as common criminals who wear nice clothes and live in two or three nice homes. They would never dream of living in the conditions that we are used to. These people profit from our misery. They don't have a grain of sympathy for us, our children, or the sometimes unbearable conditions in which we are forced to live.

This little book has been put together to help people with little or no money find a solution to their housing problems. We hope that after reading it, people will look at an abandoned building in a totally new light. You might think that living in the conditions we describe in this book is pretty crude. We hope you won't be forced to live like this. But if it sounds better than what you've got now, we hope you'll be inspired to give it a try.

We will go through a step-by-step guide on how to find your building, what to look for, and the cheapest and easiest ways of making it comfortable. Once you are in the building, you will have to deal with the law eventually, so we have included a section covering some basics to keep the police from messing you up. We aim in this book to show methods that you can use to live more comfortably and safely than on the street. We believe that -- even if you have no money at all and don't want to have anything to do with other people -- you will still find the ideas in this book useful. It may be less work and in some ways more comfortable to live in a shelter. However, we believe that if you can manage to take an empty building, you will have a home with more self-respect and more independence than just about anyone. You can get off the street or out of the shelter and make a decent home for yourself very simply. If you do, we hope that you will use whatever political, legal, or other means you can to keep the powers-that-be from making you homeless again.

Mayor Koch once said that if you can't afford to live here, you should get out. Let's give him (and his successors) our answer: We're taking our homes for ourselves here. Koch and his cronies can take it or leave it themselves. You can improve a vacant lot without being busted for trespassing -- insist on your right to squat on unused PUBLIC property.

Here are some (now outdated) facts to consider if you are not sure whether it is right for you to make a home for yourself in a building that you don't "legally" own.

Two-thirds of New Yorkers pay 40 percent or more of their income for housing, while most of the top quarter of the income scale pay less 40 percent.
One hundred thousand people are homeless in New York City.
The city government owns 65 percent of the vacant properties in Harlem and other areas of the city.
Thirty-six thousand apartments were converted to co-ops and condos between 1981 and 1984.
Twenty-seven percent of homeless people were forced out of their homes by eviction.
Three hundred and ten thousand units have been emptied by abandonment, disinvestment and arson.

How to Form a Group

This first part is often the trickiest, since a bad, un-together group will do more damage to the project than the city government will in many cases. The people you live and work with are more important than the building that you chose. One of the most important aspects of a group is diversity. Every group has its own style: some are more political than others; some like to party; some like to be real business-like and legal; some are arty; others are just trying to get over and off the street. Whatever your group is like, you should keep in mind that not only do you have to relate to each other, you also have to relate to your community. If your neighborhood is all the same ethnic group as the members of your group, you don't have to worry about diversity. But if your group has only token members of the main ethnic group in the neighborhood, then you could get yourself in some trouble.

Choosing Your Team

A group of people living and working together who all agree on everything cannot exist: someone in the group is always going to have to shelve, give up or compromise on an idea. As you will be living in the unfamiliar condition of having no landlord, no way of calling in the police to settle your differences, you should give some thought to the kind of people you want to live with.

Assembling Your Squat Team

Once you've decided to squat, its up to you to make the first contact. How you do this depends on your situation. If you live in a welfare hotel or a shelter, you will have a readily-available supply of people who are in the same situation as you. After studying this book, the next time someone says to you, "God! I'm sick of this shit," spring the idea on them. Sit down, have a coffee and go over the pros and cons of squatting. We're sure you're going to disagree with some of the things we say, just as sure as you will come up with ideas of your own (with enough energy and luck). Communicating with people in this way you will soon find yourself in a group which is seriously considering the option of squatting.

We feel that six adults is a big enough group to go to a building (figure out yourselves what "adult" means). If for some reason your group is only two or three people, don't be discouraged. Go ahead with the project, since once a building is opened, within weeks you'll have people coming around, looking for a place to stay.

If for some reason you happen to be isolated, that is, living alone in a hotel, or even in the park, and you can't get enough people interested or organized, then don't give up! Remember that this city is full of homeless people and all you need is a few of them to start your group. You could advertise on lamp posts and bulletin boards. For example: "Wanted: people interested in homesteading. Contact —." (Note: some squatters call themselves homesteaders when dealing with the public, but in many areas no one understands what this means.) The groups listed at the end of this book may help you make contracts.

Rules

We have found that a set of rules is must for any new group. The rules should be discussed in detail and agreed upon by all concerned. They should be written down, since verbal agreements tend to get pretty vague after a few months.

Here is one set of house rules you can think about if you need ideas for your own:

No hard drugs: they can be used as a pretext to throw everyone out of the building.
No violence.
No stealing.

Breaking any of these first three rules can get you thrown out of the squat, though everyone should remember that squatters have no legal right to throw anyone out or evict them.

Every member must work a minimum of hours per month on the common areas of the building. Jobs may include childcare and other non-construction work. What work people do depends on their abilities.
Every member must pay a certain amount per month to a construction fund for the common areas of the building: roof, stairs, plumbing, electricity, etc.
The construction funds should be deposited in a joint account, which requires at least two signatures to get money from. The name on the account should be something like "The 537 E. 5th St. Homestead Association."
All new members must go through a trial period in which they work on the building with old members for a month, and can then be accepted as a member by agreement of all the other members.

We want to emphasize again that these rules are our own, and you will probably need to adapt them to your own circumstances. We also hope people will keep in mind the cruel wave of evictions that has made so many people homeless when they consider whether or not some offense is serious enough to throw a member out.

Finding a Building and Investigating It

Finding

New York City is full of empty buildings that range from totally destroyed shells all the way to buildings that are in OK shape. The way to find a building is to simply walk around the streets with your eyes open. Try to concentrate on areas where people are already squatting or homesteading, as you will usually get less hassle from the neighbors if you squat there. Look at the buildings surrounding the one you've got your eye on.

If the surroundings look as if they've been renovated for well-off people, this may mean more hassles from neighbors and police. The neighbors can be dealt with just by talking to them and explaining your case. Give them some figures on how many people are homeless. Tell them who is in your group and how you came to be in the situation you're in. Be realistic and honest. See what you can find out from them. Ask about the history of the building and whether or not any one has been using it since it was abandoned.

Try to get an idea if any community groups, politicians, gangs or real estate operators have an eye on the building. If so, figure out if they are for real and, if not, whether you will be able to take the building and keep them off your back. If you think they are for real, you might approach them and see if you can work together. You may also meet squatters who still have room in their buildings and are looking for new members.

Be polite, but be careful of people who are in too big a hurry to be your friend. Be particularly careful to avoid antagonizing any of your neighbors during the first month, that is, until you've established your residence. As for dealing with the police, refer to the chapter on legal hassles.

Triage Marks

You will notice that some buildings have been painted with squares. These squares are painted by the city government to indicate the status of the building. An empty square indicates that the building is abandoned. A square with a slash in it indicates that fire fighters should be cautious entering the building. A square with an X in it indicates that the building is condemned. Don't presume the building is not good: perfectly good buildings get condemned all the time.

Ownership

It's worth knowing whether a building is still privately owned or has been taken over by the city government. If the owner of a building shows up and wants you out, it is easier for him to get you evicted than it is for the city to get you out of one of their buildings.

Also, if it ever gets to the point that you want to hold on to the building you have squatted and stay there over a long term, it is possible to do so with city-owned buildings, but practically impossible with privately-owned buildings. People on the block may know if the city owns a building or not, but to be sure you should check at city hall. In NYC, the place to go if the Office of the City Register, Room 20531, Chambers Street.

Take the exact address of the building with you. In the office, look first at the Lot and Block maps. Find the block number and the lot number of the address in which you're interested. The records are kept according to these numbers and not according to addresses. When you have this information, check out the micro film for the building (you need ID to do this). When you're reading the microfilm, go directly to the last few pages in the records to find the last transaction, because this will tell you who owns the building now. The city government ends up owning a building when the previous owner didn't pay the taxes on it; the city takes the building (forecloses) in lieu of back taxes. So look for a statement of foreclosure.

Inspecting the Building

Walls

Have a look at the exterior walls of the building you're researching. You may have to wait until you've gotten inside before you can get to the back of the building, but what you need to look at is the same. Are there major holes in the masonry? If they can't be filled or covered, they might be significant structural defects. Are there signs of bulging or sagging? Are there wide gaps where the mortar joints should be? If the answer is "Yes" to any of these questions, find another building to squat.

Major Code Violations

Is the fire escape pulling loose from the wall? Is it falling apart? Is the cornice (the part that sticks out from the face of the building along the roof) broken apart and dangling? If the answer to any of these questions is "Yes," you've got dangers to people walking on the sidewalk in front of the building, and so you will have to fix these problems. But remember: though a cornice is just a decorative frill (and so can be removed or tied back so it won't fall), its deterioration can be a sign of overall deterioration. A dangerous cornice is a building code violation and can get your squat closed down.

Entry

OK, so at this point you've got your eye on a certain building and, from the outside, it doesn't look too bad. Now for a look inside. To be on the safe side as far as getting hassled goes, it may be best to go in the evening when it is dark. But it may be that, after familiarizing yourself with the neighborhood, you feel comfortable with entering the building during the daytime. Either way, bring a strong flashlight and be very careful where you step and what you hold on to. It's very easy -- if you are not watching what you are doing -- to step through a rotted floor board or lose your balance when a piece of broken window frame comes loose in your hand. The riskiest part of an abandoned building is usually at the top, because there are usually some bad leaks in the roof that will cause rot. But dangers can be found aplenty on the lower floors, too: vandalism and fire damage can be found anywhere in a building, and years of leakage will result in lower-floor rot as well.

Normally the easiest way in is through the back. You can climb up the fire escape and go in a window. Even if the back is bricked up, you can get to the roof, and from there it is often easy to find a way in. Now, say there's no way into the back -- what do you do? You're going to need about five people and a 12-foot ladder. Two people are needed as lookouts; one person holds the ladder while the remaining two enter the building. It's always useful to have one person with you who has some knowledge of old buildings, so if no one in your group knows old buildings, you should get someone who does to help out.

If you are unfortunate enough to choose a building that is totally bricked up, your only way in will probably be on the roof. If you can't get up to the roof, you will have to chisel out a couple of concrete blocks from a window and get in through the opening you've created. We recommend that as few people as possible do this so that too much attention isn't attracted.

It is easy to get in if you can get friendly with someone who lives next door: you can get onto the roof of the building you're interested in through this person's building.

So! After days of planning, hassles, people not showing up, and trying to get organized, you're finally inside and ready to inspect the building. It will almost certainly look and smell like shit: it will be full of old rotting furniture, rubble and ceilings that have fallen down all over the place. Some apartments in the building will be burnt-out. Don't be discouraged by any of this, for it's all quite normal.

Interior Inspection

Inspect the roof. Check it for holes. Look for missing, burnt or rotted joists, which are the timbers that support roofs and floors. Rot can be tested by sticking a knife in the lumber as far as it will go. When checking for rot, find a spot where the leaking water soaks in and doesn't dry up right away. Up to an inch may be rotted or burnt, and the timbers might still be OK. The ends of the joists can suffer a lot of deterioration without endangering the structure, but the joists in the middle cannot be weakened without risking collapse. Check the parapet walls around the roof to see if (or how badly) they are falling apart and what will need to be done to them to make them safe.

Stairs

Inspect the stairs. If you're lucky, there will be nothing wrong with the stairs except for some missing steps. If the building has no staircase at all, you will have a lot of work to do, perhaps too much. Until you are able to replace the stairs, you will have to use the fire escape or a ladder in place of stairs. There are enough buildings with stairs around that you may be wasting your time on one that doesn't have any staircase at all. One squat in NYC was evacuated by the Fire Department for not having stairs. Eviction by HPD (Housing Preservation and Development, which is the landlord of city-owned buildings) can be delayed by legal means for a long time. But evacuation by the city's Fire, Health or Buildings Departments is swift and hard to contest.

Floor Joists

Inspect the floor joists. These are the timbers that support the floors. Make note where they are missing or damaged. If the floors are sloping more than an inch or so, this may mean that the structure has shifted so much that it has become dangerous. If timbers are dangerously damaged, they can be braced by scavenged lumber (four- by-fours are best).

Pipes

Inspect the sewer pipes. The toilets will typically be smashed or missing, but the water pipes may be in salvageable condition. Follow the waste pipes through the building down to the basement, checking for holes along the way. Look for holes in the walls which HPD -- upon taking over the building -- may have made in order to damage the pipes and thereby discourage squatters. Copper water pipes will certainly have been stripped, but if there were steel pipes originally, they may still be in place and usable. If your plumbing is in OK condition, you can probably get your water running pretty soon. Otherwise you can get water from a fire hydrant, which can be opened with a pipe wrench.

Door

Inspect the front door. If the front of the building has been sealed with concrete blocks, make sure that the door or any windows are ready to use before you knock the blocks out. If there is already a working door you can use or if you have to knock a hole in the block wall and install a door in the opening (see below), make sure you are ready to keep the building secured once you have opened it and made your use of the building public.

Getting In

Now, you're ready to move in. If the area you're in is run-down, it's possible that no one will bother you while you smash out the concrete blocks. With a twelve-pound sledge hammer, a door sized opening can take as few as seven-and-a-half minutes to create. Quickly get all the broken blocks off the sidewalk and into the building; sweep up to remove signs of your work. You may want to keep a low profile and do this while look-outs watch for the cops, or bring along lots of friends and supporters, and dare the cops to intervene. It is also possible, and it may be preferable, to work from the inside out, to chisel the blocks out discreetly, one by one.

Outside Door

You should have a door and frame prepared to set into the new opening. Measure and mark the hole you've opened with your new door in mind. In any case, work quickly and as quietly as possible. Once inside, unless there is a usable door in place, either set up a barricade or install a door. Steel door frames and doors are easily scavenged from demolition or rehab sites. Unless you're pretty strong, it will take two people to carry a steel door or a cart to roll it on.

To install the front door, set the frame in the opening and fill in around the edges with pieces of broken blocks and some mortar (a couple of bags of mortar mix should be enough). Make certain that the bottom of the door frame is exactly as wide as the top when it is set in place. Otherwise the door won't work. Use a board that has been cut to exactly the right width to keep the correct space at the bottom of the frame while it is being installed. Make sure the frame is straight up and down and not crooked, bent or twisted out of line in the opening. If the frame you have is bent, you can straighten it with a hammer, laying it on the pavement and using a block of wood to protect it from getting dented up too much.

Install the frame so that the door will open into the building. There are steel tabs on the inside of the door frame that are meant to be bent out so that they will anchor the frame into the mortar joints in the block wall. As you fill in the opening around the door frame with mortar and block, be sure that the inside of the frame itself is filled with mortar and block pieces, because the frame is not solid by itself. If you're not able to afford or install a heavy duty bolt lock on the door, a heavy chain and a padlock will do the trick. Pass the chain through a hole in the door and around the door frame.

Posting Your Claim

Paint the name of your group and your address on the door. For the example: "The 537 East Fifth Street Homestead Association and Neighborhood Improvement Committee." Do all the work that you can in advance so that on your opening day you can simply set your door, lock and door frame in place all in one go.

Security

If this is more than you can manage right away, you'll need to rig up some sort of barricade for the doorway and have someone inside at all times to let others in and out. You should not leave your building unattended in any case, especially right after you move in. It is good to have someone on hand to watch the place when most people are out during the day. The risk from police and other evildoers is high right after the building is occupied. Don't let anyone in that you're not sure about; don't let any cops or city officials in under any circumstances unless they have a warrant. (See the legal section for what to do if the police do have a warrant.) Keep the door closed and locked at all times, don't sit out on your stoop with the door unlocked or open. Needless to say, you're in the building illegally, and so there is no need to make your front door an open invitation to cops and thieves.

Nothing is worse than coming home to find that your tools, sleeping bags and heaters have been ripped off -except maybe walking upstairs to your apartment and meeting a junk-sick thief running downstairs with your radio in one hand and a knife in the other.

Your security depends on making it so difficult to enter your building that most thieves will pass it up. If your building looks funky and people on the street can see that only poor people live there, you won't need as much security. You should keep your ground floor windows barred or sealed with concrete block or even plywood. Eliminate hand and footholds by knocking them off or by setting nails or broken glass in masonry cement or roofing cement. More of the same or coiled barbed wire around the base of the fire escape and continuing across the face of the building at the second floor level will help to deter climbers. Grates on windows facing the fire escape are good, but it will take a lot of them to do your whole building. It might be good enough to bolt full sheets of plywood to the outside of the fire escape railing on the second floor. This will make a wall around the fire escape too high to climb over. You can top it off with a coil of barbed wire or nails. The roof is another point of entry, so be sure that the penthouse door is secured.

Establishing a Claim

Note well that having a front door with a lock, beds and other basics such as a kitchen is good for your own wellbeing, but it is also important in establishing that you are a resident and not a trespasser. It may seem like a small point, but it is actually quite important. It can make the difference between getting run out of the building by the cops if they feel like doing it and getting them to back down so that they will have to wait until HPD manages to go through the lengthy proceedings necessary to legally evict you.

Emergency Repairs

In most cases, the most important repair that abandoned buildings need is work on the roof, which will almost certainly leak. The roof will typically have a large hole or two in it caused by a fire, fire fighters or vandals from the city government. For your own comfort, it may only be necessary to locate a room into which there is no leakage. However, a building in which the roof leaks will have lots of spaces in which no one will be able to live. You want to avoid squatting in a building such as this, because the more people you have living in your building, the better your chances of resisting eviction and protecting yourself against hassles from the city and from thieves and drug dealers. The more people you have, the more comfortable and secure you can make your place.

Roof

The long-term maintenance of a building depends more on the roof than on any other single thing. If the roof is not maintained, it will eventually rot until it collapses. The floors will go and, sooner or later, the exterior walls will collapse. Then what you got is a pile of useless, rotten timber and broken masonry -- which will cost the city a lot of money to clear out and turn into a vacant lot. Unfortunately, letting abandoned buildings rot until they collapse is just what HPD is doing with the buildings it owns. Don't let the city get away with it!

Clear the roof of any debris and sweep it clean. Patch the holes. You can lay 5/8-inch-thick plywood boards over them. Try using mineralized felt paper and roofing tar as a way of patching holes. If your roof is so far gone that you have to cover it entirely, get someone who works as a roofer to help you out. To do this kind of work, in NYC you might be able to get the materials you donated by groups or organizations such as the Riverside Church, the Church of Saint John the Divine, or the Listener's Auction radio station WBAI-FM.

Planning

If you have some work to get done, its helpful to write your plans down on paper, step by step, and keep track of any changes you make in the plans as you work. Make drawings or diagrams that describe and show how to do the jobs that are hard to explain in words; they will make it easier to organize and help get people involved in the project. Books such as the Reader's Digest Complete Do-it-Yourself Manual or Carpentry and Construction are handy for dealing with construction problems and can be found in the public libraries. We've found that books dealing specifically with roofing, electrical work, plumbing and other "specialized" trades are also easily obtained.

Temporary Roof Repairs

If repairing the roof is too big a project to take on right away, you can use polyethylene plastic sheeting to protect the roof temporarily. Get a hundred-foot roll of 4 mil plastic that is twenty feet wide, and a couple of buckets of flashing cement. (Be sure to get flashing cement, because other kinds of roofing tar won't do the trick.) Begin by clearing and sweeping the surface of the roof clean. Fill or cover up all the holes. Make sure that the roof drain is clear and unclogged at all times. Unroll the plastic so that the entire roof is covered. If you have to cut the plastic to cover the entire roof evenly, make sure the lap joints where the edges of the plastic meet each other are perfectly sealed with flashing cement, leaving not even the smallest gap. Drape the ends of the plastic over the parapet walls on all four sides. Lay bricks or boards on top of the plastic so that the wind doesn't blow it around. Fasten the ends to the walls with the flashing cement or with boards that have nails driven in to the mortar joints between the brick in the parapets.

This is a somewhat temporary protection, but if you do a good job, it should make it through the winter. But summer heat will certainly cook the plastic until it breaks apart. To make your plastic roof a bit more permanent, spread flashing cement over the entire surface of the roof before laying the plastic down. Make sure that there are no bubbles in the plastic and that all of the plastic is stuck to the cement below.

Windows

If you have leftover plastic, you can use it to seal the places where windows are missing. Use lath, which is the thin slat with which plaster walls used to be made, to nail the plastic to the window frame or staple it up using strips of cardboard as reinforcement. You can also use leftover plastic to make tents for your living areas: these can be really handy in the cold winter months in NYC.

Frame Repairs

Shore the place up. Close off any areas of the building where the floor or the roof is unsafe. Then if you can't replace, repair or reinforce the damaged timbers, you can brace them with four-by-fours or pairs of two-by-fours that have been nailed together. Be sure to brace the damaged timber against something solid or otherwise you're just making the problem worse. The brace must ultimately be supported by a bearing wall or footing. You can brace down to a joist if its near a load-bearing wall.

You can generally assume that brick, block, or stone exterior walls are load-bearing walls and that interior walls (studs with lath and plaster) are probably not. However, just because a wall is not a load bearing wall doesn't mean you can take it out safely. Even if it is only a partition wall it can't be safely removed if there are walls in the corresponding places on the floors above it. Even if there is no wall above the one you're thinking of removing, you have to make certain that the floor joists above are not being supported by or, as a result of settling, come to rest upon it.

Stair and Floor Repairs

Missing stair steps can be temporarily replaced with wooden ones. If there's no other way to secure them in place, drive nails through the top and then go underneath and bend the nails' tips over so that they will hook on to the steel part of the stairway. Cover holes in the floor with plywood until you can get around to replacing the missing flooring.

Pipes

Holes in sewage pipes can be patched by a variety of methods, including fiber glass, auto body filler with window screen, and even roofing cement. The waste pipes have already been discussed: they should be tested to see if they will drain but not leak. Until you've got the pipes working, you'll have to dump your piss and other waste waters in the storm sewer in the street. Do not dump your waste waters out the window!

Debris Removal

To remove debris, start at the top of your building and work down. Don't throw stuff out of upper story windows, because you may draw justified complaints and hassles from your neighbors. Since you may not be able to get the kind of tube that contractors use to get stuff down from the upper floors to the street, you may have to take up the flooring in the same corner on each floor and throw the unwanted stuff down through the holes. Once at the ground floor, the debris can be chucked out the back of the building or bagged and taken out for bulk refuse collection by the Sanitation Department. It might take quite a few tries to get a response from Sanitation; it depends on who you talk to. When you find someone who is helpful, get their name and extension, only deal with them in the future. If you use the through-the-floor method, hang a curtain of plastic that stretches from floor to ceiling on each of the affected floors, so that dust or asbestos particles won't spread all over the place.

Asbestos Safety

Asbestos causes cancer and other serious diseases. There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos fibers. Studies of exposure to asbestos suggest that as little as one day can result in significant damage to the respiratory system and disease. But the health risks of asbestos come into play only if the fibers are released from the material and enter the air. If the material is in excellent condition and not in a living area, left it alone. A greater hazard can be created than originally existed if the asbestos is removed by inexperienced people. Only trained asbestos abatement professionals should remove materials containing asbestos, which is typically found in boiler and pipe insulation. It may also be found in radiator covers, fire-proof doors and certain kinds of light-weight construction blocks.

If you see insulation that is not fiberglass, that is ripped, split, ragged or powdery looking, don't touch it!, you should get the material tested for asbestos. Contact the White Lung Association (at 718 389 5546) and arrange to have a sample tested. The WLA also gives courses in asbestos removal.

If for some reason you must handle asbestos, be sure to wear disposable gloves and a respirator that has been approved for use with asbestos. A half-face respirator equipped with a High Efficiency Particulate Absolute filter will be sufficient. Keep the asbestos wet. The weight of the water will keep the asbestos particles from becoming air-borne.

Document Homestead Repairs

It's a good idea to take photographs or shoot videotape of the work you have done on the building, even if it seems as if you are documenting crimes you have committed. You're not! Save your receipts for any materials you buy. Keep records of the jobs you did and the hours (or weeks or months) it took you and your group to do them. All of this is documentation that you are a homesteader and not a trespasser, a vagrant or a drifter which are common stereotypes for squatters.

Light, Heat, and Fire Safety

Light

Candles are the easiest way to provide light. The best kind are in tall glass containers, the kind that often have pictures of saints or magic charms on them. They last a long time and are not easily blown out. The cold does not easily shatter them. Somewhat better light can be provided by old-fashioned kerosene lamps. If you use them, trim your wicks now and then to make the brightest flame and least smoke. Coleman lanterns generate light as bright as incandescent light. The kerosene type is safer than the gasoline ones, although they take longer to light. Kerosene is generally cheaper and easier to get than white gas.

Heat

In New York City, heating is not merely a creature comfort in the winter. Tenants can sue their landlords for not providing enough heat and it is well known that are deaths from hypothermia among people living on the street and in unheated apartments.

Kerosene Heaters

We think kerosene heaters -- though they can be messy and fire hazards -- are a practical and economical means of heating. Kerosene heaters aren't legal but can be bought in the outer boroughs and New Jersey. It's worth it to get your kerosene outside of Manhattan since the price will be much higher in this borough of the city. Please! do not store your kerosene in rooms in which heaters will be operated and never go to sleep with the heater on.

Wood Stoves

Get a wood stove if you can, because it can be a very cheap source of heat. Wood stoves are also safer and healthier than kerosene heaters. If you can't find one, you can make one from a discarded steel drum. The best wood stove designs are various versions of "rocket stove" developed by Larry Winiarski. A company by the name of "Stovetec" mass produces these and distributes them to struggling countries. We discuss making chimney effect or rocket stoves in Low Impact Crashing#Chimney Stoves

Start by making two holes in the drum: one to put the wood in (this one will need a door to keep smoke from backing out into the air), and another for the smoke to go out and into a flue pipe that you will have to make. The easiest way to cut these two holes is to drill a piolt hole to start each new cut, and then make your cuts using a jig saw with a sheet-metal blade. If there is no way for you to make use of power tools, you could even cut the holes using a cold chisel. The hole for the flue must be measured to fit the flue pipe: four or five inches in diameter seems good to us. The swinging door will have to be attached by hinges that are located along the bottom of the opening. The door will also have to be lockable.

A damper will allow you to control how fast the fire burns without opening and closing the door (which is also a method of controlling the blaze). A damper can be made by cutting a round piece of sheet metal slightly less than the diameter of the flue. Punch two holes on opposite ends from each other in the lue pipe. Stick a piece of heavy wire through the holes and attach the round piece to it. When the round piece is in the up-and-down position it allows the smoke through freely and thus stokes the fire; the more you turn it toward the side-to-side position it restricts the flow of smoke and thus the pace of the blaze.

You will need to set the stove on some kind of support that will keep it well above floor level. You can use anything you can find -- bricks, old bed frames, etc. -- as long as it won't burn or char. Never burn painted, shellacked or treated wood in your stoves: they give off poisonous fumes and gases.

Smoke

Since complaints can be made to the Fire Department about smoke coming from your squat, it is important that the smoke from your stove runs out of a proper flue or chimney. If your building has a chimney, make sure it is clear of obstructions. To see if the chimney is clear, you can put a flashlight in one of the flue holes, take yourself up to the roof and look down to see if you can see the light. You can locate the chimney stack in your apartment because it sticks out into the room from the wall on either side of it. The hole for the flue in the chimney may be open or bricked up or completely hidden by plaster or sheet rock. If so, just chop it open with a hammer.

If you don't have a chimney or the chimney is blocked and you can't clear it, then you'll have to chop a flue hole in the wall or run the flue pipe out a window. In either case, the flue pipe should go all the way up and past the roof by five feet.

Fires

Fire extinguishers and smoke alarms are well worth having for your own safety as well as in case any city officials manage to get inside your building and have a chance to look around for code violations. Place the smoke alarms so that the stoves don't set them off continually. Keep your place well ventilated no matter how you heat it in the winter, and never leave a fire or a heater unattended.

Keep passages, halls, stairs and fire escapes clear of obstructions. Place fire extinguishers or buckets of sand or water on every floor and in locations where they can be easily reached. Form an arson watch. A round-the-clock fire and safety watch may be advisable for your situation. If so, there may be already an arson watch group or community safety patrol of some sort in your neighborhood. These organizations are well worth joining or starting yourself with others squatters and/or with like-minded tenants in the area.

On the afternoon of 9 February 1997, a small, accidental fire broke out on the second floor of the East Fifth Street Squat. The cause of the fire was a faulty electric space heater. The residents evacuated the building and left it in the hands of the Fire Department, which delayed in putting out the blaze, thus making the fire more damaging than it needed to have been. Once the Fire Department was through, the combined forces of the police and the Department of HPD conspired to illegally keep the residents from returning to their squatted building, which was deemed "dangerous" and demolished right in front of its former occupants within a day or two after the fire. The moral of the story seems clear: put your fires out yourself and trust the Fire Department as much as you do the police!

Makeshift Toilets, Water, and Cooking

Waste

Use buckets or empty bottles for waste waters. Keep the buckets from getting foul by never putting toilet paper in them and by rinsing them with lime or a disinfectant. Construction sites are easy sources of empty five gallon buckets. As far as shitting goes, do it on a few sheets of the New York Times, wrap it up, put it in a plastic bag and throw the bag into a trash can on the street. To avoid unnecessary hassles, do not use the trash cans owned by your neighbors. If you let your place get unsanitary, you can have complaints lodged against you by the Health Department, which will not only get you thrown out in a big hurry, but will also make hassles for other squatters.

Food Storage

Keep your food hanging in a bag or on a shelf hanging by wire so that mice and bugs and cats can't get to it. Do the same for your garbage and dispose of it every day. This way you won't get any mice or bugs and your cats will only eat what they are supposed to.

Alcohol Stove

To make an alcohol stove start with an empty can. Loosely pack it with cloth: gauze bandage is best. You will need something to set the can on so it doesn't rest directly on the burner. You can place a grill (an old refrigerator shelf will do nicely) on top of some bricks. Or you can place the burner can inside a larger one. For example, you could put a beer can inside of a coffee can. (Your pot would then sit on top of the coffee can.) The larger can should have holes punched around the top with a can opener, so that when you put a pot on top the burner won't be sealed off from the air. Punch holes around the bottom rim of the can to help the flow of air. You may find that holes around the top of the burner can are also needed. To fire it up, pour rubbing alcohol on the cloth until it is soaked and then light it. The stove should burn for about 15 minutes. (Never refuel while its still burning, and never use anything stronger than 70% isopropyl alcohol as fuel.) Enclose the whole thing in a metal reflector to keep the heat in and cut down on drafts. Otherwise, it'll take forever to get anything hot. If water accumulates in the gauze, just take it out and squeeze it dry.

Stoves

You might consider using propane camp stoves with large tanks and hoses attached as your food-cooking device. They are very practical and economical. You might consider using an ordinary gas stove: they are easy to find on the street, and you can put propane jets on them to make them work better. But you should be careful that the one your are using doesn't leak. A backpack stove is handy for traveling light and is small enough to hide easily in a building in which there are security problems.

Make it Comfortable

To make your squatted apartment space more comfortable, contact the Red Cross and the local churches. They might well give you blankets or sell them to you for cheap. When the weather gets very cold, a tent of some kind around your bed will really make a difference. Insulation can be made by putting rugs or thick cloth on the floors, walls and ceilings. If no one is living above you, you can fill that room with garbage bags filled with newspapers. Newspapers can also be used for wallpaper (especially The Daily News, "New York's Picture Newspaper"). Such wallpaper -- especially if it is painted over -- will reduce the problem of old paint or plaster that has begun to flake off.

Windows

Windows and panes can be scavenged from construction sites at which buildings are being renovated, and from window suppliers that leave unwanted stuff out on the street. Doors can also be obtained in the same ways.

Utilities

Electricity, water and other services can all be provided by a variety of methods that you will be able to discover by using your imagination and staying in contact with other squatters. Getting hooked up with the public utilities providers can be a way of strengthening your case that you are community members and not trespassers.

Legal Hassles

Every effort you can make to show that you have established as normal as possible a residence will be an advantage in dealing with the law. Operate on the assumption that you are a law-abiding citizen and a legal tenant of the building in which you are squatting until it has been decided otherwise in a court of law. Use your address freely, and get library cards, swimming cards and other forms of ID that have your address on it.

Mail

Have mail sent to you at your building. This will help you prove that you live there and that you aren't breaking- and-entering or trespassing. Put your address on the front door and make a mail slot in it. Find out when mail is delivered to your street and be there when the mail carrier comes by. Explain that you are living here and that you will be receiving mail at this location. Sometimes the carriers will be uncooperative, but usually they will be friendly if you are friendly. If friendliness doesn't work, it might be that the carrier you've talked to isn't the regular one, or that several carriers take turns delivering mail to your street and thus don't feel any inclination to helping you out. Try a different mail carrier.

If nothing else works, try the postmaster at the office for your route. He or she might tell you that there has to be a mailbox locked and unlocked by keys for the carriers to deliver mail, or that you are not a legal tenant, or that you don't own the building, blah blah blah. Point out as politely as you can that the building isn't a multiple dwelling unit, that it is undergoing renovation at the moment, and that the addresses on the letters that will be sent to the people who are living there will not have separate apartment numbers on them. Tell the postmaster that you are living there and (more to the point) have not been evicted yet, so your legal status as a tenant simply has not been decided in court as of yet. Tell that bureaucrat that your tenancy is a civil matter between you and the City of New York, and not a criminal matter involving the federal government and your right to receive your mail.

If nothing works, it may actually enable you to get an eviction case thrown out of court. If you cannot get any of your mail because of the Post Office's refusals to deliver it, you literally can't be served with an eviction notice, which typically arrives by mail and is not served in person!

If it is not delivered to your building, your mail will be held for you at the local post office. Once picked up, such mail can still serve as proof of residence.

Registered Mail

Never sign for or accept any registered or certified mail until you are absolutely sure it is not from the city government. It could be a summons or an eviction notice!

Appearance

There is something to be said for putting wild shapes, slogans and colors on the front of your squat: it underlines the changes that the building is going through and shows that you are proud of them and of your role in bringing about these changes. There is also something to be said for making the front of your building look as much like an ordinary building as possible. In either case, working diligently and productively on the front will give your neighbors a chance to size you up, to come out and talk to you. They will respect you when they see you working on your place.

Neighborhood Association

Go to block association meetings and seek their support. Although the members of the block association may be merchants and professionals, they may want to help you if they see that you are making good use of the building and that you are not housing or attracting drug dealers, users, pimps or prostitutes. If there is no block association, you may want to start one. You can rally your neighbors by pointing out that both squatters (or homesteaders) and rent-paying tenants want to stop the twin-headed monster of benign neglect and gentrification. Once you've got your block association together you can go to your local Community Board to seek their support as well. Its also worthwhile to check out whatever housing and tenants' organizations are active in your neighborhood.

Bureaucracy and Eviction

If you are confronted by the police or officials from the Department of Housing Preservation Development, you have a right to all the protections inherent in the eviction process. You can ask for a postponement of your case because you haven't been able to get a lawyer, or because your lawyer has had insufficient time to prepare your case or cannot appear in court the day your case is to be heard. And so on. In the meantime, you're still living in your building. Since HPD is often bogged down in lengthy eviction proceedings -- some of which it loses -- this bureaucracy may very well try to get other city departments to throw you out.

Welfare and Children

You cannot be denied welfare benefits because you are a squatter. It is illegal for the Bureau of Child Welfare to take your children from you on the grounds that you are a squatter. Besides, plenty of people pay rent to live in apartments that are in terrible condition; these people's children are not taken from them because of these conditions! Persistence and good legal advice will be your best weapons as you try to make sure your rights are being respected and are not being arbitrarily violated.

Public Officers

Don't let anyone from the city government or the police department into your building, even if they claim they have a warrant. If they do, they can slip it through the mail slot or under the door so you can read it first. Don't identify yourself or answer any questions through the door.

Legal Notices

If you do receive a legal notice with your name on it, don't miss the court date unless you've cleared it with your lawyer or an informed housing activist in advance. If the notice doesn't have your name on it or says "Resident" or "John Doe" or something, definitely do not answer it. It most likely shows that the HPD has not yet made a really serious attempt to find out who each and every one of your group is, and that they are trying to get an easy score with the "Anyone living at this address" bullshit. But you should take the notice to a tenants' rights organizer or housing lawyer for advice, and then take it to the clerk of the court's office so that you can put it on record that nobody with those names live at your building.

If the people in your building start getting eviction notices, be sure that there is always someone living with you (who has proof of residence) who hasn't been named in a notice. In this way, if it comes down to an eviction, HPD won't be able to seal the building since there will still be someone living there that they can't evict yet. Once the "eviction-minus-one" is over and the cops are gone, you can move back in without problem.

Public Safety Evictions

If the authorities have served you with notice that the building is going to be evacuated for reasons of public safety, you'll have to come up with a detailed plan that shows how you you are going to repair the problem. You will no doubt need the help of professionals to do this, and you'll their help right away, for you've got only a few days to get a judge to issue a stay of execution order. Call the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) at 718 292-0070 to start.

Public Support

At the first sign of trouble, someone should be using your "Eviction-Watch List" to contact all your friends and supporters, so that as many witnesses are on the scene as possible. This will keep the cops on their toes and "best behavior," that is, slightly less likely to start beating people up. If the cops get through your front door, write down their badge numbers and names, demand to see their identification, etc. etc. Have witnesses to absolutely everything. Videotape, audiotape and photograph whenever possible. You have a legal right to make a record of all that takes place. If the cops ask to speak to your leaders, tell them you don't have any. If they ask "Who is in charge?" or if they ask if you are in charge, tell them "Nobody is in charge." Never admit to having leaders, even if you do, and you will (like it or not). At all times, be firm and reasonable with the cops unless you are ready for a fight. Be forewarned that the police in NYC are always ready for a fight.

Organizations

These are some of the organizations that can be helpful:(V=phone number verified in 2008)

V-ACORN: Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now 1-877-55ACORN - 718-246-7900 fax 718-246-7939 natexdirect@acorn.org http://www.acorn.org
V-Center for Constitutional Rights 212 614 6464http://ccrjustice.org
V-Church of Saint John the Divine 212 316 7400
V-Legal Aid 212 577 3300 - 212-577-3346 http://www.legal-aid.org

Metropolitan Council on Housing 212 693 0550

Stanley Cohen, Attorney 212 979 7572

Jackie Bukowski, Attorney beech@ix.netcom

Sanitation Department 212 534 5493

White Lung Association 718 389 5546

Riverside Church 212 870 6700

People's Firehouse: Housing and Community Development 718 388 4696 All numbers verified in February 1997

Outside Links

http://www.rocketstove.org - Step by step plans for constructing rocket stoves

Free Electrical Power

Last updated: 21 August 2011

1 Free Electrical Power
1.1 Safety
1.2 Basic Supplies
1.3 Tapping Street Lamps
1.4 Tampering With Electrical Meters
1.4.1 Getting at your meter
1.4.2 What you're looking at
1.4.2.1 Decreasing Usage
1.4.2.2 Reactivating Cut Off Power
1.4.3 Cutting Power
1.5 Generating your own
1.5.1 Rotary Generators
1.5.1.1 Alternatively Fueled Generators
1.5.1.2 Steam
1.5.1.3 Free Hydroelectricity
1.5.1.4 Free Wind Power
1.5.1.5 Other possibilities
1.5.2 Dielectric Generators

Free Electrical Power

Safety

The human body is a conductor of electricity, if you decide to foolishly conduct from a live circuit into another wire or the ground you will quickly become a crispy blown fuse!

Never work on high voltage barefoot, bet you didn't know that cement and many floors are conductive and grounded! -Always try to shut down the power, there are rare times where this is impossible and you will end up taking your life into your hands as only a few highly trained and well insured electricians with many years of experience and a trained partner ready to dial 911 and give CPR do. -Never work on a wet circuit or in a wet environment, wet skin conducts well -Shut down the breaker and remove it, padlock it shut or duct tape it shut with a note and guard if possible to prevent your idiot roommate from coming home and truing to 'fix' the power, he can buy flowers for your funeral. -If working on a live circuit(suicide anyone?) lay down at least two new unpunctured rubber pats to insulate your kneeling form from the ground, cement, or floor and wear rubber electrical gloves. -If working on a live circuit use only one hand, cross chest conduction is a perfect killer, keep a hand in your pocket as you work -Have a partner safely away watching and ready to knock you free with a nonconducting pole or strap from a live circuit that has locked your muscles, this helper must be able to do CPR and call 911.

Basic Supplies

There is quite a range of tools that is good to have when working with electricity, but almost regardless of the project, the same basic supplies will come in handy:

Electrically insulating gloves, boots, and work mat
A voltmeter or multimeter capable of measuring AC voltage up to at least 480 volts, an orange neon glow bulb circuit tester that clips into your pocket can be handy for quick testing
Heavy gauge, preferably stranded (not solid), electrical wire
Fittings for attaching wire, large alligator clips work fine for very short term or testing but screw tight connectors and cable ties for anything past a few minutes.

Tapping Street Lamps

It's fairly well known that these lamps have been tapped for electricity by activists in the past. Using the cities electricity for free can be very beneficial. Only attempt this if you have some good training working with high voltage electricity, even union trained and certified electricians require lots of extra special training to be certified to work with live electrical lines.

REMEMBER: These actions are dangerous and illegal. Alert people in the area of your intentions, so they can avoid the dangerous live wires that will be in the area.

Several items will be required:

A 2-1 or 4-1 transformer or one or two travel electrical adapters rated for as much power as possible. Do not exceed their power rating with your line load.
A regular extension cord or socket splitter will prove useful.
An insulated handle knife may help expedite your work.
Tamper resistant drivers. Search online or visit a hardware store for a good set of these obscure shaped drivers. If the drivers are not available, it is possible to create your own substitute by pressing a piece of clay into the fastener, grinding a slot onto the screw or grinding sides that you can grip with a vicegrips or a spanner/wrench..
Basic safety equipment used when handling electricity, such as insulated gloves

Don't act stupid with electricity. It can injure or kill you.

Before getting to work, make sure all of your equipment functions properly, and that your insulating gloves are on. Check for holes and punctures. Remove any unnecessary accessories such as jewelery, rings and chains.

Lay down a heavy vinyl or rubber mat, this helps to insulate you from the ground even when kneeling. Concrete, especially when damp is a surprisingly good conductor.

Wear heavy rubber gloves both hands.

Do not EVER rest your head or lean on the power pole.

When dealing with live wiring ALWAYS keep one hand in your trouser pocket, this helps prevent an electrical pathway from forming down one arm, across your heart and back through the other arm.

The first step is to gain access to the wiring within the lamp post. This is where you'll need your tamper resistant drivers. Unscrew all fasteners on the service panel on the side of the post near the bottom. Remove the panel.

Now you will see some wires going from the ground to a wire connector, and then up the lamp post to the lights. If it is possible to undo the wire connector to expose some bare lines, then do so. Otherwise, you'll have to CAREFULLY use your knife to strip the wire. Make sure it is not in contact with any other conductor, including the post itself, while doing this.

Hopefully, you already know what voltage your equipment needs. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that the lamp is carrying that voltage. You will have to use your volt-meter to measure the voltage between the lines in the lamp. If you happen to find the voltage you needed, you're in luck. Otherwise, it's going to be a multiple of it, either between 220-240 or 440-480.

Assuming that you wish to have a 110-120V socket for your equipment, you will need to use a transformer to convert the voltage. Before you can use the transformer, you need to get the power to its destination. Connect your heavy gauge wire to the now exposed copper and secure them near here with tape. Run the rest to where you need power. Make sure you run the wires close by, parallel to one another. This will minimize losses and interference in the transmitted power. Afterwards, either replace the former connector, or crimp the wire in place. If possible obtain a 2-1 or 4-1 transformer as required for the detected voltage, an inferior substitute is an inexpensive Euro to US power adapter which can be found at luggage and travel stores.

By wiring the high voltage power from the lamp to the "euro" end of your transformer, you'll approximately have half that voltage output on the other side. Thus, one adapter will convert 220v to 110v. Two adapters will take 440v to the 110v you need. When using two adapters, wire the US coil of one to the EU coil of another, and then think of it as a single unit. This contraption should go at the end of your wires farthest from the lamp post, as higher voltages will transmit with less losses.

Connect the US end of your travel transformer to a splitter or short extension cord. Connect your lines to the lamp. Do not do this beforehand, as otherwise you'll have long lengths of live wire.

Your splitter should be readily pumping out 110-120vac or 220 if that's what you made it for.

It's best to crimp the wire connections you've made, but alligator clips can work for short term purposes if nobody will disturb your tap.

Make sure everybody in proximity knows that there are exposed live lines, and that people stay away from this while you work. As soon as you connect any electrical line, the whole line becomes live. Make sure the far ends are not touching and are not exposed to anything that could pose a hazard. Most of all, understand what you're doing and the dangers involved. Use common sense.

Tampering With Electrical Meters

Meter wires are almost always live. BE CAREFUL.

Electrical meters may be a discreet little gray box on the side of a building, but don't let their appearance fool you...

These little boxes can be tools of oppression, from the power company charging you exorbitant rates for a necessity of modern life, to them rudely shutting off your power when you're facing hard times, making life even harder. Yet, They can also be tools of liberation. Where they charge one rate, you can make another. When they cut your power, you turn it back on. And when everybody's favorite oppressive multinational is having a Black Friday sale? Their power is gone!

For most of these operations, we will be assuming that you're working with an electromechanical induction type meter. Don't worry, this is the most common kind, found on nearly every building that will concern you. These are easily identifiable by their mechanical dials. If your meter is a solid state digital meter, don't worry, there are ways to improve those too.

READ THIS THOROUGHLY BEFORE GOING TO WORK ON THE METER

Getting at your meter

We shouldn't need to warn you of the dangers involved. If you haven't put on your insulating gloves, you're encouraging natural selection

There is a tamper indicator on most meters, but only the most advanced of electronic meters can detect anything in real time. There are several ways to deal with this nuisance. If you're VERY careful, it's possibly to snip the indicator tag with wire cutters, and once you're done, replace it, solder the cut shut, and gently sand the solder down to wire thickness. You can also try removing them the way the power company does. They use a special tool that applies pressure in odd places and at strange angles, you'd have to look at the tag yourself to figure it out, but a wire coat hanger could be very useful indeed. Otherwise, you can buy a similar looking "tamper indicator tag" online, and attach it once you're done with your work.

Once the tag is gone, the cover should either come off or flip open on hinges fairly easily. If your meter is dirty or rusty it may take some jiggling and firm, gentle force to remove it.

What you're looking at

1 - Voltage coil - many turns of fine wire encased in plastic, connected in parallel with load.

2 - Current coil - three turns of thick wire, connected in series with load.

3 - Stator - concentrates and confines magnetic field.

4 - Aluminum rotor disc.

5 - rotor brake magnets.

6 - spindle with worm gear.

7 - display dials - note that the 1/10, 10 and 1000 dials rotate clockwise while the 1, 100 and 10000 dials rotate counter-clockwise.]]

The diagram to the right explains the basic components of the common induction meter. This is what you should see after bypassing the tamper indicator and opening the case. We'll be referencing this in discussing vulnerabilities of the meter to alteration.

Decreasing Usage

There are a number of ways to slow down your meter and cheapen your electrical bill, some could be accomplished without even opening the meter!

Magnets! Strong neodymium magnets can saturate the magnetic field in the meter, and reduce the turning force on the aluminium rotor. These can even be OUTSIDE the meter!
Shorting One can also short past the meter in a limited way, allowing a constant amount of power to be subtracted from the reading.

Get a hardware store fluorescent light ballast of the same value which you wish to subtract (not ones that step up voltage. It will look like a little square transformer, but with only two wires).

Connect this in parallel to the current coil (2) at some distance from working meter components, using stranded wire.

This can also work for digital meters, except that it would have to connect the hot line into the meter to the hot line out.

Resetting You can unscrew the dial mechanism and set the dials back a few notches, if you're conservative enough about your changes to not get them noticed, as the mechanism is purely mechanical.

Reactivating Cut Off Power

Generally, the electrical company cuts off power either by placing insulating plastic tabs over the meter leads, or by replacing the meter with a clear plastic cover.

While these could easily be removed, that could cause an obvious reading on the meter. Your best bet would be shorting the lines meant to go into the meter to those meant to come out. You'll want two or three lengths of thick, probably solid, copper wire. These need to carry a lot of power. Don't underdo it.

Inside the meter enclosure, with the meter or plastic cover removed, you will find either 4 or 6 terminals.If present the pair in the center is the neutral line, the others are hot lines. Make sure the neutral line is connected. if you don't see it, don't worry about it.

Next, locate the pairs of hot lines that you must connect. These should be vertical from one another. These wires are always live! Don't get shocked! Connect the terminals located on other side with one vertical wire each. You should be discreet about this, try running the wires carefully around the circumference of the opening in the faceplate, to keep them out of sight.

Enjoy your new electrical power!

Cutting Power

This is by far the easiest act you can do. First of all, fuck the tamper indicator snip that shit and toss it. Open the case, and pull the meter straight out.

As soon as the meter is out, the power to the building is gone, and you don't have much time.

Vacate the area with the meter and either drop it at a well concealed location, or smash the fucker to bits. Tear the coils, bend the aluminium disk, whatever. Make sure they cannot get the meter back to quickly get shit repaired!

Now, vacate harder. This doesn't necessarily mean run, if you can pull off not looking suspicious, but don't be standing around, either.

If you're feeling ballsy, blast the terminals of the hot lines with some fast setting nonconductive glue. That'll slow down repairs even more. While you're at it, have a friend shut off the gas line, padlock it in the off position, and then glue over the lock and valve to slow down any bolt cutter attack. That'll shut them down for a couple days...

Generating your own

Nowadays, there is a wide variety of power-generation technologies available, a good number of which could be put to use by radical groups. The type of project one takes on will have to be determined by and adapted to the resources on hand, the skill and knowledge, and the environment you wish to use the device in.

The basic concept of most electrical generation is essentially the opposite of a motor: turning rotational kinetic energy into electrical energy. This is accomplished with a generator, which is, mechanically, a motor run in reverse.

Upon examining a commercially available "generator" you will find a petrol engine with the axis connected to that of something that looks like an electric motor. Alternately, electricity can be generated through dielectric properties of various materials, as in solar cells and peltier units.

Rotary Generators

This is the most simple and common approach to generating your own power.

The most important component, the generator itself, can be acquired in a number of ways. For small things like charging an mp3 player, one could run a DC motor from a toy in reverse or connect a bicycle dynamo. A good large generator can be an alternator available from a scrap automobile or junkyard (or your local car dealership, put a gps on THAT). One could also modify an existing or broken petrol generator for better functionality.

If you use an automotive alternator you will get great bang for your buck but unless you have a battery attached there will be nothing to generate and maintain the magnetic field in the coils, the good news is you probably want a good deep cycle storage battery anyways. Automotive alternators use v-belts, all you need to do is cut a triangular groove into you output or pulley, keep in mind optimal gear ratio for your source of spin for your alternator. If you want higher voltage for something like arc welding you can bypass the regulator.

If you are generating 12v remember it requires very thick short runs of wire, if you need to stretch past 3 meters convert your electricity to 120/240volts AC with an inverter to reduce power line loss.

Alternatively Fueled Generators

A commercial bought generator could be converted to run on a number of fuels. Natural gas conversions for internal combustion engines are relatively painless. You can even try running a generator on trash! Build a gasifier as you would for a car, and the flammable gasses emmited by wood and paper trash should be enough to run the engine at slightly lowered power.

If you use a homebrew generator, the possibilities for fuels go up. Anything that will turn the shaft of a large motor or car alternator is fair game to generate some power.

Steam

If you have access to a good quantity of wood, coal, or similar fuel in the intended area, a steam powered system may be worth considering. Steam power is an old technology, but the concepts remain the same. You need to create an area where you can boil water, and the steam coming off of it can drive either pistons or a turbine. This motion must then be translated to a generator. Whether or not you need a gearbox to connect them depends on your needs.

Perhaps the most mechanically simple turbines are Tesla Turbines, which can be produced from any flat disc on an axle. The steam pressure will rotate it to very high RPM at low torque, which it makes sense to gear down significantly.

Free Hydroelectricity

A propeller of reasonable strength or a hacked together paddlewheel can be placed in a sufficiently large body of flowing water. This will, of course, turn a shaft, which in turn drives your generator. A dam can be used to concentrate the flow of water over your improvised turbine, thus increasing the power with which it is turned. However, dams can cause ecological damage, and turbines can harm aquatic animals, so please limit your use of this approach. A plastic deer fence around your submerged turbine will at least discourage animals from entering, as well as reduce the chances of junk jamming your generator.

Free Wind Power

Many wind turbines are commercially available, and are significantly cheaper than solar cells. If you can find a suitably high wind area, these can be an excellent solution for a limited electrical need. Since they depend on weather patterns, output is not very reliable and must be stored in batteries.

If using home-built turbines instead, you'll have to construct your own circuit to regulate the output and charge a battery. Any large fan may spin in the wind, but getting the blade angle and gear ratio right to spin your generator will take some experimentation.

Other possibilities

Remember that anything which spins a shaft can be used to generate power! Think outside the box and you can come up with some very interesting solutions.

Experiments have been conducted where car batteries were charged by the traffic through a set of revolving doors.

Gas turbine engines are used to spin some commercial generators, if you get your hands on one, it can produce a lot of power for a fairly compact size.

A pressure plate has been used to rotate a generator before, although this can be annoying to drive over.

Dielectric Generators

Commercially available solar panels can be used to generate a moderate amount of power, should you manage to acquire them. These will generally come with information about wiring them appropriately. Just remember to keep the panels facing south (if you're in the northern hemisphere!) when installing them, if you hit three or four highway signs and you could have enough power for an electric bike or maybe a couple laptops.

5. Free Transportation

Last updated: 11 February 2011

Free Transportation Articles

Outside Links to Resources

American Public Transportation Association -http://www.publictransportation.org/systems/ - Search for public transportation by city. Questionably free.
Backpackers.com - http://www.backpackers.com/ - This site has TONS of tips on traveling and backpacking.
eRideShare.com - http://www.erideshare.com/ Carpools may not be totally free, but very resourceful.
Guide to Sleeping in Airports - http://sleepinginairports.com/index.htm - Just what it says. Lets you know what to expect if you're held over in airports around the world.
National Runaway Switchboard - http://www.nrscrisisline.org/youth_teens/home_free.html - Get a ticket home if you need one. If you're under 18, you have to be returning to a legal guardian. Over 18, other arrangements can be made. (1-800-RUNAWAY)
Travelers Aid International -http://www.travelersaid.org/ - "Mission: To advance and support a network of human service provider organizations committed to assisting individuals and families who are in transition, or crisis, and are disconnected from their support systems." Not always free, but they can help you out (or direct you to someone who can) if you're ever stranded. Note: If you're trying to get back to the USA, you'll need a valid USA passport.

Pack Your Bag

Last updated: 6 August 2011

(Redirected from Pack your bag)

Un-Packing for a life on the road

If you make the commitment to forsake a regular roof and bed for the freedom of the world, you have to use your head when deciding what to pack. If you carry every mentioned item in this book, you will need a pack mule. A common rule of thumb is to separate you gear into three piles: things you absolutely need, things that would be useful, and things you don't need; don't bring the second two piles. Tailor your gear to what you plan to do and for how long you will be on the move. Keep your bag loaded with your basic gear and have it ready to go at all times; only take out what you need and return it when you are done. This advice will prove useful if the pigs come to clear out where you are staying or your host turns out to be a creep. If you carry expensive stuff, you will be afraid to lose it. Lastly try using your your travel gadgets and supplies exactly as you plan to on the road at home, once you are on the highway your limited gear either helps you or you eliminate it. So sink wash your travel clothes, dry it on a line strung in your room, test your full pack and shoes on a few hikes and sidewalk strolls, charge up your phone or music player with that cheap greenie-weenie solar or crank charger, dry off from shower with that synthetic towel so you know its dry time, take your folding bike on a local train or bus, put the stuff you value enough to stick in your pack to the test. Eliminate the junk and even then only pack the bare minimum of the lightest well tested travel gear.

1 Inventory
2 Clothes
2.1 Shoes
3 Pack
3.1 Stash a Pack
3.2 Pack Lockup
3.3 Wheels
3.4 Electronics
3.4.1 Batteries
3.4.2 Splashed Electronics
3.4.3 PDA
3.4.4 Computer
3.4.5 USB Key/Disc
3.4.6 Mobile Phone
3.4.7 E-book reader
3.4.8 Wake Up
3.4.9 Alarm
3.4.10 Camera
3.4.11 Music
3.5 Wilderness Gear, and Urban Crash Gear
3.6 Washing and Drying Clothes
3.7 Washing Up
3.7.1 Towel
3.7.2 Soap
3.7.3 Nail Clipper
3.7.4 Warm Water
3.7.5 Haircut
3.8 Sleeping
3.9 Sewing Kit
3.10 Toilet Paper
3.11 Light
3.12 Hair Dryer
3.13 Food
3.13.1 Diving Gear
3.13.2 Immersion Boiler
3.13.3 Travel Iron
3.14 Marking
3.15 Umbrella
3.16 Fun and Games

4 Quick Packing List

5 Not Overpacking

6 Money

7 Gifts

8 Drugs

9 Phone Cards

10 Pets

11 Bicycle

12 General Delivery

Inventory

Unless you are traveling with only a tarp and a blanket one of the most important things to have in your pack is a complete inventory list and use it to keep track of what you have with you. Checking your inventory is especially important when breaking camp or packing up after a few days on someones couch. Important things like hammock tree straps end up getting left behind at campsites and wallets or passports in couch cushions, stuff that can really screw your trip should they become lost. It is also good to take inventory if traveling with checked baggage so you can replace stuff stolen by the airport security stooges. If you take the perilous kindness of loaning out your gear be sure to write it down or you will probably remember that you had to ask for its return too late a few hundred miles down the road, better to let your friend use your tool or gadget when you are present as this also prevents destructive misuse and accidental misplacement.

Clothes

Don't pack too much clothing. One or two sets of lightweight, versatile walking clothes and possibly one set of upscale clothes kept in a big Ziploc to stay clean will get you by in almost all situations. Be aware of the culture of the area and try to fit in. Your upscale clothes will be like an access card to many locations and situations that standard punk or travel clothing might disallow.

Look for clothes that pack small, dry quickly, and don't take stains. Cotton, wool, and hemp are often bulky, and cotton dries slowly. Petrochem synthetics, do fit these requirements nicely if you can stand them on your body. On the other hand, natural fibers tend to retain odors less, and so will require washing less often.

Quality socks in quantity are just as important as good shoes. Only wear them for one day before putting them in the wash bag, and be sure to wash your feet every morning. A sarong works as a scarf, towel, skirt and shawl. Boonie style hats are available both in cotton and synthetic, they protect your eyes and neck better than a baseball cap and the chin string keeps it from blowing away. Hospital scrubs and a tee-shirt make good pajamas, and they can also be worn on the street or if you need to look at home in a hospital.

In hot climates synthetic underwear will dry far more quickly than cotton and help prevent sweat burns which are treated like diaper rash. Some people wear bicycle shorts as underwear in the heat, others cut off synthetic long underwear. Save the cut off arms and legs for cold weather as they are now far more flexible arm and leg warmers and can be easily be put on and taken off in public areas.

If you are headed someplace warm like Florida, Mexico, or Fiji, we suggest at least a light jacket since there are always some cool or rainy weather days, if you will be in desert area you should even have some heavier clothing to wear during the cold nights. A packable jacket and fleece vest is also a very good idea even in summer.

Shoes

Your shoes, must be comfortable to walk in over long distances. Never take brand new shoes on the road, as broken-in shoes that you know fit well will put less stress on your feet and toes. Sandals are great if you are not on the move. Doc Martens used to be an affordable comfortable shoe/boot, but fashion trends have caused prices to rise and quality has dropped. Mail carrier or military surplus black shoes are made to look dressy but survive daily hours of outdoor walking. Cheap army boots will last for a few months but are heavy and might slow you down. Discount stores sometimes have surprising quality light hiking boots, work boots, trail runners, or walking shoes. In addition to quality shoes or boots you should invest in quality laces, something synthetic and abrasion resistant, and always have a set or two of spares.

If you have a shoe blowout during a budget crisis find a contact cement which is recommended for shoe repairs, most require cleaning and then application of a layer on the two surfaces to be joined, after this dries to a tacky surface (10-15 min) the two surfaces are held together for about 15 minutes.

Pack

You really don't have to go crazy on a hyper-expensive pack, but if you skimp too much on quality, you could end up uncomfortable or face it wearing out quickly. A frame pack will help distribute your load. An external frame is cheaper, but internal frame packs are now the more popular choice and move well with you keeping your center of gravity near to your body core. A roll of nylon fiber tape like is used to secure packages will make a break-in or break-open of your pack less likely if you have to check, stow, or throw the bag. Tape also helps to identify your bag in a luggage collection area. You might also want to carry a second comfortable day pack for short excursions when you can lock up your main pack. See more about packs and wilderness specific gear in Backpacking and Camping

When considering what kind and size of pack or bags to buy you should be thinking of your primary planned means of transport whether that is hitchhiking, jumping a train, booking a flight, or driving your own car. Just as important you should also be considering your fallback transportation mode which usually ends up being your feet. A great wilderness backpack will travel well on an airplane if you wrap it is that plastic cling wrap they use for freight, alternately even the best set of regular luggage is nearly worthless if you have to drag it farther than a mile or two on a gravel roadside. Even cycle travelers should consider getting or devising a system so panniers can be slung in a comfortable way should their bicycle become un-ridable or even un-pushable and you have to walk.

Stash a Pack

You will have many times that you want to stash your pack but have no idea where to safely hide it. Wearing a backpack pegs you as a traveler or drifter, some people will assume you are using your pack to steal, and won't even let you enter stores.

If you carry a piece of webbing tied into a circle, a carabiner or pulley and some cord or rope you can use the tree stash. Carefully climb a tree and hang your loop and carabiner, don't forget to stick a bit of cord into the carabiner and climb down. Hoist your pack and tie off the end of the cord to a branch, a half inch eye bolt with a wood screw tip would also work. Discretion is of course the rule, do a walk-around and look for people watching first also be into the trees a bit. Don't talk about using this technique except with your true affinity group lest your new "friends" follow you and clean out your pack.

If your pack is small and not an obnoxiously bright color, you can also try hiding it under a tree like a pine that has lots of low, long branches that will shield your pack from sight, and lash it to the trunk with rope, paracord, shoelaces, carabiners, zip ties, or whatever else you happen to have. Webbing is always a plus, but not necessary if you secure all the zippers and pockets of your pack - the main thing is to make the main knot that keeps your bag tethered to the trunk super strong. The coils that come with bike locks are good for this because they can't be cut through unless somebody has bolt cutters.

If you are only going to be gone a short while, say making use of 24 hour hyperstores and their vast array of stealable products (not to mention the moderately clean bathrooms), discreetly stashing your pack in or behind a Dumpster might work for you. Just make sure to tether it if you or stashing behind one, and if you throw it in a Dumpster make sure it is at a time nobody is going to touch it, i.e. workers or garbage men.

Pack Lockup

You could try to cable lock your pack with a cheap bike lock slowing down the grab and run thief. Wrap your pack in ratty blue tarp for homeless camouflage and lock it to your bike or near the entrance to the store you are in and it might slow down the less bold thief.

Wheels

We have seen many packs equipped with wheels and a T-handle and zip panels to cover over the straps. Other people carry a folding luggage dolly for their standard packs or luggage. In well paved areas it might make sense to go the wheels route if your feet are the way you get around, letting the wheels do the heavy lifting. The downside is weight, comfort when worn on your back, and often higher price. We have never seen a true back country pack which also had attached wheels.

Electronics

If you like to support the underground economy with stolen electronics, then join the millions of dumb western "flash-packers" who can't live without their MacBook and iPhone while on the road. Sparkly gadgets are the bait that can get your whole pack stolen by street thieves or corrupt cops who want more toys for themselves.

Batteries

We like Nickel-Metal-Hydride rechargeables for power and environmental reasons, look for a charger with an option for low voltage flexibility including solar, hand, and bicycle generators.

If you stick a some ribbon or plastic in between the contacts and battery you will have an extra safety when keeping the batteries inside gadgets where they might get switched on.

Real alkaline batteries will store much better than rechargeable batteries for low power draw things like safety flashers, small FM radios, and LED flashlights, they are also great to keep i your pack should all of your rechargeable batteries die. Don't leave any battery in a gadget during long storage, old batteries often leak especially if the device is left switched on.

Splashed Electronics

You are poor and on the move, expect your valuable electronics to go into the water at some point. All is not lost,

snatch your gadget from the water
get the batteries out now!!
open every door and opening
shake the water out
if you can put the gadget in dry rice(uncooked) the dry rice will help soak up the moisture

If you dropped in salt water you are probably out of luck, but still as quickly as possibly

rinse off with bottled water or fresh water to get the salt out
take the gadget apart as far as you safely can
get your gadget somewhere warm and breezy if possible. The top of a radiator with a fan blowing is great, behind a refrigerator where the warm air blows is good too. Car dashboards are especially good during spring and summer but keep watch, sometimes they get hot enough to melt some plastics, in winter the blower heater is ideal.

If you can find electronic cleaning 'air in a can' blast the inside of the gadget to blow the water out your gadget, it will help a lot, be careful using a regular air hose these sometimes have water or oil in them. Let dry for 24 to 48 hours inspecting for dampness blowing or dabbing what you can get at, if there is none evident after that time period try powering up the gadget. Good luck.

You can also clean electronics with distilled water or rubbing alcohol -- just be aware that alcohol might ruin some LCD screens smf plastics. Keyboards with sticky keys from juice or soda can be taken apart and left to soak in distilled water. Make sure everything is 100% dry before reassembly and use.

We hesitate to mention the oven dry method because too many people freaked out over ruining their gadget get excited and mess it up, they end up with plastic slag dripping in the oven, we have inserted an oven temperature verification to help you boneheads out.

Remove battery and open all other covers
shake out as much liquid as possible
Rinse gadget with bottled water if necessary to wash out liquids other than fresh water
Preheat the oven or toaster oven and a plate to 120 F or 55C for 15 minutes - if the inside metal is too hot to touch then its too hot.
Remove all knobs so nobody can adjust the heat
Put a big sign on the oven explaining what you are doing, and what you will do to anyone who melts your gadget
After 15 minutes carefully feel the plate, does it burn or just feel hot
Let opened up gadget dry in the oven for an hour or more
If you melt the gadget don't call us!

PDA

A nice electronic convergence device is a used PDA that has WiFi for Internet, an ebook program, and can act as a MP3 or video player. Sticker and tape the PDA up so nobody will want to steal it. Many free programs are out for travelers with PDA's. Some PDA's and phones have a battery booster available which charge from AA or AAA cells.

Computer

Depending on what you are doing you might just need a laptop, but most often not. If you really must load yourself down try to get something light like the tough inexpensive netbooks for under $300 which have longer battery life and weigh under a kilogram, the trade off being small disk space and weak processors. An external hard disk can be plugged in to hold movies or music collections, most modern games are too rich for the low power processors, an offline copy of wikipedia makes a great hitch-hikers guide. We have run netbooks from portable solar power when camped in illegal squats grabbing neighborhood wifi.

USB Key/Disc

A traveler often still wants his or her files or programs. We also describe inComputers#USB Key how to load and use a USB key for booting a M$ Windows machine to Linux.

The basic USB key is a low cost and low theft way to have your data available when you have a chance to get on line, just be sure it is durable and the cap is not easily lost. There are several ways to maximize the potential of a USB stick. Many MP3 and multimedia players work as a storage device, as do some PDA's when the USB cable is attached.

ET E

Since USB Keys are ripe for seizure by a pissed-off pig, make sure you use something such as TrueCrypt (http7/www.truecrypt.org/) to ensure that your data is not quickly compromised if the key is lost/stolen.

Using an external drive is just like an orgy of unsafe sex, the computer can easily infect your drive or someones drive can infect your computer making you a virus and malware vector. This is mostly a MS Windows problem, Linux, Unix, and Mac computers are pretty safe in this area. A drive with a read-only or write protect switch can keep your drive safe but you cant save anything then. One option if you have lots of time get the free open source Portable ClamWin Anti Virus designed to run from your USB keychain drive. Plug into an infested Windows machine with your drive in read-only and run a virus scan, once it shows clean you should be pretty safe. http://portableapps.com/apps/utilities/clamwin_portable The PortableApps.com site has many other useful free open source applications for travelers and students with USB drives.

Mobile Phone

A mobile phone may be a "flashpacker's" voice, text, and Internet connection, but it is also the leash that constantly updates CorpGov to your exact location within a few meters and takes money from you at the same time. Even a phone without GPS can be tracked by most wireless carriers, and some phones will continue "pinging" the network even when you think they're turned off. A fresh prepaid phone and SIM card together gives minimal anonymity for a few days but this is really a false sense of security.

If you still need to carry a leash around your neck look for a phone that you can connect to your computer with a cable or something wireless like infrared or Bluetooth. Some newer smartphones will even go into Wi-Fi access point mode with the right programs or hacks.

You still may have a desire to communicate after you ditch the phone, see Communication for some alternatives.

E-book reader

If e-paper is the miracle it is promised we will soon have a cheap way to schlep many e-books on a single sheet of flexible plastic with a little controller/battery pack somewhere that lasts months on a charge. This might save a few trees and let us carry a whole bookshelf in our pack rolled up in a small protective tube. For now nearly all PDAs, mobile phones, and some MP3/video players already have software available to view book files.

The most well known ebook reader on the market at this time is the $139(WIFI)/$189(3G) Amazon Kindle. The Kindle uses a glass backed e-paper display which gives it several weeks life on a charge but it can break if dropped. The Whispernet wireless connection allows you to buy and download books and also access wikipedia.com for free, allegedly forever anywhere inside the US, it almost sounds like the perfect hobo device. The downside to the current models of the Kindle is that the wireless connectivity is an ordinary cellular EVDO data connection, this means you are traceable just like a mobile phone when the unit is in use. Our other concern is that our current economic troubles could lead to bankruptcy of either Amazon or the cellular carriers leading to a surprise disconnection of your expensive Kindle.

There are open source crack programs for many locked book file types, the most famous is the Microsoft lit file, the program clit (crack .lit) which has versions for unix, linux, windows, and apple will convert your .lit files into something you can put on nearly any device.

Wake Up

A digital countdown timer from a kitchen store will let you grab both quick naps or a full night of sleep without worry of oversleeping; set it according to your watch. Your cell phone alarm clock can now be turned off for privacy, to save batteries, or allow you to leave it at home.

Alarm

One of out fellow travelers was given a gift bag after volunteering at a womens shelter it included a loud whistle great for cycling, some pepper mace, a mini kubaton for striking bad guys, and a personal alarm with a rip cord activator and plug in door jamb sensor. We have since seen this cheap but painfully loud alarm by the checkout at several mart type stores for a few dollars.

The personal alarm works several ways:

Clipped on your person the rip cord is pulled if you are attacked, 130Db of heinous noise
Clipped to your bag and the rip cord to your belt you can easily chase a bag thief by following the noise maker still in the bag
Stick the sensor into the door jam or window of your room or squat and it alarms when the door or window is opened
Attached to your bicycle and the rip cord to a spoke or the bike rack, alarms if someone tries to take your bike
Place the sensor under your laptop and it alarms if your computer is picked up
Mount to bicycle handlebars and use as a panic horn/siren when drivers are getting out of control

Cheap enough to use as a noise grenade, distraction, or at protests, more noisy or booby trap ideas will come to mind.

Camera

Give consideration to protection of the camera from both notice and physical damage. If you are less of a pro think about a more "toy" type camera or something a few years old from an auction. Be sure you have spare batteries, charger, and card reader, and extra storage media. It is useful to burn and mail CD's with your pics every few weeks or when you capture a major story. Hacking is not just for your computer anymore, the Canon Hackers Development Kit or CHDK lets you do all kinds of crazy things with the right models of Canon cameras from enabling the features only found on the $1200 and up cameras to converting it into a motion sensing security system to silly games and it all runs from the SD card in the camera, check it out free and open source. http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK

Disposable film cameras are still available in 2009 if you don't need to take too many photos. If you don't mind the price of the film, the old Polaroid instant cameras are great for leaving behind some memories with new friends, but many people have printers now so digital is pretty quick to print except in serious back country.

Music

One way to go is to carry a small instrument and make your own music to share (see Making Music) as opposed to being antisocial and listen to MP3's or the radio all of the time.

If you like to stay informed, a small hand-crank or solar powered radio can be useful for not only weather reports and news breaks, but also for listening to NPR, pirate stations, and college channels. See Radio.

An external speaker can either share your tunes or pollute the room with constant noise, so be nice and think of your mates before playing your music out loud.

Wilderness Gear, and Urban Crash Gear

Unless you are planning a deep wilderness stay or third world travel then you probably only need a sleeping bag and either a hammock or ground pad which are highly useful when staying indoors, an a porch, or outdoors urban camping especially if all of the beds and couches are taken. Some hammocks have tarp covers or you can buy lightweight gore-tex covers which protect you from weather both are also available with bug netting which will protect you from bites while allowing air movement. Stoves and cookware are useful if you will be without electricity or a kitchen.

see also Low-Impact-Crashing and Backpacking andCamping.

Washing and Drying Clothes

No bucket? Throw soap, clothes, and water into a plastic sack and swish around, remember to rinse completely. In case you have access to a sink or bathtub, carry a universal flat drain plug. Find a good concentrated soap good for clothing and human use or carry detergent in a reused plastic container or castile soap like Dr. Bronner's.

An excellent dry line is a long narrow bungee-type cord; the hooks work on door and window frames, curtain rods, and hooks you place into the wall.

Washing Up

Towel

In the cleaning section of grocery and hardware stores you will likely see synthetic or microfiber cleanup towels. The larger ones make great cheap towels which pack light and dry quickly, this is the same thing as expensive backpacker pack towels.

Soap

One packing trick we have found useful comes from a fancy soap liberated from a German hotel. The soap bar was first inserted into a soft cotton bag with a small hanging loop, it dried out quickly when we put our wet soap into it and hung it from the toothbrush holder or shower curtain bar. When we had to travel quickly there was a second tough vinyl bag sized for the soap in the cotton sack, it had a fold over seal. This system kept our pack contents from getting contaminated up even if the soap bar had not yet dried out.

Nail Clipper

Clipping your toe nails regularly prevents infection from ingrown nails as well as lengthening the life of your socks and shoes. Always clip straight across with scissors or clippers and leave the corners of the toe nail sticking out, trimming off these corners lets the skin around the nails grow in and when the nail grows it will cut or rub this flesh leaving you open to infection.

Warm Water

Warm up your bath water with your stinger in a bucket or tough plastic bag inside a nylon stuff sack, for small volumes be careful not to overheat the water. Alternatively you can also use your camp stove to boil water to add into a bucket of cold water warming it up.

Wash up with your damp washcloth or sponge to save water. If rinsing is not an option because of limited water or drainage rub on a few drops of baby shampoo or baking soda in your armpits and groin then wash away as you wash the rest of your body with your washcloth.

If you are really cold, soaking your feet in warm water is a delight, pull out and dry off before the water gets cold or spills.

Haircut

There are those among us with enough skill to give great haircuts for both men and women with nothing more than a barbers scissors and a comb, very easy to pack. For the rest of us even women the practicality of a cool bug free buzzed short cut is hard to beat, if you are worried about your appearance or the sun wear a hat, beret, or scarf. Our best luck has been with a quality adjustable cordless beard trimmer kit that comes with a 110-240volt charger and gives several adjustable options for hair length and has a comb and scissors in the box. If you plan to share the trimmer you should clean the adjustable spacer, comb, and scissors with bleach or other disinfectant between uses to prevent the spread of lice and other skin afflictions.

Sleeping

A twin sheet folded and sewn on the bottom makes a cheap hostel sheet, this is good if you must crash on a funky old couch or mattress in summer or if you are staying at a hostel that charges extra for sheets, if you are cold use your sleeping bag as your blanket. Your hostel sheet is much easier to wash and dry than your sleeping bag so use it as a liner to keep your bag clean.

Regularly check for bedbugs in your sleeping bag and sheet especially if you stay at hostels or cheap hotels. Bedbugs are flat, oval and reddish brown in color and are about .2 inches long. Bedbugs resemble cockroaches but are wingless and flat and live in your mattress. If there is suspicion of bedbugs clean out your bag, gear, and clothing giving it a good shaking out. An hour on hot dryer cycle once the clothing is already dry will kill the eggs.

Sewing Kit

You can start out with the little travel sewing kit found at hotels or the grocery store which has several color threads buttons and a needle in a little box. If there is room on the thread card add several meters of heavy carpet thread in your favorite color or carry unwaxed dental floss for thread. A few extra buttons and perhaps some sew down snaps can replace a destroyed zipper. A tiny scissors is handy but you probably have on on your multitool or pocket knife. Consider some extra needles including one large one and a curved one. Most kits include a threading tool which really helps you get the needle threaded in low light conditions. Several safety pins in assorted sizes are the quickest way to make a temporary fix until you can sew up the damage.

Toilet Paper

Don't forget to pack toilet paper or plan for alternative ways of cleaning yourself after using the bathroom. In need, rolls of toilet paper can be liberated from the toilets in fast food joints or public bathrooms.

Light

A small LED headlight covers almost everything a person needs light for out to about 4 meters. A good idea is to wear the headband around your neck until needed and leave your light easy to get to in the top of your pack.

If the room you are in has no electrical or natural light many camping and mart stores sell a cheap four cell AA powered fluorescent and incandescent combo pocket flashlight. The light bulb can be replaced with a LED making a long lasting night light with the fluorescent tube for when you need general coverage.

When the power goes out you can never have too many light sources, glow tape or tritium markers will help you find your lights or gear in the dark.

Hair Dryer

A hair dryer can be your best friend in cold, rainy, and/or unheated locations. Choose something high quality, portable, and quiet, a built in circuit breaker is a good safety precaution. Just be sure it is small, or else you would be better carrying a small heater, which is usually much quieter. Remember that if you are renting a room the manager or your neighbors might object to the noise, this will also tip off the existence of a squat. Use your dryer to:

Dry clothes, socks, and shoes (be careful not to melt the glue holding shoes together)
Warm up your sleeping bag, or dry it out
Heat up a small room (find a dryer that can stay on for around half hour)
Removing adhesive stickers and signs
Thaw a car window or preheat the interior without wasting fuel
Make cars slow down (pretend it's a radar gun)
Thaw frozen pipes

If no small room is available and you are in a warehouse or outside but with access to electricity, pop your tent, tarp tepee, or cardboard box up right there and you have a much smaller space to heat, be careful that you don't damage tent fabric from the heat.

Clean the lint and dust out of the screen on the back so your dryer won't overheat. Never run the hair dryer if you are very sleepy or going out; these things can lock up and overheat even though there is supposed to be a thermostat safety shutoff circuit, you must be on guard for fire. Like with all electrical stuff, water or wet concrete is big danger.

Food

For packable food, see Roadside Chow for some easy on the road improvised recipes. It is really important to have enough filling ready to eat food and a liter or two of drinking water with you since you never know how long you might be stuck out somewhere when hitching, riding, or waiting. It might be smart to keep a separate soft lunch bag so the smell of food doesn't attract pests and rodents.

On a different note, carry a corkscrew of some kind especially when in Europe. Nothing is so frustrating as ending up with a bottle of nice wine and having to jam the cork down with a spoon handle to open it. If you travel by air it has to go in checked luggage.

Diving Gear

A few trash sacks and a cheap headlamp can be useful for scoring a few days food in a dumpster, a few plastic shopping sacks from inside will probably be enough for a person who is on the move. If you can, get a headlamp with a red filter so as to preserve your night vision (nighttime diving is often necessary at some locations) although white light helps you see food with an off color. You just need stuff to isolate your potentially smelly dumpster products from the rest of your pack... Accidentally getting rotten food all over the inside of your pack for a week long trip is no fun.

Immersion Boiler

A stinger or immersion boiler is useful for boiling water for cooking, are cheap, and are super light to carry. see Cheap Chow and Roadside Chow for stinger specific recipes. Once you have lived in a place without electricity for a few months you will understand the pure magic of finding a working power plug and using such a small cooker where you don't have to buy or gather fuel to heat your food. A commercial 200-500 watt coil stinger is usually so cheap and light that getting and carrying a spare or two only makes sense, especially considering that they burn out after a while, travel stores sell 110/220 volt models with a Euro adapter tip. You can also heat larger containers of water to warm for bathing, washing, or thawing frozen stuff.

The immersion heater you buy in stores will burn out if the water boils away or it falls out, this is a safety feature so it won't start a fire, as water gets low your heater might start to melt instead of burning out so be careful. We generally don't lend out our stingers since we have rarely had one returned in working condition. If someone needs it give a new one as an inexpensive gift with instructions.

If you need to make a prison stinger try this, take a discarded power cord with the cut off ends stripped of insulation now submerge both wires in salted or hard water, don't let the stripped ends touch or you will blow the breakers, oh and if you knock the prison stinger over or use it with a metal can it can electrocute you!!. European power systems will usually blow if there is more than a touch of salt in the water.

Travel Iron

Those cute lightweight travel irons with the folding handle and long cord can often be employed as a hotplate or with a layer or two of new smooth foil a way to hot wax your skis or snowboard. To work for cooking they need to rest reasonably stable when flipped upside down. We have found that most of these irons are are low powered even when run at full heat and best suited to warming food but will bring a 3 liter pot to a boil in about 30 minutes. If you need to jump start cooking use your stinger to assist the warm up and remove, the iron can maintain the low simmer. As we mention inRoadside Chow wrapped in foil you can warm or toast sandwiches and pizza in a few minutes. The iron is also a great way to iron-on repair and decorative patches. We suppose you might someday even be able to find a way to somehow use the iron to do this thing the straights call ironing clothes, be sure there is no food or wax residue though. While they weigh around 500 grams they free you from needing cooking fuel and do not appear out of place in almost any motel, hostel, or airport even where a hotplate might not.

Marking

It is a good idea to carry big sturdy permanent marker or paint pen with a good cap for hitchhiking or panhandling signs, marking food in group pantries or refrigerators, hobo marksWall Painting, and tagging with intelligent quotes or philosophical quandaries in appropriate places. Store pens and markers in a plastic bag near the top of your pack in case of leakage, especially in hot weather or during air or mountain travel.

Street chalk can also be useful for the above purposes and less permanent especially if you are concerned about ink leaks, a small chalkboard is great for hitchhiking or temporary signs.

Umbrella

If you spend lots of time walking down lonely roads you might find use in a decent umbrella both for rain and sun protection. If you are buying find something really tough like the new wind proof umbrellas with two layers that open up to dissipate hard wind gusts and don't easily turn inside out. For sun protection in the desert you are looking for a larger canopy so two can take a break under it as well as using it while walking in the middle of the day.

Fun and Games

Fun things that pack well and spend downtime without wasting your brain or batteries include:

Playing cards or card based games (games like "Magic" that can collect huge decks might end up too heavy).
Magnetic wallet board games (chess, checkers, backgammon, etc.)
Question cards from "Trivial Pursuit".
Dice for D&D type role-playing games or other dice games (like "Yahtzee").
CDs or small discs (vinyl singles, etc.) to use for Frisbee (those free AOL CD's work well).
Hacky Sack/Footbag.
Small musical Instruments (See Making Music).
Journal, colored pencels, etc for composition or sketches.
Kite.
Paperback of short stories, better than novel for when you are waiting, just finish the short story you are on and go
A knife for whittling.
Paper-back, digital scanned, or photo-copied text books or printed-off school resource pages and/or texts on a portable disk drive to keep up on your education.
Foreign language dictionary to study up on learning a new language.
Book of Sudoku or crosswords, or word search.
Seeds to plant in public places.

Those Chinese Juggling sticks are pretty fun. You can also get really good at them and perform for tips.

Quick Packing List

We trust you to choose what you don't need from this list, some gear is inappropriate at times, overloading is always inappropriate. It is merely a quick idea list:

Food prep- camp stove or pocket immersion boiler and large cup, bowl, or small pot, eating utensils, chopsticks, coffee or tea stuff, strainer, corkscrew.
Wash- flat drain stopper, outdoor faucet key/knob, bungee cord dry line, small scrub brush, stain treatment, wash soap/detergent
Shower- pack towel, wash cloth or sponge, liquid soap with neck strap, flip-flop sandals with add-on heel straps, universal shower kit, bucket and cup/dipper
Clothes- packable jacket, lightweight clothes, walking/outdoor shoes, swimsuit
Repair kit- quality multi-tool, heavy nylon carpet thread, needles, buttons, hot glue stick, lighter, sport or duct tape on a pencil, zip-ties, shoe laces, hose clamps
Sleep- sleeping mask, earplugs, neck pillow, countdown timer or alarm clock, hostel sheet, shorts or scrub bottoms and t-shirt, ground pad, sleeping bag, bug net
Contact- phone cards, change for pay phones in rolls, a pad of paper including numbers to call collect, USB memory stick with portable software, list or map of Library/Coffee shop Internet, WiFi PDA, small shortwave or ham radio set, walkie-talkie, prepaid mobile phone or SIM card, laptop, modem card, key chain WiFi detector, laptop or netbook computer
Personal Hygiene- fingernail clippers, first aid kit, baking soda, vinegar, Hair removal/trimming tools, baby wipes, toothbrush, toilet paper, love lube, safe sex stuff, period stuff (tampons, pads, moon cup, or re- washable pad), makeup, acne treatment
Wilderness Gear- Hammock, tarp or tent, sleeping bag, bivvy sack, ground pad, water treatment and storage, stove or grille, pack, walking sticks, toilet hole spade, pocket "chainsaw", navigation gear, survival kit, food, fuel, hatchet, fishing or hunting gear. see also Backpacking andSkiing and Boarding
First Aid- moleskin foot dressings, plasters(bandages), temp tooth filling kit, gauze pads, roller gauze, triple antibiotic ointment, tape, scissors, tweezers, medications for pain, motion sickness, allergy, indigestion, and diarrhea, sam splint, antibiotics, local parasite prevention/treatment
Protection- handgun, knife, walking staff, pepper spray, baton.
Other- Lightweight flashlight/torch or headlamp, emergency hidden cash, batteries and charger, journal, foreign dictionary, small gifts, seat pad, folding stool, LED book light, hair dryer, large or small solar cell, battery charger, personal/door alarm, combination lock, light gardening tools
Entertainment- Cards, paperback book, hacky-sack, games, notebook/journal, small radio, MP3, harmonica, busking act stuff
Special- bicycle spares, pump, combination bike tool, tube patches and tire levers and tubes, repair and craft tools, ski or board wax and scraper, edge file, sewing, embroidering, or knitting stuff

Not Overpacking

It is completely reasonable to walk out the door with wearing sturdy clothes and shoes while packing some socks, a toothbrush, and extra underwear. Let the world and your skills provide for you and you are a pioneer, if you must supply everything either out of your pack or bank account you are a finite expedition that will eventually run out. Some of our best adventures started with almost no gear or money and required us to use our hands and brains.

Look at the ultralight section of Backpacking. For improvising gear from available junk start with Low Impact Crashing.

Money

Credit cards provide a perfect police trace of where you have been at every point of use. However, they do provide the best exchange rates during international travel.

One guy we know sews a gold coin hidden into his trousers. Once, in Africa, he got dumped in the wrong town without his bags across an international border. His pocket money was no good there, but he ordered a taxi out, some meals, and several nights stay by selling the emergency coin. Another hippie friend would stash cash in Tylenol bottles, making sure to stuff the cotton back in. A cursory glance from a would-be thief wouldn't reveal her hidden money. Sewing hidden pockets in your clothes might also be a good idea.

Don't be afraid to offer your services in exchange for cash or trade, just like the old hobos. Demand a decent wage for your mental or physical labor. Use the underground economy as much as possible; barter, bum, and buddy your way along. You will build your resourcefulness and wit by freeing your mind.

Gifts

Depending on the nature of your walkabout, it might be a good idea to bring along cheap lightweight gifts, like pictures of (yourself near) an interesting place near your home with your e-mail address on back, stuff from a tourist stop near your home, local sport team cards, stamps, state quarters, etc. Don't go overboard on price, this is supposed to be a token memory.

Drugs

Nothing makes a cop's job easier than a possession rap against a protester or squatter with used resin coated drug paraphernalia. These can easily be found in a legal pat-down weapon search. If you must use drugs while traveling or living on the road, make something disposable or borrow instead. If you have a legal prescription for any type of ADD, anti-depressant, or pain medications, keep a photocopy in your bag with the meds. If you plan on being involved in protests or other risky adventures, it's usually a good idea to keep your mind and body free from any possible chemical hindrances.

Never, EVER try to cross international borders with drugs, especially if you go through a standard border gate. A loner traveling with no contact to family or friends is an easy candidate for retention and confinement for indefinite periods of time. Be sure to hot detergent wash your clothes and hang dry them for a day or two outside before a border crossing or airplane trip to reduce any drug smell which might alert drug dogs.

Phone Cards

Here is the story of a guy that gives his hippy and punk daughters phone cards to make long distance and international calls from regular and pay phones. He may not hear from them for weeks but he is able to see everywhere they travel and who they are calling by checking his account on the Internet. Can Big Bro' do the same? Of course. Disposable cards sold in many convenience stores are less traceable but cost more per minute. See Free Telephones.

Pets

Pets can make getting a ride and finding a place to stay more difficult. On the other hand they are a source of friendship, comfort, and healing, especially to those who have been traumatized. Tailor your travels to match your pet, or tailor your pet choices to meet your travel needs.

Bicycle

Some of us won't leave home without a bicycle and can be seen all over the world with a big pack everything from a little folding bike to a recumbent touring cycle. It is more difficult to hitch while making a bike trip since your ride needs either a pickup truck or have an empty bike rack. Many forms of commercial transportation will either forbid a standard bicycle or charge up to a double fare.

If you are not too personal about your bike, try to call ahead and arrange a bike from friends, a local listserve, or craigslist.com. We mention lots of options in Cycling.

rfImage:300px-BicycleBersaglieri2.jpg

General Delivery

So you won't over pack, you can have seasonal clothes, food, or gear sent to a post office as general delivery, see Postage

Hitchhiking

Last updated: 9 July 2011

Go back to Free Transportation

Asking an experienced hitchhiker how to thumb is like asking a 100 year old woman how to live long. She'll say something like, "I've drunk a fifth of gin every day since I was ten years old!" Some other 100-year-old will swear it's the companionship of cats. And that's as close as you'll get to the secret of living long and riding with strangers; there's a lot of magic and luck involved, and hence, a lot of superstition. What works for me may leave you, thumb high, frozen to death on the ramp. All the same, here are some tips; the magic, luck, and superstition parts are up to you.

Of all the methods of transportation we cover, hitching is one of the more hit or miss methods out there. Now, if you are mere hitching across town, you will have pretty good luck. Just hang at a convenience store and ask around without making too much of an ass of yourself or getting chased off and you should get a ride in a (relatively) short time. However, due to bad press, if you are traveling cross country via interstates, you may be waiting for long periods of time out in the weather. Needless to say, there have been many who have successfully hitchhiked even thousands of miles. It just may have taken very long times to get there.

1 Safety
2 The most important things to remember about hitchhiking are
3 Who picks up hitchhikers?
4 Truckers and CBs
5 Maps
6 Road repairs
7 Event Caravans
8 Weather
9 Bicycles
10 Traveling Together
11 Alternatives to the Thumb
12 Tips
13 Helpful Links

Safety

When hitching a ride, especially where the trip will take you through remote areas, you should take a glance at the fuel gauge and size up the vehicle and tires for road worthiness. No sense getting stuck with a break down that is not yours. Assess the driver and do the sniff test. We are cool with drinking and drugs when used safely. But, a drunk or stoned driver is a recipe for disaster.

Have a verbal contract ready before you get in. It must include exactly where you want to be dropped off and also that you have no gas money. The driver must agree before you get in or you set yourself up for trouble later. If they do not agree to your deal, wait for another ride. Be specific, say, “Thanks for stopping. I need to be dropped at exit 44 and I have no cash for gas, is a free ride cool?”. Then, if they ask why, explain about a guy who demanded gas money once after you had traveled some distance and you had none. It is rarely a problem, but gas money and free sex are not required to successfully hitch and if you specify that you are riding free it is much harder psychologically for the driver to demand something from you later.

Hitchhiking is considerably safer than it sounds in the lurid urban legends that our foes circulate to keep us afraid of one another; all the same, you may one day find yourself in a ride you don't want. This may not be clear immediately, so pay attention. Know your route, and keep track of where you are going. If the driver changes course, ask why Keep alert for conversational cues. A huge tip-off is frequent references to sex. It's best to put a stop to this immediately Change the subject, or casually mention some of your exotic diseases. If the driver is persistent, don't be afraid to insist, with whatever degree of politeness seems necessary, that you'd like to talk about something else. If you become uncomfortable with a ride for any reason, ask to be dropped off at the nearest opportunity It's rare that I hear of an encounter that escalates to this, but it does happen. If a driver won't stop, consider making a threat, hopefully one you're able to enforce. "I don't care if we both die, but I will stab you to death if you don't pull over right now!" got my friend out of an uncomfortable situation unharmed once.

Many people hitchhike with dogs for safety reasons; a dog can provide the same protection a weapon would, and discourages predatory drivers from picking you up in the first place. If you bring out a weapon, you had better be ready to use it, with everything that entails. Carrying a knife for defense means you must be physically, emotionally, and spiritually prepared to cut a person. If you aren't, pulling one out can only make things worse. Pepper spray is an alternative, but there are drawbacks to applying it while flying down the highway Standard pepper spray may not be powerful enough to stop an at- tacker; ask for "law enforcement formula" pepper spray at military surplus stores.

The most important things to remember about hitchhiking are

Travel light.
Be neat, clean and polite.
Always try to look like someone you'd want to pick up.
Make a large sign with your destination and don't forget your markers.
Bring food and water - you could be out there for a while.
Don't bring a weapon or anything otherwise illegal for you to be carrying. Sooner or later, you WILL encounter police, who will lock you up for the night if you're holding anything. Many county or small town jails are way out in the middle of nowhere where no one picks up hitchhikers and miles from main highways.
ALWAYS be specific that you have no gas money or credit cards, you cannot and will not pay for the ride.
ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS specify your exact destination and get confirmation from the driver that he will take you there directly. (From personal experience I find it better to ask the driver his destination before I give him mine. This way you can always politely back out in case you don't trust it.)
You can always pass on a ride if ANYTHING seems weird or the driver makes any demands in exchange for the ride. Remember, hitching is free.
If you're a little sketched out (or even if you aren't) and you have a phone, make a show of texting the license plate number, your expected arrival time, etc. to a friend.
Always keep your pack with you within reach at all times. There have been instances where disagreements, having to bail to avoid nasty situations, or even folks being jerks have caused hitchhikers to lose all their supplies, including identification cards.
ALWAYS remember that you are putting yourself in a vulnerable position. If you find yourself wondering if this specific driver is trustworthy, that is more than enough reason to back off.

Who picks up hitchhikers?

Back in the day everyone picked up hitchhikers. But those days are long gone. Various media pushed a bunch of lame stereotypes and rare horror stories for viewership. Nowadays, the people who pick you up will generally be:

Men looking for sex. This applies whether you're male or female and describes the plurality of people who'll pick you up. These range from the awkward/benevolent types who will give you a ride and not push sex once they realize you're not that girl from the album cover to the mean troll who'll quickly try to get you out of the car when you aren't interested. Actual rapists are rare to nonexistent. Still, be careful.
Religious/political extremists. Don't be shocked if they try to convert you to their sect, but this can also work in your favor. You can carry long conversations about your distaste for how things are run. (That is, if you're politically active). One thing they tend to bring up is the 9/11 attacks being an inside job, which most would be surprised to hear from the right-wing.
The armed dude. We have ridden with people in Amerika who tell us they are wearing a gun. These guys tend to be no problem so far in our experience. They tend to be right wingy if you talk politics, but are confident you will not jump them and so they are relaxed. Ask them about Obama, martial law, and gun bans and let the good times roll.
The con-artist. Rarely, a desperate con artist will surprise you and try to pressure you to pay for fuel at some point in the trip, especially if you are at the gas station and he is filling up while you are flashing cash to buy yourself junk food. You should be fine as long as you are specific before you get in that you wont be paying for fuel or anything else.
The flake. This guy wants somebody to talk to and figures any ride or any progress at all is a good ride for you and a big favor from him. Always ask the drivers destination and route before saying where you are going. These guys might feel charitable and agree to overshoot their destination to help you out but after a few hours of driving get tired and cranky, sometimes kicking you out in a bad hitching near their destination but miles from your destination. Never take rides from people offering to go very far out of their way especially at night.
People who may expect you to chip in for gas and/or tolls. No crime in that, but you can refuse the ride and wait or agree up front and pay your share especially if that is the only way for get a hitch to a better location. Compare bus prices, though, if you are in this situation.
Nice, bored people. Yeah, they do still exist. But, they will be a minority of people who pick you up.

Truckers and CBs

Your best bet is to ask around at a truck stop, many truckers like to have a rider to talk to. Stick to private truckers. Most large corporations like UPS, FedEx, and CSX strictly forbid riders in their marked trucks. Women especially, but men too, should watch out at truck stops. These places are frequent workplaces for prostitutes or “lot lizards” in CB lingo. Partnering up is a good idea in this sexist world. Even if a trucker is not interested in giving a ride, ask if he will CB or ask inside for someone heading your way. Talk to your ride first and set up how far they will take you for free - no tricks later. Especially at a truck stop where there are plenty of rides, please make sure the driver is cool. There is no reason to ride with a creep, no matter how bad you want to get where you are going sooner. Never put your bag in the back! Snuggle it to yourself so you will have it if you decide to bail out.

If you were not carrying enough already, a small CB hand held radio can be used better than your thumb, call out to truckers even on the highway, talk directly to trucks you see wave and ask them for a ride. Of course when roadside hitching a big sign and CB channel if you have always helps too, be sure you are on the correct side of the highway heading in the direction where you want to go.

When truckers are helpful, they can be very helpful. They are also quite familiar with the cast of characters that live on the road. Truck stops bustle with drivers, prostitutes, and, of course, hitchhikers. At larger truck stops, you will find just as many drivers who are waiting until they are sober enough to drive again or until some warehouse opens as drivers who are actually going somewhere. Even if a driver isn't go- ing your way, he might be willing to make use of his CB radio to advertise your plight, asking around the lot if anyone is going your way. Alternatively, bring your own CB radio and do the same! In common trucker CB radio talk, "hand" is the expression for hitchhiker. It can help to call out individual truck names as they're driving off, asking them which way they're headed. If you sound like a trucker, or at least someone who knows what's going on, you're more likely to get a ride. Listen to people speaking over Hitchhiking the CB, and learn what you can of the vernacular. "How 'bout it, anybody out at this Pilot 300 headed north? Can you give a hand a lift?"

If you are working the truck stop route, you should know that "Lot Lizard" is the term for prostitutes who hang out at truck stops. Don't get in a truck with anyone who de- scribes you that way or is looking for one.

Maps

Most states offer free maps which you can either order from the official state website, the state tourism website, or from welcome/info/tourist buildings as you enter the state. Always have a highway map and good compass so you can keep yourself on the right road and headed in the right direction. A small map book of national highways which includes exit numbers is essential and worth the extra weight if going beyond the local area, don't trust a GPS and be sure your map is up to date. Your map will be important in your relationship with drivers; you'll frequently have to tell them where you want to be dropped off, and you'll want to choose wisely and explain it precisely. From time to time, you may even have to help a driver navigate.

Road repairs

If you plan on long range hitchhiking there are some useful things to carry in your pack to help you save yourself if your ride breaks down. The two most likely problems are engine cooling system problems and blown tires. If you carry a pair of large hose clamps you will be able to repair some burst hoses if the leak is near the end of the hose. A tube of radiator stop leak powder is very small and can be added to the radiator to repair small leaks. It might take half an hour or more but you can use a bicycle pump to refill a flat tire, it is a bit tricky finding the hole and adding a tire plug to a mounted tire but we have done it before in a pinch. Most of the time it is just as simple as helping somebody on the roadside change to a spare tire, add/remove snow chains, or add water to the radiator once the engine has cooled.

If you want to go the trading route, make your offer of work for ride up front and confirm destination again after the handshake and before work starts. Confirm that they will not decide they are scared or weird out once you are finished. Confirm you are fixing their car for a ride, not for free. Unless you can get your cash up front do not expect to actually get paid for fixing a car. Besides, it is good karma to help breakdowns on the road for free. Do not offer your mobile phone. If there is a need for an emergency call, you can make it. Otherwise, you can expect the driver to spend all of your minutes in exchange for his valuable and generous offer of a ride. Above all, be very reluctant on taking a long ride in an iffy vehicle. The last thing you need is to break down a car in the middle of the mountains that you had already needed to fix once.

See Cars for more on the gasoline automobile and nasty problems that can come up.

Event Caravans

People heading to some protest groups, renaissance fairs, Rainbow Family gatherings, Burning Man, hemp festivals, role playing conventions, and many other scenes are occasionally known to be open to offering rides. If one of these is your destination or something you want to check out in your journey, it may be worth your time to check for. It is usually safer to ride with those sharing common goals. This can be a large group of folks with multiple cars loaded down or just one or two people driving there.

The culture amongst attendees of some events sometimes lends itself to varying degrees of camaraderie - even amongst strangers - at least until it is over. At some events this closeness is so thick, it is almost inescapable. Others, it is just a vague acknowledgment and politeness and maybe a few room parties with shared booze and other party favors, if that. The friendlier the culture, the better chance for shared rides.

Be aware that many may rightfully want you to put up a reasonable (but far less than a bus ticket) amount of cash up front for gas. The whole object of a caravan is to get to the event on the cheap through shared gas, after all. You will usually be on your own for housing, food, and any entrance fees when you get there.

Leeching is discouraged and be cool. There have been tales, although rare, of the obnoxious being dumped along the way, shunned by the community while there, or stranded after the event is long over. Not fun. If you are short on funds and still want to go, consider getting in touch with the organizers and volunteering instead. You will get in for free, and sometimes housing and food are offered gratis out of the event's budget. Your enjoyment may be affected and you may have to do actual work, though. The further in advance you talk to the organizers, the better luck you will have with this approach. Some places culture is cooler than others about this.

The best way to find these is to ask around on the forums on the website of the event organizers. Craigslist and ride share sites can occasionally help as well. It is possible to catch a ride through word of mouth, too. Some areas have places and circles of folks that make the gathering an annual event. If you are roughly within a two state area of the location of the event (the closer, the better!) or can meet them along the route, you stand a much better chance of hopping on such a caravan.

Weather

Make sure you are prepared for the elements. You don't want to get badly sunburned if Weather you have to stand by the road all afternoon, and holding up that sign in a freezing wind can really be hard on your fingers. Your bags should be waterproof, in case the clouds Hitchhiking, burst and you can't get out from under them in time. Few drivers will want to pick up a hitchhiker who is literally dripping wet, but mildly bad weather may win you sympathy and a swift rescue. Hobo folklore tells that in Alaska, it's illegal not to pick up hitchhikers during the winter.

Bicycles

Hitchhiking with a bicyde limits the number of drivers who can pick you up; it can also Bicycles get you rides from people who might not pick up ordinary hitchhikers, but make an exception for what appears to be a bicyclist in distress. A bicycle is certainly an invaluable tool when you are within a few miles of a truck stop or town, or trapped in the middle of one you want to leave.

Traveling Together

Traveling with a partner is always safer, and probably will not slow you down like one would think. Of course, if you are both large men with Charles Manson beards and bleeding head wounds, you will have to wait a long time for a ride. On the other hand, some men may find that they are picked up more quickly when they hitchhike with a female partner. Whatever your team looks like, talk about your approach before you go, be understanding of each traveler's needs, and look out for each other.

Talking through the process in advance is especially important if one partner is more experienced hitchhiking, or feels safer with strangers than the other, or benefits from social privileges that the other partner does not. An example is the case of a man traveling with a woman or trans gendered person. Before you set out, establish together what your expectations of one another are, how you will handle trouble, and how you will communicate your needs in the presence of others. During the trip, stay aware of your partner's comfort level, and always defer to the less comfortable person's judgment. This might mean declining a ride that you would accept if you were alone; it might mean that you do the talking or make the requests if the conversation takes an unpleasant turn. Good communication can also mean not putting yourself in the role of protector unless you are invited to do so. Be aware that there may be vibes that your traveling partner is affected by that you don't notice. Never make someone feel foolish or cowardly for feeling unsafe.

Alternatives to the Thumb

If you don't feel comfortable standing by the road letting drivers choose you, you can choose them. Do some research beforehand, and bring a list of hostels along your route. Go there and strike up conversation with travelers; that way, you can form an impression of a person before you ask for a ride. If the hostel scene doesn't sound right for your needs, think about other places you are likely to meet traveling people with whom you have something in common besides a destination.

You can also hang out at a travel plaza, rest stop, restaurant, or gas station and approach drivers with whom you believe you would feel safe. Talk to each driver a bit before deciding whether to ask for a ride; this makes it easier for the driver to evaluate you, too. Using this method, you can end up with kindly drivers who would never have stopped to pick you up by the road.

Bulletin boards are another recourse for travelers without a car. Universities often have physical ride boards with separate sections for those needing rides and those driving. Online message boards can be useful, as well.

Tips

You can improve your chances of being picked up and treated well while hitchhiking, not to mention getting away with other things, by dressing in dark pants and a white shirt with a tie and perhaps a name tag — that is, as a young Mormon on a mission! Pick up some free Mormon bibles at your nearest tabernacle for authenticity, and if anyone asks serious questions, what better form of cultural terrorism than to spread a little fun misinformation?

Helpful Links

http://www.craigslist.com - arrange a ride share
http://www.digihitch.com - lots of (modern) hitchhiking info, discussions, etc.
www.hitch-hiking.org(http7/www.hitch-hiking.org/) - Great site with a lot of information all about hitchhiking (English and German language)
http://hitchwiki.org Hitchwiki.org
http://www.liftershalte.info/ Liftershalte.info - Worldmap showing hitching places.
http://www.hitchbase.com hitchbase.com - Database with hitchhing places
http://abgefahren.hitchbase.com Abgefahren e.V - the first german Autostop Society; ideas, tips, projects,..
http://tramprennen.org/ Tramprennen - primarily a hitchhike race for charity, tips and hitchhike forums (English and German)

Cycling

Last updated: 30 June 2011

The bicycle is most popular vehicle in the world, and for good reason: A person on a bicycle is by far the most efficient means of transport known to man. Bicycles are beautiful things. They are cheap, reliable, faster and easier than walking and driving in the city, and downright sexy, as a bonus you end up looking pretty damn sexy after a few months. They can take you almost anywhere, they don't rely on fuel, a license or insurance, a most liberated way to get around these days.

1 Getting a Bike
2 Legal
3 Kinds of Bikes
3.1 Upright
3.2 Cargo Bikes
3.3 Recumbent
3.4 Hybrid Power
3.5 Motorized

3.5.1 Prerequisites

3.5.2 Tips

4 Ride Safe
4.1 Maps
5 Crash Positions
6 How to Lock Your Bike
7 Disguising Your Bike
8 Stashing Stuff
9 Smart Security Tips
10 Nutrition
11 Gears
12 Wind
13 Travel
13.1 Bikes and other forms of Transit
13.2 Touring
13.2.1 Touring Gear
13.3 Cross Country Camping
13.4 Inner City
14 Folding Bicycle
15 Keeping it Working
15.1 Tools
15.2 Portable Tools
15.3 Road Crud
15.4 Rust
15.5 Wheels and Tires
15.6 Brakes
16 Demonstrations
17 Yellow-White Bicycle Share Programs

Getting a Bike

Find a bike of quality, good enough to not require constant replacement of parts. If the quality is too low you will likely learn to hate cycling and stay a petrol hog. Generally it is a better idea to decide if you are only going on road, since there are many different types of bikes for their use. Road bikes are for roads, and vise versa. A good compromise is a heavy mountain bike frame with road tires, this is pretty much what a hybrid bicycle is. Keep the knobby tires to swap on if you ever move to an area with only mud and dirt roads, or sell them. A variety of Hybrid tires are available: knobby but with a smooth rolling center line being quite popular.

Never buy junk bikes from department stores that rely on crude slave labor; these are designed as gifts to kids who will likely ride them for only a few weeks. However, you may be okay with a cheap cruiser like a Huffy or a Shwinn if you catch one on special. Main thing is to avoid the big box store bikes with tons of moving parts and gears as most of the time, the parts are of low quality and the wage slaves that put the bikes together are often poorly trained and merely slap the bikes together and these can develop serious problems. In particular, we get concerned about the NEXT brand of bikes that tend to tear up easily and can be hard to fix. Cheap garage rusters tend to be good for only about 500km and real maintenance or fine adjustment is almost impossible.

When buying, stick to a friendly local bicycle shop or, even better, a local bike co-op who will sell you a tuned and sized bicycle designed for long service life.

In the USA, quality barely used bikes are discarded to "thrift" shoppes which may sell for as little as $10. Garage sales are also a good source of cheap bikes, beware the used department store type cycles unless you need a disposable with poor performance. A proper 1970's vintage quality bicycle and a little tuning is a much better choice for your money than a brand new discount-mart special.

Watch out for dents or bulges in the frame of the bike, this is a sign that the bike has been crashed, and may be hazardous to ride especially if it is of aluminum or exotic construction. Also look out for hairline cracks in the paint, especially near the tubing joints. These can be an early warning of frame damage.

For your first and maybe even your second bicycle don't choose anything too expensive or exotic, once you are a regular rider you will learn what factors matter to you in upgrades. Even the best local bicycle shop mechanic/clerk may be in love with some feature that is just not what you need right now.

Horse thieves were among the very lowest, mangiest, least-tolerated kinds of criminals. When they were caught, they were hanged.

Always acquire your cycle through honest means, as you can ruin lives stealing or stripping cycles. They may belong to less affluent people who have put every penny into making and maintaining their cycles as a work of fast clean functional art. Even if the owner is affluent or a corpgov salary man they are at least contributing more of their share than the petrol addicts. Most all local shops selling bicycles of any quality are small operations, don't kill them off by lifting perhaps a week or more worth of profits in a ride-away theft. A good way to get a bike is to put up ads on bulletin boards or check classified ads. You may also find bikes that need a bit of repair curbed or in a dumpster. Ask your local bike shop mechanic to check out a bike you are going to buy and estimate the value, including the price of required repairs and a tune up.

Remember: Arguably only acceptable theft is that which hurts large corporations, not the people around you. If your local target or walfart carries accessories that you need, that's fair game. If you see an unlocked bike on a bike rack, don't be a dick!

Legal

Bicycles are free to drive in all locations without an operators license, although some require a license for cycle couriering. Some jurisdictions, especially cities, require the registration of a bicycle and either a plate or sticker to identify the bike. The authorities insist this helps return stolen bikes, but they have been used most effectively to earn the city money. Failure to have a sticker or plate may result in a confiscation or fine. The police have even confiscated parked or locked unregistered bicycles in homeless camp raids.

The most common violations cops use to stop cyclists are helmet and safety light laws. They especially target underage cyclists for these. Light laws usually require a white forward and red rearward light or LED flasher at night, sometimes they are even required during reduced visibility even during daylight hours. Failure to comply with these bylaws often result in fines, and it gives police the right to search you. Most often these bylaws have been used to target the lower class, including scruffy kids, immigrants, and the homeless.

Many states and countries forbid riding on sidewalks. It is in your best interest to cycle on the street as you will avoid many accidents there. Learn the traffic bylaws, most good local cycle shops and any licensing center can provide you with them.

Highways, freeways, and interstates are closed to both pedestrians and cyclists in most countries for their safety. This can make navigating long trips difficult at times, especially in rural areas. It is not so much a cyclist riding in the emergency lane that is a concern but having to cross 55-75 mph traffic at every on and off ramp.

If you are drunk or stoned forget cycling. Lock up your bike and leave it or let somebody sober drive you and the bike home. Not only is it common sense, but in most states going past .08 blood alcohol and riding sometimes even pushing or sitting on a bicycle can get you arrested for a DUI, reckless self endangerment or intent to drive drunk, complete with FBI filed fingerprints, a criminal record, possible jail time, and a revoked drivers license!

Kinds of Bikes

Upright

The least expensive, most common bicycle, new and used, is the upright. Road bikes are built for speed, they may have multi-position hand grips and razor thin tires, good for paved roads. Be careful when using a road bike off road, even on gravel. Mountain bikes are built for impact and mud resistance, and the shocks and knobby tires are intended for off-road travel. You will waste your pedaling effort using a mountain bike for a city commute. Hybrids, or urban commuter, bikes take the ruggedness of a mountain bike to absorb potholes and curb drops but add road capable tires and sometimes multi-position handgrips. Touring bikes can also take some of the attributes of both mountain and road bikes. They emphasize long riding with stronger components and mounting points for pannier bags.

Cargo Bikes

Cargo bikes can take many forms but they are usually based on the tricycle. Many of these are custom shop build jobs with either the front or back half of an inexpensive conventional bicycle removed and a large cargo area added. For front cargo the front wheel and forks are removed and a tubular frame is welded on, the front wheels are mounted on the sides of the cargo area and pivot on their mounts, a cross tube/handlebar attached to these pivots is pushed left or right to steer, these bikes have a very limited turn radius and are best for use in an area with few hills, but can be made with quite a large cargo capacity. A traditional tricycle design requires a bit more mechanical skill since a drive axle with a chain sprocket must be installed, the available cargo area is limited by the width of the axle, these are also available from specialty bike shops. There are frame attachments which make for a long tail bike allowing very large panniers or several buckets or coolers to be attached to this extension, the upside is that it is possible to quickly convert back to a normal bike with a trip to the bike shop but these extensions appear to put stress on the rear of the bicycle frame.

While still almost universally expensive, even when purchased used, for long travel the recumbent is definitely worth looking into. The recumbent position is like reclining in a lawn chair and pushing the pedals, instead of crouching over your handlebars. You will be able to put more leg power to use pedaling clipped-in feet sitting recumbent than you ever did on an upright. Due to the multiple drive chains, it is simple to add battery powered and regenerative drive systems. You can even add a stirling, steam, or gas booster motor, although this takes from the whole green purist idea. The only disadvantage with the recumbent cycle is their height and inability to push harder up hills.

Blurring the bicycle, motorcycle, and car; vehicles like the Twike and other custom lightweight hybrid vehicles let two or more riders travel petrol in style. Riders pedal inside an enclosed and stylishly designed vehicle and a battery and motor system give a power boost to uphill pedaling while reovering energy from downhill braking. On a sick day, plug in and charge a battery for a free ride. We expect the enterprising types to get out your welding, electrical, and plastic forming gear and design more vehicles like this to take back our streets and clean air.

Motorized

A normal bicycle can be relatively easily converted to a motorbike with a simple kit. A halfway decent 2-stroke bicycle motor kit can be bought for around $130, will give you up to 70+ miles per gallon, and will still give you the ability to use your pedals. 4-stroke motors are a possibility but are more expensive and add more weight to the bike. Electric bike kits are available, but are even more costly(more than 3 times the cost of a 2-stroke engine) and don't go more than 20 miles on a charge. The main advantage to an E-bike is that you can stay off the grid if you have a solar charger. Also, in some states an e-bike can be ridden anywhere it's legal to ride a bike (bike trails, bike lanes, etc.) since it's officially an "electrically assisted bicycle" and not a "motor vehicle" as long as the chain drive still works from the pedals. A gas or electric powered bicycle can be made street legal in most states and countries. In California(what is considered the strictest state), all you need to do is pay for registration and a permit as long as your bike meets all the standards. Motorizing your bicycle is one of the easiest ways to have a motor vehicle without handing over too much tribute to the CorpGov. Just be certain what type of motorized bicycle is legal in your state or province before you start shopping for parts.

Prerequisites

These days, your state/country is probably looking for some serious dough in order to make up for their billions in debt. Motorbike riders are easy targets for your local pigs to make a quick buck because many motorbike riders don't follow all the rules. It will save you money in the long-run in order to, unfortunately, comply with every extent of the law.

Below is a list of what you need to make your bike legal in the state of California. Certain parts may be different depending on where you live, but since California is the strictest state in the U.S., that means this list is probably the most thorough:

At least an M2 moped permit. An M1 Permit or an M1/M2 license will work as well. But with permits, you can only ride during the day. - Vehicle registration. This usually costs about $19 and can be done via-mail. Processing takes around 6 weeks. - A headlight with a high-beam setting. - Left-hand mirror. - An engine that will only go up to 30mph on level ground. Chances are your motor will go faster than that, so just lie on the application. - The engine must be under the amount of CCs that would make the bike considered a motorcycle. Motorized bike engines are usually far below that. - Horn. - Rear light or reflector. - VIN number. Usually you can use the number stamped on the bike frame under the peddle crank. If there isn't a number on there, just make one up and stamp it somewhere on the bike frame. The only reason you need a VIN is for the registration. For the engine number, just use the last 4 digits of the VIN that you use.

Tips

Typically, the kind of engine you will be getting in a kit will come from China. There are some better-quality engines out there like Morini motors, but they're much more expensive than what they're worth. Chinese motors are usually very functional but they can be a crapshoot. Try to find a distributor you're confident in.

As soon as you get your kit, replace as many of the parts(bolts, studs, etc.) as possible. The hardware that comes with the kits are usually okay but strip and break off easily. Any local hardware store will carry more suitable parts.

Once you have your kit fully installed and functional, use blue or red Loctite(or any threadlocker) to keep the nuts in place form the vibration.

The instructions that come with most kits are translated from Chinese or written by a Chinese native, so they're not always helpful. They're usually just good enough to put together most of the kit, but in the case that you get confused there are plenty of videos on the internet and there are some motorized bicycle forums that are happy to help out.

Chinese instructions tell you to break in the motor using a 16:1 ratio of gas to oil. In China, their oil is different so they use a 16:1 mix. If you're in the Americas or Europe, it's better to use a 24:1 mix on break-in and a 32:1 mix after break in. A 16:1 mix won't hurt your engine, though.

Ride Safe

Try to ride with traffic and take a lane if possible, you are actually safer in traffic than trying to squeak by on the edge where any idiot can open a car door in front of you and send you flying out into traffic to be crushed by a bus. Don't get hyper aggressive, while it is normal to roll to an intersection and verify it is clear before crossing against a light or stop sign don't blindly blow intersections this is one way cyclists get killed. Do not try to hitch a free ride on a car or truck, hanging on makes you very unstable and you can end up surprised by a sudden acceleration, stop, or change in direction. Do not carry any bags or wear clothing that may interfere with your steering or the motion of your wheels or brakes, if you want to carry freight get panniers and proper racks or a good trailer. Keep your bicycle maintained, a brake or drive chain failure can be dangerous, even worse is if the bicycle itself should fall apart spilling you onto the street or highway. Make yourself seen through bright colors, sound signals, and proper lighting. Wear safety gear, no barefooting and wear a helmet.

Maps

The folks at Google maps have thoughtfully provided us with an on-line map service for bicyclists, although the service is still in beta and asks for people to report unmapped bike routes and roads unsafe for bikes. Go to http://maps.google.com/ and click "Get Directions" and then the bicycle logo.

Crash Positions

If you are going to crash your cycle DO NOT stop the fall with your hands. Arm, hand, and clavicle fractures can be caused by attempting to protect yourself from a fall. Either stay clamped to your handlebars and let the bars take the pain or make fists and cross your arms against your chest, tuck your chin to save that pretty face ,and let your back and helmet take the beating. In order to train your body to tuck and roll it might be good to find some sand or soft grass to practice controlled falls.

How to Lock Your Bike

Avoid the cheap wire or cable locks. A bike thief with access to a hacksaw can merely cut through this if your bike looks expensive enough to get a few crack rocks for.

For really good security, there are only two good locks that give you piece of mind: a steel "D" lock or one of the Kyptonite or similar chain heavy locks. Yes, these can be removed, but we want a potential thief to have to get blow torches or heavy stuff duty stuff like commercial bolt cutters or diamond tipped saws to get to it. A chain lock is really cool too because it can double as a fierce weapon!

When possible, try to put the chain or D lock through both the front tire and the frame. Many thieves will try to take the front tire to replace their front tire because of ease of stealing. This will not protect the seat. If you have a seat with a removable lever feature, ALWAYS take your seat with you as many times someone will rip off your seat to replace one that was ripped off from them. If you do not, consider using a hex bolt to fasten the seat. Many thieves will have access to a philips or flathead screwdriver, but many may not have an allen wrench laying around.

Two locks are always better than one, if you do not mind the inconvenience and live in an area with a large number of bike thieves.

Most of the time, bikes are stolen from outside the house. Thieves know that when you are asleep, they have hours to get through any lock on the bike if it is one with pawn value. Thieves, by nature, are very observant and notice bikes that are dormant in the same place for long periods of time. For this reason, ALWAYS put bikes inside your apartment with you. If out and about, always lock your bike up in traffic areas that are well lit. Move the place you lock your bike up from time to time to make it not look like an abandoned bike.

By far though, the best bike defense is to make sure your bike looks old and not new and worth crack rocks. A brand new Mongoose nice paint and custom racing parts is going to get swiped faster than a Huffy beach cruiser with stickers all over it and spray paint and scratches.

As always, BE SURE TO KEEP AN EXTRA COPY OF THE KEY TO YOUR LOCK IN A SAFE PLACE SEPARATE FROM YOUR KEYRING!. Nothing can suck worse than losing your keys then having to "steal" your own bike.

Disguising Your Bike

Taking corporate logos from a new cycle and adding stickers and tape will quickly make it look broken or used and reduce the perceived value and risk of theft.

One method people have used is to "uglify" the bicycle by painting it a hideous color combination (such as mismatched florescent colors) with added flecks or using a simulated rust finish available in craft stores. If the thief thinks your bike isn't worth stealing, he'll probably make his way to the Shimano further down the rack. Replacing the bolts on your seat with Torx head bolts will slow down, or maybe even deter, a would-be thief. Grinding off the logos from the gears; a worn, fugly looking seat; mismatched pedals, tires and handlebar grips; all of these can make your bike look like an ugly duckling while keeping it riding like a swan. Remember, don't think "art bike" here, think "camouflage".

Stashing Stuff

The pigs, TSA, and border cops already know that bikes are full of places to hide stuff, and in any case pot is so stinky any K9 unit walking by will find your stash, Bad piggy-doggy!! But for the most part everyone else sees a bicycle as an invisible solid object possibly worthy of stripping or looting but not for hiding stuff. Even if you are not carrying a party in your pocket, safely hiding your travel or emergency cash can be an issue, be sure to securely lock the frame. If the bike is not new it may appear not worth the effort of cracking a good lock. Remember a little hidden cash is always nice if you have to lam it on the quick.

Here are some ideas:

The metal tubing on a bicycle is full of places to stash, you might need to use some sort of stuffing to hide your stash or avoid rattles,
Don't drop a stash down where it can get stuck inside a bend or weld in the frame, you could waste hours with a coat hangar when you need to fish it out.
Use a ziplock bag if there is a chance of riding or parking the bike in rain.
A quick release seat tube may be too easy and obvious since walk-by seat theft is a problem in some areas
An old nasty water bottle might be too gross for anyone to touch, if it is a dark color nobody can tell you have stashed something in it, use stuffing to avoid rattles.
Water bottles are one of the safest places for an underage kid to stash and transport hard alcohol, but be sure they seal well or the leaking alcohol smell will give you away, clear moonshine, vodka, or Everclear are probably the safest since other liquors will leave a long lasting residue in the plastic.
The tires on some bikes are a place to hide a joint or large value bill or two, don't overdo it or your ride will get bumpy or wobbly.
The handlebar tube is a popular stash point, remove the caps or ends and blow, out comes the J.
An old bike maintenance book from the 70's recommended hiding a joint or two under the wrapping tape of a road bike handlebars, this is also a great place for emergency cash.
Any of these hiding places is perfect for stashing a spare bike lock key.
Don't forget about a valuable stash when you give away an old bike or send it into the shop for work!

Smart Security Tips

Don't leave all of your lights, pump, bags, helmet, and other gadgets, even a quick release seat post or front wheel on your bike when you are parked. They are all quick release for a reason, and not to make theft easy, keep this stuff ready to go in your bike messenger bag or pack, the front wheel and seat usually can be locked to your bike with your U-lock or cable. Just in case attach an extra red flasher to the back of your helmet where it won't be easily stolen keeping you legal.

A good rule of thumb is to never store a bicycle outside overnight, and if you have to lock up your bicycle, especially in an urban area, try to check on it at least once an hour, being viewable from a window near your desk or your restaurant seat is good enough. If there is an option to take your bicycle inside that is always the best choice.

Lastly karma counts, if you are honest in dealing with others, even with stores, there are many who trust that your stuff, or the stuff you really need will be available to you even if you are settled in a place where everyone has their stuff ripped off. Resist the urge to steal what you need and enjoy the cosmic benefits.

Nutrition

Stay hydrated and fed while cycling, don't waste your time with lo-cal diet foods; you need fuel, around 7000 Calories is reasonable. If it does not cause you indigestion try to eat fats in the afternoon and evening to digest as you sleep. A banana which is rich in potassium ions can help prevent cramping from long rides. Backpack drinking systems are available now for low prices if you prefer using these to water bottles, these make it easy to sip all day so you can drink all that you need. Many sport drinks come in a decent squirt bottle that fits standard bottle cages. See Backpacking, Camping, andCheap Chow for some low price portable food and drink suggestions. If you will be going through towns be sure to do some dumpster diving especially at pizza, bakery, and donut places; stock up on the free fuel.

Have some baking soda for indigestion; oatmeal, coconut milk or another laxative if you get backed up, which happens easily on the road eating less fiber and dehydration. You might want activated charcoal or other medicine for diarrhea mostly from forgetting to wash your hands or strange foods.

Gel shots are now a popular and expensive way to get that little sugar boost on hills, we have experimented and found that honey with salt added and put into a gel-shot bottle does the job on cramps and hills better for less money, try your own recipe designed for your body needs; suggested additives are table salt and potassium chloride(salt substitute) for cramping, and caffeine. Once filled put the gel flask into a pot of hot water, this will help dissolver any salts or other additives. Another idea is a 50/50 mix of honey and peanut butter, it is like a liquid sports bar. Shots are not a substitute to stopping for a sit down or lie down rest and meal or snack every few hours

The other vitamin C, caffeine. There is something to the idea that caffeine makes you pedal harder and longer, some call it liquid motivation. Caffeine is a diuretic, it makes you pee more, this means hydration becomes a more important priority than before. Many people just drink their coffee when taking a rest break, but there are coffee cup holders made for bikes as well as commuter cups with open bottom handles which clip nicely to a bicycle handlebar. There are unconfirmed reports of a person near Corvallis Oregon who built a Stirling steam assist motor for his bicycle and added a steam tap so he could make espresso on rest stops. Be wary of side effects. Stomach aches and horrible tiredness later in the day.

Mixing large dose caffeine or Ritalin with ephedrine or pseudoephedrine cold or asthma medications, or even going straight to real speed drugs like Adderall or other amphetamines can make you cycle harder for a long day, maybe two but even if you are in good shape when you start the reduced appetite and lack of rest will make you miserable for the rest of a tour, worst case it could cause life threatening cardiac problems or catastrophic overheating leading to heat stroke. These drugs are to be reserved for EMERGENCY USE ONLY.

Gears

If your bike has multiple gears, use them! Pedaling shouldn't be a huge chore. It's better to lightly "spin" your cranks at a moderately fast cadence rather than standing up and pushing really hard one leg at a time, which is inefficient. It is possible to spin too fast: experiment with your gears to find what works best. Most people find their favorite cadence between 1 and 2 revolutions per second. If you just cant push anymore switch to the very lowest gear of all, hop off and push or carry the bike up the hill.

Wind

Hills and mountains passes eventually reach a top and you get a free ride eventually, headwinds can make you feel like you are climbing Everest and there is no free downhill. If the winds are not in your favor try to find a route where you have some protection to slow the wind or ask locals how long the winds typically last and consider making camp for a day or two.

Travel

If you travel frequently a folding or take-apart model of bicycle may be for you. Some can even be disassembled or folded to fit a suitcase or duffel-bag. This may save you a double fare or extra charge on airplane, bus, and train trips as well as hitch hiking a ride. If disassembling a bicycle for travel be sure to take off the derailleur as this is very easily broken. Don't worry about deflating your tires for fear that the unpressurized plane cargo hold can cause damage, in actuality direct summer sunlight heating the tires will cause a much greater change in tire pressure. See Airlines for more travel packing info.

Bikes and other forms of Transit

As we mention above there are folding bicycles that can fit in a regular suitcase, preferably hard sided. If you are going to go with your regular bicycle here is our experience in the US.

Amtrak. Amtrak will consider any bike as luggage for a 5 USD fee. However, you will have to remove the pedals and steering and put the entire bike in a box. If you do not have a box, Amtrak sells bike boxes for 15 USD. Some trains can carry unboxed bikes in a luggage car, the catch-22 is that customer service can give you bad info, we have heard of bitter old conductors destructively taking apart bicycles with pipe wrenches to box them when there was no luggage car, good luck getting reimbursed for damage, this is also a problem on several Canadian lines.
Greyhound. Greyhound is probably the worst way to go on a bike. You must break the bike down completely and Greyhound charges shipping rates to wherever you want to go with the bike. This shipping can get expensive, and unless you have an expensive 300 USD touring bike, it may be more cost effective to buy another or rent a bike at the place you arrive.

Touring

Bicycle touring involves traveling with a bicycle, hopefully something reliable that once you have done some conditioning to your body doesn't waste your effort or make you unnecessarily sore. The following are tips on making that trip easier or more comfortable, but in the end a bicycle and a way to carry a little camping gear are all you need. Don't let our suggestions on gear keep you on the couch instead of the road piloting your own destiny machine.

A touring bicycle is built tougher than a road racing bike using wider smooth tread road tires and wheels instead of razor thin speed tires. They are often on a hard tail mountain bike frame, frequently with solid front forks with braze ons for a rack and some type of multiple hand position handlebars. A quality drive train including long life well maintained tires, crank and hub bearings, shifters, cables, derailleurs, gears, and chain are important to squeeze the most forward movement out of your pedaling effort. A comfortable well fitted bicycle is important, ergonomic body to bicycle interface points can get sore but sometimes this is lack of conditioning, consider posture and the feel against your hands, feet, and seat, this really make a difference on how many hours/kilometers you can spend cycling. Smooth road tires designed for long miles, comfortable multi position handlebars and grips, padded gloves, bar ends, comfortable performance touring seat, and often clip-in or clipless snap-in pedals and cycling shoes are added for comfort on long rides. Be specific that you are purchasing for long tours, don't let the speed freaks at the pro cycling shop sell you racing stuff that might make you sore. Since you are carrying your own support gear racks and panniers are attached over the front and rear tires, care in sizing must be taken that your heels do not strike the rear panniers. Wearing a backpack on long rides will cause much unneeded fatigue and can quickly cut short a trip, let the bicycle frame shoulder the load. Bicycle lights are vital in case you have to drive near dusk when drivers are most distracted, redundant front and rear flashers and possibly a more powerful beam front light for night trails. Reflector tape and reflector vests or bright clothing will make you more visible day and night. Bring sun protection for your skin, eyes, and lips, especially in summer, your sunglasses will also protect from insects and pebbles kicked up by cars. Like backpacking and other travel gear your bicycle and overnight kit should be tested with short rides and backyard or nearby park overnights if possible.

You will need to include enough nutritious food in your plans, you should pack on lots of carbos vitamins and minerals even a day or two before you set out. If you don't eat you will be facing the crash after just five or six hours pedaling, your gel or honey shot is only an emergency fix. If you feel weak and light headed stop and eat real food, even if you are on a time crunch don't try to ride past the glucose crash. We usually pack our own food but grab fresh fruits and vegetables and cheese when we make a stop, bananas are the top of the list for potassium cramp prevention and good energy. Hydration can mean over ten liters a day in the heat of summer, be sure to keep up with both sodium and potassium intake.

Touring Gear

Unless you are exclusively eating in restaurants and going from couch to couch, hopping hotels, or B&B's you may want to choose from the following options:

Tent-Hammock, bivvy sack, tarp tent, or cyclist ultra-light tent, Sleeping bag with mosquito net, ground pad
Lightweight cookset and stove, The Triangia alcohol stove and lightweight aluminum pot and kettle set is popular, as are cartridge gas stoves, take enough fuel. Liquid fuel stoves are mostly for very long trips or third world exploration. On the cheap a few cans for cooking in and a soft drink can alcohol stove will work.
Bike lock, pump, flat kit, and repair tools and parts including spare innertube; for longer trips away from bike shops consider a folded tire, hypercracker, spokes, brake pads, brake and shifter cables, and other spares
Lightweight wind jacket even in summer, lightweight poncho or rainwear, long underwear, wool hat, and fleece vest or scarf for cool evenings
Good cycling shoes, padded gloves, padded cycling shorts, quick dry cycling clothes; these will prevent soreness and rubbing on long rides and as you train. Cotton retains moisture drys slow, often leaves friction sores, and after a hard day you can catch a chill once the sun goes down.
Some people like to have a set of compact comfortable off-bike clothes and shoes or sandals for after they wash off or make camp.
Sunglasses of the wrap around style, sun block lotion, and sun block lipstick, don't forget the back of your neck, nose, ears, hands, and legs if you are have not been out in the sun much or are sensitive, for most people the lips never fully tan so they always need protection.
MP3 or radio and good tough earphones, internationally a small shortwave radio set for English news.
Calling card or mobile phone and emergency cash or credit card
Maps and compass, GPS, cycle computer, printing google maps works for planning but have a large highway map too.
Notebook and pencil in a ziplock bag to record the experience
Small supply of baby wipes in a ziplock bag or those wet towelettes which come in a packet, toothbrush, perhaps a stick of travel deodorant; wipes also substitute for toilet paper in a pinch
Toilet paper
Two way radios with headsets if riding with a friend or group, much safer than turning to shout to trailing partners
Water bottles, backpack water systems weigh heavy after a long day cycling, extra water in two liter soft drink bottles as needed, some cyclists need flavor for their water especially hard or disinfected water
Purification tablets or filter should be carried just in case, if filtering water have a light folding water carrier or bag for use in camp.
Snacks, gel shots and nutrition bars can be bought or DIY, be sure they don't make you feel dry. Salty food can prevent cramping, spicy stuff is usually not good for rolling snacks or short breaks especially in hot weather.
Lightweight quick food, no cook stuff is best during the day, add boiling water type instant foods work good for dinner, resupply at grocery stores, don't over pack
Packable quick dry travel towel, soap, dry line, flat universal drain plug for sink washing clothes if on a longer tour
Extra socks wool or synthetic, lightweight change of clothes, underwear, hat or bandanna
ID cards, consider cyclist trip insurance for injury, theft, and accident
Helmet, head injuries suck, cover it in rude stickers, glue army men to it, whatever; just wear it!
Shoes, the best ones are made for cycling, it is worth trying snap-in clipless pedals and shoes which allow longer power strokes. Choose something comfortable that breathes and doesn't compress your feet or cause blisters. Carry extra laces and always inspect for wear, blown seams, and tearing before any journey.
Diaper rash salve, if it is really hot and humid or you are wearing cotton the sweat can get really concentrated and might leave burns similar to diaper rash, use at first sign of trouble.

Cross Country Camping

A favorite way to cross long distances is to pedal and hitch rides during the day and stealth camp using a tent or hammock and if needed a rain cover or bug screen at night.

If you are stealthing it remember that your cycle gear is covered with reflectors and lights which really stand out under flashlights or car headlights giving your camp away. Put away your reflector vest and cover reflective and brightly colored items on the bike. Aim the bottom of your laid down bike toward the road, it has no reflectors and is also covered in dark road dust. It might even be advisable to carry a dark tarp or cover to protect you bike form rain, dew, and prying eyes. Be sure to lock your bicycle to a tree or pipe in case prowlers somehow detect your camp and attempt to quietly steal it. If you go out for a drink at a pub be wary of telling the locals exactly what you are doing, we have heard of after-hours hide and seek where the pubbers had fun searching for one cyclists stealth camp. It should be obvious that lights, mobile phones, computers, music, smoking, campfires, and chatting are all easily noticed save these activities for the morning or daytime breaks.

Often stealth camping is as easy as riding out of town until you see a stand of trees and brush. You can either blunder straight in if it is already dark and nobody will see your trail, or you can find an existing trail into the woods and cut sideways from that leaving less sign of your passing. Another important tip is never enter a fenced area, especially tall cyclone fence, you never know when the landowner will close the door or gate trapping you in for who knows how long. Avoid areas where it appears that parties regularly take place, beer cans, cheap liquor bottles, and cigarette butts are all evidence that this is a party hangout. There are plenty of tough guys who would love to prove their value by beating, robbing, or intimidating a lone touring cyclist. For privacy some riders will enter a day use only type of park, wildlife, or recreation area. Once the rangers lock the entry gate you will have the place to yourself, there might even be running water and electricity for you to use, as above only do this if you can just walk your bike around the exit gate before opening time.

Smart use of stealth, dull colored gear, and hidden by brush in urban industrial, rural, or wilderness areas means you don't pay for hotels and campsites, that can save you between $10-$60 a day. With some light backpacker gear in your panniers and smart use of gathering, dumpster diving, and social engineering at restaurants you should be able to travel nearly any distance for almost free. Good places to check out for unpatrolled wooded stealth camp areas that will appear on maps are near cemeteries, golf courses away from the fairway, electrical sub stations, near rail yards, near zoos, near highways, near airports, and some day use parks and wildlife areas. see Backpacking for more gear and campsite ideas.

Inner City

Cycling can be quite fast in cities, as you can weave in, out, and alongside cars and into spaces they can't fit, allowing you to maintain a constant speed. Don't cycle on the sidewalk except where the path is wide and you do not pass any doors, not only does cycling on a busy sidewalk endanger pedestrians it also gives cyclists a bad reputation overall, unless the way is clear just use gear zero, push the bike.

Get pannier racks to fit on your bike over the wheels and a good set of waterproof panniers if you plan to spend more than thirty minutes pedaling without stopping or you plan to carry a very large amount of groceries or gardening supplies. For most around town schlepping though a good backpack or courier bag is better. The reason to use a bag is that when you stop you can lock up the bike but the expensive panniers and their contents are nearly impossible to properly secure, although if you are stuck in this situation just leave them empty, open, and unzipped. Even better than taking your bags in is to also take your whole bicycle inside where you have control of it. A few places permit indoor storage of regular bicycles but if you have a good fold up model and a bag you can take it almost anywhere.

In a city environment large thick knobby mountain bike tires are really of no use and put a lot of extra drag on, get proper smooth road bike tires or at least some knobbies with a smooth center strip, these have much less rolling friction on roads allowing you to waste less work.

Some bus and commuter rail systems allow bicycles aboard, find out if this is possible and which routes offer this service. Avoiding use of a car and mixing in some public transport on your bicycle commute can help you save lots of time, money, and effort especially if there is a very steep hill or long stretch of highway between you and your destination.

Folding Bicycle

Most folding cycles with 20 inch tires have long handlebar necks and seat posts, this means that regular panniers on the rear will interfere with pedaling. The good news is regular shopping tote bags can be easily hung from the handlebars and many large camping backpacks with side straps can be strapped down lying on its side with two straps to the cargo rack and one side strap running through the bottom of the bicycle seat to keep it upright, be sure that any hanging straps are secured and do not interfere with the wheels or chain.

While most folder bicycles have smaller tires have no fear, a few of us have traveled hundreds and thousands of miles both commuting and on several week cross country trips and we can attest that the gear ratio and large front sprocket makes pedaling just as easy as a full sized cycle. One of us has a folder with adjustable handlebar post height, high for upright posture so you can see cars and pedestrians in the city and dropped low for aggressive long distance highway travel.

We have seen folding bikes with a child seat made with nylon strap used like a like a swing and a second strap with buckle under the kids armpits, the child rides between the adult and the handlebars, be sure to have a helmet for the child.

If placed inside a large travel bag sold by some specialty folding cycle shops you can avoid an extra bicycle penalty charge on many buses and trains since the folded bike is then considered just another large bag as long as nobody sees inside.

Even if not traveling or commuting you have the ability to fold and bag up and take your bicycle with you nearly anywhere, from work to a small apartment, massively reducing the opportunity for thieves to get their hands on it.

Keeping it Working

Once you have a bike, you'll want to keep it working well. One of the most important aspects of bike maintenance is the lubrication of the chain. Almost any cheap oil will work in a pinch to keep the chain moving freely and free of rust: just get the chain nice and wet, then wipe it dry, to reduce dirt buildup. Try to keep the oil off the wheels where it can hurt your ability to brake. If you have the choice buy a proper bicycle chain oil and grease to lube the bearings and chain, only use WD40 to unstick rust jammed parts then clean it off and oil the chain, WD40 draws moisture and encourages rust. Do not use WD40 on the chain or other 'sealed' parts, as it will dissolve the lubrication inside the chain. Replace a chain that becomes "stretched" this means that the link pins have become partly worn-through, this link to gear tooth size mismatch will eat up the sprockets of your drive train causing skipping and eventual failure.

If you have a problem repairing your bike, The Sheldon Brown Website is probably a good place to look for guidance. Sheldon Brown (1944-2008) was one of the best technical authorities on bicycles and he will be missed. http://sheldonbrown.com/articles.html

Tools

Owning your own tools makes maintenance less expensive. Plus, many tools you use on bikes, like pliers, wrenches and screwdrivers, are not bike-specific, so they will be useful for all kinds of other things, too. Some bike-specific tools, such as spoke, freewheel, and pedal wrenches and specialized brake tools, will make maintenance much easier, and you'll be more likely to do a good job. Many cities have bike co-ops or shops where you can use their tools for free or for a small fee.

Portable Tools

The world is full of sharp stuff just waiting to pop your tire and make you carry your bike home, always carry the kit for changing a flat tire. Rema tip-top repair kits with the sandpaper, tube of vulcanizer paste, and sticky patches is one favorite since it is so small and works really well, the repairs will outlast the innertube. Other tube patches especially cheap glueless sticky patches and even inexpensive grocery store "cheese grater" rubber cement patch kits have failed us many times. If you thought the cheapo kits were junk, then for sure avoid the mini fix-a-flat inflater cans, they fill your tire with goo that makes it almost impossible to properly patch later. Pop your quick releases or loosen the nuts and swap out the blown tube for a good one, repair the flat tube in the warm dry comfort of your own home later, but don't forget to put it back in your pack for spare. Remove the innertube from the tire and inflate so you can find the hole, if there is a nail puncture or thorn expect two and maybe more puncture holes. If you are at home and are having trouble finding the leak immersing the tube in the tub or covering with soap will make telltale bubbles. With the vulcanizing patches first sand the innertube smooth, this is especially important in areas with large mold lines on the rubber, apply a circle of paste larger then the patch and allow five minutes to dry before applying the patch. If you have the time to wait and the extra paste, rub a ring of paste around the edge of your patch and allow to dry to strengthen your patch job.

At a minimum carry a small quality puncture kit and mini pump or co2 cartridge quick inflater, but also carry a spare inner tube. A small toolkit can make the difference between being mobile in a few minutes or a long walk home. Tire valve caps can be purchased with valve core tools, this is useful if you have Schrader valve tires, occasionally a loose valve core will be the reason for a leaky tire. If you have Presta valve tubes you should get a Schrader adapter in case you want to use a garage air hose. Since you are carrying a pump, a needle valve for sports equipment and balls is easy enough to throw into your repair kit.

A very important tool especially if you are on a long trip is a rear sprocket tool or sprocket whip, this is the only safe way to remove the rear sprocket which allows you to replace right side spokes, some old or cheap bicycles often have a lock nut instead of a cartridge and use a large tool. These right side spokes are most often cut or weakened when the chain skips down behind the lowest sprocket. There is a mini tool made for road warriors with Shimano and SRAM gear cassettes called a hypercracker. A hypercracker is super portable and lets you loosen all but the tightest jammed sprockets by sticking it between your wheel and the frame and rolling backwards, the original is no longer made but several replacements have stepped in and upgraded the design, some even integrate a spoke tightening tool. Be careful, some designs put pressure on the frame dropout and can damage the dropout if the gear cartridge is really jammed, the better design puts the pressure on the lower triangle frame tube.

Folding combo bike tools will provide spoke tighteners, chain breakers, hex and screw drivers, sometimes even sockets or wrenches meaning you can fix and adjust most parts of your bike on the road as well as much of your other gear.

If you will be away from support for a long time you might even go so far as to carry extra tubes, a spare chain, brake pads, a brake/gear cable, a few spokes, folding tire, and extra patch kits. The parts and tools to service and replace wheel bearings might be advisable especially if you don't have sealed bearings.

Road Crud

Beyond tools, it's important to do simple things to keep your bike in working order. Grit from the road sticks to your bike and its parts, even if you've got full fenders. Once a week, or after every ride in the wet, clean off the gears and the chain. An old toothbrush (clean it off first if you've used it before) and a rag will do wonders. The main place to focus on is in the actual teeth of the gears, most especially in between. Getting rid of all this destructive crud will increase the life of your gears and chain, and subsequently save you money and hassle. This takes all of ten minutes to do and is completely worth it.

Rust

Stopping rust also helps: if there's any exposed unpainted or unfinished metal on the frame of your bike, you can touch it up with a little hobby paint. This isn't for cosmetic purposes so much as preventing rusting. Rust eats away at your bike and can compromise the structural integrity of the frame, so watch out: the last thing you want is for your frame to break while you're in traffic.

Wheels and Tires

Bike tires lose pressure over time. Pump your tires up to the maximum PSI rating marked on your tires once a week and you'll never have to worry about it. Keeping your tires inflated properly reduces rolling resistance, which means less work for you when you're pedaling. It also means that your wheels and tires are going to stand less a chance of being damaged due to extra stress on them. If you have the money invest in the best tires; Kevlar and good rubber will prevent blowouts and tread failures while lasting for several seasons, a folding spare tire is advisable for emergencies. Riding for a long time on low air pressure will destroy a tire sidewall, broken glass or jagged metal can cut some tires even in the tread ares, if you should find yourself with a destroyed tire you can attempt to use a large tire patch or strong tape to limp yourself to town, even inserting a piece of cloth or cardboard between tire and tube or carefully wrapping that part of the inflated tube with fiber tape might help in an emergency. Check your spokes regularly for tightness and tighten with a spoke tool, since this will keep your wheels from warping or ripping out other spokes.

Brakes

Many occasional cyclists or people who live in flat areas will let their bicycle rust away before wearing out the first set of break pads, but if you are a somewhat serious cyclist and travel in urban, hilly, or mountainous territory you need to keep an eye on your brake pad wear. Some cheaper brakes just go metal on metal when worn out and can ruin your aluminum wheels, better brakes will wear into another material that is not as good at breaking so you will know to replace them. On long tours or trips a set of brake pads are a very useful few ounces in your panniers. Disk brakes are more like automotive brakes and can easily last for thousands of miles even in high usage mountainous areas if properly adjusted, even so disk brake pads are even smaller than rim brakes, an extra set in your kit is insurance against unexpected wear.

Demonstrations

A cycle is a highly effective means of transport to and escape from a demonstration it can also be used to make a roadblock much as bicycle cops are known to do. Use an old bike for demonstrations as riot-police like to damage and confiscate bikes used in demonstrations.

Yellow-White Bicycle Share Programs

Find out if cities you are traveling to offer a Yellow Bicycle Program. Furthermore, if you find yourself a new local in a larger city, think about aiding those following your traveling example and start up a Yellow Bike Program in your new town. To do this, you can either approach city official yourself with the idea, or simply start it up without them. You'll need some cheap yet solid bikes, and some yellow paint. You can draw up a small map of suggested pick-up and drop-off points in town for the bikes, like public/school/park/downtown bike racks, fences by vacant lots, etc. Tagging some of these places with a minimal yellow stencil design can help, too. Encourage friends to look out for the welfare of the bikes if they see them tossed or crashed-up, either reporting to you are fixing them themselves. You can also attach a little sticker or tag to every bike before you put it out explaining the ideals behind your program to prevent wanton theft or destruction, and also encourage visitors to follow your example.

A good idea is to paint every part of the bike even pedals and tires to reduce theft, resale, and stripping value, be sure to mask areas able to be damaged by paint. Single speed coaster brake bikes have the lowest moving part count and the highest resistance to abuse, unless you are in a very hilly city this is the best type for a yellow bikes program. If possible include some sort of front baskets, folding wire pannier baskets, and such to allow shopping trips.

Most programs in anything other than a tiny town or community result in many lost bikes, you may have to consider moving to a free membership program, order dozens of locks with the same key and require a library card proving that the member is a local to join the club and receive a key, this will slow down random vandals and thieves but will also stop the short term traveler from easily accessing a service they need most.

As a last option collect and fix junk bikes so you have a supply to give to travelers and locals letting them know that an unused or unneeded bicycle would be best utilized by returning it in good condition.

Cycling Gear

Last updated: 30 December 2010

1 Cycling Gear
1.1 Helmets
1.2 Gloves
1.3 Glasses
1.4 Mirrors
1.5 Fenders
1.6 Toe Clips and Clipless Shoes
1.7 Shorts
1.8 Lighting
1.9 Super LED Lamps
1.10 Sound Signals
2 Weather Protection
2.1 Safety Equipment
2.2 Rain Suits
2.3 Rain Capes
2.4 Umbrella
2.5 Handlebar Covers
2.6 Tire Studs
3 Carrying cargo
3.1 Panniers
3.2 Handlebar Bags
3.3 Saddle Wedge Bag
3.4 Baskets
3.5 Trailers
3.6 Bucket Panniers
3.7 Pizza Delivery
3.8 Cargo Mule
4 Anti-Theft
4.1 Types of Locks
5 Tent Trailer
6 Generators and Dynamos
7 Communications
7.1 MP3 and FM Radio
8 Motor Assist
8.1 Installation
8.2 Bike types
8.3 Magneto Electricity
8.4 Legal Motors

Cycling Gear

Cycling is such an expansive topic that even the equipment you can build or get to enhance your cycling experience deserve their own mention. You get what you pay for is true as always, just do enough research that you are not paying for expensive advertising and no company budget left over to make a good product. Don't be afraid to DIY or buy used. Used means someone else has already tested the gear for factory defects and durability.

If you are just short distance commuting or taking a ride through the neighborhood park all you need is a bicycle and a helmet. Beyond the easy rides on warm days you need to think about lighting for safety and illuminating your path in the dark, keeping comfortable on long rides, and carrying supplies and camping gear for extended tours or self supported cross country travel.

Helmets

The most likely cause of fatalities and debilitating brain injury while cycling is head impact. New helmets, on average, reduce risk of brain damage by a factor of nine to one when compared to no safety equipment. Also, they can be purchased nearly anywhere bikes are sold. Make sure your helmet is adjusted correctly for it to be most effective. Helmets have a one crash expiry, so do not accept a used helmet for anything more than free, and replace it as soon as possible.

One of our editors was in a serious accident where she was struck by a car. The helmet cracked badly, but protected her skull. Although she still suffers a limited field of vision in one eye due to brain concussion, her helmet was the difference between collecting thousands of dollars in damages and occupying a coffin.

Gloves

Padded gloves are primarily to ease the pressure point stress of a long ride and may add several hours riding to your day. We have had great $5 gloves and miserable $60 gloves try them on in the store and lean hard onto a demo bicycle or tricycle handlebars to see if the pads line up with potential sore spots on the heels of your hands, also inspect the stitching. Gloves can also protect your palms in case of a fall. Grazed palms are not life threatening, but sensitive and will annoy until they heal.

If your gloves have Velcro closures on their backs, you can slide a compass made to fit onto a wrist watch band over one of the closure tabs. This is a great location for the compass, away from metal but easy to refer to, and it will assist you when traveling on winding roads.

Glasses

When on a long trip cycling glasses keep you from getting blinded when hit by bugs. For both prescription or riding glasses, "rain-x" type window treatment is useful as it will shed the rain from them in all but the worst storms. Alternately, wood shop safety glasses have also proved effective, even in heavy rainstorms.

Cycling glasses typically come in wrap around lens type, and up to three sets of lenses - dark, yellow, and clear. Dark is obviously for sun protection but if you ride into a shady area can degrade your depth perception, clear is for speeding along at night or low light where you are worried about clouds of bugs or road pebbles, and yellow is for improved contrast on cloudy overcast days.

Mirrors

Increasingly common for touring and commuter cyclists is using mirrors to view into your large rear blind spot. Mirrors mostly attach to glasses or helmets and are near to the eye requiring a quick side glance to see if a car is coming from behind. There are also mirrors which attach to the bicycle but bags and equipment may block these or they require regular adjustment from the bumps and grinds of normal cycling life.

Fenders

Fenders are absolutely indispensable if you're going to be biking off-road, on mixed terrain, or even on roads in the rain. Getting yourself and all your gear wet and covered in mud isn't pleasant. Cold, wet you very likely means sick you, which is not something you can afford while cycling long distances. Mud kicked into the drive train isn't good for it either.

A set of fenders will set you back about $20, or can be improvised from coroplast campaign signs and zip ties.

Toe Clips and Clipless Shoes

Keeping your foot centered on the pedal will give you more power. Toe clips use a regular shoe and hold your foot in. Clips extend the length of your potential leg stroke and allow an upward stroke. However, they may also cause distress to your ankles over a prolonged duration of use.

Clipless pedal shoes (snap in) amplify the benefits of toe clips, giving a very firm lock to your pedals, and do not wear their soles when pedaling. But clip shoes often do not grip cement well when used for walking, so bring walking shoes or sandals. The steel locking lug right under the ball of your foot becomes uncomfortable with some shoe designs after a few hours on your feet.Get tough quality synthetic laces because cotton rots quickly when exposed to weather. Of course at least two pairs of laces is standard spare.

The difficulties with these pedals are small once you adapt. You may fall getting used to having your feet stuck down and getting out of both clips and shoe pedals requires a twist motion that will become very natural after a few days of use.

Shorts

Some people like to show off their bodies by wearing only spandex and bike shoes leaving nothing to the imagination. While there is a minor wind drag bonus the main reason for the spandex is to prevent chafing, draw away sweat which can cause rash, and to pad the seat contact areas. You can wear the bike stuff under shorts if you like, synthetic outerwear will leverage the ability of the underwear/cycle skin-tights to wick away sweat instead of storing it against the skin like cotton does where it can leave you raw. Shorts are available in several designs of varying conformal shape and with or without seat padding, the idea is that an 8 piece pair of shorts will fit more comfortably than a 2 or 4 piecer. Shorts have a waistband so choosing a one piece body with top or suspender straps eliminates the waistband which can dig in especially during long days of riding.

Lighting

Attempt to always ride during daylight hours and rest once the sun goes down. But if you are going to be riding at night, it is very important that you work to make yourself visible. Reflectors, reflective tape, and lights are all helpful. Even with the best loud colors and lighting travel at twilight and sunset are frought with danger for the cyclist, if you are going to ride into the night take a break during the hour or two where the sun is low on the horizon until dark.

A good, flashing LED tail light will help car drivers notice your bicycle when approaching. LED flashers cost very little and they will run a long time on a single set of alkaline batteries. Zip-tie them to your seat, seat post, backpack, or spend a little more for a proper mount.

To avoid theft or vandalized flashers, attach a red LED light to the rear of a helmet and a white LED flasher to the front. This places the light well within view, and where you can take it inside. If your tire blows out the light will help you work at night, and in case of an accident you will be easier more visible. But remember that large packs may block your rear flasher.

More powerful lighting for road illumination is needed at times, especially on unlit stretches of road. Most of these systems use rechargeable batteries charged with generator system or solar cell, Be careful, some generators output too much power when moving fast and could damage the cells.

A high power LED lighting system will illuminate the road for low speed riding, allowing you to save the high power light big downhills. The best high visibility cycling lights as of 2010 are the HID light system, which can last upwards of four or more hours on a charge with incredible intensity. However, these can end up costing $400, so you can try making your own with the plans below.

Conventional incandescent lighting systems will not last as long on a battery charge. But you can rebuild a used standard cycling light system by replacing the rechargeable batteries. If you have access to a high power LED flashlight (this technology is ever-improving, common hardware stores now carry focusing zoom-to-spot 220 lumen lights) it could be affixed parallel to your steering using a plastic pieces meant for holding reflectors, which are then screwed together in the middle.

Even if your batteries die reflectors help keep you safer in the dark, Reflective tape, stickers, and reflectors should be in place on your bicycle spokes and white front and red rear on your bicycle.

In the last ten years reflective tape has become cheap and durable, so look for bicycle bags and riding wear with this reflective stuff sewn in. You can also get free reflective tape by finding out who makes road signs in your area, since the tape they use on signs comes in large sheets, there's always left-overs which can usually be obtained by asking or dumpster diving.

Super LED Lamps

In the past the ultimate light for cycling was either an overvolted halogen or a high intensity discharge(HID) halide headlight. Both of these had issues, the halogen route required frequent bulb changes and large batteries, the HID required about 30 seconds warm up even if the shutdown was because of hitting a bump, there was no way to adjust the brightness, they are fragile, and they cost at least $300. The systems could flood the street with light and there was no alternative until...

Now in the future we finally have the long promised option of high output LED emitters for our lighting systemsx. Cree, Luxon, and several other LED makers now produce LED's that rival HID systems for brightness and beat them on battery power savings and are in use by dozens of flashlight and headlight makers. They are instant on and unless the heat sink system breaks free of the emitter they should last for 50,000 hours or more, they also can be set to sever brightness levels. If you are interested in making your own systems currently it is possible to find deals from Hong Kong and China for emitters, power supply systems, lenses, and heat sinks where it should be possible to retrofit existing systems or build your own. The biggest issue with store or DIY solutions is heat, the most powerful systems produce enough light to intimidate car drivers but they also create heat which must be eliminated through the heat sink into the light housing otherwise it will literally melt the solder on the circuit board. Currently the best systems are over $300 but we expect that the price will drop as the profit margins drop on this inexpensive tech and we get back to paying for a durable mount and good battery pack.

Our advice is to get a good wide flood pattern beam for your handlebars so you can see the shadow of stuff in the road. A second powerful system should be helmet mounted but with a tight beam for illuminating into tight turns and zapping drivers who wont dim their lights.

LED systems also work well when you have a good dynamo system but you need to include over-voltage protection or fast downhill runs might damage your system. Many dynamo specific lighting systems also include a large capacitor to keep your lights lit for a minute or so when you are stopped in traffic. With a hub dynamo and LED system you will have a long life low drag super green always available lighting system that can also be tapped for things like charging your phone, GPS, or rechargeable batteries.

Sound Signals

Invest in a loud horn or whistle in addition to your bell. Your bell is the best general signal for most situations since it is associated with bicycles, but when it comes down to it a second extra loud signal is needed when the polite bell just is not enough. There are several very loud bike horns readily available which use compressed air or canned gas, but survival or police type whistles are better if you need to signal constantly in an urban area, use only plastic if you live in an area where the temperature drops below freezing since metal might freeze to your lips.

In highly populated urban areas barking like a dog or even just yelling at jaywalking pedestrians works. Most people freeze when they hear you, giving you time to take evasive action, many people really assume you have a faster breaking range than a car so they need some warning.

Weather Protection

It seems that some of the places with the best bicycle culture also tend to be quite rainy, especially in the winter, in any case if you do enough cross country travel you will get stuck in bad weather without anywhere to hide. The first rain after a long dry spell can mean danger for you as collected oils and dust mix with the moisture often making the roads very slick both for you and the two ton beasts traveling at upwards of 80mph around you, be extremely careful. Be watchful when stepping off the road during a storm especially when it is built on a raised road grade or has dry ditches and canals all of which are at risk for flash floods. Heavy rain can also loosen stones on cliffs and hillsides in mountainous areas or where the road has been cut into a hillside, be watchful for mud and stone avalanches. Sheltering under a tree is a risk for lightning and falling limbs during heavy wind, use common sense. If you see or hear a tornado, which are actually common only in the US central time zone region in summer, lie down in a ditch or depression if possible and wait it out.

Safety Equipment

When it rains continue to wear your helmet and deploy your safety lights and flashers, rain will often render tire friction generators ineffective so have alternatives with fresh batteries. You can stay a bit drier by using a safety colored helmet cover or by putting your helmet over your jacket or cape hood, do not impair your side visibility though.

Rain Suits

In North America the solution to weather protection is almost universally to wear a rain suit made from goretex or other expensive semi-permeable fabric and just deal with with the heat and sweat, adequate ventilation zippers especially in the armpit can help quite a bit with this problem.

Rain Capes

The English have a cuter solution although by working like a sail it can really make it difficult to cycle on a windy day. The rain cape is essentially a small poncho which acts like a combination umbrella and tent when you are on your bicycle, the front corners attach to wrist straps or handlebar attachments and the back is connected by straps to the riders legs. You are effectively in a bottomless mini tent and you tend to stay cooler since your perspiration is not trapped inside a suit. This cover could be sewn from a normal coated fabric poncho keeping in mind bright colors since rainy days are already more dangerous. To stay dry with a rain cape you also need to have fenders installed and some sort of boot/gaiter to protect your lower legs, this should be easy enough to sew especially if you are using snap in clipless pedals and shoes.

If you don't want to modify your tarp tent poncho or buy a special rain cape do what one of our engineering staff did, he rolled up the front to a comfortable length and attached the corners to to his handlebar ends with rubber bands made from recycled innertube, then he rolled up the back, secured the corners with more tube-bands and after sitting on his seat to check length tucked them upwards through his belt. He reports that a light pack keeps the poncho off of his back which kept the sweat in his shirt to a reasonable level, his next test will be attaching a strip of furnace filter one inch thick and three inches wide to his upper spine and another across his shoulders to get better stand off and ventilation without wearing a pack. Another planned modification is to make a special quick release waist belt with straps to gather the excess tarp neatly, he also intends to use larger straps to gather the nearly foot long rolls which droop from where they are attached to the handlebars.

Umbrella

In summer many areas are subject to short but heavy storms often including large hail, when traveling in areas like this it is safer to pull over and pop open a good wind resistant umbrella than try to bike in a powerful storm, big storms also tend to distract car drivers and reduce visibility so even the emergency lane may not be safe. Almost all of the cheaper umbrellas found in discount stores and Asian markets will tear apart or blow inside-out in a strong wind gust or thunderstorm. As a bonus you can use the umbrella as a sun parasol during a rest stop.

Handlebar Covers

We have seen bicycle cops in winter with fleece lined hand covers installed on the handlebars, these keep the hands dry and warm up to the forearm while not interfering with dexterity should you need your hands quickly.

Tire Studs

If you must cycle in packed snow or ice you will need studded tires. Commercial studded tire treads are rare and expensive, but they are very easy to make! Get a set of new or used 'fat' smooth road tread tires and a heavy duty tube. Every two centimeters carefully insert two wide head roofing tacks in to the tread. You will need to file the sharp edges on most tack heads, and it may help to run a strip of tape over them once they are installed, even after smoothing them off. Replace the tire and tube, inflate once, release pressure, and inflate again to get the tube properly aligned. This is important since even the smoothed off tacks will cause tube wear. Once the tire is properly inflated cut the tacks 1-2mm from the tread and then mount the wheel. But remember, even if you are under control in slick winter conditions, never assume SUV drivers are!

Carrying cargo

For daily use a courier bag, backpack, or fanny pack will work better to transport cargo, as you can carry them when you lock up your bike outside. But for longer rides you can increase the usefulness of your bike by equipping it to carry loads. Front and back racks can be added and bags, called panniers, can be attached to the sides of these racks. These will allow you to carry more by using the bike's frame to shoulder the whole load, without encumbering your hands or straining your shoulders.

Panniers

Pannier, or saddle, bags which attach to touring or cargo racks found on the rear and sometimes front of many bicycles. They are the way many cyclists carry gear on long trips although they can also be used for daily errands like bringing home groceries.

A bag similar in purpose to a pannier is called a soft trunk, it sits atop your rear rack, its advantage lies mostly in that it does not increase the frontal cross-section of your bicycle should you need to negotiate crowded streets or narrow areas, unfortunately most can only hold the volume of one regular pannier. Most rear racks can mount two panniers and a trunk bag.

It is advised by some to use a loading ratio with 60% of the weight on the rear panniers and the rest in front. Larger riders may prefer to put the 60% on the front wheel in order to save the rear spokes from additional stress, but loading the front forks will make the steering more sluggish.

Always balance the left and right panniers, as uneven panniers can cause stress on your spokes and bearings. Fitting of panniers is important as your panniers must not touch the ground in even the tightest turn, as they may tear or cause you to wreck. Rear panniers must be sized and located so as not to interfere with your heel when you pedal.

For 20" wheel folding bikes normal panniers may not even be an option on the rear wheel due to heel interference when pedaling. Mounting a rack and panniers on front will nicely dampen the natural sensitive turning of these small wheel folders but the racks we have used have a lower maximum weight rating than rear racks. A moderately sized soft-trunk type bag which attaches to the top of the rear rack can be used instead, some will require attachment to the saddle or seat-post with a strap or bungee cord for added stability.

When carrying heavy panniers regularly inspect the mounting screws and the attachment hardware for damage and wear. A rack failure could cause you to wreck on a steep downhill. Failure of attachment hardware could leave you going back and retrieving your gear while hoping it has not been run over by cars or picked up by strangers. We know of a case where a whole loaded tour pannier was lost negotiating a large curb without the cyclist noticing the loss until miles later.

Large items like tents and sleeping bags are often bungee corded down to panniers to save space inside. Be sure to leave room inside panniers for food and items you find along your trip, never leave home with fully loaded panniers. There is a temptation to overload your bicycle with stuff when you have big bags. But although riding loaded on level highway requires little extra effort, going up hills can become a monumental task with 20-40 extra Kg.

When buying think about water resistance, try to ride when it is dry, but remember that thunderstorms and rain can sneak up. Some bags are water-tight, other have optional rain covers. You can always use heavy trash sacks as bag liners and large freezer bags to line outside pockets.

Cheap luggage locks are surprisingly effective in preventing looting during quick trips into a store. On tour we often found one or two zippers opened and maybe a shirt or something hanging out or some small bit of gear stolen. After using the locks we had little trouble as it adds a slight difficulty. Try to keep your bicycle where you and the public can see it. Cable ties can also be used to securely attach panniers for extra security and as a failsafe for the attachment system. We kept our most valuable items in our handlebar bag and took that inside with us.

Before any trip especially with new bags or racks load up fully and take the bicycle out for a spin. Loaded bags attached to your bike can radically affect handling. Practice making emergency stops, hard turns, and avoiding obstacles. See if your lights and reflectors are blocked by your bags. Inspect the racks and bike frame mounting points for bad welds, cracks or wiggle, tighten the mounting screws, and inspect the bag mounting hardware every day but especially well after a long ride or a recent installation.

Handlebar Bags

Handlebar bags can compliment your panniers on long trips or be used alone around town. In most cases you will want to carry high value objects or items you want to quickly access when taking a short pause. When you stop in town or take a break from touring and stop into a store your handlebar bag should detach easily and go in with you so it is not stolen or looted. As with your panniers you should think about water resistance should you get caught in the rain. Here are some items you might consider packing in your handlebar bag:

Passport or ID cards
Cyclist, travel, and health insurance cards(some auto policies cover cyclist caused accidents and injuries)
Cash and credit/debit cards
Pay phone calling cards
Mobile phone (paired to a Bluetooth headset)
Keys, including bike lock keys
Maps (in clear map holder)
Snacks
Energy gel
Radio or large MP3 player
Water bottles(on sides)
GPS
Flat kit and small repair tools
Pocket knife or multitool
First aid kit
Camera
Notebook or journal and pen

Many people like to get a clear plastic map holder which attaches to the handlebar bag making navigating much easier, the top of your handlebar bag seems like a great place to put a compass or GPS as well.

One writer essentially uses her handlebar bag as her purse when biking. Along with bike tour stuff she carries a scrunchy, compact, comb, lipstick, and mascara in her handlebar bag. The makeup takes up no room and no matter where she stops when she walks in we quote "looking all fit and sexy in that tight biking outfit guys fall all over to give me great service" always a useful ability but even more useful for getting freebies on the road. For fun she also throws sandals and a short spaghetti strap summer dress in her panniers so she can go out somewhere nice at night.

Saddle Wedge Bag

Some people only carry a pump, some water, and whatever fits inside the seat bag or seat wedge which attaches under your bicycle saddle. We once met a well off wage slave who had everything he needed for a 14 day cycle tour in his seat wedge; his tire repair kit, a bike multitool, a CO2 quick inflater, a cell phone to call a cab to take him to the nearest bike shop for bigger breakdowns, and his credit card so he could eat at restaurants, sleep in motels, and buy his way out of most problems. For emergencies we think an extra key for your bike lock and some emergency cash is a good idea even if you don't live a revolving credit lifestyle. If you leave the seat wedge on you bike expect to see it looted by kleptos, most are quick release so take it inside with you. If you keep a folded plastic shopping bag or stuffable ultralight backpack in there you even have a comfortable way to carry the seat wedge around as you shop or you can use the plastic sack to protect your bike saddle in the rain. Most seat wedges have a spot for a rear red LED flasher, use it!

Baskets

Baskets are also effective for carrying stuff. You can get baskets that attach to the front or back of the bike and fold flat when not in use. Milk carton crates make some of the best heavy duty baskets when cable tied to your handlebars or tail rack.

Trailers

For carrying larger stuff (like children and furniture), you might want to consider a trailer. These can be expensive, but you can also make one yourself. A trailer can be pieced together with plastic piping or electrical conduit, a pair of spare wheels, and a basket or plastic tote. For a trailer hitch, go to your local hardware store and get a quickrelease garden hose or air hose connection and a bit of hose. Rig up the connections to be used as a trailer hitch. For added safety, paint the trailer a bright color and put LOTS of reflective tape and a small red flashing light on the back.

Instructables.com has a number of plans for bicycle trailers and trailer hitches.

One company in Eugene, Oregon makes a hard shell suitcase for transporting folding bicycles that when unloaded and the wheels are attached becomes a bicycle trailer, they use standard hardware store parts and it is easily copied using a suitcase from the thrift store.

A two wheel stand-up shopping cart of the type used by retirees to take their groceries home is perfect for the cycle commuter. An extra handle is clamped or welded to the frame, this handle will end in a pneumatic hose fitting, the counterpart will be mounted to the frame of your bicycle for trailering. It will extend the life of your wheels to add greased brass or copper tube bushings to the plastic wheels or ball bearings, even unmodified wheels need lube or they will heat up and maybe even melt at bicycle speeds. When you get to the store lock up your bike, unsnap your cart and take it in for shopping. When you get home your trailer/cart comes inside with you. It's easier than car shopping!

A different type of bicycle trailer becoming very popular with cycle tour types relies on a different type of mount which attaches to your frame and only has one wheel. It is sometimes known commercially as a BOB trailer, but it can be welded almost entirely out of a recycled BMX type bicycle and a bit of steel tubing. These single wheel trailers are much more agile and do not greatly add to the width of your bicycle meaning that almost anywhere your bicycle can go the trailer can follow.

Bucket Panniers

You can also make large panniers from square food buckets and attaching hooks to grab your tail rack, properly caulked these will survive even the worst rain storms dry. Check where your feet will rotate during pedaling when placing the buckets so they will not block your heels.

Pizza Delivery

If you just scored some cash or have an understanding buddy at the pizza shop there is a way to get that pizza back to your guerrilla cell without using a car or letting the undercover FBI agents deliver it to your squat. If you have a cargo rack on front or back tie or bungee down a cross board as wide as the pizza box (remember your added width if traveling in pedestrian areas) when you get the pizza use string, clean recycled nylon stockings, or industrial cling plastic wrap to carefully attach the pizza box. If you can get a few extra of those "doll house table" anti cheese smash things they give in the delivery pizza box you can spread them out on your pizza, now you can wrap the box a little tighter or stack several boxes without ending up with all the cheese stuck to the lid. The more stacked pizza boxes you get the better this works to about five boxes, smaller diameter pies work better with this system. Don't stack anything on top of the pizza boxes, hang drinks from the handlebars or stick them in a basket.

Cargo Mule

The Viet Cong made using a bicycle for cargo transport famous by traversing the Ho Chi Minh trail transporting their war supplies south at times almost exclusively with heavy laden bicycles.

Your bicycle becomes a push wagon and you have to walk. Try to balance the load as best as possible since it will be difficult if a very heavily laden bicycle were to fall over. Watch for bags or containers that might rub against your tires or spokes destroying your wheel and cargo.. Several hundred pounds could potentially be carried, nearly every adult bicycle is designed at a minimum to support over three hundred pounds of human rider. Attach a pole tightly across the handle bars to help steer, keep the brake handles reachable if you are in hilly terrain. Two pushers are better than one for balance. With loads over two hundred pounds be careful when using a bicycle with shock absorbers so they don't overload, be sure to have the tires at full inflation to prevent damage, and that the spokes are tight and aligned.

Anti-Theft

Types of Locks

A good lock is an important investment. 3' of hardened steel chain and high security lock gives options when securing your bike, and they're more affordable than a D lock (aka U-lock). If at all possible, get a lock that uses a disc tumbler lock. Tubular locks are more easily bypassed and will generally be used in poorer quality bike locks. The best place to carry a chain lock is in a pannier or basket. If you need to 'wear' the lock, then wear it around your waist. Wearing the chain across your chest may look 'cool' but in a crash can easily break your ribs and possibly puncture a lung.

Wearing a u-lock is easy; mini u-locks can fit into a back pocket. Another popular option is to place the lock in the space between your belt and pants waist band. We have seen a u-lock belt holster that is pretty easily replicated if you can sew, it is made from recycled seat belt strap with two loops to slide a belt through and then strap parallel to the belt to stick the lock into. Wearing the lock is not always comfortable for long rides, many rear cargo racks have space for a U lock to slip into otherwise most locks come with a clip and strap system to attach to the frame.

Tent Trailer

This trailer system is not as lightweight as a hammock and tarp system for cycle campers but it provides a trailer and shelter for those who must carry all of their possessions with them as they move and also want a quick comfortable shelter without needing to find trees, or level ground to make camp. The tent-cot-trailer was originally designed as a temporary measure to house the urban homeless. It should also serve as an outwardly aesthetic alternative to stealth camping for cross country travelers.

An excellent platform to use a base for your DIY trailer is a lightweight folding cot. You will need to attach a trailer tongue to connect to your bicycle. Many people like to use an air hose connector so it is easy to quick release. You will also need to properly attach an axle and wheels in a way that they can easily be removed to convert back to a cot. Perhaps the best source for an axle is from a discarded jogging stroller. Often these bicycle type wheels even have a push button release. When attaching the wheels you will need to reinforce the light aluminum frame with some steel electrical conduit where it will be attached to the axle so the aluminum is not deformed when heavily loaded, reinforcing the trailer tongue attachment point would be advisable as well. Be careful if using U-bolts not to over-tighten them. Folded down this trailer is easily loaded with food, fuel, and camping supplies. Secure everything using straps and a tarp, a large tied down duffle bag, or camping backpack, unload and unfold at nightfall and you have a comfortable sleeping cot anywhere.

An inexpensive dome tent can be modified to fit the cot trailer. Try to find a tent with a footprint as close to but if not exact then slightly larger than your unfolded cot/trailer so you can hem it smaller. Measure and pin the tent to be sure your estimates were right, then mark and take in the excess fabric by sewing a pleat with a sewing machine and good thread reducing the wall size to fit the cot, using seam seal on the new seam to prevent leaks. You might need to remove or reduce the size of the tent floor. The pole length might also need to be changed. Secure the corners of the tent to edges of the cot.

If in an open area where strong winds are possible, leave the trailer hitch attached to your laid down bicycle so it will act as a anchor to prevent the tent-cot from blowing away. Heavier winds will require stakes to be pounded into the ground as anchors.

To get some ideas for your design, check out these links:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/therollinrev/2111022319/

Generators and Dynamos

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A bicycle generator or hub dynamo can be used to charge most gadgets needing less than 6 volts. Hubs are almost always of better quality, last longer, dont eat your tire tread, and have less drag while in use; the downside is you have to have the spokes removed and new shorter ones installed to add a hub dynamo. Output is almost always AC power so you need to make a bridge rectifier with diodes to get the power flowing in one direction then a large capacitor if you need to smooth out the voltage, lastly a ziener diode or power regulator circuit for the appropriate voltage needs to be included because high speeds can generate 10-12 volts from a normally 6 volt generator which will fry most electronics without built in protection circuits. You can probably find most of this circuit inside a wall wart power block. If you don't want the added drag of generating when going uphill add a thumb switch on your electrical system and only activate it only on flat and downhill runs.

Friction dynamos/generators will rub a groove onto the side of your tire and eventually cause it to fail if used regularly, a rubber dynamo pickup wheel and cleaning dirt from the rubber contact surfaces will prolong the life of your tire. Some older friction dynamos rode directly on the tread but this would require a smooth tire instead of a mountain knobby, most of the time a smooth tread makes more sense unless you ride exclusively in mud and never on roads or packed surfaces.

If you still have a car but no fuel pull out the alternator and battery and put your bike onto a stationary bicycle exercise stand conversion system, you can always reinstall the parts in the car later. Remove the friction belt and attach the alternator with a short V-belt, this may require cutting a groove into the exercise stand flywheel. You will be able to keep your battery charged to power whatever 12 volt gadgets you need. We have seen experiments where laptops and small TV's are powered by the operator pedaling with such a system. An automobile alternator requires some input voltage so a 12 volt battery is required in the system.

Communications

Cyclists use their senses to stay safe, a phone or radio by interfering with your concentration and hearing will increase your risk especially in chaotic urban cycling situations. We acknowledge the risk but there are times where you need communications gear to keep your cycle group together or to take a call during a long commute. These are several ways we have known people to stay in touch while cycling.

A mobile phone stashed inside a pack or pocket is dangerous to grab for while cycling, a Bluetooth headset makes answering as easy as pushing a button on your earpiece or headset, some phones can also be set to auto answer or take voice dialing from the headset. Find a headset compatible with your helmet and winter ear coverings, a bit of elastic cord attached to the earpiece can be used to loop through the chin strap to prevent loss if it falls out while on the road.

FRS radios due to their low cost, small size good range, low power consumption and great urban penetration usually make for a win in the license free radio competition. A headset and voice operation or VOX means every time you talk it activates the transmit, useful when keeping a bicycle group or tour together.

MP3 and FM Radio

There are very small MP3 players and FM radios which can be attached to your helmet and are at much less risk of a torn wire or being dropped than a hard disk or pocket computer type music player in a pocket or pouch. There are few weatherproof MP3's out there but we have used a simple tiny FM radio made for swimmers to good effect in bad weather. The FM helmet radio is a way to cheaply wireless a larger MP3 player while it stays safe in your pack by using a cheap plug-in FM transmitter module.

Motor Assist

If you want the portability and freedom of a bike with some of the ease of a motorcycle, no worries. Almost any bicycle can be converted to an electric power-assisted type (basically a moped) for a few hundred dollars. Various people have added old or new purpose bought weed-eater type engines to power-assisted bikes with positive results, but keep in mind that two stroke engines which burn an oil gasoline mix do pollute the environment significantly although Honda and Subaru four-stroke motors are much cleaner and consume normal gasoline. US rules now ban the import of most new two cycle engines but they are still available in Canada.

The two main methods for power transfer are a friction roller which is directly against the tire necessitating a smooth tread, or chain drive to the wheel, some kits have a sprocket which somehow connects directly to the wheel. These are often DIY jobs as the kits can be quite expensive, but be sure to get good instruction and guidance before doing this on your own. If the purists turn up their nose point out the idea of NEVER needing to use a car even in steep mountainous terrain where most would not even consider a loaded bicycle for everyday travel.

The Bicycle Motor Forum at http://motorbicycling.com/ is a good place for tips and information on the various motors and systems, from kits to homebuilts.

Installation

Installing a motor puts stress onto your frame and rear wheel, expect much shorter life from your spokes if you are attaching a sprocket to them, if you have to use the clamshell and spoke connection see about drilling out your wheel and hub for 8-9 gauge motorcycle spokes in the rear. . Designs which have a special rear wheel with normal and motor sprockets on opposite sides will last far longer. Pedaling is more difficult against a chain drive system even when the clutch is out. Friction drive systems quickly take the tread off of your rear tire and often stop working in wet weather.

Bike types

While the majority of kits found online are for upright bikes, consider the luxury of a nearly self propelled recumbent, or just how much power and speed you could get out of a nicely modified cargo bike...

Magneto Electricity

Look for a motor with a electrical output from the magnetos to run a light or charge batteries, this electrical output is AC power often only six volts and needs a rectifier circuit to be used by most things other than a regular headlight.

Legal Motors

If you are desiring to be a legal eagle, many jurisdictions allow a one speed motor under 50 cc to be attached to a bicycle drive train without further regulation. Furthermore, any person operating two-wheeled vehicle with a motor greater than 50 cc must have a motor vehicle license of some sort. Some states require a motorcycle license regardless of the engine size, while others require only a passenger vehicle license. Most two-stroke engines are generally less than 50 cc, and most electric motors would be considered in the same category. Since laws differ with each jurisdiction, contact your state or province's Department of Motor Vehicles about their regulations on mopeds and "motor-driven cycles". If your engine comes unmarked a professional 49cc sticker or etching might throw off nosy cops. If you use an electric motor, a set of saddlebags over the wheel covering the motor can hide things a bit.

Trains

Last updated: 22 May 2011

1 Barriers
2 Passenger trains
2.1 Abusing Open Returns
3 Freighting
3.1 Types of Rides
3.1.1 Intermodal
3.1.2 General Manifest
3.2 Gear
3.3 Getting on and off
3.4 Miscellaneous
3.5 Finding the Right Train
3.6 Scanners
3.7 Hobo code of ethics
4 External Links

Barriers

Sneak around, theres usually always hidden entrances to the platform outside the building, even if it involves walking a 100 meters down the track (cover face to avoid tresspassing fine) look at Liberate for city specific details.
Flash a fake ticket to a guard.
If there is somebody behind you "validate" your ticket, and when it doesn't work pretend not to notice, head forward and wait for the person behind you to validate his ticket.
Sometimes barriers close slowly and you can pretend to validate your ticket and quickly walk through.
Jump over, only do this if theres no guards or you have freinds who can avert the attention of any present, cover your face too.
Go through the turnstile 2 at a time, press up together and do it discetly.

If you really are trapped out pay for a ticket to the nearest station and ride to the end of the line using the techniques in passenger trains. If your trapped in at the other end, tell a guard you dropped your ticket on the tracks, they will obviously smell a rat but may let you through under grumbles (or possibly give you a fine for not having a ticket, dont pay it! nobodys been taken to court over train fines, they're not legal), if you wish to avoid this say you just came from the nearest station and there was no conducter on the train, he'll charge you and let you through. If you know your going to a station built up like a fortress pay for a single ticket going from the station nearest to the end station going to the end station from a ticket machine before you travel.

Passenger trains

Hopping passenger trains is a careful art of deceit

Watch through the doors for the conductor coming, when he gets close, duck into the toilet. Sometimes smaller toilets at ends of the train that are less frequently used.
Leave it unlocked and the conductor won't think anyone's in there but you have to quietly get in and out fast as you can because a passenger going to use the toilet who finds you in there will certainly draw attention to you.
Lock it and you risk uptight conductors checking and even using a toilet key to open it up. If you hear this key act like your washing your hands. One person i know was painting his nails when the guy came in and got out of paying for a ticket by giving a sob story about not wanting people see him paint his nails because he was gay.
Pretend to be asleep, usually the conductor will come along saying anyone from previous station name, if you act like your in a really deep sleep he/she'll think you cant possibly have fallen asleep so fast and he/she must have already checked your ticket. A good act to pull is head back, mouth open, empty can of special brew and a book on the fold out table. You may get poked or shaken but just keep sleeping. If on the very minuscule chance they call the cops tell them you have narcolepsy.
Start an in depth conversation with a stranger, better if you blend in with a group.
Look for tickets left behind on seats you can use, often their cleared up but some are tucked away for just such use.
Finally there is the forged interrail ticket talked about under hushed voices on a friend of a friends hard drive.
Amtrak (US) uses small paper tags with the three letter code of the station, wedged above the seats (by the baggage compartments), and does not check tickets other than the first time getting on the train (and not even religiously then). You can either bring a Sharpie marker and write a much farther destination on the tag at your own seat, or switch seats at some point when another passenger leaves for the dining car or their stop. The conductor will ask where you are going, make sure you know the code for it or can read the code for the tag you snatched.
DO NOT try this on a train that crosses the Amerikan-Canuckistani border: the corpgov pigs have a list of who should be on the train, and anyone on the train but not the list is a terrorist.
This also works on the return trip: if you "miss" your stop (i.e. have a ticket from a long way behind you to a shorter way behind you) they tend to be helpful and will sometimes give you a ticket on the next train (which can be 12-24 hours later) back to where you were supposed to go. If you are only making a quick trip, you can use this to your advantage very easily.

If all else fails or you don't want to be hassled, buy a ticket for 2 or more stops ahead, there's no way the conductor can remember what stop everyone on the train is getting off at, but if you say the next stop he might be watching to see if you do. Make yourself a new seat tag for your desired destination and enjoy the long ride.

Abusing Open Returns

In some cases Open Returns (tickets in two parts that allow outward travel on the day of issue and return travel within a month) are only a few pence more (or in some cases, cheaper)than the equivalent single and what's more can provide unlimited travel on the return leg for that month. The trick is not getting the return part dated either by a ticket barrier or by the stamp of a Revenue Protection Officer (Ticket Inspector). If you achieve this you can potentially save hundreds of pounds by reusing the return segment of the ticket for the full month of validity.

To avoid getting the ticket dated by an automated ticket gate insert it once or twice times with the metallic strip facing upward so that 'Seek Assistance' is displayed on the barriers LED display, then, acting confused, approach the Inspector supervising the gate, pass them your ticket for cursory glance and they should allow you on to the train. Do similarly at your destination station.

On shorter trains that normally have inspectors look out the window or listen to music and avoid surrendering your ticket when they ask for all tickets from your station. However on longer trains plying inner suburban routes where inspectors are not guaranteed, RPOs effectively 'sweep' the train from back to front in the direction of travel. Get on as near to the back of the train as possible. Also travel early in the morning or late at night when Revenue Inspectors are less likely to be on the network.

If a transfer is required between terminals DON'T use your return segment in the Tube machines as again this will date your ticket. Use the same method as at the destination and original stations by presenting your ticket to the attendant RPOs for a cursory glance and they should open the gates for you.

Freighting

Just like most "free" methods of travel talked about in STB, train-hopping is more difficult due to the post 9-11 war on information - including railroad schedules. There is also an increase in security due to taggers painting railroad cars and the potential liability of a hobo casualty. A hobo leaves nothing but maybe some garbage and only endangers himself, a tagger causes lasting unwanted evidence which yard managers can't ignore, they have to assume all trespassers are there to tag or steal.

To start, leave with someone who knows what they're doing. It will help you stay safe, calm your nerves, and learn their tricks to avoid many problems with rail hopping. If you do leave by yourself, don't try to hop any moving trains until you know what you're doing.

Types of Rides

There are two types of trains, Inter Modal (IM) and General Manifest (GM). Slang terms for these are Hotshots and Junk, respectively. There are separate yards for IMs, but they will still work in GM yards. Both of these categories can be broken down further into types of cars.

Intermodal

Hotshots are the quickest ride you can catch (hence the name). When two trains are going down the same length of track, one train will have to side for the other at a 2 mile, a length of track where it splits into 2 tracks than goes back, or one will side in a yard. Hotshots only have to side for Amtracks and specialty trains like the Florida Juice train. They also seem to go a lot faster. Hotshots are made up of shipping containers and semi trailers for people like UPS and chain stores. They have tighter security than junk trains because people like to jack shit from the containers.

Pigs - "Pig" is slang for a semi trailer. You will have either trailers on flat cars (TOFC) or pigs in buckets. A pig in a bucket is a trailer set into a Container well. Riding a TOFC, you can hide in between the wheels reasonably well, but a bucket is better. One advantage of the Pig is you have shade.
Wells - Well cars are 5 foot tall or so buckets that shipping containers get dropped in to. Wells come in different lengths, as do the containers. You want to try for a 48 container dropped into a 52 well. You can ride in the leftover space between the container and the front of the well. The problem with this is it's harder to find wells with floors these days. Wells without floors are called "Suicides" for obvious reasons. They either have a pattern of triangles cut out of the floor, or just steel diagonal beams running the length. A Suicide can be ridden on the 1 foot or so ledge that runs the perimeter with your feet resting on a crossbeam but you can't really sleep unless you sleep on the upper porch where you are visible.

General Manifest

Junk trains are the trains everyone pictures when they think of freight trains. There's a lot of different types of cars, but only some are rideable.

The Romanticized Boxcar - Boxcars are really nice to ride; shade, well hidden, usually something comfortable to sleep on. They are a lot harder to hop in and out of because there isn't a ladder, so it's 5 feet instead of 2 and you have to pull yourself up with upper body strength. A boxcar with two open doors is best. Boxcar doors can't be opened from the inside. Before you get in, grab a rail spike and jam it into the track of the door, or whatever else you can find.
Grainer - A Grainer is sort of shaped like an upside down trapezoid, with "porches" on either end, and metal walk ways across the tops. They carry things like sand and laundry detergent. When riding a Grainer, you ride the porch. You want to get on the side without the brake equipment on it, and it's nicer to be on the back. Riding on the front is a lot colder (so nice in the summer) and you get whatever shit is on the porch in front of you in your mouth in eyes. Riding on the front is called "riding dirty faced", for obvious reasons. Some Grainers have little short walls running the perimeter of the porch. These are called "Cadillacs" and they're straight pimpin'. Grainers have holes cut into the sides, so when you need to hide you can crawl inside.
Flat Cars - Terrible. Completely visible, and there's no shade.
Tankers - Unrideable.
Gondolas - Gondolas are big buckets. They get filled with all kinds of things, like scrap metal, wire spools, etc. You shouldn't ever ride a loaded Gondola; use your best judgment. The shorter ones are the only ones worth riding.

Gear

Be sure to pack light and be ready to ditch your pack and water if something goes wrong while jumping aboard. Don't ever carry glass bottles or jars, it is almost impossible to board or unload without breaking them. Bag anything that can leak or get all over the place in Ziploc bags - they will keep your gear organized and waterproof. A gym bag is easier to board with but, since you are likely to walk a bit from your unloading spot, a small backpack is probably better.

Bring plenty of water because the elements and the excess wind will dehydrate you. It sucks to have to get off early in some random town because you ran out of water. Come to the train yard hydrated and carry a gallon jug or several reused 2 liter soft drink bottles strung together with thick twine to bring on the car It pays off to be carrying several bottles when a jug gets punctured. A Nalgene bottle is as unbreakable as they come, but even a reused liter soft drink bottle will work; Keep it clipped to your belt in case you lose your jugs or pack. Keep your main water supply in your hand and not in your pack when jumping on or off so that if it breaks it will not soak your gear, additionally it is easier to ditch if you have trouble boarding. Stay hydrated! If you avoid drinking until you are thirsty you will drink more and feel like shit, so constantly take small sips. Some dehydration indicators are a dry mouth and dark infrequent urination.

Everybody poops, don't EVER try to take a dump while hanging off the edge on the fly, like pops said go before you leave, if you have a turd emergency squat and use one of your ziplocs so you don't mess up the car you are on, and PEASE don't forget TP for your bunghole.

A sleeping bag, jacket, or blanket keeps the wind off even in summer. Open cars are breezy once they get moving fast, so don't let your gear get blown away. A quality rain poncho may flap a bit in the wind but is well worth the space in a sudden thunderstorm. Poncho's are also a very light way to tent up if you camp for a night. Goggles and sunglasses keep the bugs, sun, and wind out of your eyes. A t-shirt or very large scarf wrapped around your face might make you look like a terrorist, but it will keep the bugs and dirt out of your teeth and the sun off of your face. A stadium pad or sleeping mat to sit on is smart, the floors are usually hard, cold, and filthy. Remember to tie down your pad and loose gear to a solid support so it won't blow away. If you have a string hammock you can sometimes tie them up in a boxcar, this is probably the most comfortable way to ride short of an Amtrak sleeper car, but hang it low and in a way that you cant roll out the open door, we don't recommend tying up hammock on any other type of car since there it too much danger of falling off a moving train.

Freight cars are filthy and jumping freights is a good way to beat both yourself and your clothing up. Wear gloves, sturdy shoes, a tough jacket, and rip resistant trousers. Anything loose will fall out of your pockets or get left in the car, keep your pack closed and only take things out one at a time when you need them. For example, smokers should tape a lighter to a string and tie it to a clip on their pants.

Sometimes a car will have one uneven wheel, the train will rock and make the worst racket you've ever heard, and it's ten times worse inside a boxcar. Bring ear plugs, or even yard worker earmuff protectors if you think you need them.

Since train jumping is somewhat dangerous some might consider wearing a bike helmet when boarding and unloading.

Tasty and nutritious easy for throwing train food include tuna fish, sardines, cereal, pop tarts, and sacked cookies, cake, trail mix, and granola. Peanut butter in a plastic jar or tube is an excellent thing to bring. Jacking condiment packets before hand will make your train eating experience much more enjoyable. A lot of folks take a metal spoon and bend the end of the handle over a key ring and keep it on a caribiner.

An area or national map book with marked train tracks is required! Although there are good locating signs along most tracks, a cheap GPS can help you keep track of where you are. A compass will just point at a steel train car, so use the sun and stars to determine general direction. Pointing the hour hand of an analog watch at the sun and dividing the angle between it and the 12 will provide the North-South line in the northern hemisphere. Pointing the 12 at the sun and dissecting between the hour hand provides a North-South line in the Southern hemisphere.

Getting on and off

It's always safest to board a stopped train. If it is difficult to get on in the yard, you can sometimes board a car elsewhere. Trains that are being built in a yard have to pick up cars from different tracks. They will pull out past a track, to the switch, then back into the string of cars on the next track. This is called doubling back.

Getting on a moving train is called hopping on the fly and it is the most dangerous part of riding the rails. The horror stories about severed limbs are written about drunks and dumb people, so keep smart and sober before jumping. Hopping on the fly can be preferable at times since you don't have to go in to a yard at all, and you can wait for and catch trains based on their specific tracks. It is much harder to pick a car though, and if you wait too long for a ridable car you might miss a train completely. Knowing whether or not to hop on the fly is an important decision you should make for yourself. Just because someone says you can do it in a certain place, or the person you are with can, doesn't mean you can. The train is going slow enough to be hopped if you can see and count the bolts on the wheels, or if you can run along side and keep up with a ladder. Watch where you put your feet, there is all kinds of debris you can run into or trip over. You want to run along side the train, grab the ladder with one hand, throw your water up with the other, than grab on and throw your feet onto the ladder.

Getting off on the fly is much harder than getting on. To decide if it is slow enough, look down and compare how quickly the wooden ties are going past compared to your usual running speed. Most folks throw their pack and water off first and then unload unencumbered, but those traveling light may choose to jump with their packs on. To get off a moving train, stand on the ladder, holding on with one hand and one foot, then while still holding on with one hand, drop your feet and run like hell as soon as they hit the gravel, once down immediately let go with your hand. You also need to lean backwards a bit and try to run diagonally away from the train. Again, this is difficult the first few times and it is always dangerous. Falling sucks, at a minimum you will tear up your hands on the gravel. Always fall forward, watch out for your head and neck, and always try to fall or roll away from the train.

Miscellaneous

You can use the train to flatten coins and other metal objects by leaving them on an active rail and waiting. Be careful because a fast moving train can really fling this stuff hard, but we have sold necklaces and belly button ring charms made from flattened coins. Rail spikes work as heavy tent pegs. Chopped off bits of rail near a repair are heavy but work great as anvils.

Trains use air brakes, every car has a little compressor on it, and hoses run the length of the train. When a train is about to start, you hear the brakes hiss to let go. When a train is linked together a worker has to go the length and connect all the hoses. If your train is broken up (which can be bad for our now stationary traveler) they must close the valve before and after the break and then disconnect the hose, you can hear them do this if you're close enough. When a train breaks the extra worker in the unit walks the length of the train to break it, he then either rides on a car or gets picked up in a work truck. After a while all the sounds become recognizable, this can help save you from getting stuck at some isolated grain elevator 50 miles from any town.

A train breaks to leave a string of cars at a destination, or pick up more cars. It's easier to break in the middle instead of backing the entire train in. That's because it's a pain in the ass to back a huge train into a yard, or the FRED (light on the end) is a pain in the ass to attach. Because of that, the back is preferable so you don't have to go into the yard when strings get picked up, and you are one of the last cars to get dropped off.

”Crew Change” is a term for when the conductor and company finishes their shift and a new crew gets on. A crew can only legally work somewhere between 8 and 10 hours before switching.

BE CAREFUL! Never move under cars or over the coupling! When moving between cars use the ladders. Workers are much more likely to give you shit if you're acting a fool, and less likely to care if you are being as safe as they are. Watch out for hump yards! Hump yards are areas of the yard where there is a big hill with track going down it. A car is taken to the hill and released to slam into another car and join the couplings, this is one method of building trains. At rail yards, warehouses, and factories they will often roll a few cars to join them. These cars sometimes move upwards of 20 mph (30 kph)! They are dark and quiet, so don't let one sneak up and run you over. Some yards also have remote controlled yard engines, which means there is no one to see you before they run you over. If you enter the yard from a normal entrance they have big neon signs telling you it uses remote controlled engines.

Finding the Right Train

There's two ways about getting information - technology and talking to people. In the end, you need intuition, confidence, and to accept it when you get on the wrong train or your train releases pressure and you're stuck outside a cement factory in the middle of nowhere.

"U.S. Railroad Traffic Atlas" - Edited by Harry Ladd and often considered the Bible of American trainwatchers, this is a map of all the freight lines in the USA. It shows trackage rights, how much weight gets moved down each line, crew changes, and yards. The most recent edition was published in 2003 and you can often buy it online for around USA$30.
Google Earth is a useful and free online program. You can set it to show nothing but roads and train lines. the yards show up as a cluster of black lines and two tracks might just show up as one when they're close together. It's can also be used to find service roads and check directions out of each yard. You can also determine where to wait by following the mainline tracks out of the yard to their destinations and which direction a train is going when traveling geographically or after a split.
Touch Trace Numbers are automated phone lines where you can type in a cars numbers and get information on it. If you have a cell phone, once your train is moving type in the car's numbers and it can tell you the next crew change, train yard and ETA.
Bullsheet.com (http7/www.bullsheet.com/) and Skedz.com (http://www.skedz.com/) are both websites with train time tables. Skedz is for commercial shippers so it's times are final drop-off time to make the shipment, not exact times whatsoever. Both sites list the yards each train passes through. Bullsheet is a rail fan site so it's times are more useful, and it lists crew changes, but is not currently updated.
"The Crew Change Guide" (CCG) is an underground publication distributed among train riders. For various reasons, it isn't posted on the internet or sold in stores. You can photocopy one off of somebody (if, and only if, they trust you!) for about USA$5 in copies but it's the most valuable navigational aid you can get. It is updated every year and lists much of everything you need to know.

Deciding whether or not to speak to yard workers is entirely up to you. At worst they will call the bull (railroad police) on you. Yard workers are also known to put you on the wrong train, but they are sometimes really helpful and will even radio to ask about your train. The crew generally only knows information about their train. If a worker sees you it's best to wave; you can judge by their reaction if they're liable to call the bull. When talking to workers tell them you're a rail fan, a train enthusiast who just likes watching trains, although this is not likely to work if you have your pack on.

Scanners

Using a scanner is useful if you can understand what the hell the workers are saying.

A 100 channel scanner works fine, 200 is better since the first 100 will be filled with railroad channels, print out a cheat sheet if you have an older scanner and can't put tags on your frequencies with the computer programming cable.

The American Association of Railroads (ARR website: www.arr.org) assigned a range of frequencies to all railroad operations (including bulls) but they are now migrating slowly to 800mhz digital trunked systems. Pick up a copy of The Compendium of American Railroad Radio Frequencies, it is considered the master listing of frequencies organised by the railroad company assigned.

Sometimes the railroad will transmit and receive on two channels using a radio repeater but you only listening with a scanner will be able to hear the whole conversation on the repeater output channel. The current VHF frequency range is CH-02-159.810Mhz, To CH-97-161.65Mhz channels are 2 through 97, split in 15 kilohertz increments. Outside the VHF band, the railroads of North America use the frequency 457.9375 megahertz for transmissions from a train's end-of-train EOT or FRED device to the train's lead locomotive, that might be useful in predicting an arriving train, it will be data you hear on this freq, .

Once programmed into the scanner, pressing "Scan" constantly searches through all the AAR Numbers for any communication and stops when it finds something. Workers will sometimes talk and receive on two separate channels so you need to constantly scan to hear both sides of the conversation. The yard office will generally talk on a different frequency as well, as does the bull. Some scanners are equipped with "close call" (Uniden) or something similar, which picks up any local transmissions, even if they aren't programmed. A scanner is useless if you don't know your trains number (get it on Bullsheet). Workers will either refer to the train by it's unit number or the train's number (the train's number is for the train at that time on that route). You can also hear when your train has clearance (is ready to leave) or who it's siding for, among other things. Sometimes Police overlap onto the same frequencies which can be annoying, so get a scanner with a lock out function.

Hobo code of ethics

An ethical code was created by Tourist Union #63 during its 1889 National Hobo Convention in St. Louis, Missouri. This code was voted upon as a concrete set of laws to govern the Nation-wide Hobo Body, it reads this way;

1. Decide your own life, don't let another person run or rule you.

2. When in town, always respect the local law and officials, and try to be a gentleman at all times.

3. Don't take advantage of someone who is in a vulnerable situation, locals or other hobos.

4. Always try to find work, even if temporary, and always seek out jobs nobody wants. By doing so you not only help a business along, but insure employment should you return to that town again.

5. When no employment is available, make your own work by using your added talents at crafts.

6. Do not allow yourself to become a stupid drunk and set a bad example for locals treatment of other hobos.

7. When jungling (camping) in town, respect handouts. Do not wear them out. Another hobo will be coming along who will need them as bad, if not worse than you.

8. Always respect nature. Do not leave garbage where you are jungling.

9. If in a community jungle, always pitch in and help.

10. Try to stay clean, and boil up wherever possible. (Boiling clothing kills lice, bed bugs, and other parasites.) 11. When traveling, ride your train respectfully, take no personal chances, cause no problems with the operating crew or host railroad, act like an extra crew member.

12. Do not cause problems in a train yard. Another hobo will be coming along who will need passage through that yard.

13. Do not allow other hobos to molest children. Expose to authorities all molesters; they are the worst garbage to infest any society.

14. Help all runaway children, and try to induce them to return home.

15. Help your fellow hobos whenever and wherever needed. You may need their help someday.

External Links

WikiHow: How to Become a Hobo - http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Hobo Using a watch as a compass -http://www.onebag.com/popups/wcompass.html

Cars

Last updated: 8 July 2011

Go back to Free Transportation

Cars and trucks burn gasoline or diesel... oil, corpgovs favorite addictive drug. If you buy into their game and get a car you are part of the problem. That being said, sometimes the freedom of personal transportation can be worth the risks of easy identifiability and corporate buy-in a car represents. Times have changed, when Abbie wrote his book the price of a gallon of gasoline was 34 cents and Amerika was the world's largest oil producer! Look for a car that has useful parts that you can strip and use for other purposes or one you can use as a shelter even after fuel is no longer available to the masses.

Car Advantages:

Can travel without getting wet, cold, sweaty or tired.
Can carry heavy items or supplies long distances.
Can carry passengers.
For many Americans in less developed areas, there is little to no public transportation, which means if you want to work, or really do anything, you'll need a car.
Can be a significant advantage in job hunts, social life, and free up time.
Can be used as a last resort shelter, with significant drawbacks.
Owning a car is considered a step towards being successful according to many in society. Acceptance.
Being able to travel further and more quickly at any time.
Can search further out for cash sources than one's own area.

Car Disadvantages:

Must have insurance card, registration, valid driver license, current car tag, and no broken lights to avoid police oppression.
Can be inconvenienced by folks dependent on you to give them rides without helping you if you are one of the few in their network with a car.
Older vehicles can need many repairs that can be expensive without repair skills and tools.
Expensive. Deals can be found, but even the least expensive working cars can be many, many month's wage slave salary. Borrowing is fairly easy if you have credit and want something new, but the lender will require you to get expensive comprehensive insurance on top of a car note and a big deposit/or valuable trade-in. You may pay much more in interest if credit is bad.
Easy to become dependent on car to maintain wasteful practices like traveling far away to make cash. If car dies and there is no back-up, far away cash source can be lost.
You NEED gas. The bigger the car and more it is driven, more gas. Otherwise, you had better park it. Encourages wasteful behavior and empowers resource exploiters. No gas is no AC or heat and walking.

1 Don't Drive
1.1 Walkable and Bikeable Cities
2 Get a Motorcycle Instead
3 Save Gas
3.1 Steal Gas
4 Buying
5 Car Co-op
6 Basic Maintenance and Emergencies

6.1 Starting and Trouble Gear
6.2 Tires
6.3 Glass
6.4 Check your Fluids
6.5 Advanced Repairs and Tips
7 Storage
8 Road Trips
9 Car Dwelling
9.1 Parking Tips
9.2 Car Cover
9.3 Car
9.4 Van
9.5 Truck Canopy
9.6 Toilet
9.7 Interior Decorating
9.8 Entertainment
9.9 Communications
9.10 Safe
10 Electrical
11 Cooking and Heating
11.1 Engine Block Cooking
11.2 Tailgate Cooking
11.3 12 Volt Cooking
11.4 Heating
12 Legal for Cars
13 Candid Camera
14 A Few Words About Biodiesel
15 Smoke Screen
16 Free fuel - The wood gas generator
17 Steam Powered Cars
18 Produce Your Own Ethanol
19 Running Your Current Car on Store Bought Ethanol
20 Recycling a Car
21 External Links

Don't Drive

If you are working poor, a car can be a huge burden, even though society demands you have this to be accepted. Never mind there are those who are in complete slavery working to pay off massive car notes, repairs, gas, tickets, and insurance. Of course, if the wage slave stops working, car can be lost! Make your own smart choice!

The easiest solution to most car nightmares is to not freaking drive that money leach especially if it is ruining your life! Get a bicycle and find someplace to live near work or school. Here is a real life story.

We once met a 19 year old who managed to get his very own 454 road monster truck. As with all big trucks, it was quite the gas guzzler. Being a teenager, insurance to drive the truck was expensive. However, all was good. Visions of being at the top of the dating heap, not having to be reliant on folks to go out of the way to pick him up, and going mudding on the weekends filled him with satisfaction. After all, a man needs the utility of a truck. Going into college with his own vehicle would be a huge advantage and must be maintained at all costs!

That is when things started to go wrong. First, he felt obligated or pressured to give rides to all his friends and family members regardless of being tired or busy. In driving so much, and being an inexperienced driver, he ended up getting a speeding ticket and a wreck in short time. No longer accepted by legitimate insurance companies, he was forced to go to shady, high risk companies or be harassed by cops or have his prize taken away!

His second mistake was following by trusted advice that was not really good for him. His father, being a stern believer in privacy and work ethic, charged him $200 a month rent and made a house rule forcing him to work 30 hours a week during college. He was very controlled by his parents and their outlook. The parents even had actually denied him the student loans and grants he was eligible! They refused to turn over their tax records to the student aid office. They felt it infringed on their financial privacy.

He ended up throwing away around $1100 every month just to drive. Needless to say, the burden of having to come up with $200 a month rent, extortion level car insurance and note, and low pay forced him to have to drop out of school and give up any dreams. He could not imagine dropping his rust bomb scares-dates-away gas hog for cycling for two hours a day nor even consider a thriftier small car or motorcycle. He felt he had no choice but to go full time minimum wage labor with no advancement opportunity just so he could continue to drive to work.

There are many lessons in this story, but the three biggest are ditch the car (or any other debt) if it becomes an anchor dragging you down. Second, is to move somewhere where you can live a sustainable life, preferably away parents who may mean well but just not get it. Third, is to be smart and do research.

The last we ever heard of this scholar turned car slave he was about 24, had never returned to university, was single, still living with his parents, still driving to his minimum wage job, and getting a discount on his bedroom rent for attending church.

Walkable and Bikeable Cities

Of course, we know cycling in Butte, Montana or Shreveport, LA probably is not going to work since many of those cities are all interstate travel except for very small downtown ares. However, it is possible to move to a larger city that is very walkable and ridable. You will probably be happier and since riding is more socially accepted due to the extreme expense of parking vehicles, your social life will improve, too.

Cities like New Orleans, LA, Portland, OR, Atlanta, GA, and New York all have world class public transportation, avid biking scenes, and what ever subculture you want to get involved in. Do not be afraid to move to escape car slavery! After getting over the initial relocation shock, you will thank yourself and wonder why you did not do this sooner. Check out our Liberate section and popular city forums online for really good information.

Get a Motorcycle Instead

If Cycling just is not an option, a car is not the only way to go. Motorcycles can be a much lower impact way to commute and travel solo or in pairs than a car. Some bikes can get from 70 miles to the gallon to more than 120 when run right. Look for a street legal dirt bike type and put road tires and required lights on it. For even big guys more than 200cc is not needed as long as you plan to cruise at around 55mph. The bigger bikes can easily do highway speeds, but a modern sportbike is so powerful that it can be seriously dangerous for a less experienced rider. These motorcycles are capable of out-accelerating $250,000 exotic cars, and will do wheelies if you so much as breathe too heavily on the throttle.

Therefore, for both utility and safety, nothing above a 400 or 500CC is really necessary. Older bikes are cheaper and less powerful, but also less reliable and less efficient.

Scooters are an alright idea, but their lack of speed and range means they are limited to trips a good bicycle can do. Many scooters are also not legal for highway driving if you live in a rural city that you have to use the highway to get anywhere. Scooters tend to be a big city sort of deal.

Motorcycles are not called a "donor-cycles" by medical staff without a reason! Cars sometimes will not notice you and can expect you to get out of the way. You have little protection in an accident. Always wear protective boots, pants, jacket, gloves, and especially a helmet so you can stay in the fight.

Pay particular attention to the condition of your chain, it needs the correct type of lubricant and to be adjusted occasionally. You must keep very close watch on the condition of your tires, a blowout could be deadly at 75 mph.

Some might forget that a motorcycle (especially an air cooled model - the kind with heat fins on the motor) still needs the oil and fluids changed regularly just like a car. Heat and high RPM's really burn up the oil and can cause a seize up when you can least afford a new motor.

In general, a motorcycle will be less reliable and require more maintenance than a car, but it makes up for it by being cheaper to buy and very simple to fix. If you are experienced at motorcycling and need to pack more gear look into a small trailer, this really affects handling and mileage so use it intelligently. Patching a tire on most motorcycles is very similar to fixing a bicycle tire, carry a patch kit and pump in addition to some simple tools.

Save Gas

Once you've filled up your gas tank, there are several ways to go further on that gas. This is both good for you and bad for the gas corps because you'll spend less money, and burning less gas is good for the environment too!

Slow down! Vehicles are most efficient in the lowest RPMs in the highest gear - for most, this means between 45 and 55 mph on open highway. Even if going faster would allow you a higher gear and lower RPMs, aerodynamic drag hits harder the faster you go. You'll save a significant amount of fuel just slowing down to 70 on the highway, as opposed to 80.
Clean out everything you don't need. The more weight you're carrying around, the more your car has to work and the more gas you use especially in hilly areas.
Don't tailgate or draft. First of all, tailgating is illegal (you don't want to get pulled over) and dangerous. Secondly, it causes you to brake every time the car you're following brakes. In a perfect world tailgating trucks might work to save fuel but to get a noticeable effect you would nearly have to be touching bumpers.
Keep your car properly maintained. Specifically, keep your tires inflated and keep your air filter clean. Together these can save you 15% or more on mileage. Keeping your tires properly inflated also reduces wear.
Check out your check engine light. You can do this for free most anywhere - borrow an OBD scanner from a friend or see if a local mechanic/oil change place/car parts store will let your borrow one for 5 minutes. Your check engine light could be on for any number of stupid reasons - your gas cap is too loose, your engine got wet - or it could be something like your spark plugs that will affect your gas mileage.
Drive softly. Fast starts take more gas. Also, as soon as you see a red light or stop sign that you will need to stop for, take your foot off the accelerator and coast.
Limit your use of air conditioning around town since AC uses a LOT of gas. Try to save it for freeway driving, since wind resistance from open windows causes greater drag and effects your mileage more than the AC.
Plan your route to use the freeway, drive during light traffic times, as opposed to traffic jams, where you can drive a steady, fuel efficient, thrifty speed.
Drive to a parking lot close to the freeway and use a bicycle for the rest of your in town movement. A bicycle on a rack or folding bicycle in your trunk should do it. The bike can also save you in a breakdown (see Cycling).
Excessive external cargo even bicycles on racks increase your aerodynamic drag especially when moving at highway speeds, if you have to transport your stuff try to disassemble it and somehow cram it into your vehicle(if you remove the rear wheel of your bicycle to stow it also disconnect the rear derailleur to prevent it from getting bent or snapped off).
Make ethanol or biodiesel or join a co-op if it saves you gas money.
Park and ride mass transit.

These are the simple steps anyone can take. There are also methods of driving that can get you 40, 50, or even 90 miles to the gallon, but these can be dangerous and are not for the faint of heart. For more information, see: http://www.hypermiling.com/ .

Some people even mod their cars to make them more aerodynamic: See: http://forum.ecomodder.com/showthread.php?t=290

Steal Gas

As Abbie suggested in his original writings, you can oftentimes run your car at the expense of the rich! While siphoning gas has it's advantages, it's certainly not a proper sustainable supply. If you can find a private pump (check the area on foot, they aren't that rare) find out when the building is unoccupied, pull up and fill up your tank. Congratulations, some corporation just payed for your gas. (think, if they can afford a private pump...)

Be wary of cameras, and note than when they realize half their gas is gone, they'll start investigating.

During Hurricane Katrina, some hapless folks who were stuck in the city with an empty gas tank but had access to some tools siphoned gas from abandoned vehicles. Now some might say that you could just stick a garden hose down in the tank and suck with your mouth. However, this could make you very sick and it will take forever to get a decent amount of gas. Better is to have a cordless drill, a drill pump (available in most well stocked hardware stores), a container, some adapters and clamps, and two lengths of stiff hose. Set this up by sticking one end in the tank and the other hose in the readied container. The only thing that can possibly stop you are locked gas caps. Do not do this with junkyard cars that may have sat up for years, as tempting as that might be. Fuel degrades after time if it sits and may have lots of water, oil, or nasty gunk that will tear up your fuel system.

The best cars for this attack are older American models, most other cars have a strainer or baffles to prevent siphoning. If you have a diesel car the job can be much easier a gravity siphon using a length of hose nearly submerged into a trucks diesel tank, capped with your thumb, and then extended down to your car or truck, remove your thumb and hopefully a stream of fuel will gravity begin to feed into your tank, sometimes a removable strainer has to be pulled out of the source vehicle.

Buying

Something worth considering is buying a salvage/rebuilt vehicle. While most people have been brainwashed into thinking that rebuilt vehicles are junk, they can save you a good deal of money. Often times insurance companies will write off a vehicle involved in a low-speed crash with deployed airbags. While the first owner is left with a small check and no car, you could potentially buy a car for as little as half its blue book value.

In general a Japanese car from the 1980's, if in good condition, will get better mileage than something more recent, sometimes 50% or more. Cars like the Geo Metro and Ford Festiva can actually match modern hybrids for fuel economy, and are much cheaper to buy and own. However, these tiny cars have limited space, so carrying passengers and cargo can be tricky. Their small engines will slow you down when hauling anything heavy, especially when driving uphill. They're also very unsafe in an accident, so you need to weigh that in your purchasing decision. A good trick which can save you a lot of money is to buy "captive imports" or cars built elsewhere and rebadged as a domestic brand. The Chevrolet/Geo Prizm, for example, is identical in every way to a Toyota Corolla, but has much more depreciation, making used models cheaper to buy.

Don't be afraid of American cars, either. They earned a bad reputation in the 70s, but the newer models are much more reliable, and have the virtues of lower prices, cheaper, more common parts and usually easier repairs. Not only that, but every time you buy a UAW made American car, you're helping stick it to the union busters in Washington. American cars can be hit or miss, but in general, any car made by GM (Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Buick) with the 3.8L (Or 3800, in GM nomenclature) is a good bet, as are Ford Panther bodies (Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car) along with the Ford Focus and Ford Escort.

From a practicality standpoint, the ideal car is a station wagon. They might not be cool, but they have large cargo capacities, yet they still drive and handle like a car, without too much penalty on mileage or performance. The old Volvo wagons have massive cargo areas, and more space inside than most SUVs. You might not need the utility every day, but when you do, you'll be glad you got a wagon. For those of us in colder climates, the Subaru wagon is an excellent choice, although they don't quite have as much space as a Volvo, they make up for it in all-weather capabilities.

Trucks are great if you must do lots of hauling or move a lot. You can also hustle with a truck quite easily. Everybody needs a friend with a truck at some point. However, trucks tend to hold their value much longer making them more expensive than cars of the same age range. Some trucks also eat quite a bit of gas with the exception of some of the lighter ones.

Ask at several car repair shops before picking a used car. See what they suggest for specific years, since some may have upgrades that were left out of older models. If the owner won't let you take the car to a mechanic for a checkup or even have an on-site mechanic/inspector check it out, be suspicious and look elsewhere. The money spent on a pre-buy inspection is well worth its price.

Whatever you do, don't get caught up in the financing trap. Dealerships always want to finance, as they make a significant profit from doing it, and it greatly inflates the price of the car. The worst ones are the smaller "You work, You ride" places that can charge as much interest as a bad credit card and have repo crews coming if you are a day late! Buy something you can afford with cash. Not only do you save on financing, but the car cannot be taken away if you fall on hard times.

Car Co-op

A car co-op, which is available in many US cities, lets you pay a membership fee monthly for the option of reserving a company owned car at an hourly rate, most plans include several free hours and the rate is often cheaper than regular renting. Most of us don't need a car that often unless we use it as our home. This idea could be done on a small scale by pooling several junkers and letting friends sign up to use them everyone would pre-pay monthly maintenance and fuel bills.

http://www.zipcar.com/ Zipcar is one such car co-op service. You usually have to be at least 21 and possess a valid driver's license to sign up for their service. It'll cost you about $75 to sign up for their service, plus hourly fees for the vehicle, but gas and insurance is included in those fees. Could be a good deal if you only need a car once in awhile. A hint for saving money with zipcar is reserve for after 11pm or 12am to get 1/2 price rates.

http://www.citycarshare.org CityCarShare is a cheaper alternative for the San Francisco Bay Area.

http://www.carsharing.net/where.html Carsharing.net Has an extensive list of most co-ops.

Basic Maintenance and Emergencies

The reality is, many of us are forced to drive cars or trucks with less-than-perfect equipment. In many states the corpgov welfare for corporations solution to this is regular inspections. They want to make sure that what you're driving is safe for you. This means, for instance, that the blinker that 90% of drivers hardly use in the first place (and are rarely ticketed for) need to work. Thats a minor issue, but older cars also have problems with door locks, hinges, a broken mirror, etc., and these can be expensive to repair, especially on someone else's schedule.

Starting and Trouble Gear

Everyone that has a vehicle needs these things eventually. Make it a point to get these items sooner rather than later.

Jumper Cables. If you accidentally leave on your lights or have an alternator going bad, you will wish you had this. Most folks never carry this around, either. Be the prepared person that has a pair. Not only will it save you an expensive call to roadside assistance, it can help others in a bind, too.

How to Use Jumper Cables

Keep the car with the fresh battery running. First, -Connect the red cable to the positive terminals.
Hook the black cable from the running car's negative terminal to an exposed piece of bare metal on the "dead" car (for a ground) or the negative pole of the battery.
If you see a spark when you attach the second cable to the "dead" car, you've got a complete circuit.
Stand back when starting just in case the dead battery blows its vent caps (Very rare, but it happens).
If you find yourself with only one jumper cable and both cars have bare metal bumpers, connect the positive terminals, then slowly roll the cars together so the metal on the bumpers touch.
If you get really big sparks as you connect check that your polarity is correct (+ to + and - to -) or you could damage both electrical systems.

Rolling Start with Manual Transmission

Cars with standard/manual transmissions (that is, cars with a stick shift) can generate a small amount of electricity by performing a "push start" or "rolling start", as long as the battery is not completely dead (check the owner's manual).

You'll need a lot of help from friends to push the car or be lucky enough to have the car atop a steep hill.

Put the key into the "On" position, push down the clutch and put the car in 2nd or 3rd gear, NOT 1st! Then get your friends together and push the car forward. When the car is rolling fast enough (between 5 to 25 MPH), release the clutch and tap the gas pedal. The car should start.

Car Charger. This is bit more expensive, but can be useful. A wall socket powered car battery charger and extension cord are also a good idea, and many good battery chargers now even have a jump-start option.

Rural Gear. A shovel and some sand bags might get you unstuck in muck or snow in rural areas. A come-along (hand powered ratchet winch) and tow chain can help get you back onto the road. Snow chains also work in the mud for amazing traction.
Extra Key. Stash a key somewhere under the vehicle, some wire and tape should do the trick, maybe have a second key hidden under the sole of your shoe. If you're a member of AAA, go to your local office and get a "credit card key". This is a small plastic gizmo that has the dimensions of your key in a credit card shape. However, if you have a sophisticated security system on the car, you may be out of luck. Locksmiths are very expensive costing anywhere from 100 USD to 500 USD depending on type of key they need. Breaking a window is not any cheaper, either, and can attract police oppression.
Carry an EMPTY fuel container with a good spout empty in your vehicle. Kept full it will go bad after a few months of summer heat and is a huge fire and stink-up-the-car hazard. If you run out of fuel, walk or bike to a gas station. When you get back pour the whole container into your tank and wash out with soap and hot water ASAP, allow to dry completely before closing. FYI only buy a fuel container marked "DOT Approved" otherwise the gas jockeys can get in trouble for filling your container.
Small Toolbox. Even if you are not interested in being a mechanic, carrying basic screwdrivers, wrenches, socket sets, pliers, and a rag can be useful. This is especially true when dealing with older vehicles. This can help with things like loose battery terminals, venting hot radiator caps, and replacing burnt lights.
Jack, Tire Tools, and Spare Tire. If you are missing this, you will regret it! Jacks can be picked up in junkyards or any place that sells auto stuff. Used tires can picked up at used tire places if cash is an issue to get you by. Don't assume you car includes a spare especially if used, take the time to figure out how to get at the spare and make sure it is up to its rated pressure, sometimes they are in a tricky place underneath and require a special tool to remove, try taking the spare off and replacing it. If you have to use the spare be sure to repair the tire quickly and then replace the spare. Most cars these days only have temporary (doughnut) spares, which are only good enough to let you limp to the nearest tire shop. If you have the cash and space in the car, it's never a bad idea to go get a fullsize spare. Just find the same model (or even the same make, depending on the car) of car in the junkyard and pull the wheel off it, then get it fitted with a cheap tire, as the junkyard one will almost certainly be shot.

Tires

It goes without saying; Keep your tires properly inflated! Soft tires waste gas, and over-inflated tires wear out quicker. If you see uneven wear, you need wheel alignment. This can be done at a repair garage or tire shop (and they'll try to sell you a new set). Remember to rotate your tires every 3,000 miles to ensure even tire wear.

If you need tires, ask at an independent tire shop if they can sell you used tires. Some places that specialize in custom wheels will keep the stock tires and wheels that new car buyers bring in. Savvy car enthusiasts will order a high-performance car with all the trimmings, but have stock tires, since the dealer mark-up is so high. Then they'll drive from the dealer to the tire shop and swap the stock tires and wheels for a custom selection that's much cheaper than at the car dealership. Those stock tires are often kept by the tire dealer, but can't be sold as "new" even though they may have been driven as little as a few blocks. Many times, these tires are sold "as is" (no warranty, no returns), but the dealer may throw in free wheel balancing in the purchase.

For people in mild climates, any tire will do (However, you should still stay away from the third world made ones, due to exploitative labor), but for our comrades in colder climates, it's imperative that you get a good tire which can handle winter conditions. Snow tires are the best, however, you can't run them for long on dry pavement without burning away all the soft rubber, so you need another set of summer/spring tires. If you can't afford snows a good all season can work if you drive sensibly. Do some research and remember that those few extra bucks can be the difference between a horrific wreck and safe driving.

A word of warning about those anti-flat solutions like "Slime": They only work when the wheel is in motion. When stopped, the stuff settles in the bottom of the tire. Also, when it's in the tire, it makes it impossible to have it balanced or plugged/patched.

A trick used by 4x4 racers is to find a puncture by sound or using dilute dish soap and looking for bubbles, mark the leak so you can find it again with a white crayon, now unmount and jump on the deflated tire near the bead(seal) until it opens so the inside can be accessed, only open one side if possible. A inexpensive tire plug tool, contact cement and rubber plug is enough for most tire repairs. To reset the tire bead the valve stem core is removed to vent the excess pressure (there are many after market tire valve caps that have the little tool built in) some ether starting fluid is sprayed into the tire (DANGER) and a match is thrown in. The small explosion pops the tire up and the bead back into place about half the time so give it a few tries, then replace the valve core and inflate to proper pressure. Another trick is to wet the bead (make sure it stays clean) and using a rope around the tread of the tire for tension, begin pumping, if you cinch the rope tight and use water and a little soap for lube and seal this sometimes gets a good enough seal to pop the tire back into the wheel. If the bead on only one side is open flip the tire over so its weight will push against the open seal and try pumping it to pop the bead back in.

Free tires aren't very hard to find. They can be found at soccer fields, tracks, or other community and high school fields for sports. Just drop by at night to avoid hassle and take a few. Considering the work required to mount them a very close inspection is suggested.

Glass

It should be obvious that you need to keep the windows, especially the windshield, as clean as you can. Check your windshield wipers. If they streak, replace them. When it is raining, you NEED to see where you're going. Polishes like Rain-X will cause the rain water to drift off the windshield, but only when the vehicle is in motion (It uses the wind to brush the water away). Small dings and cracks may be fixed with glass repair kits available at better auto parts stores, or if your insurance covers it, you can have them done by an auto glass service. If there is a crack or fissure that radiates from a repair after you've fixed it, you may be SOL and need to have the windshield replaced. Depending on the model of car it is possible to replace the windshield if you exercise care and the frame is not bent too badly.

If you live in a cold climate, get real windshield wiper fluid that is formulated for the cold. The last thing you want is water you poured into the washer reservoir in June freezing on your windshield when you're driving in December or just freezing in the pump and cracking it.

Check your Fluids

The places to check your fluids can be located in the manual of your car, asking a knowledgeable friend or auto parts worker, or online. Checking your fluids can save you from expensive repairs! Basic fluid changes are an important maintenance job, and are very easy to do yourself. You'll also save money over the lube shops.

Oil. Not having enough oil can seriously mess up your engine! While checking this, always notice the color. Check your owners manual for recommended oil weights, get a good drain pan, and go to town. Store brand oils are just re-bottled versions of the big names for a lot less. NAPA oil, for example, is Valvoline, and Exxon Superflo is Mobil. If you live in a colder climate, you should run a slightly lighter weight oil for better cold weather protection and easier starts. In terms of filters, stay away from the super cheap Frams, they have cardboard endcaps which can dissolve in hot oil, meaning bad news for your motor. WIX makes a decent filter for cheap, and again, store brands are just the big guys in a different box. Lots of people obsess over oil, but the fact is, a good filter and regular changes are all you need.
Antifreeze. Not having water and antifreeze in your radiator can seriously mess up your engine! Use the recommended ratio. You may get by with mostly water to get by on the cheap if temperatures are not extreme. Put more antifreeze in before really cold or really hot weather comes, though. If you run straight water without antifreeze and it gets cold enough to freeze the water inside it will force out the engine freeze plugs or crack the engine block, freeze plugs on some cars require disassembly and removal of the engine to replace.
Brake Fluid. This is self explanatory. If this gets low, you could have a brake failure.
Transmission Fluid. If it helps save money in a pinch, most brake fluid and transmission fluid are nearly the same thing but look up the fluid your car uses first. Also, just because you have a manual transmission does not necessarily mean you do not have transmission fluid. Some standards have a fluid clutch cylinder to assist with shifting.

Advanced Repairs and Tips

Haynes and Chilton publish a wide line of owner-friendly repair manuals available at both book stores and auto parts stores. These books vary in quality. Oftentimes they cover too many models and can be somewhat vague, but they are usually workable. However, you can get the factory service manuals for most cars free online in PDF format with a little googling, and these are always preferred, as they are incredibly detailed and specific.

If your headlights start to dim as you are driving this is usually caused by a dead or dying alternator. On older model cars these are easy to replace yourself most of the time. Don't stop the car as it will likely die. Your spark and fuel injection are running only on battery. Only think about killing the headlights.

If your car sputters after holding the gas down for a few seconds when passing it might be a clogged or old fuel filter. These can be super easy to replace inline filters or almost impossible to replace inside the fuel tank units.

Letting your battery die over 4-5 times will seriously weaken or destroy a car battery.

If the car overheats try changing or topping off the radiator, as it might be clogged with calcium or rust, try a flush or radiator cleaner compound from an auto parts shop. It could also be that the oil is low or the oil filter is clogged increasing the heat and wear. The radiator is easily damaged, note the location of leaks when the engine is hot. When you are in a safe place and the engine is cool you can try first adding a radiator stop leak, if this fails find the damaged tubes and brush clean then solder. if this fails bend the tubes over and add stop leak again hopefully plugging them for good. Keep several gallons of water in your trunk to refill the radiator if there is a boil over. If you use those tough bottles that antifreeze comes in to store water, NEVER DRINK IT! The coolant residue is toxic so carry extra drinking water in a separate container.

If you notice your car overheating and the oil and radiator fluid is a milky color and consistency, you have a busted head gasket! Stop driving the car now or you may have to scrap the car or buy a new engine!

If you see a car similar to yours at a junkyard or rusting away see if they will sell/give you the plates. At a U-pull-it junkyard buy a car seat or something like that and stuff the plates under the vinyl or at the bottom of a box of parts under a cardboard flap. These can be very handy in radical action. You would be surprised how many cases are solved by seeing a license plate on security cameras. Many highways have license plate scanners for tolling trucks but they likely also record passing cars.

If you intend to do even the most basic repairs, you'll need tools. Not only are the cheap Chinese made tools of poor quality, but they're also produced by exploited workers in terrible conditions. New tools made in the US/Europe can be very expensive, so your best bet is to hit up pawn shops and garage sales. You'll want a complete ratchet set with 1/4, 3/8th and maybe 1/2 inch ratchets, a full set of sockets both metric and SAE (If you can't afford both, just get whatever your car is), a good set of box end wrenches, screwdrivers, allen keys (Or star/torx, depending on your car), a torque wrench and a good set of locking pliers (Vice Grips are now made in China, so get Craftsman if new) Craftsman is a good brand, especially if buying used, as any broken tools can be returned to the local sears and will be replaced for free. Their quality has slipped, but the convenience and price still makes it the best choice for amateur mechanics. Snap-On, Klein, Matco, Mac, SK, Proto, Stanley and any other US made tool will be fine and carries the same warranty, although the price is higher and distributors are more difficult to find. Be sure to get a set of jack stands so you can work safely. These can be made, if you have welding skills, but don't try to rig something up, unless you fancy 2 tons of steel falling on you. Ramps can be used for oil changes, but they're not much good for anything else.

Storage

With the price of fuel ever increasing it will become more useful to know how to maintain a rarely driven petro-hog for when you might need it. Even if you dedicate yourself to cycling be sure to run the vehicle for about ten minutes every other week, you might as well use this to hit the grocery store for a big shop, highway miles are the best way to achieve this. If you can't do the regular drives you need to start thinking about adding gas stabilizers like Stabil to your fuel. For very long storage you will need to drain and clean the fuel system to prevent varnish deposits from evaporated and decomposed fuel. Remember that tires, hoses and belts all get old whether you use them or not. For a seldom used car, Seafoam is your best friend. It can stabilize fuel, clean out fuel systems and the built up gunk in a motor and create one hell of a smoke show. It's pretty expensive, but a can is good for about 3 uses. It's also a very good cleaner.

Road Trips

Cycling, Trains, Buses, or Hitchhiking or a combination are cheaper greener alternatives to long road trips in a car. If time is not an issue, all of these options are still less wallet damage than flying and dealing with the TSA goons.cost effective it is to fly. (Although the further the trip, a airline ticket may be only 40 USD to 100 USD more depending on season. A good deal, if you account for food costs en-route over a many day journey) Unfortunately, sometimes the destination is just not accessible any other way, you need to haul too much freight, or the departure and arrival times are not compatible with your schedule. One way to save is to load up with riders willing to split the fuel cost, carpooling can even end up cheaper than bus or passenger train tickets. Follow the our advice on saving fuel and carry the proper equipment and spares.

While keeping a maintained car is important, it becomes vital if you are heading to a place far away from help and support networks.

Roadtrip Checklist

Have jumper cables and emergency water for radiator boil-overs. This can be real problem in hot summer, mountain driving, and traffic standstills. Make sure you have all emergency gear including jacks, tire tools, gas can, etc.

Brake pads should be checked especially if you are planning mountain travel.
Check lug nuts, tire pressures and tread wear before leaving including the spare tire! A pump manual or electric for the tires is not a bad idea. Inspect and test your jack, lug nut tool, and inflated spare tire.
Your belts and hoses should be in good condition. If not, replace them or carry the spares and tools required to install them properly. Do not forget a work light if you go that way.
Try to repair or get a different vehicle if you hear mechanical knocking noises from the motor or slippage in both automatic or manual transmissions.
Verify all fluid levels oil, radiator, transmission, brake, steering, battery if you have an unsealed battery, and window washer fluid. If you have an oil burner engine buy enough oil for the duration of your trip and be sure to check the levels every time you stop.
Verify that your lights are all intact and working. Make sure car tags, inspection stickers, etc. are up to date to avoid police oppression in a strange area! Keep your driving license, vehicle title, and insurance information all handy.

The cops know about radar scanners and plan their traps accordingly, a detector can help sometimes, but if the cops notice it you might get a bigger ticket. In some states, radar detectors are illegal and the squad cars have equipment to detect the detectors.

You can probably obtain all the food you need using your freegan skills but a 5kg sack of rice, a camp stove, and a few soft drink bottles of drinking water will cover you if the dumpster diving is no good. If you feel safe always try to help out hitchhikers. It can be fun to make a good travel music mix and have a way to play it through the car stereo, this is really nice if you will travel through areas without good radio coverage. Do not assume that your mobile phone will work in rural areas, especially in remote mountain areas. If convoying with other vehicles have a means of radio communication so you do not waste phone minutes. Plan to stop during the night, in most cases that is safer and more comfortable for everyone, just plan your departure to give you plenty of time to drive during the day and early evening, leave time to set up camp or other sleeping arrangements.

Stealth camping in your car is possible in many rural areas, just park on the side of a logging road or pull into a farm field driveway, many states have highway rest areas for drivers to take a nap. Car dwelling is covered in detail a bit later.

Ration your cash if you are traveling on limited funds. Split your trip money into a going and coming envelope. If you spend all of the cash in the first envelope you know it is probably time to go home.

Save alcohol and other stuff for the destination or home. Even if you stay legal traveling with a hangover or punchy is a drag.

Car Dwelling

Many people when they loose their job or apartment naturally move into the only shelter left, their vehicle. Unless you have an RV and a safe lot to park try to keep your car stay as short as possible due to the harassment and discomfort, use this time to find a new place or plan a move to somewhere where you can set up a safe residence. How well this will work depends most on how comfortable and secure the vehicle is and if you can safely park and maintain your vehicle. This lifestyle is for nearly all who live it far less than ideal since it is difficult to store and secure more than a small amount of your worldly possessions, not to mention it it just is not comfortable sleeping through a winter rainstorm inside a two seater soft top with seats that don't recline. Or worse, sweating ass off in a humid, hot climate.

Parking Tips

Where to put your car without it being towed or having to live in your car being discovered can be a huge pain. Here are some spots and tips that could be considered.

Many retirees pull what is called the "Camp WalMart" trick with their monster homes with wheels. They "park" overnight in the parking lot and save the overnight fee spent at RV parks. Some mart stores even encourage this since it often discourages theft or vandalism of parked cars. If you try this with a camper or van, make certain this is legal, since some cities have passed laws against "overnight parking" and you'll be stuck with a parking ticket or midnight eviction.
If you see signs reading "No Overnight Parking" or "No Camping" either in the lot or at the entrance, they probably mean it. Watch out for the Rent-A-Cop in the "Security Patrol" vehicle made to look like a police car or the golf cart with a yellow flashing light.

Church parking lots are often unused except on Sundays and sometimes a few regular evenings a week. To avoid the early Sunday morning problem also look for a Jewish temple or a Seventh Day Adventist church, since both meet on Saturday mornings. Avoid parking where the clergy housing is on site. It might also be useful to ask, especially at religious institutions, for the owners to show pity and let you occupy an open parking spot if you promise to be good and not trash the area. Act shocked when they say no.
In non-residential parking lots park as far out of the range of vision to the entrance as possible, working slaves tend to ignore stuff as they enter and exit work. Try to avoid places with security booths or patrols outside.
Apartment complexes, the larger the better are great for camping with your car cover on, you can either use a spot assigned to a friend without a car or find a place with unassigned spaces, park late leave early and only use this for sleeping. As best as possible keep the car stationary once parked, meaning dig in your pack or wiggle around somewhere else before you stop and park for the night or day sleep cycle.
When you wake it is difficult to avoid a car wiggle or two, immediately get to the drivers seat and drive away. Always sleep in acceptable but loose street clothes, shorts and a t-shirt or sweats, have your shoes or sandals handy even if you are wearing slippers.
National and State parks:

In the western US mostly in rural areas there are large tracts of BLM, National Grassland, and National Forest, most of which are free to camp for up to two weeks, although some areas require buying a special use permit now. If you choose a park at either national, provincial, or state expect to be visited by a ranger in the morning asking for the camp fee, some lock the gate at night too. Campgrounds are either private or public and rarely free; they range from a primitive fire pit and outhouse to full water and electrical connections, flush toilets, hot showers, sometimes even a general store, and Wi-Fi Internet, typically you get what you pay for. It is worth looking into on site management, It is usually an easy job and you get a place to stay for the contract period and a paycheck.

The Empire maintains many rest stops for sleepy truck drivers and long distance travelers. Some have restrooms and showers. This could be an option if you have an out of state tag. However, the rest areas are vigilantly watched by state pigs looking to bust people up. Most rest areas are out in the middle of nowhere. It can take quite a bit of gas money and time to drive to or from. Sadly, with many states facing budget cuts, a number of these rest stops are being shut down.

Car Cover

You can park overnight in many whitebread communities at the curb if you cover your junker car with a nice clean car cover, this works best in areas where car covers are more common. You might even be able to stay in one place between the huge lot lines for several nights before any homeowner notices. With the car cover on the rent-a-thug/ethnic cleanser has no idea you are camping out in a rust bucket or which McMansion you (don't) belong to.

When you get your cover walk right out to your car open the package and try it on. You need to be able to open a door (front and back door if possible) and enter with the cover on. If this doesn't work, walk back and return it for a cover that will work. A clean car cover or window tinting should be near the top of your eviction shopping list if you plan to keep your car.

Your car cover can:

Hide the exact make and model as well as the plate numbers of your vehicle, you may want to stencil your number or another plate number onto the cover to fool lazy cops
Keep your vehicle warmer by reducing drafts especially in older vehicles with rotten door seals
Reduce or eliminate leaks during wet weather especially with waterproof covers
Hide the tell-tale window condensation that gives away a camped-out car
Hides the campout gear in your vehicle from thieves and cops especially if you go out and leave it parked
Some colored or silvered car covers will help hide the glow from small lights or computer use, parking under a street light also washes out the light from inside your car.

Do not run your vehicle while the cover is on as it might trap deadly carbon monoxide from the exhaust.

Car

We have known car campers who install a black removable bar and curtain between front and back seats, tint the windows of the back seat and use a sun shield at night to block the front and rear window, nobody can see the sleeper in back even if you are not using a cover and it is difficult to see the interior divider curtain. Even a cheap stick-on tint is better than nothing, if applying a sticky film tint clean the interior windows spotless with Windex and let dry, try to go slow and use a squeegee to keep bubbles out of your work. Find out the local laws on rear window and driver and passenger door window tinting, even if legal it might lead to harassment by suspicious cops both when parked and while driving. Towels, cardboard, or improvised curtains in the windows and most obviously fogged windows are a dead give away to cops and neighbors that you are living in your car. Moving around inside your vehicle in a way that rocks or moves on the suspension is another give away when you are inside a supposedly unoccupied parked car.

A station wagon like a Volvo or Subaru gives you room to stretch out in back, even a sedan has a big back seat to sleep on, but a compact car often gets much better mileage.

If you have some tiny car it will work for camping too; just get the car cover or some sun shades to cover your window, opening a non-leaking sunroof kept open will keep the condensation down. It is very important that if you go with a compact you find a car where the passenger side seat fully reclines into a nearly flat position and adjusts far back so you can stretch your legs. If you are short enough piling a bag or gear covered with a blanket into the footwell can make this into an almost normal cot bed. Don't sleep on the driver side except in emergencies. We know someone who killed their battery by sleeping with a foot on the brakes. It also makes for driving related nightmares having the steering wheel right there. A convertible or soft top Jeep or coup might be fun, but the leak related headaches and difficulty keeping warmth in during the winter make them a less than ideal car camping option. A vehicle with a trunk means that you have a non-visible place to stash some stuff but the lock can still be popped by a thief. Some trunks can extend into the back seat area by folding down the rear seats. This is one option for a stealthy sleeping area.

A one bonus to hybrid cars aside from urban fuel savings is the massive storage batteries which you can tap for appliances. There are kits where you can charge the batteries from free or subsidized charging stations for electric vehicles. Another kit allows you to drive all electrical for urban and short highway drives. Combined with a folder bicycle in the trunk these can really save or eliminate fuel spending.

Van

Of course better than a cover is if you just buy a van or minivan, there are plenty of old vehicles which have been cast off after years of ferrying kids to soccer or having been used by some crusty old guy living in it down by the river, an added bonus is you don't have to contort to get into the back for sleeping. Big vans can really burn fuel fast but some minivans can come close to the thriftiness of a larger car. If you can score a custom camper van all the better but if not take out the rear seats if they don't fold down and do your own modifications. Installing a table of some sort and propane equipment are among the most important modifications, VW campers even have water and drain water tanks built in, just attach a garden hose. If you are going custom wire in some power jacks in a handy place and then you can roll out a dark colored extension cord. Tint the rear windows and you will have a safer place to sleep and the cops cant easily peek in, hang a dark curtain behind the front seats or use sun shades at night for more privacy.

Truck Canopy

Owning a pickup truck is usually an investment in bad fuel mileage, although this can be offset by using it as a home and walking or cycling and only driving for long trips, moving location, or camping expeditions. Unless you need it for winter or back country travel 4x4 is often just a gas waster on the highway as are wide off-road tires although you will miss it badly when it is needed. A smaller truck with a small engine especially a diesel can save fuel if you drive right and keep your speed down but it is still not as efficient as a small car. Getting a canopy and tinting or covering the side windows makes it a great place to camp out even in town, much better than a car interior for people of average height and it often increases fuel economy. It is not unexpected to see blankets or sleeping bags in the back of a truck so you might pass a quick night time police or security check if they don't expect house-less people. Since part of detecting an unwanted vehicle is that they don't move you might try to park on a hill and every night roll down a few houses without starting the motor saving a bit of gas, but turn your wheels toward the curb so if your parking brake fails in the night the curb will stop you. Since car covers are rare for trucks you will have to keep the exterior clean and the interior of the cab neat so the cops and neighbors won't have reason to be suspicious. Since you will be sleeping in the back get a good steering wheel lock so you don't get taken for an unwanted ride during a car theft. Try to keep your worldly possessions down to a bicycle and pack and keep these with you on trips out so even if the truck is broken into they will not get your stuff, most canopies are easily broken into. Keeping your bicycle inside the canopy with you at night will not only prevent it from being stolen it will also help hide you. Always enter and exit the rear of the truck early in the morning or after everyone is in bed, during other times consider using the sliding window between the cab and canopy to enter the cab or canopy hiding your activities and making them look more natural.

Toilet

The fastest way to get in trouble when parked overnight is to urinate or defecate right next to your vehicle. When the heat of the day comes it leaves a very nasty smell both for you and the neighbours even after you leave. This creates the impression that the homeless are filthy or disgusting, and is a good way to get car camping outlawed where you are staying. Don't screw over your brothers and sisters like this! Try to park next to a sewer grate where you can dump all of your toilet waste (unless it is marked as a untreated drain to a water body) and pour out your washing water (gray water) bucket at the same time to rinse it down. If a sewer grate is not possible at least have enough water to wash away urine from the gutter. Plan ahead and use a public restroom whenever possible but keep a bucket and trash sack for dire toilet emergencies. Be careful using bleach in your pee bottle we have heard of weird toxic chemical reactions, chlorine gas, and high temperatures associated with mixing urine into a bottle containing bleach.

Interior Decorating

Face it; Cars are not designed for camping in every night, even most vans are a bit uncomfortable. You should do some work to prepare it for long term camping. Get seat covers at least for the passenger seat or rear bench that you plan to sleep on. A very smart idea is to cover the factory seat with a carpet runner or heavy plastic and then a cotton bed sheet folded over several time or blanket to keep the funk out of the seat in something you can wash and then cover and hold everything in place with a seat cover from an auto parts store. Dryer sheets under the seat (on the floor not under the seat cover) or dash can help get the stank smell out of your car, especially in summer when you would normally shower more frequently. Many cars have hooks or handles above the front doors which can be used to suspend a bar on which you can hang laundry to dry. Plan for drippage or just air out during the day. Leave the sunroof or windows open a few centimetres open to allow moisture out. This bar is also where to hang a dark privacy curtain at night between front and rear seats.

Entertainment

It may seem like a great idea, and perhaps you have both the right electrical system and isolation to pull it off by attaching a FM transmitter to your laptop and blasting it through a nice car audio system. We have even heard of DIY outdoor theater types who add a video projector. For most of us the problem of staying hidden in our quasi legal car camp-outs makes a Walkman or MP3 player with earphones the better idea both for security and for the health of your car battery. Save the stereo system for the highway. In addition, have in mind that the glow from most video screens gives you away as a WiFi squatter or urban camper watching DVD's. Car sun shades or window tint might help hide the glow.

Communications

It gets lonely sleeping in your car, some people use an open WiFi hotspot to escape to virtual worlds on the Internet, but often this is not an available option. It helps to have friends both local and far away, with the right gear you can accomplish both for free after an initial investment. In the 70's CB was the undisputed way to communicate between vehicles, this is still often the case if you don't want to pay a mobile phone bill. For most people this means finding a used CB set and magnet mounting a good antenna to the roof of their car or truck. Gutter, mirror, and bumper antenna mounts are available as are permanent drilled installations. For the price of a new CB set you could pick up a used mobile ham radio set and depending on the frequency band increase you range by as much as a few thousand miles and add many cool free capabilities such as data transfer, telephone network interface autopatches, repeater networks to extend the range of small radios, and even international VOIP bridges. The only downside to ham gear is most licensed users are pretty straight and follow the rules, so if you are running pirate on their frequencies they have a sport called "bunny hunting" where they track down illegal operators with special gear and lead the cops to the offender. If you only have FRS or a CB walkie-talkie your range is limited to a mile or two. Nice communications gear is a lure to thieves so install it in a way where you can unplug it and hide it in the trunk or take it along with you.

Safe

We have seen small heavy duty steel safes installed in vehicles, mostly intended for locking up a firearm of some sort. At first this sounds like a good idea until we realized a thief need just steal the car and take it to a place where they could use a cutter to slice the thing open.

Electrical

If you need to, you can buy 12 volt DC powered appliances (hot pots, toasters, skillets, etc.) that plug into your car cigarette lighter, a warning many large freight trucks and military vehicles use a 24 volt power system but the cigar lighter plug looks the same as a 12v system. Just be careful using them, since they can quickly drain your battery if the motor is not running, and not using these appliances properly can start a fire. DC appliances can be had at most camping supply stores, RV shops, and truck stops. DC to AC power inverters (AC is a normal home wall plug power) are also available. Just make sure you get an inverter with enough watts. If you try to power something like a laptop or heater on a cheaper low watt inverter it will blow out the fuse. If you have yet to purchase a laptop remember that many inexpensive low-power netbook designs need only 12 volts and are hence easily powered by a cheap car adapter versus a normal laptop which requires an expensive 18-20 volt auto-air adapter. We know one homeless gamer who has a low power netbook for web surfing in the car and a nice fast gaming laptop that he uses for online role playing games in a coffee shop or at school since it needs so much power.

If you're technically inclined install a battery isolator and a second deep-cycle type battery and cigarette lighter jack and run the appliances off of that. A dash board solar panel is a good idea to trickle charge your system if you spend weeks cycling and only drive for long group trips. Some are available which will back flow power into the cigarette lighter jack (Just make sure your car's electrical system works this way). Another good idea is to remove the ground wire from the battery or install a knife switch so you can totally disconnect the battery avoiding normal power drainage to the radio, alarm, and car electronics. Don't use the dome light while parked you might fall asleep and wake with a dead battery. Think about wiring the dome light into that new second battery.

If you don't have the money to install a secondary deep cycle battery, or even if you do solder four or five 3volt white LED's in series (they will look like they are in a line holding hands, be sure that the flat on each LED bulb is in the same direction) and solder both ends into an old dome light bulb base, secure with hot glue, this will make a 12v LED light bulb. The power drain will be almost unnoticeable on your power system and you can leave it on for almost as long as you want. These low power drain LED dome lights are also available from some car parts stores and catalogs.

You might wire some 110 volt power jacks into your vehicle, then you can roll out a dark colored extension cord at night to get electricity for a heater or hot plate from a friends house or behind a store, this works best if you park right in front of the plug so nobody sees your cord. Spray paint the cord a color like dark gray (think pavement camouflage) and try to get it into a crack, along a curb, or wall so it will not throw a shadow if security or the cops do a late night roll by. If you plan to hard wire a 12v to 110v or 220v inverter into your system include a switch which isolates the inverter from your high voltage system when you are running from an external power source. If you have a battery charger and secondary deep cycle system wire it into your shore power system so that you are quick charging your onboard storage battery every time you plug in.

Have either an inverter or car chargers for your laptop, MP3, phone, game system, or movie player all ready to go when you are actually running the engine driving somewhere. Alternatively if you do not drive much, have all of the chargers set up on a power strip or multi-plug extension cord, then you can stuff everything in a backpack and plug in for charging at a coffee shop or library, just keep an eye on it so it is not stolen or called in as a bomb.

Electronics especially those using higher mains voltages are sensitive to moisture, if an inverter is sitting in the footwell when a cup of soft drink spills it will almost surely be ruined, keep electronics away from places where spills might collect.

There are trucker refrigerators that use a Peltier effect to cool your food and run on 12 volts, these are only practical for on long road trips, not long term parked camping. Consider how badly you need food that requires cooling, most likely you can adjust your purchases so you eat more fresh, just cooked, small quickly consumed servings (single quart of milk) or room temp foods and still not resort to impoverishment at the hands of expensive delis and fast food places.

Cooking and Heating

Engine Block Cooking

If you're on a road trip and want a hot meal when you stop, double wrap your meal in aluminum foil and/or a doubled oven roaster sack and use wire to secure it so it is in contact with the engine block, radiator, or exhaust manifold. Be careful to not overheat and burst sealed cans on the exhaust manifold. Our best successes are stews or meals that would also cook well in a slow-cooker or crock pot. Long drives can easily dry out some leftover type foods unless you stop and check every fifteen minutes or so. Practice will teach the warmest places under the hood and how to get the best results both with cooking and warming up leftovers. Be careful not to interfere with or drip food onto belts, linkages, electrical systems, or moving parts. Several wraps of foil is the wisest insulator as it is heat and fire resistant. If using a foil pouch or roaster bag it should be only half full to allow room to expand. Automotive cornbread or other cakes and pie crusts can be prepared with many stew like mixes even if they end up weirdly shaped due to sitting on a hot engine for several hours. As a rule of thumb, think of the exhaust manifold and tubes like a bed of hot coals, but the radiator top, bottom, and hoses as something that can heat but won't burn or brown foods. The engine block rarely will actually cook your foods but should warm up leftovers. For reheating leftovers, try warming up them with your passenger side windshield defroster while on the road. If you feel hot, open a window or sunroof while your food warms. Watch for leaks as they can make your ventilation system smell funky for a long time and are hard to clean out.

The popular cookbook "Manifold Destiny: The One! The Only! Guide to Cooking on Your Car Engine!" by Chris Maynard and Bill Scheller, goes into engine block cooking in depth Ask the librarian for help if there is not a local copy.

Tailgate Cooking

Engine top cooking is a great way to take advantage of waste engine heat on a long trip. If you are not moving it is much smarter to get out and use a camp stove or campfire and prevent massive fuel waste with the engine top cooking method or run your batteries dead using appliances powered off of the car electrical system. If you will be making a stop where you will have access to mains power run an extension cord out and plug in a rice cooker or crock pot in the footwell of the back seat, get your meal cooking for the hour or two that you are out, if you wrap the pot in a blanket it should stay warm for several hours until mealtime even once unplugged and back on the road, a belt or strap can help keep the lid on and sealed, also secure in case of an accident. You could also just bring the pot inside to cook in the kitchen. If you stop for a break and have your stove out and running already to cook lunch also boil some water to put into a large thermos so you can have tea or hot ramen later. If this hot water is not consumed by bedtime, pour it into a heavy duty leak-proof water bottle to help warm up your sleeping bag.

12 Volt Cooking

Don't try to plug your big kitchen cookers and hotplates into an automotive 12v to 120v or 240v inverter. You will either blow the breaker or pop the fuse, then no more power.

There are a number of electric cooking appliances designed for 12 volt use available at RV supply stores and truck stops. One item popular with long-haul truck drivers is the Max Burton Stove to Go (also called the "Burton Stove" or the "Little Black Lunch Box"). This is a small 12 volt slow cooker that plugs into your car's cigarette lighter. Essentially, it's a DC crock pot that is shaped like a lunch box, complete with a handle. The food is cooked in aluminum trays and oven bags (both available at truck stops). It is best used to cook your food while you're on a long drive, and much more practical to use than a ceramic crock pot in the car. There is also a cookbook for the unit; "Cookin' On the Go" by Virginia A. Harrington. Don't confuse this with the similarly named Max Burton OVEN to Go, which is little more than a toaster-oven.

(Some savvy truck drivers skip the aluminum trays and simply line the inside with aluminum foil. Also, there are knock-offs of the Burton Stove, such as the Koolatron 12V Lunchbox Stove and the RoadPro 12 Volt Portable Stove.)

Heating

Don't run your engine while parked just for the heater to keep yourself warm, this is a massive waste of fuel for the usable heat it produces in the car. Conversely it is a totally free way to warm up if you are already driving somewhere, your heater just diverts some of the waste heat headed from the engine to the radiator.

Look into getting a small portable propane catalytic heater that use either disposable canisters or a small refillable LP gas tank if you need to run it frequently while parked. Most gas heaters will get a compact car toasty warm in under five minutes even in the dead of a midwest winter and can also be used for cooking, as can a small propane camp stove. Never sleep with a gas heater running. An extension cord would let you plug into a nearby electrical outlet for heaters or hotplates. If you are worried about fire safety when you fall asleep consider a Japanese flameless catalytic pocket heater which burns Coleman fuel or lighter fluid without a flame. Other tricks are drinking hot water before bed, having a thermos of hot water should you wake up cold, a gulp of cooking oil before sleep to elevate your body temperature, or a hot water bottle on your lap, never discount the value of a good sleeping bag, large soft boot type slippers, and a wool hat and scarf.

For more ideas flip to Roadside Chow

Legal for Cars

To minimize police oppression and/or Empire theft of your car, you need these things.

Valid Driver's License. This gotten by taking an eye exam, written road exams, and simple driving test with a pig in the car grading. It can be taken away by DUI convictions, serious traffic violations, old age/ change in health or ability, and (in some states) nonpayment of child support. Don't get conned into buying a useless "International Driver's License" which is not the least bit valid for driving. Read the entry for Identification Papers (http://wiki.stealthiswiki.org/wiki/Identification-Papers#International-Driving) for more information.

It is possible to drive suspended for many years. However, you run a cumulative risk of being stopped. Use caution. Most revolutionaries are busted on traffic stops. Avoid traveling on massive holidays. Use car sparingly. You risk anything from court and fine to theft for your vehicle and being caged depending on the cop and where you are. Be very careful if you live in a high crime area, as they stop folks more readily.

Current Car Insurance Card. You need proof you paid CorpGov a bribe to drive. The newer the car and more coverage and more CorpGov detected accidents, the higher this is. Some states are even not letting you get a car tag or get your car out of impound if this is not had. Sometimes, the cop is okay if this is not had, sometimes not depending on state laws and the cop.
Current Car Tag. Most cops can spot this for miles. It is possible to steal a tag, but if you are stopped for a traffic violation this can cause much trouble as the tag will not come up on the pig computer network under your name. No tag is worse than an expired one. The fines can be really stiff, as well. You may want to consider screwing down your plate with hex screws instead of regular flat head or phillips head screws. If you must park your car in low income and cop oppressed areas regularly. Hex screwdrivers are not as common to carry as normal screwdrivers. It can deter desperate folks from taking your tag and using it to drive without suspicion in a pinch or selling it for pocket change.
Inspection sticker. Also called a "brake tag" in some areas, is a sticker on the driver's side windshield that verifies your vehicle is up to CorpGov approved working standards. They are color coded to year to make it easier for cops to spot expired ones. Sometimes it is possible to find mechanics to give you a sticker without a good inspection, if this concerns you. Check around.

If you have an inexpensive or beat up vehicle expect police attention! Drive the limit! Verify that your lights are all intact and working. Keep your driving license, vehicle title, and insurance information all handy. Dress straight as possible, and stay cool so you pass the attitude test.

If you ever are stopped, be compliant with the officers demands for license and papers, but do the minimum and produce your papers through a slit in your closed window. It will look suspicious and arouse the officers attention, but if there is nothing illegal in plain sight/smell/sound the pig can't really do anything. It is important to know, for example, that film containers are considered prima facia evidence of pot in most parts of the country unless there is a camera present. It is also evidence for a stop that a person of the wrong race is out of place i.e. black in a white neighborhood or old car in rich neighborhood. If the officer wants to search the vehicle politely refuse, continuing to say that you do not give permission in a normal voice. Doing this will likely result in the whole force showing up, including K-9, trying to find a legal reason to open up your car. Claim your car is your home, this will have more weight if you are driving a registered camping vehicle, this mostly affects alcohol and driving charges by removing intent to drive in a parked vehicle. The officer can ask anyone in the car (or on the street) out for a weapons search, comply and as you exit, if you are able, lock the car denying him an easy illegal search. The officer can also demand to pat the driver accessible area (if you are still in the car) for weapons.

Remember drinking or even coming home to your vehicle drunk may win you a DUI citation and a towed vehicle, the same is true for doing drugs, the law doesn't need to make sense for the pigs to easily take your mobile home and its contents away sometimes forever, dont give them an easy excuse to do so.

Never admit to any infraction, the officer will ask how fast you were going, politely respond to his question by asking how fast he thought you were going or remain silent. Lying and saying "I don't know" means he can cite you for ANY speed and you have little defense later in court when they roll the tape of your conversation, that's right in many places they tape every bust with a microphone on the cop and video from the cop car. If he returns and tries to get you to talk more or asks again to search your vehicle politely ask for your papers and whatever citation he has written, after you get your papers, ask politely if you can leave, this should be your answer to any further questions. If by force he tries to search politely continue to refuse even as he begins to break and enter do not physically restrain him or fight him, you will be charged with assault and may even be murdered right there by the pig if you do interfere. Do your best to alert passers-by in a non-aggressive voice and get contact information from witnesses for later court testimony. Carrying drugs is just asking for a search, a drug dog can usually sniff out pot easily (it is quite stinky), once the dog indicates (even a fake indication) the cop can legally open up the car without your permission, using destructive methods. The best time to refuse a search on principle is when you really have nothing to hide.

If you are being followed by a cop who wants to bust you just get off the highway or road, park in a parking lot, quickly lock the vehicle, and go shopping, when driving you will eventually break some traffic law. Once out and away from the locked car refuse all offers to search the vehicle. Driving in front of a cop is like talking to a cop there is no safe way to do it.

Candid Camera

Cameras are an ever present danger, we can easily be tracked for nearly the whole time we are on a highway or in an urban area now that there is a tight network of CCTV traffic management cameras which are nearly all connected to a computer network which reads the license plates on cars. This information is easily available to the police and is often archived in a long term computer database which can easily be searched.

If there is a plan to commit a direct action where you need temporary immunity from those ever present red light traffic and on-site security cameras (but lots of trouble if caught by real live cops but hey, you are already doing an action right) you can use this trick. Find a vehicle that is generally similar to your own especially color and model, photograph the license plate and print it on glossy paper at full size, now stick over your plate, a plastic license plate cover might help preserve your work. Of course you would want to use the plate of an enemy, or someone with a really good alibi like a police chief or something, they will hopefully get off after throwing the cops off the trail giving you some time to get away. Of course burn the fakes if you ever use this after any action, this would be a big clue for the piggies.

For revenge you can use this trick to set off red light cameras, the city will mail out tickets to your enemies, use with caution, we don't want the heat to figure this one out. This also works to discredit the traffic camera system before elections, spoof the vehicles of prominent citizens but again watch out for the real live cops or face big trouble.

The best solution is to perform a civic service for the whole community. It is known that traffic and red light cameras are money making devices, shortened yellow lights and low speeds and traps distract drivers and kill people every year. Burn the fucking things down, if there is a shortened yellow light burn it too, they will have to post a real cop to direct traffic and will loose revenue instead of killing drivers in order to pick many pockets. This is actually an effective tactic used by people in the UK http://www.speedcam.co.uk/gatso2.htm

A Few Words About Biodiesel

Free biodiesel is an amazing deal while it lasts. As the dollar falls apart and the world oil production slides further down the supply curve prices will surge and it will become more common that factory fields that once supplied food to billions will be burned out the tailpipes of SUV's not from recycled fryer oil but grown and processed as primary fuel. Waste oil will be much more carefully guarded as the value rises, and will be changed with much less frequency. Serfs in North America will work the ethanol and oil bearing crops much as the indigenous people are forced to heavy physical labor for pittance in the Brazilian sugar cane fields to support the driving habits of the elite upper class. The truth is when you do the math it turns out you actually save more total energy blasting petro-fuels out your tailpipe than the massive amount of petro and natural gas products required to grow, process, and transport biodiesel and ethanol fuel crops in North American factory farms, at the same time there is even less inexpensive food available for the poor family to purchase.

Biodiesel fuel is not the same as straight veggie oil from behind a store. Salts, water, and solids must be removed and the thickness needs to be changed to be a full substitute for diesel fuel. Once a diesel engine is warmed up straight cleaned vegetable oil may be able to be used, a dual tank setup allowing on the fly blending would be required. Regular diesel or fully converted biodiesel must be used at startup and a few minutes before shutdown to flush the system of the thicker straight veggie oil.

The following paragraph from Wikipedia and is released under the same license as Steal-This-Wiki:

Chemically, transesterified biodiesel comprises a mix of mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids. The most common form uses methanol to produce methyl esters as it is the cheapest alcohol available, though ethanol can be used to produce an ethyl ester biodiesel and higher alcohols such as isopropanol and butanol have also been used. Using alcohols of higher molecular weights improves the coldflow properties of the resulting ester, at the cost of a less efficient transesterification reaction. A lipid transesterification production process is used to convert the base oil to the desired esters. Any Free fatty acids (FFAs) in the base oil are either converted to soap and removed from the process, or they are esterified (yielding more biodiesel) using an acidic catalyst. After this processing, unlike straight vegetable oil, biodiesel has combustion properties very similar to those of petroleum diesel, and can replace it in most current uses.

In other words either mix the straight (cleaned and dried) veggie oil with an alcohol thinning it or chemically convert it with a strong alkaline like lye leaving a soap byproduct. Most often methanol is a natural gas derivative.

A guide to the production of diesel can be found at:

http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_make.html

Perhaps an easy way to get free veggie oil is literally from fast food joints and donut shops...no shit! Mickey D's and other places have vats of fryer oil used to drench their ultra-processed meat and potato products. After a few days, the fryer oil gets chucked. If you have a diesel car, you can use the filtered oil in the vehicle in combination or independent of diesel with a few often inexpensive modifications.

If somebody hasn't already beat you to it, you can check with restaurants/cafeterias and see about carting it away for them. Some will actually appreciate the offer, since in some areas, they have to pay to have the oil taken away. If the manager gives you a hard time or says that he sells it to an oil recycling service, don't despair. Most of these places keep the old oil outside as a fire safety issue. Find where it is and late one night grab as much fryer grease as your car can carry.

If you run your car on Biodiesel all the time, it's best to keep it to yourself. Some jurisdictions have actually been sending officers from the tax boards and fining people for using Biodiesel! Why, you ask? For evading motor fuel taxes that pay for the public roads, or operating as an "unlicensed secondary fuel distiller"! I shit you not!

Blends with regular petrol and regular diesel fuel will also work but will expose you to gas tax.

Smoke Screen

A smoke screen for a car can be made with fairly minimal knowledge of what everything is.

You'll need to drill a hole in the exhaust manifold and add a spray nozzle into it; Epoxy would break down here, remember the temperatures are pretty high, instead either weld or drill and tap. Attach steel tubing for the first 12 inches and then whatever tubing is convenient and can handle under hood temperatures. Then, add any system you can come up with for injecting castor oil. Even a few drops will do the trick so why not get a syringe-like turkey baster and fill it up. The burning castor oil should be enough to obscure a quarter mile of highway.

On older vehicles especially those with large motors you can add a blocked hose to your vacuum system, when time to escape comes unkink the hose and stick it into a bottle of GM type automatic transmission fluid. It will clean your valves and blow off your tail in one go. Again use caution this has been tested with a V8 engine on rural highways and will leave a trail blotting out the whole road for about a mile on a calm day. Best results are running high RPM's in a lower gear.

Free fuel - The wood gas generator

During and after WWII there were severe fuel shortages, especially in Europe and Asia, during this time gasifiers were commonly used to power cars and trucks. These devices allow a vehicle to be powered by almost any combustible material such as wood, hay, dry pine needles, or dried leaves. In layman's terms they half-burn the wood in a closed container with a small air intake. This incomplete burning cooks the remaining fuel and releases combustible fumes and smoke that can be used to fuel an internal combustion engine. Often a canvas gas bag is used as a smoke reservoir.

The following links describe the construction and operation of gasifiers:

During World War 2, a number of works on wood gas generators were published since motor fuels were being rationed for the war effort. Many of these books have lapsed into public domain. A search on http://books.google.com/ under "producer gas", "gas manufacture and works", "wood gas" or "gas generators" will give you valuable (if dated) information.

Gasifiers can be scaled for use on any sized engine, provided that appropriate measures are taken to prevent fuel jamming in the hopper (such as cutting the fuel into smaller pieces)

The drawbacks to using a gasifier are:

The gases they produce are highly toxic (a major component is carbon monoxide); a leak into the cabin can turn your car into a mobile gas chamber. For this reason you should never route pipelines through the cabin.

A vehicle using a gasifier will require more frequent servicing than usual, due to a tendency for carbon buildup in the cylinders. Preheating the combustion air to the gasifier seems to reduce the amount of carbon buildup, in addition to making the entire device more fuel-efficient.

Having a giant can hanging off the side of your vehicle is going to attract a lot of unwanted attention from police, and transport department / DMV type people. Pickup trucks and vans have the advantage of being able to site the gasifier in the tray or back of the van (with appropriate isolation from the cabin) respectively, making it look like a piece of equipment being transported (Example: You could disguise it as a hot water heater). Another consideration is to construct the generator on a small trailer and tow it behind your car. The trailer could be disguised any number of ways.

One of our writers had the opportunity to ride in a wood smoke powered VW bug, it worked well around the farm but would really bog down on hills once the gas reservoir was empty since it had a undersized experimental gasifier. The point is that even if petroleum or alternative fuel is unavailable to you for whatever reason this is a way to get a vehicle working even if it is not moving at 85 mph for ten hours non stop with a substance available almost everywhere.

Steam Powered Cars

Here's an old technology that could with some work by a few gearheads be resurrected to be a viable non Corp-Gov mode of transportation. Until the late 1920's and early 1930's many cars were powered by steam engines which have over a 300 year history as a workable technology. Many of the cars of the 1910's and 1920's were steam powered with water being used to make the steam and kerosene being used to fire the boilers to convert the water to steam. Some of the most famous were the Stanley, White, and Doble motor cars. Some of the Stanleys are still on the road today and about 11,000 were built between 1900 and 1927 when the company went out of business. Rumor has it that Jay Leno of Tonight Show fame has 5 of these in working order. Also the Stanley steam motor car set a world speed record of 127 mph in 1906 at Ormond Beach, FL. Looking at it from the fact that anything that can burn could be used as fuel to power a steam engine this might be the most environmentally friendly form of transportation available. There is the Steam Car Club of America and Britain which has a few guys who are into the restoration of some of these old antiques that a revolutionary might be able to get in touch with to provide some help on converting a current day car to steam or building one from scratch to run on steam. The technology has been used before it's just a matter of getting it off the ground again. It didn't work before because Ford and Corp-Gov back then were enamoured with oil and Rockefeller and his big oil gang shut down the idea. But now as of the time of this writing with $4 U.S. per gallon for gas and calls for $6 U.S. per gallon for gas we're desperately needing to look for modes of viable transportation for our fellow brothers and sisters in the revolution. If anyone is interested in putting together a revolutionary council to get this idea working contact El Almirante at wtk1861@gmail.com.

Produce Your Own Ethanol

With about $600 you can convert your current car if it is a post 2000 model to a flex fuel car that can run the CorpGov drug of Gas or can run ethanol. You can easily produce your own ethanol for about $2 per gallon. It's simple to use by building a small still. Also if you want to do it legal the ATF gives a free permit to allow you to produce up to 10,000 gallons a year if mixed with a denaturant (so you can't drink it). The fees may vary from state to state but most require you to get a background check and get a wholesaler's license and this costs about $160. or if you don't want to go to all that trouble you could just turn moonshiner and make it without paying the $.28/gallon tax. The converter that I know of on the market right now is the Flex Tek converter which costs about $500 and it costs about $100 to have installed. This will make any car a flex fuel car and you can run gas or ethanol in it. Also if you're interested in this look at the Mother Earth News website ("Green Transportation" link at http://www.motherearthnews.com). They have a whole section on how to build ethanol stills and how to make sugar washes that are eaten by yeast to produce your ethanol. Ethanol (just drinking alcohol, at about 80-90%) is usually mixed in different percentages with normal gasoline/petrol, but can be run pure in cars that can take it.

One of our test engineers built such a setup from a large plastic barrel for the fermenter and a modified gas hot water heater and a used car radiator setup to distill the alcohol (not safe to drink), he was surprised the amount for fuel he was able to make by digesting a wet yeasted dumpster-bread soup. He mentioned that summer was the only time of year it worked quickly in the pacific northwest since it ran too slow in colder days, he is thinking of adding a small sun heated shed or greenhouse and painting the digester black in the future. He is working on a better way to wet mix the bread mash, currently he has a large egg-beater attachment for an electrical drill, he has trash pumps to move the goop between the mash tub, digester, and distiller.

Running Your Current Car on Store Bought Ethanol

Just a quick note from one of our field testers that needed to be put into writing here. Our field tester using a post 2000 model car, a 2004 Pontiac Sunfire to be exact, has successfully discovered that you can run up to 50% E-85 in your car to save on gas. To do this he filled up with half a tank of Arabian imported terrorist sponsor state gas and then filled the other half of the tank up with U.S. made E-85 ethanol fuel. He then ran the car the distance of 150 miles so far with no problems to report at all. As a matter of fact it appears that his overall gas mileage has improved and his car is running cooler than on straight CorpGov gas. Just a little trick some of you might consider using if you don't want to make your own ethanol and have E-85 offered in your area at gas stations.

Recycling a Car

Like most indigenous peoples we must also learn to make good use of every last part of our fallen steeds.

The alternator and battery can be connected into a water wheel, wind turbine or other system for generating electricity. You can also bypass the regulator to make a very high quality arc welder.
The starter motor is a high torque motor that with the right gear reduction could power anything from a electrical winch or crane to a small cart.
An automobile transmission can be used to convert the speed or torque of a human, wind or water powered machine.
An automobile engine can be converted to burn natural gas, propane, or even concentrated wood smoke by removing the carburetor or fuel injector system and installing a simple venturi gas/air mixing system. In a worse-case scenario, oil from castor beans can be used as motor oil and toilet paper can be used for oil filters (Google "Frantz Oil Filter").
Auto windows can be recycled but safety glass is almost impossible to cut as it is designed to shatter into tiny crystals. Auto glass has already been successfully used for greenhouses, but custom frames must be built for each piece while smaller panels can be fastened together with epoxy. (Note: Most auto glass is tinted and may block needed sunlight for your plants.)
An engine block is a good boat or buoy anchor. It is also the basis for building a Multimachine DIY precision machine shop. (See Means of Production.)
Seats can be removed, modified, and used as furniture.
Seatbelts can be used for belts, suspenders or other strapping uses.
Interior lining (on the doors or roof) can be used for fabric patches.
Air conditioning systems can be used to build a refrigerator or freezer.
Rear view mirrors can be salvaged for household use.
Radiator and heater cores are great for building fuel alcohol distillation systems, but the metals will often poison the alcohol so don't drink it.
Body panels can be cut for general fabrication supplies.
HID lighting systems can be converted to use in bicycle motorcycle or portable lighting systems.
Spark coils and be used to energize an electric fence for your veggie garden.
Axles and springs can be repurposed for large horse or donkey carts.
Power steering systems can often be used to power hydraulic pistons or other tools.
Many non-steel parts are medium to very high quality aluminum or other metals which are easily melted and cast.
Audio equipment can be used for entertainment and communication (provided you have a steady source of 12 volt DC electricity), or salvaged for electrical parts.
Unusable tires can be cut up for sandals.
Hydraulic lifts for hatchbacks can be used for self-closing doors.
Hinges, knobs and handles can be used on doors and cabinets.
Reflectors can be used on outdoor markers.
Horns can become part of a home-made alarm system.
Brake drums can serve as an anchor for a small boat or raft, or the basis for a small blacksmith forge.
The assorted electric motors (like those used for power windows) can be used in a number of ways.
Brake shoes have a rough, abrasive finish that can be used for grinding metals or stone.
Hub caps can be a mini barbeque. Turn them upside down, set them on metal legs, and put a grill on top. Wash out the hubcap so you don't get brake dust in your smoke.
Windshield wipers make great squeegees.
The exhaust pipe can be a chimney for a wood stove or bent into a "U" shape and used as a heat exchanger in a fire place.
If the car has a turbocharger it can be rebuilt into a real jet engine. With some machining skill you could even build on an output shaft to power a vehicle, generator, or even a very small aircraft propeller.

All these parts can also be sold, which can net you a tidy profit depending on how rare or desirable the car is.

External Links

BBC h2g2: How to Sleep In Your Car - http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A29176365
"How to Live In Your Van... Ongoing And Added To From Time to Time" -

http://wendyusuallywanders.wordpress.com/ongoing-added-to-description-of-how-to-live-in-your-van/

Motive: The Other Mobile Home -

http://www.motivemag.com/pub/feature/drivers_ed/Motive_Culture_How_to_Live_In_Your_Car.shtml

VanDwellers.org - http://www.vandwellers.org
WikiHow: How to Live In Your Car - http://www.wikihow.com/Live-in-Your-Car

Buses

Last updated: 2 February 2011

Go back to Free Transportation

Depending on where you are there may or may not be a public bus system, if you are lucky there will be a big public bus system. This equates to free rides.

Tell the driver upfront you dont have enough to pay the full fare and they'll usually be fine with it. Be curtious and expect to bring out the misery in few, in this case just wait for the next bus with your thumb out. Unless its an automated system where the driver has to put a few coins of his own in to let you on.
Check the route timetable and tell the driver the name of the station 2 stops down the line, pretend to fall asleep if you want to make sure you're not bothered, otherwise just stick headphones in, read a book or be in an indepth conversation, if the driver stops the bus and confronts you (which will almost never happen) just say oh you forgot where you were and get off or if you want to carry on going tell the driver you forgot to say you changed your mind and pay to get where you want to go. Dress like a clone and hiding your face helps the driver forget you.
You'd be hardpressed to meet a bus driver who'll leave you stranded on the last bus home (especially if your a girl) if you give them a big sob story, but they will have herd it all before so keep it short.
Flash child tickets and move on.
Transfers are often color coded for the day of the week, meaning a day old transfer is pretty much out, but most drivers won't check the times on a transfer if it the right color. This is not true in most modern cities where you have to swipe a magnetic pass or deposit money into the machine. Check garbage cans near transit points. Another method is to ask people getting off the bus if they will give you their day pass, or even offer to purchase it for 1/2 or less cost. You can also sell your ticket in the same fashion to get a few extra dollars for the day. If you are feeling more legit and younger looking many bus systems have a reduced fare for youth.
If you are lucky enough to be in a city that allows people to enter at the back of the bus just walk aboard and take a seat. This works best on the busier routes and there are others getting on at the same time. The traffic pigs usually do a sweep at the beginning of each new college semester to 'persuade' new students that it isn't an option. Best buy a ticket then and at the beginning of the month, especially if the first is on the weekend. Corpgov will even hassle the three-piece suiters about not having their monthly pass updated. Always keep enough money for the fare on hand so you can talk your way out of it. If you're dressed in corporate camouflage you can use the "I haven't had enough coffee today" line with a moderate degree of success.

Airlines

Last updated: 24 May 2011

Go back to Free Transportation

Put new stuff here.

1 Intro
2 (Not)Skyjacking
3 Fre-E-Ticket Hopper
4 Missionary Position
5 Around The World Tickets
6 Air Courier
7 Upgrades
8 Support Gear
9 Beating the Luggage Surcharge
10 Sky Phones
11 Headphones
12 Bicycles
13 Guns
14 Heavy Baggage
15 Camping Gear
16 Layovers
17 Stowing Away
18 Mail Yourself
19 Fly Your Own Plane

Intro

The skies are dark these days. After 9/11, the Amerikan Government has made it more difficult to get on a plane even the traditional way. The safest way to get free or cheap airfare is to see if somebody in the "general aviation", or private pilots, have room for you. Many may get sketched out by this, so look for people who seem cool about it. It may sweeten the pot a bit if you act like a young college kid, a plane nut, or offer some cash for airplane fuel (like, $20-50) or a place to spend the night if it's a cross-country trip in a Piper Cub. One of the best offers for trade is to wash the plane before or after the flight, have a bucket, dish soap, chamois, and clean sponge ready, hang out in the airstrip coffee shop and look for pilots, a hitch hiking sign on your wash bucket helps. Always look for airports that offer lessons and grab a pilot burning air hours to upgrade their license. It could very well be a loud ride and you may not get there as fast as a jet (prop planes go about 1/2 the speed of a jet), but its an amazing experience, and it beats driving!

(Not)Skyjacking

Only an idiot would try hijacking a flight after 9/11. Some pilots now are armed and sky marshals who are on a small percentage of domestic and international flights have orders to shoot to kill if anyone tries to take control of the aircraft. We aren't really scared of these people and the few flights they are on, we are really scared of what a gang of flying rednecks would do to be like the pocketknife guys on 9/11 and save the day. Please ignore Abbie's advice from a simpler era. Take comfort in the fact that the airport-pigs are mostly simple power hungry types if your non-skyjacking scam is outside of what they are ordered to watch for and your documents appear to be in order you are likely home free much easier than in the old days.

Fre-E-Ticket Hopper

Once you have passed the frat hazing dances like the removed shoes shuffle, the trashed shampoo swing, and the rectal exam jam the TSA freaks feel they have pulled out all of the rebels, what sane unbroken person would not take a swing at their crudely grunted orders. Your guerrilla acting skills have gotten you past, and on to cashing in on Abbie's dream of free flying for the bold.

The best option is to download one of the programs that make and print fake e-ticket boarding passes, these should scan in as legit at the time of this writing, if that is not an option but the boarding pass system is still used try this:

Pick up a few e-ticket boarding passes from the trash outside an airport to copy, these are printed on a home computer.
Find a print cartridge that is won't print right or set your paint program to (a)put streaks parallel into the barcode and (b)wipe out a few numbers under the bar code, both are important.
Print out a new e-ticket with the correct date and where you want to fly. You have to use extreme caution that the flight number and time and other details are exactly right.
Arrive at the airport dressed nicely, you want to look vanilla.
Wait until right before final boarding call and rush up, when the bar-code scan doesn't work they will usually send you aboard.
Since you should be the last guy boarding grab an open seat in first class and start asking for the free booze. (NOTE: On most airlines nowadays, they want to lick the asses of the corporate moneybags who pay $2000 to go from New York to Miami in front, so they address them by name. They look at the manifest, a document that has a list of everyone who bought a ticket, only in front; so if you sit in the back they won't notice that that seat should have been empty.)

If this plan doesn't get you a wave through right away, before they even hassle you or offer to access the computer try to find you on the computer claim to have another ticket leaving right now (know the flight number and gate) that you have to run to on another airline because you thought you would miss this flight, stay cool, get gone, try again later. Since this trick requires speed a little stress and carelessness on the part of the agent don't try any other scams like having them gate check an extra bag, being late is the best way to stay out of trouble with this gag.

Missionary Position

Many missionary organizations will fly you to a third-world country for free to preach the word of Jebus to the heathen locals, and fly you back in a year or so. Do your research before working with an organization many also pressure you to self fund your trip. Simply ditch out for the year, peruse the more touristy spots, make some money, etc., then return when the time is up with some cock-and-bull story of independent missionary work prepared you might even bogus up a diary as proof. These people are usually not hard-asses, so even if they don't buy it for a second, they won't ditch you in deepest, darkest Peru, but research them and feel them out to see if they sue ditchers.

Around The World Tickets

If you have a year off and want to hit many locations as you tour an around the world ticket is likely the fare you want. Before leaving find out how many stops you can make and how long the ticket will be valid. Most RTW tickets will end up cheaper than a long trip and return to Europe or Australia from North America.

Air Courier

Believe it or not, you can fly on the cheap if you deliver a package to the city of your destination... and no, there's no drugs or other contraband involved. Flying as an air courier can be a dirt cheap way of travel. There are a few catches: You have to sign up for the program and pay an initiation fee and/or annual dues, if you are working with an informal courrier service. You need to be at least 18 (or in some cases 21); You need a valid passport and a clean-cut appearance; You're responsible for getting your own Visa(s); You're limited to carry-on baggage and the flight schedules can be erratic (You may be flying the Red Eye to Singapore after only two day's notice). On the plus side, you can fly for up to an 85% discount and your Air Courier ID card may get you hotel discounts in some places. If you want to, you can schedule additional assignments from your destination and turn your trip into a Grand Tour. If you travel frequently and don't mind last-minute booking, consider this option. If you do, keep a list of the phone numbers of your country's embassies overseas. Research the agency you are working through, many are scam fronts that want a large membership fee up front and may not ever provide real courrier work or any reasonable fare discount.

A better option if you want to get regular at this is to get incorporated and bonded (speak to a small business lawyer) and have a legit home business. You will do better if you have an actual pool of available couriers some local advertising and a phone book entry and a phone number that rings to somebodies home or mobile phone that is available during business hours. The reason to DIY your courier business is that these big membership courier fronts double dip by charging whatever business for the service of transporting their package and also have the courier/traveler pay for a large part of the airplane ticket, pure profit!

Form a relationship or partnership with a cool independent travel agent, perhaps they can be the contact side of your courier operation since they already have the office and legit business presence and will make money both on a cut for the transport fee and on the tickets you will buy to make the delivery. Travel agents already have the access to travel and hotel discounts which they can transfer to you as "employees", they are also looking for new income streams since online ticket sites are cutting deep into their bottom lines.

Upgrades

Dress nice and ask politely for an upgrade for First or Business Class, on long flights the free booze and leg room is sometimes still just a request away. You might offer to wait for the next flight in the schedule if the volume is heavy and they need a few open seats, but it will be worth it on long flights. If you are "bumped" from an overbooked flight, you may get an upgraded seat if you raise enough of a fuss (If they do, it's mostly just to keep you quiet). The trick is to be good enough at complaining but make it sound like the airline is screwing both you and the agent, if you just act like an ass they can call security at the drop of a hat.

Support Gear

Have your in flight support gear in your carry on bag, buy a inflight audio plug adapter (two pin) and get some old style tube earphones for older airplanes. For those who are more sensitive when trying to nap, your pillow or neck pillow and a nicer sleeping mask and earplugs or noise canceling earphones(music works too) might make a difference. If you have a HPC or PDA you can extend the usable life on long flights with a external AA battery pack, now your e-book, movies, or music will last.

On newer aircraft (especially in first and business class) your seat may have a laptop power plug, but you will need a special adapter. Getting an air-to cigarette (12v) adapter and a 12v to 120v adapter will allow you to plug the gadgets made forCars, and your normal laptop power brick. There are 'all in one' auto/air adapters but they are expensive! (NOTE: Not true any more. Now, $5-10 at flea markets or Chinese sites, and just pennies more at the temples of capitalism that line the roads of suburbia).

Carry your own food, enough for the whole flight. You will not be able to get your soda through security (as they try to make you buy their overpriced post-security items however possible), but if you bring an empty bottle, it's perfectly fine. So bring your favorite water bottle (make sure it's empty otherwise it's now the property of the government) and fill it up on the other side of security. Even with the security confiscation you still need to plan for the airplane to either not have your special meal or surprise you by charging for the meal. (NOTE: Sodas are free on most flights, but food within the US of A is charged for; expect $10) Use discretion on hyper-hydrating before the flight or eating salty food or coffee, we have heard of airlines ordering credit card slots for bathroom doors. Yup, they want to charge for joining the mile high crappers club. (NOTE: None in US and only RyanAir in Europe- Edit- Ryanair have been prevented from charging from using the bathroom)

Beating the Luggage Surcharge

You can avoid the $35 or so for that second piece of luggage by getting in touch with a friend, supportive relative or other trustworthy contact waiting for you at your destination and ship them your secondary gear a week or so before your flight, so it will be waiting for you when you arrive. When returning, take your less than necessary items and ship them back home before you leave.

Sky Phones

We have tried to stealthily use our mobile phones and a data cable to get an Internet connection over the US and Europe without success, but SMS reception seems to work at times. There are plans afoot for airlines to have their own hyper-expensive roaming plan with a special mini cell station on the airplane. Try to hack the Air-Fone on the seatback for free calls, with a modem port for super slow data you might get one or two web pages to load during the flight for a price of around $8 a minute.

Headphones

A big moneymaker is those little headphones that the flight attendants will sell on the plane for $5 so you can watch the in-flight movie or listen to the recorded music selections. Usually the sound quality of the headphones is poor and you can't plug in your own headphone because of the goofy twin-prong plug the airlines use. Check out your local Radio $hack or electronics gear shop and ask for an "airline headphone adapter". This is a twin-prong plug that you can plug your own headphones in, and then plug the adapter into the airline sockets. They range from $2 to $5.

Bicycles

If you are flying with a bicycle visit a bike shop and ask for a free box, if they want money go to the next shop, these are thrown away otherwise. If you have a full size bike you will normally be charged for oversize, so stuff the box with other gear too. Remove wheels and pedals, take off the derailleur and zip tie to the frame, load the frame against one side of the box and the wheels on the other, remove the skewers and tape the pedals together then to the frame. Don't worry about deflating your tires the urban legend is that depressurized air inside the plane can cause the air in the tires to expand, possibly even burst if there is serious structural damage, but don't let it stress you out, atmospheric pressure is 15psi and you only loose about 5psi when in at altitude, a good intact bicycle can easily survive even being blown out the airlock of a spaceship into hard vacuum, direct summer sunlight heating the tires will cause a much greater change in tire pressure. Carry the tools to attach your pedals. Use fiber packing tape to secure the box and pack the tape and loading instructions in the box for security repacking.

If you have a folding bike use similar technique and even a 20" wheel bike should fit into a regular check suitcase if you remove the wheels, derailleur, and seat post from the frame. Bike Friday in Eugene, Oregon sells a clamshell suitcase drilled for a trailer tongue and wheels that attach to the suitcase with wingnuts, the suitcase that your folding bike rides in becomes the trailer. (://bikefriday.com/) We expect that you could also make such a setup for much less with a trip to the thrift store and hardware shop.

Guns

Legal firearms and limited ammo can be checked on domestic flights and with proper permits also international flights. A record may be kept that you have traveled with firearms. Cover your locked gun case with a generic cardboard box. Pyrotechnics are not allowed including signal flares. A bonus to sending a gun is that once you declare the firearm and check the bag the TSA is from then on forbidden by federal law to randomly open and root through that bag. This, of course, can be used to your advantage. Check out Packing and the Friendly Skies (https://web.archive.org/web/20110903191748/://deviating.net/firearms/) (the first presentation at the top of the page) by Deviant Olam for more on this.

Heavy Baggage

After your check in and weigh and tag your bags go back and add a few pounds of stuff before giving to the freight guy. Overload your carry-on with heavy stuff if you can avoid an overweight charge but make sure the bag still fits into the size test box. Grab a few duty-free bags so you look legit taking extra stuff on as carryon. Sometimes you can gate check stuff like strollers and wheelchairs so you will have them right away at landing.

Camping Gear

Camping gear that uses stinky fuel can't be taken along unless you clean out the fuel bottles with alcohol and let them dry. Leave the bottles open. If there is a problem with your clean fuel bottles or stove, ask for a manager. Compressed fuel is not allowed on flights, so mail it to General Delivery at your destination.

Layovers

Strikes, bad weather, fuel shortages, volcanoes, just about anything can cancel a flight and leave you stranded overnight. For those who expect the worst, check out "The Guide to Sleeping in Airports" (://www.sleepinginairports.net/) to see what, if any, amenities are available for stranded passengers. (The best rated at the site is Singapore's Changi Airport, while the worst is Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France.)

Stowing Away

We in no way recommend this foolhardy way of catching a ride in the skies! This is information for someone desperate enough to try this anyway. Most stow away attempts are made at airports outside the United States where security is lower and involve jumping or cutting the fence to access the runway and taxiway areas. Most of these attempts result in the crush death of the stow away as the landing gear comes up or when the rider dies of hypoxia (lack of oxygen) or hypothermia (cold exposure). It is much better to fake your way on board with fake ID as a bogus pilot or flight attendant and end up in jail than this 70-90% fatal stunt.

Anyone planning to stow away needs to plan for where to hide from the security teams but also avoid the retracting landing gear, do some research into the design of the aircraft and evaluate the space one more time as you crawl in and attach your climbing harness taking into account any attachments on the landing gear.

Avoiding the cold requires planning for many hours at forty to sixty degrees below zero Fahrenheit or around -50C. Mountaineering grade warm clothing must be worn paying particular attention to keeping your hands, face, and feet from frostbite and your head armpits and crotch well insulated to keep your core temperature. Some aircraft have hot pipes that pass through the wheel wells which might save your hands or feet. Be sure to eat a very protein and fat heavy meal before and carry hot water with you in durable bottles for the flight inside your coat. Don't go if you are having any gas or ear problems at all the change in altitude could cause massive pain and damage.

Oxygen is required since a modern jet flies between 35000 and 40000 feet, hypoxia knocks out most airplane stow aways. A non-rebreather or even better a pressure type aviation oxygen mask mask fed with oxygen from a paramedic type oxygen bottle will keep you alive and often even conscious during the trip but don't expect one small bottle to last the whole flight, plan for blacking out at altitude. Be sure to calculate oxygen use and carry enough or you will likely die from hypoxia. Representative oxygen bottle sizes and duration at 15,000 ft not using a CO2 scrubber rebreather.

Cubic Feet 6 CU. FT. 9 CU. FT. 15 CU. FT. 24 CU. FT.

Capacity L 198 liters 297 liters 495 liters 792 liters

Duration 5:28 hours 8:07 hours 13:48 hours 22:42 hours

Bottle life will actually be better at higher altitude since each breath takes in less bottle volume. Breathe slowly conserving oxygen, set the oxygen flow to just fill the reservoir bag below the mask so you get a good breath without wasting. This chart is a guide, only trust your own research.

The rebreather design in Underwater Trashing will give you many times longer oxygen supply from the same volume of oxygen because it doesn't waste good oxygen but recycles it scrubbing out the CO2 waste. Be sure the rebreather system has a demand valve so you do not need to manually add oxygen to your loop if you black out.

Once you have go so far as to prepare an oxygen system you should invest the time and money in finding a quality parachute, that way as soon as the landing gear door opens you can jump and avoid the security patrol at the destination airport and probably jail or deportation. This works better if you arrive at night when people will not see the parachutist drop from a commercial airliner near the airport.

FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said in 2007, that since 1947, there have been 74 known airplane stowaway attempts worldwide. Only 14 of the individuals survived. Here is one story of a survivor http://www.altitude.org/survival.php So you say the good ones got away without being found out, and most fatalities were wearing jeans and a shirt, but still...

Now, after reading this, ask yourself this question: Do you still want to try this incredibly stupid stunt?

Mail Yourself

Dead bodies in caskets and large parcels are frequently sent as air freight on passenger and cargo flights. The good news is unlike a death wish inside a wheel well the cargo area is pressurized and kept at normal temperatures, the only thing missing is drink service, movies, and dog food meals. If you are the really paranoid type have a friend do a gray or green latex face mask job to make you look like a sculpture in case the feds make a check on the box before it goes into the airplane, whatever you do make the packing list match your reasonable weight. Be sure you are overnighting or next day shipping yourself or you could get stuck in a warehouse for a few days, have a tool to break out in case of emergencies.

If you are going with the casket gig you will need a copy of the "death certificate" and a burial permit, the good news is you will not need long term reservations. If you go out like the title character in the film "Weekend at Bernie's" you should be able to make a few trips to Hawaii and South America before you begin to smell bad. This trick should freak out the feds; now they will have open every casket to taser the corpses just to be sure!! Always have your straighter friends ask for the bereavement discount as they accompany the dearly departing at gate 27, final boarding call.

Fly Your Own Plane

It is possible with a few months of evening work to build a full sized working air legal airplane with nothing but painted fabric, plywood, glued douglas fir pine, hardware store parts, and an air cooled VW bug motor. Looking for more power add a second pusher engine, you could probably get a friend or two into the air, maybe even some luggage. The greatest expense will be the radios, instruments, and navigation aids, which are mostly optional on nice days. You can actually make and fly these DIY planes legally, but unless some tests are done by the FAA only other certified pilots may ride with you. Expect to spend around $1000 to $2000 depending on size and what you use to make your plane and if you choose to buy a hand held nav/com radio so you can talk to air traffic control and use navigation beacons.

In the United States no license or training is required by law for ultralights, but training is highly advisable. For light-sport aircraft a sport pilot certificate is required, which is similar in requirements to other countries' ultralight license. The governing regulation in the United States is FAR 103, which specifies a powered "ultralight" as a single seat vehicle of less than 5 US gallons (19 L) fuel capacity, empty weight of less than 254 pounds (115 kg), a top speed of 55 knots (102 km/h or 64 mph), and a maximum stall speed not exceeding 24 knots (45 km/h or 27.6 mph). Restrictions include flying only during daylight hours and over unpopulated areas. Unpowered "ultralights" (hang gliders, paragliders, etc.) are limited to a weight of 155 lb (70 kg) with extra weight allowed for amphibious landing gear and ballistic parachute systems.

If you stick to rural areas and operate from dirt strips you can probably get away with flying a larger than ultralight plane pirate, although if caught you can get in big trouble for operating an aircraft without a license, use an airman's map to stay away from real airports, large cities, or flight paths. If you want to stay legal keep at or near the ultralight rules and you wont need to certify yourself or your aircraft, but take flying lessons anyway. Border crossings are very iffy, you might get away with it if you know how to hide below radar by using hills and valleys but remember even with an all wood and cloth airplane the control cables and engine will still show up on military radar moving at 50-100mph. One trick that an airborne drug smuggler we knew in the 1980's used was to find a police radar detector which covered the military radar bands near the border, the detectors were able to pick up a radar installation or fighter jet radar signal before it could detect the small airplane.

The biggest danger with home made aircraft is safety, you are in a vehicle moving through the air at highways speeds without brakes and three dimensions of possible movement, plus the ability to stall out if you make too violent a maneuver. It is imperative to use a good design and to pre-stress all joints before you go up the first time. This is not your junker car, regular manitinence and inspection are key to survival.

Sail Away

Last updated: 3 May 2011

While a bit unorthodox for a yippie, the suits have it right on this one; Sailing is fun and a very revolutionary way to live and travel. Once a boat gets "old" the yuppies., being disgusting spendthrifts, have to upgrade so they aren't shown-up by the Jones'. Most yuppies run the sails for looks and are under power at all times. Save a dinosaur and use the motor only when you have to.

1 Buying and Preparation
2 Training
3 Crewing
4 Skipper
5 Sextant
6 Drugs
7 Stowing Away and Cargo Cruises
8 Pirate Radio
9 International Maritime Law
10 Building
10.1 Outrigger Canoes
11 Weblinks to cheap boat buying sites

Buying and Preparation

A 27 foot ocean-capable craft can be acquired for very cheap by visiting the docks regularly and asking about any abandoned boats being sold to recover moorage fees. Look for auctions in the paper and inquire at boat repair shops. Always go browsing with an experienced skipper who can assess weak spots in the rigging and hull, sail quality, and engine wear before buying.

With a little cleanup you have a house, an intercontinental get away vehicle, and an almost free way to get up and down the coast. For free mooring look for a small sound or cove near a public park where the water is in another jurisdiction, drop an old engine block with a chain and float, this is your new anchorage. Leave no valuables in your boat, the only security is that thieves must cross a bit of water. Never leave the launch aboard if you use this storage method and even more importantly do not leave your launch at the beach or thieves will have easy access to your sailboat and free launch. If the sailboat doesn't have a launch a canoe will work quite nicely, also it is easier to paddle than a Zodiac.

Training

It is worthwhile to spend a few months getting familiar with your boating skills. A boat is not a car you are at the mercy of the wind, current, and inertia. A power motor is a good idea for docking. Accidents with boats can lead to a sinking or severe damage especially in a boatyard, some places will land you in jail if you damage another boat and are uninsured. Look into a university sailing team or post an offer to crew for free to locals out for a joy ride.

All of the advice in this article is great for a cheap abode and for the fun of it. However one should never enter into the world of sailing lightly. The old saying that I've heard is that "The Sea is like a woman; Know how to handle her and she will love you. Because if you don't know how to handle her she will wreck you."

This is true and with this said it should be seriously recommended to anyone who is considering taking up the sailing/boating route that they enroll themselves in as many safe boating and seamanship courses as possible. Here you will gain much needed knowledge on how to handle the sea and it's challenges. Some of the best instruction in seamanship is offered by the U.S. Power Squadron and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. All of their classes are approved by the Coast Guard for training purposes. One I'm sure would agree that it's better to never have to call the Coast Guard or any other law enforcement than to have to perhaps explain your stash on board. Therefore with this premise alone it's important to learn good seamanship and how to handle your boat. Also the classes offered by the USPS and USCGAUX are usually low cost and rarely over $100 each. Also other agencies such as your state's Bureau of Marine Resources may offer some boating classes for free. In addition to this one may find some classes online for free such as the one offered in basic boating skills by Boat U.S. which is on their website at www.boatus.com. Boating is not like car driving and there are numerous more rules that one should be aware of in order to safely operate a boat. Also one should consider investing in the Boater's Bible also known by it's official name, The Chapman School of Seamanship Manual of Basic Seamanship. This book contains all that one needs to know for safe boating skills from things as simple as how to tie an anchor on to what international signal flags mean. It is an indispensable tool to boaters.

Crewing

Look for adds of people who want a crew for an ocean crossing to Europe, South America, or Hawaii trip. Get to know those that want you for crew a little before agreeing to accompany them on such a trip. There are stories of the free riders being treated like slaves in exchange for their food while the yuppie owners sat around smoking (and not sharing) their doob.

Skipper

The skipper is one of the top reasons to choose or reject a boat. If she is a philosopher queen the voyage may be hard but her leadership will keep arguments from going too far and working arrangements fair. The captain is the heart and the head of the boat, defy her at your own and the crews peril.

Sextant

If you like math or are paranoid that the aliens are going to steal the GPS satellites learn to use a sextant. A sextant, while sounding sexy, just measures the angle between the sun, moon star, or planet and the horizon. When combined with a stellar movement book and an exact clock you can compute your location on earth to within a few nautical miles.

Drugs

If you have a stash hide it well, the US Coast Guard feels the right to patrol the high seas and search any vessel it wishes. Flying our pot leaf flag is a sure way to get boarded, try running the Jolly Rodger like American imperial aircraft carriers instead.

Stowing Away and Cargo Cruises

Old books mentioned cheap passage on cargo vessels. Our research seems to indicate that said travel is still slow but can now cost as much as $3000 to get to Europe or Asia from the North American coast. You might investigate getting a job on a cargo ship, but few have American or Anglo crews, and some require you to have some form of merchant seaman registration. Stowing away on most modern vessels is not such a bright idea either. With most ships being either auto, container, or tanker there is a very small crew but this also means few places to hide with any shelter and nowhere to get food or water during the several week voyage. Some human smugglers pack a group of refugees into a shipping container with a toilet bucket, some water, and food; there was also a report of terrorists making hidden rooms in the rear of containers although this seems uncomfortable as well and still expensive.

The exception is cruise ships and ferries. Once you sneak on board, if you can look the part and nap in the lounges by the pool, you should be able to stay out of the brig. Eat only at open buffets or leftovers you find since there is assigned seating for meals and purchases are charged directly to your room account and there's no cash or credit card purchases. A real help is to meet a cool passenger and have them smuggle food and let you crash in their room. We once read of cruise ship stowaways who were fine until it was noticed by room service crew that someone was sleeping in the beds of a made up cabin that was as yet unassigned. Do not get off of the ship at port visits until you reach your destination. Ferries are probably the easiest ships to stow away on since the trip is usually less than a day or two and we have never been asked for a ticket once aboard.

Pirate Radio

It used to be European radio waves were full of pirate stations with great music and radical politics immune from prosecution because they were in international waters. Since the signing of international sea treaties a pirate operator transmitting on unauthorized signals may be boarded even in international waters and the craft impounded by the offended nations navy or coastal police. Tehcnically, one could get a broadcasting license from a country and register the ship there, but broadcasting into another country's territory from outside their national waters could cause an international incident.

International Maritime Law

The days when people could just go off into international waters and be immune to the laws of any country are pretty much gone. Those with spare time can study the following databases on the various laws of the sea:

International Law of the Sea Research Guide:http://lib.law.washington.edu/ref/LOS.shtml
International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea:http://www.itlos.org/
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea:http://untreaty.un.org/cod/avl/ha/uncls/uncls.html

Building

One may wish to consider is to build their own boat especially if cost is an issue or finding a seaworthy boat is an issue as it can sometimes be. There are numerous books out there on this. Some of the best are those by George Buehler such as Backyard Boat Building, Howard I. Chappelle such as BoatBuilding and the History of American Small Craft, and the Sharpie Book by Reul Parker. These books all illustrate step by step how one can build a boat. A sharpie is one of the easiest boats to build and will provide the added benefit of not only being a seaworthy craft but if made of wood will lend itself to easy repairability anywhere in the world but also due to the hull design allows one to go inland to many places many larger boats can't go. Which can be most helpful if needing to find a good hiding location from which to plan your next move or just to satisfy the need to get away from everyone and everything. Also based on my research a good cruising sized sharpie could be built for less than $1000. The only problem might be where to build but then seeing how a group of two or three could build them one in a matter of a couple of weeks I would say that any State or National Forest or State or National Park that lies on a gentle flowing river should provide a good location on which to build. Just remember to camouflage your boatyard so that Smokey (aka Forest or Park Ranger) doesn't come looking for you and practice good woodsmanship so as to not start any forest fires or brush fires which could ruin your boat and boatyard not to mention call much undue attention to you.

Outrigger Canoes

For undocumented low budget travel in the Caribbean, Hawaii, or other island chains it might be possible to make your trip using an outrigger canoe. The first outrigger canoes were paddle powered but of course a sail does the work for you. You can build a heavy slow moving burnout canoe from a log like the natives did, but why not find a regular canoe to give you a jump start. Your outrigger pontoon can be a shaped piece of sealed wood or fiberglass filled with expanding foam. You will most likely want to build the cross members from a good marine treated lumber, properly glue laminating and sealing several thin boards is stronger than a few thick ones. The best mast and sail is from a used windsurfing board, you will probably also want to make a jib sail. Be sure that the spacing of your outrigger is far enough to prevent swamping in high wind, for serious sailing a second outrigger might even be included on the other side but above the water line. You will need to build a strong rudder that will not break, many people put a trampoline like tarp on the cross members connecting the so they can sleep stretched out. you might consider filling empty spaces in the canoe with expanding foam for additional emergency flotation. Stress test the cross members occasionally so they wont fail when you are in high wind. Instead of an outrigger a second canoe can be used to build a catamaran. Don't forget high energy ready to eat food, water or a reverse osmosis fresh water making pump, communication, and navigation gear as well as your emergency signal and man-overboard equipment.

A quick note: do NOT attempt to cross from one island to another until you have reliable data on what, if any, currents there are in the waters you will be crossing. Getting swept away in a sailboat can be an inconvenience; getting swept away in a canoe could very well mean never being seen again.

Weblinks to cheap boat buying sites

Below you'll find a couple of links to websites offering cheap boats to be bought. These are both in Florida which on the East and Gulf Coasts is going to be the best place to look for a boat. If you're out west check out California. It seems that both LA and San Diego are good places for finding cheap boats.

In Florida check the following:

1. Chapman School of Seamanship in Stuart, FL http://www.chapman.org/boats/index.html

2. Eckerd College Waterfront in Tampa, FLhttp://www.eckerd.edu/waterfront/boats.php

Nationally (U.S.) check out the following:

1. Boat Traderhttp://www.boattrader.com/search/

2. I Boats http://www.iboats.com/cgi-bin/marine_classifieds/adv-search.cgi

Another tack that one could take is to set up their own charity and get someone to donate a boat to them. This would work maybe by taking advantage of some of the ideas in the Free Ministry section and then setting up a church and using it to get someone to donate a boat to you for a tax deduction. This could be a way to get a free or almost free boat in really good condition.

Good luck to all future children of Neptune and Poseidon but remember the saying that we mentioned first. Safety should always be the first rule in dealing with boats.

6. Free Education

Last updated: 30 July 2011

1 Free Education
1.1 Free Database Access
1.1.1 Links
1.2 Teach Your Children Well
1.3 Free E-Books, Audio Books, and Educational Resources
2 Outside Resources
3 Free Education Articles

Free Education

"The best way to educate oneself is to become part of the revolution." - Ernesto "Che" Guevara, quoted by Abbie Hoffman in "Revolution For the Hell of It"

Free Database Access

Newspaper, periodical, and academic articles published in respectable educorp type journals may be valuable to the revolutionary who wages a battle of minds. These articles are usually paid for in one way or another - either a subscription to the journal in which it is published, purchasing it online, paying for a database subscription ($$$), etc. However, academics and students for the most part have free access to these databases through their educorp institutions. Here is how to get access for free if you are not a student but you live near a college or university.

Go to the nearby college or university and find the library or a computer area. Look for a computer which is unattended but is on the desktop screen. Students have login IDs and passwords to get on a computer, but often walk away when they are done without logging off. Now just go to the school's library web page or ask a help desk drone where the portal is for the databases and indexes. From off-campus you would have to enter your school-provided user ID and password, but since you are already logged onto the school's computer system through someone else's ID it will use their account automatically, requiring no password entry.

If this particular school requires you to login even on campus, or if you can't find an unattended computer, then just ask the help desk monkey for a temporary or staff ID. Someone hacked your account and the ITS department is sorting out the problem and trying to trace who did this dastardly deed but in the meantime you have a paper due tomorrow and just have to get on now. They will do something for you.

This is how you would get into databases like you see in Google Scholar searches: LexisNexis, JSTOR, EBSCOS, etc. Other publications you can get from these databases include many workers' press papers going back for a century, government reports, legislative bill history, agency reports, congressional hearing testimony, etc etc.

Knowledge is power.

Teach Your Children Well

Even if your local school system is good, it doesn't hurt to also teach your kids a bit at home, especially before they start school. Home kits like "Hooked On Phonics" teach kids to read in the form of a series of games (It also gets them away from the mind-numbing TV set for a few hours!).

There are many home schooling groups across the USA. Ask around, but remember that some are rather far right-wing in scope, since many Christian Fundamentalists see "liberal" public education as a "corrosive influence". Because of this, you may want to double-check any science and biology books before you buy them. Some Christian home school publishers sell books supporting Creationism or "Intelligent Design" and denouncing both Evolution and the works of Charles Darwin.

Here are some places to start looking:

Easy Homeschooling - http://www.easyhomeschooling.com/
Homeschool.com - http://www.homeschool.com/
Homeschool Curricula - http://homeschool-curricula.suite101.com/
Home School Free Stuff - http://www.homeschoolfreestuff.com/
Home School Learning Network - http://www.homeschoollearning.com/
Home School Legal Defense Association - http://www.hslda.org/
HomeSchooler Network (Part of Family Education Network)- http://www.homeschoolernetwork.fen.com/
Hooked On Phonics - http://www.hooked-on-phonics.com

Wikibooks has a number of educational books for kids that can be downloaded free of charge as part of their "Wikijunior" project. Some books may be under construction.

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Wikijunior

A list of completed Wikijunior books can be found here:

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Wikijunior:All_Books

If the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are not to your liking (or if they're not liking to you), consider SpiralScouts International, an alternative youth group for boys and girls of minority faiths. If there isn't a SpiralScouts group near you, they can help you start one.

http://www.spiralscouts.org

Another secular youth group in the USA is Camp Fire USA (formerly Camp Fire Girls, until they went co-ed in 1975).

http://www.campfireusa.org/

Volunteer-run weblabel Kazoomzoom offers free downloads of material for children. Quoting the website: "We provide fun, free stuff for kids, like music recordings, audio stories, printable toys, and storybooks."

http://www.kazoomzoom.com/

Archives of Kazoomzoom material (if the main website is down):

Electronics designer and software developer Adam Pierce designed and built a miniature electronics kit for his son for a few bucks worth of spare parts (which does just about the same as a $50 kit from Radio $hack). Consider this for a kid who likes to tinker with stuff.

http://www.doctort.org/adam/homemade/homemade-kids-electronic-lab.html

Check out Instructables for any number of construction projects you can do with your kids.

http://www.instructables.com

Free E-Books, Audio Books, and Educational Resources

Educational resources are many times expensive to the point of being prohibited financially. To counter this situation one can find easily through the internet an extensive base of educational resources from school books, teach your-self guides, language studies, computer programming, etc... in e-book form as well as in audio books.

For such one of the many options (and one of the most effective) is to make use of the "global collaborators network" (aka torrent seeds) through the bittorrent protocol (for further info on how to begin: http://wiki.stealthiswiki.org/wiki/Free-Software).

Through torrent trackers (ex. http://thepiratebay.org) or even through internet search engines (on http://www.google.com type first: filetype:torrent, followed by the subject wishing to obtain info about (ex. "filetype:torrent learn spanish" without apostrophes this will return an extensive list of usually expensive learning resources obtainable for free)) resources are easily accessible to download directly to your computer or any other computer within your reach and later either printed or transferred to another medium for future personal use.

Google offers thousands of free books online. Any book that does not have a valid copyright is available for free download here. You can search exclusively for full download books like this by clicking "full view" under the search bar.

http://www.google.com/books

The Internet Archive has literally over two million printed works available for free download, ranging wildly in topic and content. Type your topic in the search block for material in your field.

http://www.archive.org/details/texts

Ebookee is a great site for ebooks of all kinds and a few audiobooks, although downloading (which are links to third party filesharing sites like filesonic and rapidshare) can be tricky.

http://www.ebookee.org

For 'harder' sciences, such as chemistry, mathematics and physics, Khan Academy can teach you all and everything, from basic addition to multivariable calculus. If you want to study any of above, it is the best place to do it. Note that all lessons are YouTube videos, so watch the bandwidth.

http://www.khanacademy.org/

Look for part of site with practice problems, as is has grown significantly lately.

Never underestimate the power of the internet and free information, virtually every book ever released is accessible.

Although please consider the following before proceeding.

The First Con: Accordingly to the time of release of the respective object searched, it is possible it's electronic form not being yet available, as well as for rare and hard to find resources. But always there are exceptions, so if they are not accessible through bittorrent protocol, just try to google them.
The Second Con: Unfortunately in many countries downloading through bittorrrent protocol copyrighted material is considered piracy and by such illegal. This point should be taken in consideration although in many times disregarded be the weight of all the advantages.
The Third (and most important) Con: For much, if not all of the material accessible, there was a REAL COST involved on research, studies, time, effort, creativity, and etc... . So please recognize this effort made by hard working people in order for them to continue to provide us with ever more knowledge. BUY their books once having the chance or financial opportunity. It is at least the most honorable thing one can do, but always with consciousness (why should one waste their money buying a book from Shakespeare, Machiavelli, Freud, and many others who's selling of books only enrich the already rich perpetuating the current world order).

Outside Resources

The Teenage Liberation Handbook (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0962959170?v=glance) Read "The Teenage Liberation Handbook", even you're not a teen.

Dropping Out Booklet (http://www.crimethinc.com/tools/downloads/pdfs/dropping_out.pdf) A pdf file about a drop outs life...ironically, i recieved a print copy of this a school sponsored concert awhile back.

An Essay On The Topic Of Dropping Out (http://ranprieur.com/essays/dropout.html) A nice essay on dropping out of society.

Eugene Oregon Free School (http://www.eugenefreeschool.org/)

Portland Oregon Free School (http://portland.freeskool.org/)

Santa Cruz California Free School (http://santacruz.freeskool.org/)

Seattle Washington free School (http://www.seattlefreeschool.org/)

Vancouver Canada Free School (http://www.freeschool.vcn.bc.ca/)

Freeschool's Online Community (http://www.dsame.com/freeschoolcommunity/)

Search For a Library (http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/libraries/librarysearch/) Go to the library. you don't have to have a card to read.

Locate Schools and Universities (http://nces.ed.gov/globallocator/) Ok, this is a lot like the site above, only it allows to locate public schools and colleges in addition to libraries. Quite nifty.

GED Info (http://www.dtae.org/adultlit/ged.html) Answers to GED Questions

About the GED (http://adulted.about.com/cs/ged/a/GEDintro.htm) about.com's guide to the GED: including find a place to take it.

Find Volunteer Work (http://www.volunteermatch.org/) volunteer...learn...

Unschooling Library (http://www.unschooling.com/library/essays/index.shtml) Information On Unschooling

Unschooling Article (http://www.aaronsw.com/school/2000/12/12/) Opinion piece on unschooling.

Learn Something (http://www.wannalearn.com/) online lessons on just about anything.

Free Courseware (http://www.ocwconsortium.org/use/index.html) Courseware from universities across the world

Wilderness Survival (http://www.wilderness-survival.net/) Learn how to survive in the wilderness...as well as some creative solutions to everyday problems.

Computer Science courses online (http://aduni.org/courses/) Interested in computer science? here's a site where you can find some coursework for computer science for FREE. real college level stuff.

Find an apprenticeship (http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/training/apprenticeship.htm) Run by the US department of labor, here's a site where you can locate some apprenticeships or just find out about different programs offered by the Department ofLabor.

Find a Community College Near You (http://www.aacc.nche.edu/Content/NavigationMenu/AboutCommunityColleges/CommunityCollegeFinder1/Community_Coll Find a community college in your area. even if you're not interested in attending college, community colleges offer an array of services, ranging from free/low cost counseling, free meals, community lectures, free classes, concerts, meeting spaces and medical services.

Online Foreign Language Classes (http://www.word2word.com/coursead.html) Free foreign language courses online. not comprehensive, but a good introduction.

Another Online Foreign Language Class Site (http://www.ilovelanguages.com/) Another foreign language site, only this one has TONS of links on it.

Practice Your New Language Online (http://www.mylanguageexchange.com/)

Living Off The Grid (http://offgrid.homestead.com/InformationPage.html) Learn how to live off the grid.

Living Off The Grid Part II (http://www.off-grid.net/archives.php) more on living off the grid.

NPR Programs (http://www.npr.org/programs/) A list of NPRprograms.

More Detailed NPR Stuff (http://www.publicradiofan.com/) A very comprehensive list of public radio shows and stations. find public radio no matter where you are.

MIT offers free access to tons of courses online via (http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm). They even thought of us with a free course entitled "How to Stage a Revolution". (http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/history/21h-001-how-to-stage-a-revolution-fall-2007/lecture-notes/).

BBC Languages (http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/) Free on-line courses on learning other languages.

Free Education Articles

List of Free Universities

Internet educational resources

Free High School

Free College Life

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List of Free Universities

Last updated: 6 March 2011

Do not expect some of the things listed to be seriously respected by CorpGov, with the excption of the CLEP program which we also talk about in Free College Life However, knowlege itself is power. There are many institutions that offer free (or nearly free) courses on a variety of sources. The authors of this project are constantly hunting for free or inexpensive somewhat useful learning courses. Free religous courses (which seem to be everywhere) will not be listed. If you find a useful free course, feel free to add it.

List of Free Universities

http://mpkb.net/en/Main_Page - Macalester College, a private undergraduate liberal-arts college in Saint Paul, Minnesota, runs the Macalester Public Knowledge Base, "...a project for organized activism that anyone can edit."
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/index.htm - MIT Open Courseware is a completely free archive of previous MIT courses and course materials available on the web or for download although it does not provide you with a degree or faculty access.
http://www.ocwconsortium.org/ - OpenCourseWareConsortium also provides lists of free courseware in addition to promoting open university courses around the world.
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/about.html - In the USA, many colleges grant credit or advanced standing for the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). This is a test that determines how much you already know on a topic and grants you college credit for it. It costs $77 but it shaves a lot of money off your tuition costs and time spent in class! You can take the test for free if you're active military, while veterans can apply for reimbursement (Ask at your local VA office).
http://www.anarchistu.org - Anarchist Free University ("Anarchist U"), Toronto, Ontario, Canada:

"The Anarchist U is an open, volunteer-run, non-hierarchical collective that organizes community events, workshops and a variety of courses on arts and sciences. Most courses run for ten weeks, and meet once a week:. There are no admission fees."

"We offer an open, collaborative, radical way of learning built on democratic models of education, structure and process. We are working to build a vibrant and productive community free from the struggles for power, profit and prestige that are the consequences of existing social and economic structures. The AFU also acts as a space that critiques the ongoing forms of oppression that result from this."

http://oyc.yale.edu/ - Open Yale Courses
Though not free, the Institute for Social Ecology (http://www.social-ecology.org) and the Z Media Institute (://www.zcommunications.org/zmi/zmi.htm) are worth checking out and will help you free your mind.

Internet educational resources

Last updated: 14 August 2011

Education is changing. The Internet is a great resource for learning whatever you want, and is almost free.

1 Universities with free educational content
2 Educational podcasts
3 Language Education
4 Other free resources

Universities with free educational content

MIT OpenCourseware - http://ocw.mit.edu The original and still one of the best, provides syllabi, problem sets, lecture videos, and sometimes extensive lecture notes for regular MIT classes. MIT also has a YouTube channel for their lectures, available at the following address: http://www.youtube.com/user/mit?blend=1&ob=4

John Hopkins School OpenCourseware -http://ocw.jhsph.edu/ Great resource if you are interested in Public Health as a career move.

Utah State OpenCourseware -http://ocw.usu.edu/Courses_listing Solid site for many lower level undergraduate classes.

Tufts OpenCourseware - http://ocw.tufts.edu/ Another introduction to the life sciences, and public health.

Open UW - http://www.extension.washington.edu/openuw/ Free on-line courses from the University of Washington

UC Berkley Courses Webcasts - http://webcast.berkeley.edu/courses.php Free video and/or audio lectures of present and past courses at UC Berkley. UC Berkley also has a YouTube channel of their lectures, available at the following address http://www.youtube.com/user/ucberkeley?blend=2&ob=4

EcEdWeb - http://ecedweb.unomaha.edu/teachsug.htm Free course on Economics from the University of Nebraska

Whatcom Community College Math Courses - http://math.whatcom.ctc.edu/content/Links.phtml?cat=3

Princeton University Archived Lectures - http://www.princeton.edu/WebMedia/lectures/

Dartmouth College, Introduction to Probability:

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~chance/teaching_aids/books_articles/probability_book/book.html

Stanford CS Education Library - http://cslibrary.stanford.edu/

University of Pennsylvania Online Books Page - http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/

Internet educational resources - Steal This Wiki

Carnegie Mellon University Open Learning Initiative - http://www.cmu.edu/oli/

NY University: Mathematics Material -http://homepages.nyu.edu/~jmg336/html/mathematics.html

Educational podcasts

Stanford -http://itunes.stanford.edu A variety of podcasts containing academic information.

Language Education

American Sign Language - http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/

BBC Languages - http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/ Free on-line education in various languages

Deutsche Welle "Deutsch Interaktiv" -http://www.dw-world.de/dw/0,,2547,00.html Free on-line German lessons from Germany's international broadcaster

”Kurso de Esperanto" - http://www.kurso.com.br Free downloadable 12 lession course for Windows and Linux

Spanish Kit -http://www.spanish-kit.net/ Free on-line Spanish language course with free downloadable material for off-line studying.

Learn Welsh via BBC - http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/learnwelsh/bigwelshchallenge/

Vistawide World Languages & Cultures - http://www.vistawide.com/ Listings of various language education resources, some free, many low-cost.

Word2Word - http://www.word2word.com/ Index to on-line language courses and services.

Other free resources

Please limit the resources to the free and useful

Librivox -http://www.librivox.org/ Free Creative Commons AudioBook Literature: Ranging from Dostoyevsky to

Darwin, from Ayn Rand to Mikhail Bakunin (And even an audiobook of Einstein's Theory of Relativity.)

Web cloud University -http://www.izobrazba.naspletu.com/learn.html multimeda courses and tutorials on interesting and funny topics

Free-Ed.net -http://www.free-ed.net/free-ed/ Free education on the Internet

Wikipedia -http://en.wikipedia.org/ Obviously.

Creative Commons -http://creativecommons.org/education Bunch of different resources...and it's searchable.

Wikiversity -http://www.wikiversity.org Open-source textbooks and user-taught classes.

Internet Archive - http://www.archive.org Searchable resource of literally thousands of documents, papers and recordings, all for free!

Curriki - http://curriki.org "Our mission is to improve education around the world by empowering teachers, students and parents with user-created, open source curricula, and it's all free!"

Library of Congress - http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html

Annenberg Media - http://www.learner.org/resources/ (Free registration required)

Core Documents on U.S. Democracy -http://www.gpoaccess.gov/coredocs.html (See what those wild-eyed, freethinking, whiskey-drinking, hemp-growing radicals were thinking of!)

Learn CPR - http://depts.washington.edu/learncpr/

Sophia Project -http://sofia.fhda.edu/

ERI Distance Learning Center -http://www.eridlc.com/?FuseAction=Main.Home#List (Take preview classes for free. College credit costs $29 exam fee.)

A First Course in Linear Algebra -http://linear.ups.edu/

Article on Lifehacker about free on-line education:://lifehacker.com/software/education/technophilia-get-a- free-college-education-online-201979.php

Free High School

Last updated: 31 July 2011

And because I am happy, & dance & sing. They think they have done me no injury... William Blake

High school is an introduction to the struggle of the public versus the government. But as opposed to the government, the authorities in high school are more visible. And just like in the real, post 9/11 world, freedoms are being taken away in the post-Columbine world of High School.

You too can learn and teach yourself how to fight back and survive like Abbie Hoffman did against his government. Take advantage of every resource you have. Support your brothers and sisters out there, anything could save the life or sanity of someone down on their luck.

High school is continuation of the school system that generations of westerners have experienced from kindergarten on. The intent of the education system is to create a properly balanced output of citizens. The corporate government needs some dropouts and burnouts to work in the fast-food industry, a population of artists, geniuses, and radicals aren't anywhere near as profitable.

1 Homework, Classwork, Exams
1.1 Computers and Software
1.2 Cheating
1.3 Forgery
2 Friends
2.1 Sports
2.2 Student Government
3 Teachers
3.1 Acting Nice
3.2 Blackmail
4 Protest Movement
4.1 Leadership
4.2 Mediums for Public Expression
4.3 Cameras
4.4 The Principal's Office
4.4.1 Lying
4.5 School Paper
4.6 The Cafeteria
5 Parental Issues
5.1 Emancipation
5.2 Gulag Schools
5.3 How to escape if abducted by a "boot camp"
5.4 Surviving Gulag Highschool
6 Alternative Graduation
6.1 GED
6.2 Post-Secondary Enrollment Option
6.3 Sample Plan For Leaving Home
7 Parties, Booze, Drugs
7.1 Fake ID
7.2 Parties and the Pigs
7.3 Illicit Drugs
8 Depression
8.1 Suicide

Homework, Classwork, Exams

Don't waste your time on multiple choice homework, find a comprehensive website with textbooks study guides. Most high school textbooks are old, comparatively thin on material and data based somewhere online. Study the concepts behind the questions and you'll find your essays and test scores a lot higher!

Math textbooks often have the answers in the back, but not the work most teachers ask for. Make sure you use the study key to check answers and for help on a question you don't understand. There are also websites like Hotmath (http7/hotmath.com/) that have both the work and answers to many equations. You may even learn a thing or two by accident.

Computers and Software

The school administrators likely have key loggers and permanent cookies tracking your use of their computers. You can use a proxy site and a key log cleaner to wipe your usage off the computer. You could also format an external hard drive or USB drive to boot a separate operating system, since it is unlikely anything has been installed in to the computer's BIOS firmware. Still, you should only be using the school computer in safe areas and school, and unplug the battery when not in use.

Be wary if your school provides you with a laptop or requires you to use one provided by them. In 2010 a Pennsylvania school district used custom software to take pictures of students at home without any permissions. The FBI is investigating the school and the students have filed a lawsuit.

Some schools require the installation of their own program package on your laptop. Be suspicious, and don't trust a machine with unknown software installed on it. On a windows computer you can view and edit which programs boot with your computer at Run > msconfig > startup.

Cheating

Write answers on the inside of fingers or on the inside of a dark, partially drained drink container such as coke or coffee. Position noted worksheets or paper under an adjacent student's chair. It's incredibly easy to just write the answers on the desk with a pencil and erase it later, but cover it with your arm when the teachers walk by.

If you are in a math class that requires a graphing calculator, use it to your advantage! Write fake programs that contain only formulas you didn't bother to memorize if you need to show your work. You can put almost any amount of notes into a program line code like this. If you don't need to show your work, get some programs down, ask or do some research and you can find websites that have these programs written for you. If your school requires one of the cheat proof exam calculators with the light and timer you're out of luck, unless you can make a good looking forgery.

Students that want tattoos sometimes draw shit on their arms. Come up with a simple code that uses symbols unrelated to your test and draw them as a tattoo. This can work in math tests when formulas are key. In a foreign language classes, use simple symbols to represent phonetic structures and jog your memory for harder vocab words. Get creative!

Text ChaCha for indirect access to a search engine. Send your query in the form of "What is/how do you/what is the answer to" to 242242. Your answer will usually arrive in under a minute. ChaCha gives the question to a live person who searches for the answer so your responses can vary. Make sure your phone is hidden from the teacher and on silent.

If your phone can play MP3 or WAV ringtones, download the high pitched "mosquito." The tone was invented to keep teenagers from loitering, but the inventor's daughter made it into a ring tone for texting in class! The frequency is too high for people with moderate, age-related hearing damage to hear at any distance. Be sure to test it out on your parents, and be careful not to play it too loud and irritate your peers. Many who can hear it assume it is their ears ringing and ignore the sound, as it is just on the edge of their hearing range.

Teachers have been through nearly twenty years of school and know these tricks, so make friends and don't insult their intelligence.

Forgery

Need to change a bad grade on your report card? This is a useful tactical maneuver to stay out of trouble at home, but should only be used once or twice to pad a difficult semester. Be the first to get the mail, but don't be so obvious that the folks figure out what you are doing. As long as you can get past the tamper protection and get it back in the mailbox you'll be fine.

Your paper should be clean and free of creases, use an iron if there are wrinkles. Report cards that are not watermarked are preferred for this method. Scan both sides of the paper and open the image with photo editing software. Erase your unwanted grade, find the font of the report card, and replace it. This is only effective if you have paper that is similar to the thickness and quality of the school's report card.

Another method, though more effective, is also much easier to screw up. This method is recommended for a watermarked report card. Remove the your bad grades ink with very, very fine sandpaper or even a carefully used thumbtack. Practice on an old report card to see which method works best. DO NOT use water as it will make the ink bleed.

On a word processor find the font and size of the text on the report card. Print a copy on your old test report card to compare and ensure it’s as identical as possible. Align the word so that it will print on the exact spot that the previous letter was on. It might be worth testing and using an electric typewriter if you can't line up the printer.

Crumple and fold the papers to hide any major flaws. Unless you were very careful the forgery will be apparent, but with luck and unobservant parents it will pass.

Friends

Almost everybody in high school has a few good friends, and almost everyone in high school finds it tough to make new ones. Be personable, reliable, and a descent person. Find people you are interested in, be honest to them and avoid gossip by being brave and direct.

If you're friendless in high school, don't let loneliness overcome your judgment. Be willing to concede and do favors for something in return eventually, including trust, though you won't see most of your class mates outside of facebook after graduation. If you're quiet nobody will be able to judge you very well, and people will only know that you are unpopular. This will get the attention of fringe groups looking for another to join their rank, but don't be willing to accept their ideologies too quickly.

Enroll in classes with older and younger students. Diversify beyond your grade meet many different students than most. Talk to immigrants with poor English skills, there is a lot to learn from their culture. Jump at the opportunity to join an extra curricular you are interested in, or start a club and promote it. The more honest you are to people, the better you will meet someone similar.

If you are punished for your actions it builds spirit to have students willing to protest for you. Make shirts and banners, distribute them in large numbers to the student population, and show the administration their lack of student support to lower their morale. The school will make life difficult for you, so encourage your peers to make life difficult for the administration and defend themselves. Beware of fair-weather friends if you are causing mischief, as many will sing like a canary to the principal when promised amnesty. Don't involve anyone who doesn't need to be involved. See alsoSecurity Culture and [1] (http://security.resist.ca/personal/securebooklet.pdf)

School is not the only place to have friends. Join organizations like Food Not Bombs or the People's army and make friends in the world outside of high school!

Sports

Playing sports is a lottery on your future. In some areas local sports teams are a religion to sell clothes, tickets, and college enrollment. A few exceptional athletes can get a free ride into College, where they can play on TV for academia. Very rarely, a college sports stars can go professional and make CEO type salaries for comparatively few years.

Athletes get preferential treatment in high school even though graduation is end of the sports career for the majority. Do not get bullied into a sport you dislike or be kept from quitting if you are not having fun. It is your time, regardless of what zealots may think. Also, be aware that some programs in some locations are beginning to drug test participants, if such things concerns you.

Student Government

The student body is represented by elected class senators who have no real influence. They are ruled by teachers and principals with unchecked authority and the elections are often mere popularity contests. The student government is only responsible for fund-raisers and student events. If you are elected you could use this position to discretely further your agenda, and as a highlight on your scholarship application. Don't expect to use this to gain favors from the teachers, their jobs are more important than your freedoms.

Teachers

Teachers are human and like you and your peers can be mean and vindictive or encouraging and supportive. However, they have all done twenty years of academic study to have underpaid, high stress jobs taking care of you and your peers while reading curriculum like automatons. Most teachers want to benefit society, so treat with more respect than an obstacle and you might learn from them.

Acting Nice

It is useful to practice acting and rhetoric to exploit the unenlightened, such as your parents, teachers, and peers. If you can keep adults around you indecisive about discipline, these skills might turn the tide. Be vigilante, acting may lead you to sympathize with the other side when inappropriate. Also, don’t throw away actions like chores or homework to battle the possible loss of tiny freedoms.

Blackmail

Don't falsely charge abuse to destroy an innocent teacher, no matter how mean or cruel they are. In the coming years when you have matured, lying like this would rule out any maturity, your absolute destruction of another human will haunt you for the rest of your life. Falsely causing a teacher to become homeless, unemployed, indebted to their legal defense, imprisoned, and suicidal is an unspeakable crime.

Protest Movement

Many traditional forms of protest are unavailable to high school students, if they expect to attend their place of learning. Before a mass strike or walk out can be engineered for any cause the student body must be radicalized, and direct action in the name of your organization can help build solidarity. Be sure you have a cause that is worth taking direct action for, action for the sake of anarchy only denies serious students their quality learning.

Attention must be paid to what, or who, the enemy is. Sepcific action is preferred to mass acts of sabotage. You also must consider the sensibilities of the masses, as blacking out the homecoming football game or dance would turn a large part of the student body against your group, although it would provide you with a ridiculous amount of noteriety.

Leadership

While mostly decentralized, there is a need to define what the aim of your movement is, and who you want concessions from. For a succesful organized resistance there must be both visible leadership that to rally the students, and a covert leadership that is hidden from the public eye. The public leader should be a figurehead, a decoy, someone already well liked.

The cops and administration all want a "ringleader" that can be eliminated to stop the distraction. This is why the public leadership must:

Be prepared for any and all administrative action against them. They are the decoy and all action will be directed against them.
Be trusted completely and trust completely.
Not reveal information to authorities if captured.
Be able to function on its own. There will be times when the best laid plans go awry and the two leaderships are cut off. The public leadership absolutely needs independent momentum.

The public leadership can take care of propaganda, and free up the covert to focus on strategy for demonstrations, protests, and direct action. While the public leaders commit acts of legal protest, the covert are free to bring attention through illegal action, while not being the identity of the crowd.

Carefully train the covert of any action to be as normal as possible. If there are discrepancies in their behavior, it will be easier for police to identify them. Neither the public nor most of the covert in action should know more than a handful of each others identities, which reduces the risk of mass arrests.

Be aware of police provocateurs disguised and acting oddly in a public demonstration. They will often pretend to be part of the public movement to incite violence to relate it with the public figures of the protest.

Mediums for Public Expression

There are several mediums for public expression to make your presence felt by the teachers and students.

PA System- if you can wire into the punch down board and have a remote activation of the system, your message can be heard when you want. But expect your modifications to be disabled within a few hours of your first use.
Cable TV- If your school has a closed circuit cable system you can often override the signal with your own, or take over the computer creating the signal.
Utilities- Many states require operational water, sewer, electricity, and heating systems for classes to be held. With the janitors keys you can access utility rooms and shut these down for a day off. Breakers are easy to restore, but may cause a long enough distraction to allow you enough time to shut the water main and heating off.
Keys- Many facilities have master keys which open just about everything in the school, usually provided to janitors or principals. If you snatch one make a copy of it and leave the original in an office or supply closet, so that it can be returned to the staff member without their fear of theft. A clever person with locksmithing experience can craft a master key with the discarded door keys of the same building but doing this with government locks is a felony. A related video resource available via bit torrent, is "Lockpicking for the New Millenium." See LockSmithing
School Computer Network- Get involved with some techies or study up on some basic programming to hack the system. It is often quite easy, with decade old security systems and guides accesible through common search engins. Through the main system, you can alter just about any record or publishing for the cause.

Printers are more of a resource than a technique and the commonest free piece of equipment in a school. Find an abandoned printer and do with it what you will - print hundreds of STW’s flyers for instance. If you want to disable a certain classrooms printer for the day, send hundreds of sheets of solid black to it.

InInternet Communications we discuss network hacking a printer from across the cube farm or across the world. Most good IT managers lock that printer network port or server like Fort Knox to unauthorized users, but did you notice any ports on the back of the printer? You will likely see at least one of the following: a USB port, a parallel port, and a ittle black plastic window on the front or side about half an inch thick called an IR port.

Write down the printer make and model number, and have the right drivers installed before you start!! Now waltz in with your laptop or PDA, plug in to the USB and print. With an IR it is even easier! From across the room beam a postscript, PDF, or text file to the printer, and grab the results once it finishes

Cameras

Cameras are too common and, although it would be nice to take a few out, smashing or shining a laser at a camera will leave your face, or at least body type and gait on the tape. To disable a camera properly, you will need a truly high power laser, like the kind inside a HD or BlueRay DVD burner, and a proper collimator to focus the beam without spread.

Get some laser protective film that blocks the frequency of your laser and get ready to destroy. Use gloves and stick a mirror opposite the hallway from the camera in an unmonitored area during a high traffic time. After the mirror is up, approach wearing laser safety filmed sunglasses or lab goggles and bounce a laser in to the camera. Be careful, because this can blind you and any passerby instantly.

Go after a monitored camera in a place you can access so you can do some post strike recon and see if it worked. Failing the laser, a stickpin through the coax cable or just cutting the wires will take the camera out and make it expensive for the principal to watch your school. Keep the laser well disguised and don't brag to your classmates because there will be a police investigation if you get too effective.

With the popularity and low price of tiny pinhole cameras it is useful to know how to spot them. Darkness is a big help as even a small light can be used, although this technique also works in lit rooms if you have a bright flashlight. Hold a directional light next to your head and slowly scan the room. Search dark corners, hung ceilings, smoke alarms, and electrical appliances like clocks. A camera will appear as a reflective dot, often colored, that shows even when you move your head. Investigate to eliminate false positives.

Taping a toilet paper tube to a flashlight to use as a sight will help remind you to keep your head near the light. You will be noticed scanning for the bug, but tapes are usually saved only for a few weeks and are rarely reviewed. The cameras destruction will call extra attention to that area for a long time, so block the camera with an object.

The Principal's Office

Our activities will likely land us in the principals interrogation chamber, the purpose of a school is order and indoctrination, no matter how liberal the staff they are also trained to maintain that order. Accept the fact that a principal can give arbitrary punishment, often without any appeal other than a lawsuit, accept this and do not expect a fair hearing.

You will want to prepare a good argument in advance and carry a tape or digital recorder with you to record the conversation. You may also want to bring something with you for moral support. When talking to your principal or assistant principal during a call in be sure of a few things:

Act better than their mood. If they're polite, be polite, if they act like an asshole act somber but not angry, if they give you respect treat them graciously. Don't escalate the situation alone and when it is uneccesary.
Rehearse what you want to say and remain calm. Use the bathroom to buy time for preparation. Most administrators will try to throw you off balance during the conversation. Keep in mind what you're there for and believe in what you're doing.
Don't back down; stand up for what you believe in.

Lying

Be vague when lying - it's how you tell a story, not the story you are telling. Remember the details. Principals are amateurs, cops sometimes do better, detectives and feds have real experience.

Relax. Take several deep breaths before entering the room. Adopt an open posture and own the room.
Liars shift their eyes differently when lying or remembering. Look at the interrogators eyebrows to reduce shifting. Avoid excessive blinking, or closing your eyes when answering.
Distract yourself to reduce unwanted facial expressions and hand motions. Keep your hands open on your lap or armrests, liars like touch their face
Find a position that is comfortable and keep it. Never change position as you answer a question.
Act confident, maybe indignant, and in control as though you are expecting to be released on your innocence.
Never volunteer details, claim ignorance of times and timed events. Let an inexperienced interrogator fill in the details they want.
Convince yourself you are telling the truth, imagine the picture. If you can lie to yourself you will not display any indicators. Many people can even be fooled in to believing a lie about themselves!

If they use a lie detector know that this is only an act of intimidation and desperation. Modern interrogators are better at face reading than the unreliable results of a polygraph. It is there to scare you into confessing lest the 'unstoppable' machine will catch you. Demand to take a lie detector test and use it as your own intimidation device.

School Paper

High school papers are rags barely worthy of wiping with, since the censor oversight prevents discussion of any serious topic. Form a activist club instead! The work of previous revolutionaries make minority and environmentalist clubs very politically correct, and administrators will support your efforts for fear of bad press. There is no benefit to accepting administration oversight or teacher advisory!

You will normally receive media assistance, including printer access, time off from class and school assemblies, and public address access for your message. There is no reason your underground movement can't have a legitimate public front!

The Cafeteria

School cafeterias are easy to rip off. Many people eat some of their food while waiting to pay, so eat most of your food and pay substantially less. Or wait until nobody is looking and just walk to your seat.

Get a lot of pennies and get to the head of a busy lunch line. When you get to the cashier, pull out a bag of pennies and slowly count them out. If you're lucky, and slow enough, your peers behind you will freak out and insist on paying for your lunch. This is also a good way to cause chaos in the lunch room if you can get a group together and do it at every line.

Cafeteria lunch ladies are as enthusiastic and attentive as any cashier, so grab extra food when you buy a lunch and they may not notice it on your tray. For more assurance, place the item at your side and it might go unnoticed. Or simply hide smaller items beneath a packet of crisps. This is low risk as long as you can afford to buy it, because it is not too obvious you are trying to steal.

Some cafeterias have an in and an out line past the counter and to the cashier. Just walk up, calmly take your pick, and walk out the way you came. This works best when it's crowded and busy so you can be easily lost in the crowd if spotted.

If your school has a separate booth for junk food, ask for an item that requires the cashier to turn their back and stuff you pockets. The food line or bar will go unattended for brief periods so grab a few items. If you want a free drink wait until the cashier is busy and grab a milk. Tell them you forgot to grab it with your lunch. Keep in mind, however, that this cannot be done too often.

If you are caught be apologetic and do not attract the attention of nearby teachers. If you are unfortunate enough to have the staff demand your name give them a fake name. If you cannot risk giving lying a fake the normal punishment for food thieves at high school lunches is a slap on the wrist, a short term ban, and an apology. Have fun writing a ridiculous, overly dramatic letter, wait your ban out, and go back to stealing when you feel comfortable with it.

Parental Issues

Understand that as an adolescent you are a thinking human. Yet under the US system of law you have legal rights similar to a slave. You are property of your parents until you are emancipated by a court or you reach eighteen years of age.

Obviously, some people can live with their parents into their 20s or beyond, while others are itching to be rid of parental shackles at age 15! If you and your parents have no problem being in the same house, you won't need this information. For those whose parents seem against them, for reasons real or imagined, we will discuss some of the common issues.

Emancipation

It is best to be patient and bide time until the world recognizes you as an adult, but if the need to leave parents is very dire you can get help. Significant obstacles will have to be overcome and you will have better options as you grow older.

Enlist in the Military. The Empire will allow you to join the army at 17 with a GED.
Proven self-sufficiency, with approval of a court. This can be hard to do due to lack of opportunities, we know several people who have taken this route, but it really helps to have parental approval.
For cases of abuse and younger teens, social services and the court system will likely place you in foster care. Think carefully and realistically about your current situation before trying this.

It helps to talk with a knowledgeable lawyer who specializes in family law if you are seriously considering emancipation as the law is different in every state.

Gulag Schools

Parents can send their unruly sons and daughters to prison for enough cash. Justified by run-aways, drug use, and criminal behaviour, parents at their wits end will search out almost any promise of a solution to "repair" their broken or "mentally unadjusted" child. Some of these programs take a minor outside of their country to places where they have no recognized human rights. Many staff members were abused in similar schools and as we know the abused often go on to abuse. See:http://teenliberty.org for more information.

Some parents turn to psychoactive drugs like Ritalin or antidepressants, but others resort to "tough love" also known as "boot camp," or "reform school," or a gulag. They have caused a lifetime of damage and depression to their victims, almost never resulting in "normal" behavior as the advertisers suggest.

How to escape if abducted by a "boot camp"

Scream and get the attention of the public, the police, and hope someone intervenes. Straighten the facts out later.
Use violence! You will get hurt and you will probably lose a fair fight, but you may give yourself a chance to escape. Definitely attack if you haven't been restrained yet.
File for emancipation. Contact a public lawyer that can help you get out of your parents custody. They are quite easy to find, especially if there is a local legal advocacy group.
Don't call the cops about this "kidnapping." They'll gladly drag you off to a gulag school or psychiatric hospital on behalf of your legal owners.
Stay vigilant once the threat is made. Plan to seek sanctuary but be aware that most adults, especially parents of your friends, will turn you in once a police alert goes out. File a statement with the county and state child welfare offices, memorize the case number.
Have an escape route ready. Most snatch operations happen between midnight and six AM, because that is when most people are easiest to capture. Know every exit, including windows, crawl spaces, and attics, and avoid your captors and their handcuffs.
Consider stocking up on urban, wilderness, and road survival supplies so you can run at any time. Have a trusted friend keep a backup, or stash one near your home, see Caching. Sleep in durable and dark colored pajamas, pack your next day’s clothes, and keep light, durable shoes near your bed.

In a vehicle your parents might have been advised to use the child safe locks. Try to to get out from the front seat or hop out the window if they are taking you away. Wait for a stop sign or light before attempting escape or you risk severe injury.

Surviving Gulag Highschool

Expect most of these prison camps to be in wilderness areas. Evasion and survival are both very possible if you can stash water and warm clothing. Print a copy of the S.E.R.E. andGet the Hell Out of Dodge pages for reference, as your internet access will be limited. Consult a lawyer and claim asylum if you are outside your country using the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. [2] (http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/h-cat39.htm)

Prison schools will pressure parents to do the "right thing" and return their escaped child to maintain their profits. Your parents must know that they have a right to see and remove you from the school at ANY time. They can go to local law enforcement and demand your release if the school will not let you go. Your birth certificate is a parent’s proof of legal guardian.

Have a trusted friend keep copies of a list of code words to give to your parents, so you can get codes in letters past the school censors. Try not to make your codes ridiculously outlandish words or even jumbled, because they will still be edited. For example, replace "beaten" with "enlightened" to read "I was enlightened by my teachers today during english class."

The institutions will employ cameras and microphones almost everywhere and restrict privacy with guards in every room. In these paranoid environments students are often required, at risk of punishment, to report dissidents or planned escapes. Use of discreet hand signals or tap code will allow you to communicate in an environment against normal interaction with other students.

Alternative Graduation

It may be worth staying in High School if you are one of the few who have a realistic opportunity for sports, band, or valedictorian level scholarships that can leave you set for life in certain prestiguous universities. For the rest of us it maybe time to be happier and move past the prom, pep rallies, and all of the worthless pageantry.

Get a group of revolutionaries, raise some money, and invest in home school materials. Withdaw from highschool with your young comrades and enroll in your accredited home school program. Delete all the grades from your transcripts, give them straight A's and send them to the local college.

In one example, a 17 year old student dropped out with less credits than an 11th grade student and a 1.0 GPA to attend a local church with an accredited home school program,. Eight months later he had a high school diploma with a 3.3 GPA, good enough for a full scholarship from the state and two thousand dollars a semester from federal Pell grants!

GED

This is the best deal going. Either take classes or simply walk up and challenge the GED if you think you can pass it. A high school diploma is only superior when applying to certain, very selective, colleges like Harvard or Yale. The cost as well as the process of getting a GED vary too widely between states to give detailed instruction here, so do your research. You may have a choice of several institutes!

Post-Secondary Enrollment Option

This is the best move you can make in High School. By enrolling in PSEO you are breaking free in a way that satisfies both you and CorpGov, allowing you more educational freedom than you have ever had. A PSEO is taking university classes instead of AP or honors classes in high school. You can take as many classes as you like and your high school pays for your classes free of charge! You can learn what you want to, pick what classes you want, and only set foot in your high school once or twice a month!

Sample Plan For Leaving Home

Leaving home can be a very serious decision that will alter the rest of your life. ReviewThe Street article to see the dangers of jumping out unprepared. Figure out your motivation, your parents won't give you leverage when you come back, although they may initially have missed you more. If you are leaving to take control as an independant earlier, and you are willing to support and defend yourself, this guide may be for you.

It is best to wait till you are at least 17 to start a plan like this as otherwise you may encounter significant obstacles. Begin planning while still living with your guardians, as this is much more difficult without a home.

Get a source of income such as a part time job, a gig, a service, and save your pay.
Go to the GED office of your community college and sign up for the test. Some states will let you complete this as early as 16. Pass the GED and you will be free of High School!
Take an entrance exam (ACT or SAT) to enter community college, even if you can not take the GED. If you score high enough, the college may pay your tuition and even dorm! If you do not score well, do not worry. There are many scholarships and grants, and you will still be able to attend a college. If youre through most of high school, their remedial courses may already be on your transcript
Enroll for a term. Many Community Colleges have dorms for you to move in to that take care of housing and provide meal tickets for food. Work study programs are also readily available for spending cash.
Move out and move into your dorm!
Keep your grades up and avoid getting kicked out.
Begin preparing your application essays and documents for the serious universities.
Get admitted to a real college with a few credits taken care of already.
Graduate and run away from America for a decade to default on the student loans!!

If you fail to plan your departure well you can expect a rough entry into a world of dangerous, menial, and temporary work and daily struggles over necessities. Do as much pre-planning as time permits, but do not let yourself remain in a dangerous or abusive situation. Difficulty in finding housing alone has lead many teen runaways to move in with predators who open their doors only to trap victims or return to the to abusive guardians.

There are many organizations that will help a teen escape abuse, but as always be ready to bail. Never accept help that involves locking you into a "secure" school or overnight dorm. Your freedom is as important as your safety and sometimes these "safe" dorms are places of rape and abuse.

Parties, Booze, Drugs

Old enough to pilot a 3 ton car, yet too young to drink? While the Vietnam War brought many drinking ages down from 21 to 18 or 19, the neo-fascists in bed with Motherfuckers Against Drunk Driving raised it in the mid 80's, citing an increase in anti-social behavior and DUI's. As a result, it is currently illegal in all 50 Amerikan states to purchase or possess alcohol intended for oral consumption if you are under 21.

Fake ID

Now, of course any young man or woman can steal their dads bottle of peppermint schnapps, but it takes real thought to have an unlimited source of booze. While the fake ID is becoming more difficult due to the

Government's cracking down on immigration and terrorism, all is not lost. High quality fake ID can still be found, even on internet message boards. A good ID with a real state hologram will usually cost between $100-$200.

Act the correct age with this PROP, and memorize your part - the ID's birthday, zodiac address, and other physical identifiers. Many fake ID dealers will customize them with your name, birthday and details, but if this is confiscated you may be in serious trouble. Instead of a fake ID, you could also use the real ID of an older brother or friend who looks similar to you, but don't get pinned with fraud!

Avoid upper class and chain retailers as they train their employees to catch underage purchasers. It's much better to try the local corner store and pay an extra $1.50 for a six-pack than to lose a fake ID at Wal-Fart.

Do not attempt to buy liquor underage in Vermont, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, Utah, Washington State, or Oregon. All hard alcohol in these states are sold in government liquor stores, who raise prices to discourage someone to pick up a bottle for the young'uns. These stores are equipped with ID scanners, black lights, and well trained, long term staff.

Dont drink and drive, boat, or bicycle - unless you want to be president some day.

Identification Papers in the Underground section has more detailed information on IDs.

Parties and the Pigs

When planning a party host it at a safe location, removed from neighbors. The police will not likely be called, but make a no driving plan and have a place to stay the night. With enough beds or sleeping bags there will be much less danger of drunk driving.

In some states and Canadian provinces it is legal to drink at home under adult consent. Check your laws, and if your "parent" is cool, use them to assist you in your acquisition of alcohol... legally! Most states have NO laws regarding being drunk in private! You and your 5 year old brother can be sloppy drunk in an a private establishment, state laws permitting, and the pigs can't do a thing unless they see you hold a container of alcohol!

Most police don't care about underage drinking like they do marijuana and meth. Unless you are drinking in a car, outside, or attending a loud party, your stand almost no chance of being busted. If a beer run goes bad with a fake ID, they will not call the pigs, and if the clerk is an undercover pig they would have to come across a desk to nab you.

When the pigs bust up a party make sure all cups are away from you, hide your wallet under the couch, and when the thug gets to you, empty your pockets and say "I didn't bring my ID with me". They might ask you a couple of questions, but you can't be charged in most states unless you were holding alcohol. It's not in their interest to send a 17 year old drinker downtown if they don't have any proof of age, so don't give them a fake ID instead. Someone will get a ticket if you're ALL under age.

Be aware that the pigs will often legally lie to you and say they saw you drinking. Deny that you had ever held an alcoholic drink and, if you actually weren't, call them liars and say you've lost respect for them because of it. They can't do anything about that, now can they?

For some help with DIY brewing see Strange Brewing
For more detailed information on cops and the pig game, see Legal Advice

Illicit Drugs

See Free Dope for a more realistic look at drugs than what they teach in school assemblies and health classes. If you are depressed, in danger, or homeless using drugs can make your situation much worse.

If you are experimenting for the first time:

Use them with someone who has some drug experience
Be in a safe, comfortable, location
Be in a good mood without any worries hanging over you.

In high school you mind is still developing. Don't do any drug until you know it's permanent effects and risk of addiction, because some can leave you screwed up. Pot, shrooms, acid and ecstasy are relatively safe when unadulterated. They should still be taken in the smallest doses until you're comfortable. You should avoid the use of habit causing drugs like cocaine, Ritalin, and Adderall.

Depression

High school is full of the social climbing and crushing competition games that follow many people for the rest of their lives. Most students reading this are probably in a clique known for being a little too intellectual or withdrawn. Stay with your real friends and walk down the halls of your school with pride. The world will move under you while those who seem powerful could live a life of a clerk or tire salesmen. Meditate, learn to breathe, exercise, and find a talent. Never let some 12-step counselor make you believe you are crazy, an addict, or worthless. You control your own life and that is the way it always will be.

Suicide

The hardest and most rewarding task of your life is working through and surviving it's problems. You will learn from your challenges, and become stronger by coping with struggles out of your control. Although nothing may make sense during times of turmoil or injustice, you must understand that you only have one life to survive, and that suicide is not an answer but an end. Your life is valuable to yourself, your friends, your society, your people, and to us. All the experiences in this wiki came from people who have gone through enough hardship and learned to beat the system.

Violence toward teachers or peers is no solution. They may seem ignorant and cruel, but they live by their credit card, elite programming, the media, and may not understand the reality of the world they actually live in. They are worthy of pity, not rage.

You, like everyone, will be made to feel worthless, ugly, or unworthy. The world is full of insults, insecurities, and peer pressure. Rise above them with self-confidence and determination and achieve your dreams. Don't forget to teach your peers.

Understand that belief can change from culture to culture and society to society. Do you respect the society you live in? Do you respect it more than yourself and your ideals? Personal attacks are intended to belittle you in the public eye and establish a pecking order. They are the fundamental of politics and business. If you are offended, join the faceless anti-corporate resistance and help other people realize how much they are worth. And if you need someone to talk to reach out to someone you care about. Or get on the phone, call the operator and ask for a suicide prevention service.

Free College Life

Last updated: 24 June 2011

"Usually when you ask somebody in college why they are there, they'll tell you it's to get an education. The truth of it is, they are there to get the degree so that they can get ahead in the rat race. Too many college radicals are two-timing punks." - Abbie Hoffman, from Steal This Book

Hoffman's quote is true. Academia gets tons of money promising a 'promotion' in life. It offers the promise of being available for the better paying and higher respect positions in society. As such, many students with radical thoughts tend to mellow out once they have the acceptance and advantage a degree sometimes offers.

Why college then? It is important to remember that college is neither required nor even always encouraged by our movement. But, the advantages can be a good selling point to folks, young and old. Even if the tuition loans can leave many in crushing debt!

Meeting requirements for better jobs. The corpgov system has made it difficult to take many jobs above minimum wage especially in government, education, and medical without a college diploma. The increase in wages is somewhat offset by the entry into the "real" world with a mountain of debt that some people take decades to pay off, even assuming they never get behind in payments due to an emergency or unemployment. We are also disappointed by the hyperinflation of tuition even as the quality of teaching and the student experience drops. Truth is this: that while a college degree makes financial success more likely, there is no guarantee except in certain, select fields. We know of many degree holders still waiting tables. Your social network, field your degree was in, reputation of the college, experience, and interview skills also have bearing. There are such things as worthless majors and degrees.
Delaying entry into the 'real' world.College is an easy place to escape from home without the difficulties of real life after high school. For many, it can be the one approved opportunity to turn your mind on and with some effort escape from the blinders erected by your education from preschool until now. The saddest use for your time in college is to only study job fields which may pay very well if you have no interest in them only for the money. The world has too many doctors and other professionals that hate their work and only took it for the respect and paycheck because they could test well. It is also a sad thing to rack up huge debt to get a piece of paper that only makes you capable of being a Burger King manager as opposed to a crew member in fast food. While it may be hard to focus at times, try to do good research, and arrange something that is in between that you can live with.
Consider Trade Schools. When we speak of 'trade', we are talking about the classical, sometimes union- protected trades that have powerful organizations and licensing agencies to protect employment. From a financial standpoint, trade/technical schools often make more sense, and unlike high fee and "merit" (A weasel word for rich) based colleges, they're not as much a part of the machine which exploits the global proletariat. It is very possible and quite easy to come out of the better trade schools with money in your pocket instead of massive debts. Most of the time, you can work in whatever trade you're learning for a good wage while going to school. Don't think they're a haven for "flunkies", either. The American system is simply set up to keep the working class "ignorant" so they are easier to control. Unlike traditional colleges, which tend to breed conservatives, tradespeople are far more likely to join a union and support progressive, leftist policies than their bourgeois college brethren. Just remember that it was from guild halls and labor unions that leftist revolutions have been bred, not campuses and coffee shops. However, do your research as there has been a current crop of rip-off colleges that have been offering programs in trades that have limited opportunity.

The above said, remember that CorpGov will give large preferential treatment to people with a approved college degree. Have a clear plan and unless you have scholarship opportunities don't fear the gap year where you can travel, check out trade schools, or try working while you decide your educational plans and finances.

1 Choosing a College
1.1 Rip-Off Colleges
2 The Admissions Process
2.1 College Level Examination Program
3 College Life
3.1 Freshman Shock
3.2 Singles and Dating
3.3 College Textbooks
3.4 Withdrawing Classes
3.5 Fraternities and Sororities
3.6 Study
3.7 Travel
3.8 Downsides of College Life
3.9 Losing Revolutionary Thought
3.10 Alcohol/Tobacco/Drugs
3.11 Money
3.12 Furniture
3.13 Get Involved
4 After College
4.1 Student Loans
4.2 Academic Probation
4.3 Deciding to Get an Advanced Degree
4.4 Get a Job

Choosing a College

A common myth is that it truly matters where you get a Bachelor's Degree from. That myth is only partially true. Some rip-off diploma mill colleges offer degrees that have limited value, while extremely expensive and prestigious universities like Harvard or MIT can have you set for life. For everything else in between, the only difference is the availability and connections of the major you select. It matters more what field you are going into, and if there is demand. A university with internships is valuable as well. College seems to have fanboys who will swear the chosen school of their secular religion is superior while an opposing school is worthless. Often the only rationale for this judgment is having gone to the place or watching too much college football. Do not listen to them and go with whoever has the better deal.

Traditional four year universities offer Bachelor's Degrees in various fields. Almost all four year majors consist of the first two years studying prerequisites. Many of these classes are repeats of high school classes. It is usually not until after the second year that you get into the core of your major. Expect to spend four to five years to get a degree. The same universities also offer Master's Degrees and Doctorates. Unlike regular admission, a panel must approve your selection to them. Hence, it is common to see folks with a Bachelor's from one institution and a

Master's or Doctorate for another. Master's degree is becoming standard in some fields with much autonomy and perks while the Doctorate (with some exceptions) is more for becoming a professor or researcher.

Law school, Medical school, Dental school, etc. are specialized post-graduate colleges that differ from the advanced programs of the traditional four year universities. Often, they have their own specialized entrance tests and are even more selective than the universities are. You need a Bachelor's to even start applying and preferably have very good grades and good recommendations.

A Community College offers two year degrees, but with some notable exceptions, the Associates Degrees are of limited worth. Use Community Colleges for the smaller classes and less expensive costs for the first two years of college if price is a concern.

A Trade School (often part of the Community College system) offers programs in various trades that can last one semester to two years. If you are sick and tired of school (or do not have the luxury of four to five years) and absolutely cannot bear two more years of English and Algebra, this is a great choice. Be sure to do research on your your trade, as some trades even the Community College offers may have limited job opportunities. The authors know of a guy who busted his ass for an offset printing AA degree, only to find no jobs at the newspaper and only one offer from a low-paying copy place. Seems like a bit much to pay almost 10K for a slightly above minimum wage job. The IT ship has sailed, as computers are now good enough to require few technicians. That said, there are lots of electricians, HVAC technicians, plumbers, masons, carpenters, draftspeople, nurses, firefighters and others who have went to trade schools and landed a good union job. Do some research to be sure you're not wasting your time and giving the bankers huge money.

Speaking of after college pay, do consider the amount of pay and versus the cost of tuition. It makes little sense to get a teaching degree for 20K a semester at a prestigious private college if, as a teacher, your area only pays teachers 40K a year.

You may also want to consider if the institution has dorms. The places with dorms tend to have much better campus life, if you care about such things. While you will be sharing a space with another person and may be under stringent guidelines, dorm rooms are far cheaper than apartments most of the time. Those colleges that do not are called commuter colleges.

There is also the question of in state or out of state. An out of state college can get you far away from home and can be quite an adventure. It comes at a high price. Most colleges double or even triple the cost of tuition if you are from out of state. You can get around this by waiting a year from whatever school you are bringing transcripts from, changing your ID over to that state, and having some mailing address in that state to establish residency.

You can also not go at all! Most colleges have online courses. There is also the CLEP program that will be covered later in the article.

Rip-Off Colleges

Lately, television and the internet have been bombarded with ads (and many fake "college advice" and search sites which are really ads) from certain rip-off colleges offering two year degrees in slacker fields like video game programming, computer networking, massage therapy, business management, etc.

They promise guaranteed job placement, financial aid, and a liberal admission policy that takes anyone with a pulse. They promise to make it to where you can skip over boring Liberal Arts and directly take classes that apply to what you will do for a living. However, most of the fields they offer either are saturated with job seekers (Med Tech comes to mind), nonexistent as far as jobs, or actually requires a much higher degree plus experience even for entry level (any IT field). The tuition is steeper than most legit private colleges and NO respected college will ever take their credits. What's worse, is when you do graduate and look for a job, most employers will laugh you out of the interview because of the school's bad reputation and your lack of experience.

If you must take 2 year or shorter programs, stick with your local community college which will be much cheaper and will transfer over to a four year program if you wish. Know that many two year programs does not guarantee a job with the notable exception of Nursing programs and a few others.

If you were looking into one of these places merely for the ability to take things online, be aware many real universities and community colleges offer this as well.

.. and yes, we are pointing at University of Phoenix, Devry, ITT Tech, and a laundry list of other scammers. Do not get caught up in the web.

The Admissions Process

Alright, so you are going to some higher learning institution. It would helpful to go over some of the pitfalls and nuances of actually getting in. Talk to several counselors in many places. Getting admitted to a college can be quite a bit of legwork and may take multiple trips. Here are some basic steps.

Get Transcripts of High School Diploma or GED. Have not taken care of this yet? Some of the community colleges will help you. If not, get into a GED program now. Most want the transcripts mailed to them or handed to them in a sealed envelope to hamper forgery attempts.
Take whatever entrance test the institution requires, often ACT, SAT, or COMPASS. Do not let low scores discourage you. Most colleges offer remedial high school level courses to bring you up to speed. The degree will just take a bit longer. Alternatively, some places give automatic scholarships if you score well.
Talk to a counselor. The best time to go is off-peak. Try to go before the rush of admissions. Usually this is about a month or more before semesters. That way you will have plenty of time to chat with the counselor. Be sure to ask questions about available internships, programs, services, or other things that concern you.
Some programs have prerequisites and/or long wait lists and its own separate selection process. These are usually hot fields like Nursing or Allied Health.
Arrange Financing. If you have a trust fund, large sum of cash, or parents paying for this, you are golden. Most, however, will need help because college is VERY expensive. Check with the financial aid office to get either scholarships, grants, or loans. The college will not let you enroll unless it is sure it gets paid. Grants are usually based on your income or that of your parents and do not have to be repaid. Scholarships can be given for a variety of reasons from entrance test scores, to major, to race, etc. and also do not have to be repaid. Loans do have to be repaid. We will go into the specifics of loans later. Some colleges (Community Colleges in particular) will allow you to pay on a strict payment plan if you do not want to go into debt or can not get scholarships.
Arrange Dorm. If you plan to live on campus, this needs to be taken care of now as they tend to fill up quickly. For first time students, they usually put you in the same dorm. After your first year, you may have availability for other dorms or an honor's dorm depending on college. If it is any consequence, if you live on campus, they usually make you buy a meal ticket to use the cafeteria for the semester.
Register. After all the papers are in order you may have to stop by one more office and get officially in the system.
Pick Classes. If you are taking a trade or in certain special programs, your classes and schedule will be predetermined. If you are entering more traditionally, you will have to pick and schedule your classes. You will have a list from your counselor to go by. Most classes with the exception of night or summer classes are only on certain days. A typical set-up is Monday-Wednesday-Friday or Tuesday-Thursday. There will be a listing of times and instructors. The tough part is that many places will have 'advanced registration' where folks who attended the semester before will get first dibs on the best professors and time slots. As hard as it may be, if you are not a morning person, try not to schedule early moning classes. Many folks have lost thier scholarships and aid because they partied all night and skipped 8 AM Algebra!

College Level Examination Program

In the USA, many colleges grant credit or advanced standing for the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). This is a test that determines how much you already know on a topic and grants you college credit for it. It costs $70 but it shaves a lot of money off your tuition costs and time spent in class! You can take the test for free if you're active military, while veterans can apply for reimbursement (Ask at your local VA office).

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/about.html

Before going this route, be sure you know (or can get to know) the material on college level!

College Life

Once you're in, college is a different world. The authors have a bit of observations and advice that can be helpful.

Freshman Shock

For most students going directly from high school and their parents home in the suburbs straight to an out of state university campus experience a bit of culture shock and they freak out. Freaking out is OK and can be fun as long as you don't make any mistakes that you will regret. Be conservative when experimenting with drugs and partying in an environment where you no longer have parents to face in the morning. Experimenting with self control and motivation can also be a rewarding experience. It is important to remember to keep your grades at a minimum level in order that you do not lose scholarships, student aid, or even be placed on academic probation. We hate to see smart people forced back to junior college for a few terms so they can get their grades back up because of too much partying.

Singles and Dating

College has the highest concentration of single, unattached males and females likely to be encountered ever again in a lifetime. Old relationships and social structures that kept some from dating in high school are no longer relevant. Even those who may have had a reputation as being shy, geeky, or introverted reputation in high school may find attention of the opposite sex a bit more accessible, especially the ladies. This is all fine and good, but be cautious. Desires to make a new start with new people who have no idea about you combined with someone who may shower you with surprising attention and limitless booze can leave some vulnerable to embarrassing one-night stands and bad relationships. Most schools are crawling with guys with a life mission to play head games with young women just so they can get lots of easy sex for sport and social standing among their mates. It is okay to explore relationships but be mindful of safe sex and do not let the sex, drugs, and booze scene make you forget why you are there in the first place or screw you over with pregnancy before you are ready.

College Textbooks

The price of college textbooks has risen to outright extortion prices! Some blame backroom deals between college department heads of different universities making agreements to only use each other's books to rake in royalty checks. Some blame the publishers themselves or a combination of both. Nowadays, new editions come with CDs, workbooks, and all manner of things that the professors themselves never use all to justify a price that can go into the hundreds for just a book! New editions are even coming out more and more frequently to cut into the used book market even if the new edition contains only minor changes.

It has been suggested that all college material go towards more sensible and inexpensive dstribution schemes like .pdf files. But until Academia decides to quit ripping students off (which is unlikely), you may find yourself in need of saving some cash. Here's some ways to save money:

Find out if the professor actually uses the book. Some professors do not even use the book. Sometimes it may pay to wait till 2 or 3 classes to find out if this is the case before parting with money.
A great way to figure out if the professor uses a textbook is to check out http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ , students often will often write in the comments if the professor uses the book. It's also a great way to see which professor would be the best to use. Success in a class often depends on what kind of professor you have. You don't want to waste money on a class that you end up dropping out of or failing, because your professor is unable to properly communicate the subject matter.
Many Philosophy classes use public domain works.
Check E-bay and P2P sites.
Get someone elses copy and scan or photocopy it. Be careful if you use a copy shop or the college library as the staff sometimes gets adamantly against copying copyrighted material. Even if such material is way overpriced.
Get to know folks who are taking classes that you need in the future and make deals on thier books.
Keep contact information of classmates you meet who are in your same major, they may have taken the same class just a semester prior, and hence will have a good chance of having the correct edition for that class.
Many school libraries will have the textbook for reference. Plan ahead if you have homework, and you may be able to use the book before others do, and then you won't have to pay $200 for a book you can't even sell back to the bookstore because they are changing editions.
Many English and Humanities classes don't require the use of a real textbook, but a more common book, you may see if you can find the book at a local book store. Most book stores permit you to read the book in the store, but check with the staff just to be sure. You could just go in there when you need to read a few chapters, and even discreetly take notes.
Unless it's a major prerequisite class (such as math or English 101), start taking the class prior to buying the book. Most teachers will let you know if they are okay with students using older editions of a book.

Withdrawing Classes

If you find yourself hopelessly lost in the class with little chance of pulling out, it may be wise to drop that class. In some colleges, a 'W' does not count towards a grade, but double check with your college's grading system as some make a distinction between withdrawing while failing and withdrawing while passing. Do this early as most colleges also have a cut off for dropping classes. Also, do not drop enough classes that would change your status as a student from full-time to part-time as this can affect scholarships and aid.

On another note on this subject, if you must leave colege abruptly for some reason be sure to properly withdraw all your classes. Otherwise, all classes will recieve an 'F' which will make you have to work harder if you decide to return at a later time.

Fraternities and Sororities

For students with quite a bit of extra bit of money, there are organizations called fraternities and sororities. Each of these organizations are identified by combinations of Greek letters. Its also been accused of being a breeding program for the rich, as most of the time sorority girls tend to highly favor dating fraternity guys (but not always). At the start of each year, there is usually a membership "rush" for prospective members. After much hazing, torture, and forcing them to do absolutely crazy things, the ruling establishment of the organization makes choices as to who joins and who does not. Some of the wealthier college campuses can be up to 75% greek. On some campuses, Greek members get special privleges. (For example.. one college has no benches except that the Greeks put out, and no non-Greek can not sit on them!) Fraternity and Sorority members also can get to live in a special house which may or may not be on campus and invited to special parties.

These organizations also have purported advantages. They claim to offer a support network that extends even outside of college into the work world where managers may hire folks from the same club over those who are not. The fraternities and sororities also claim that there is a lower drop out rate amongst members.

Study

Important fields of study are philosophy, journalism, and global studies these and other soft liberal arts which are not designed to directly get you a job but rather to form your mind into a useful and dangerous tool. Economics and finance are key fields to master as the operation of the world is based upon their flow and power. History of regions and periods other than our own provide modeling to the behavior of those in power and how they appear to continually repeat themselves; knowing the conditions and outcomes of events can help you analyze the present. Psychology if not engaged too deeply is useful for helping determine the motivations of groups and individuals, strive to understand beyond the politicized theories and take the useful tools hidden within. Law classes or even better an intern with a lawyer who will help you understand modern (broken)legal theory is a must. However some of the topics taught in philosophy are a bunch of bullshit if looked at honestly. Studying music and theatre can be a great way to further the revolution, just like the great artists of history.

Travel

It is vitally important to experience large parts of your education not only out of state but outside of the United States. Europe is usually chosen by exchange students for fun tourism reasons although valuable lessons can be learned there, the Middle East, Latin America, Asia, and Africa all offer much diversity that is vital to understanding freedom and oppression and how to live under both. China especially is an important learning laboratory to view aspects of the future planned for the United States.

Many Colleges and even Community Colleges have deals set up to get credits at out of country institutions. This can get very expensive, though as you usually must pay your plane ticket and any incresed tuition. Most of these programs you also need great grades to be eligible.

Downsides of College Life

Do not be discouraged to find that some aspects of college hearken back to high school. The majority of the student body rejects enlightenment and will stay true to their programming as working drones in the world economic hive. Find others who are fighting for their freedom and help them break free from their left and right wing blinders. A word of caution, those who may at first appear to be radical and free in university can often be members of an old fossilized leftist orthodoxy unable and unwilling to change, these faculty and their entranced student followers, much like the College Republicans, are often dogmatic and unable to see or allow any point of view other than their party line. Avoid too much close contact with these groups as they have been known to cruelly attack those who stray from their one true path, but use them when you need bodies for demonstrations or actions. These people have long lost most of their burning urge for truth and now enjoy the power they have acquired and the safety of a university tenure. Many wonderful stories, tactics, and lessons can still be learned by a true freedom fighter from the words of these washed up former rebels.

Losing Revolutionary Thought

We have known very radical freshmen to become mellowed and conventional by the time their four years is over. We are talking about very direct action alternate lifestyle types. At some of the most liberal private leadership schools you will likely be taught the importance of working within the system. There can be merit in this for those who are seeking power inside the system, but we are here to break the broken system. Do not become a gelding to the system, subvert from inside if you like but be fearless and ruthless.

Alcohol/Tobacco/Drugs

Although in many (read: most) High Schools, Alcohol/Tobacco/Drugs is easy to get, however college is a paradise, full of drugs and booze.

Also, use the student health center as frequently as possible to score free shrink trips, and a bounty of prescriptions. Usually you're required to be covered by Mommy and Daddy's insurance or by a college health plan. Many colleges often have doctors that are paid off by the Medical Empire, so acquiring scripts for great drugs such as Adderall (legal amphetamines prescribed for ADD), Xanax, Ambien, and Ritalin are pretty easy. Just visit the prescription drug's website, find out what they prescribe them for, then come up with a good story. Hell, that's what Rush Limbaugh did! Once you have done this, you have a steady flow of pills to consume yourself or sell to others.

Money

The cliche of the "broke college student" is many times very accurate. But... there are ways to put change in your pocket with a bit of effort without a rich mom or dad.

Many colleges have work-study programs sponsored by the Federal Empire. You'll get paid federal minimum wage, but you're exempt from some taxes. The wait list for work study can be long, though.

Better would be to get a throwaway night and weekend job waiting tables, washing dishes, or whatever. Be warned that during school season, students hit these jobs up as well. Unless the college is in a major city with a great bus system and a large number of employers (or you have a car), many small college town businesses get saturated with hundreds of applications from broke students. Do not let your night job interfere with school, or you may only have your night job. Do this before the semester if possible. Get a Job has ideas about this.

Also, look at selling blood/plasma. Plasma is a lucrative business for short-term cash, ranging from $30-$50 per time depending on circumstances or the blood bank's need. Also, smoking grass after giving blood/plasma increases the high.

Be sure to check out our Free Money article. While the article is written mostly from a struggling wage slave, drifter, or down and out point of view, much of it can be used while in college.

Warning Some folks with a bank account and a bit of credit may get credit cards. While this is becoming less common to issue credit to full time students, it still can happen. Avoid living off of credit cards while in college. If student loans are not bad enough, imagine having more thousands racking up 20+ percent interest for four years of drunken bar hops while looking for work or not making as much as you thought after college! Unless of course, you choose to file bankruptcy and escape to another country afterwords...

Furniture

The pickings are good as a college student in terms of furniture. No longer will you have to rely on milk crates and boxes for your home decor, just wait until the end of the semester when yuppies move out of their apartments. You'd be surprised how fast a station wagon fills up with shelves, TV's, and fans just by passing by a dorm or student apartments.

Get Involved

If you are in college and you spend a lot of time in your housing...GET OUT! There are dozens, if not hundreds of student organizations on every campus, for every faith, political affiliation, and hobby out there. One of the most militant national student organizations is the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). There are hundreds of SDS chapters out there and the kids are ready for revolution. They hold a national convention every year where major decisions for the organization are made, though many chapters are forming local councils to coordinate actions in their city or region. You can find more about SDS at: http://www.studentsforademocraticsociety.org/

Also, note that it is very easy to provide an "alternative viewpoint" on campus radio stations. Probably 1/2 of Amerikan Universities have them. If yours doesn't, go to a campus nearby. Chances are, they have one and an empty shift at 2 am.

An advantage to doing the 2 am slots: You can speak freely about drug use and talk to the stoners and nerds that are awake at that hour, not to mention use words that you're really not supposed to say on-air. Also, these time slots are rarely monitored by any college higher-ups.

After College

So, you graduated. Or maybe you are licking your wounds from not quite making it due to life circumstances or just partying to much and losing your aid. Well, there's some things you need to know.

Student Loans

Remember that Student Loan? Now you have to deal with it.

Student loans are part of the perpetual debt slavery system in the United States. This obligation along with home, auto, and credit card debt make it impossible to step outside the system beyond short vacations for fear of losing one's job (and therefore, one's whole life and accumulated material wealth). Fear not, as the system stands even if you were to never pay another cent to these despicable rate changing and illegal penalty gouging student loan accumulation banks and funds who are guaranteed full repayment by the federal treasury for all unpaid loans. One of the most frightening aspects of unemployment and homelessness is that terrible student debt burden which threatens to forever force you down into an inescapable cesspool of poverty, learn how to put off the debt collector while you recover or even give him the finger and walk.

An excellent way to disavow your debt is to move to another country for around five years. The inconvenience of tracking down and litigating a defaulted loan over international borders is often too much work for these funds who can just as easily write them off and get federal reimbursement. After several years you can approach the banks through an experienced agent and offer a settlement at between ten and twenty to one ratios, or hope for inflation to reduce the actual weight of that debt. Student loans are not cleared by bankruptcy and will damage your ability to take on new debt in the corpgov system and may also get a judgment against part of your paycheck, so be sure you are also leaving behind substantial consumer debt when you default on the student loans, go big. Many of us when we went underground took with us great computers, camping gear, communications equipment, nice bicycles, even firearms financed with student loans which we walked away from, it is great fun to use the system to finance the fight against the system.

Stafford and Perkins loans, principal and interest payments may be deferred without interest accruing while the borrower is:

Attending school at least halftime.
Unemployed (up to three years).
Studying in an approved graduate fellowship or rehabilitation program for the disabled.
Experiencing economic hardship (up to three years).

Forbearance is a way to temporarily postpone or reduce payments for a set period of time. This typically takes place because the borrower is experiencing financial difficulty, but can occur for any of the following reasons:

Unemployment
Partial Disability
Other documented hardship

The borrower can receive federal student loan forbearance if he/she is ineligible for a deferment. Unlike deferment, it doesn't matter if these loans are subsidized or unsubsidized because interest still accrues, and the borrower is responsible for its repayment. The borrower's loan holder can grant forbearance in intervals of up to 12 months at a time and for up to 3 years. In order to enact federal student loan forbearance, it must be applied for through the loan servicer, and payments must still be made until forbearance has been granted.

It is worth looking into forgiveness programs where part or all of the debt is forgiven in exchange for taking a job that corpgov needs, think cop, teacher, or doctor in some weird place, AmeriCore, PeaceKorps, or the Marine Corpse. You could also look into long term deferment for disability, as always consult a good lawyer and see if it is possible to get the judge to void the debt, laws do change.

If you do default, there are some things the financial system can do to you.

Of course, as long as you owe student loans and are not either in forbearance or deferment, you can not get more student loans until this is paid off.
If a collection agency finds out your employment, they can garnish your paycheck.
Your credit can be damaged, making it harder to get decent terms on any loans and very hard to get credit cards.

Academic Probation

If you fail to keep grades up due to some reason, you may be placed on academic probation. This means either sitting out a semester or two or having to go to a community college. If the probation IS from a Community College, you are just sitting out.

Deciding to Get an Advanced Degree

If you decide to get a Master's or a Doctorate, you may need to apply at many places, not just the school you got your Bachelor's from. There are usually less classes in these programs, but it is offset by having to do a Master's Thesis or Doctoral Thesis which is like having to write a well-researched book in dry language. Expect to have to write and re-write this 'book' twenty or thirty times while being buried in an avalanche of long, boring academic studies and dry books using long words that PhDs write only for other PhDs. Some may also have to do special projects, research, or teach classes so the professor can take all the credit.

If you got Pell Grants for your undergraduate, they are not available for graduate studies. You either have to have a scholarship, take out a loan, or pay for this outright.

Get a Job

Of course, if school is over with, it may be time toGet a Job

7. Free Medical Care

1 First Aid
2 The Emergency Room
3 Free Clinics
4 Medical Tourism
5 Stretching, Massage, and Exercise
6 Old Vitamin Names
7 Eyes and Eye Glasses
8 Links and Further Reading
9 Free Condoms

First Aid

All activists must know how to handle a medical emergency, this is how to respond to trauma.

1. Assess the situation, is it safe? Will you just become another casualty which someone else will have to rescue? If it is safe activate emergency medical services, call the ambulance.
2. Can your patient communicate, what do you see as you approach to tell you what happened to your patient(s)
3. Is your patient breathing without difficulty, this is your first priority, a blocked or restricted airway and inability to breathe will kill your patient in a few minutes. If you have a stethoscope keep checking both sides of the chest for good equal lung sounds. If there is a hole in the patients chest skin cover with plastic taped on three sides so it is sealed but will let air trapped inside escape.
4. Is your patient's heart pumping, is the patient loosing large amounts of blood, you can fix a bleeder by applying direct pressure, move to arterial pressure points, and finally tourniquet using four inch or wider ace bandage, anything narrower will destroy the blood vessels and requite amputation. check for hardness in the abdomen, this can mean internal bleeding. If you know how and when indicated you might start a large bore IV in both arms and have fast drip sets and fluid ready to go.
5. You should be acting in a way that will not damage the patients spine or cause a disability, but a working airway, effective breathing and intact blood circulation take priority.
6. Splint and protect any injuries, if you suspect spinal damage you must immobilize the head neck and spine, duct taping the patients body head and legs to a board will work as well as what the paramedics use.
7. Use your own vehicle to go to the hospital or get your patient to an ambulance, serious trauma needs blood transfusion and surgery. Don't drive crazy and obey stop lights, there is no reason for everyone to die in a car wreck on the way to the hospital.
8. keep checking your patients awareness, pulse, breathing, and blood pressure you also need to keep checking the pulses and feeling in the hands and feet.
9. Head injury patients must be continually re-evaluated for their level of consciousness, equal dilated pupils, and blood pressure. Unconsciousness, unequal pupils or pupils unresponsive to light and increasing blood pressure are all indications of a bleed inside the skull which will begin to force the brainstem out the exit hole in the skull sized for the spinal cord killing your patient. Head injury patients need quick safe transport, a head CT scan, and a neurologist.
10. Gunshot wounds where there is no surgical assistance available and the patient is stable still require treatment. Sterile bandaging, a wide spectrum antibiotic, and powerful non-steroidal anti-inflammatory will help manage pain, swelling, and initial infection.
11. If a patient is trapped under something, either a limb or their entire body, and has been for over 15 minutes (UK First Aid Guidelines), DO NOT release the pressure, as this can cause Crush Syndrome, in which decayed cells (From the cut-off of circulation) are released back into the blood stream causing renal failure and death. Even if it has been less than 15 minutes and the patient complains of severe numbness, or you notice serious colour change in the wound, call an ambulance. In an emergency, you will need to put a tourniquet on the wound, and treat with dextran 4000 iu.

Before anything else, get First Aid training. Check the local schools or ask at the local Fire Department as to where you can get First Aid training. Many places will give you extensive training at a low cost, if not free.

The Emergency Room

Until we find out what is going to happen with the BigMed changes that Obama has pushed through taking effect in 2011 which includes fines for all those who have no insurance, the emergency room is the first place most folks go that do not have insurance or cash up front.

If you have an injury or illness requiring immediate care, do not let yourself be afraid of the hospital. Unlike a private physician's offices or dentists, the hospital cannot turn you away for emergency treatment because of lack of cash or insurance. They must discharge you in stable condition or if you are not, find long term care if the condition that brought you to the hospital leaves you permanently disabled.

Be honest and upfront about your situation. Do not expect miracles if the condition is not life threatening. Some hospitals do take charity with the appropriate documents, but expect a large bill from most. This can either end up in collection or written off eventually. You do not have to give your real name, but if the condition is serious they will push for your real name to get any old medical records. Thanks to HIPAA, they will not put your real name on your door or even admit you are there if you are concerned about non-pigs finding you if you are admitted and state this concern up front.

Be honest with the staff on any drug you are currently on as drugs can mix in very bad ways. Do not expect an over abundance of pain pills unless you are seriously messed up if you say you are taking addictive illegal drugs.

The ER never talks to the cops except in cases of suspected domestic violence, child abuse, gunshot wounds, you were hauled in the ER by the cops, or they have to call the cops.

Tell them about any allergies or conditions like diabetes as they can inadvertently mess you up if they do not know.

Also, if you want to leave a hospital, they cannot stop you.(unless a doctor believes you would be a danger to yourself or others. For example: suicide) Just tell them you are leaving first. If you are restrained for being violent or being put on a ventilator, they must loosen the restraints every two hours and check on you every 15 minutes. A doctor must also reevaluate you within 24 hours and this is never to be used as punishment. There must also be criteria for restraint removal in writing discussed with either yourself or a family/ friend if you can not make decisions.

Try not to go to the Emergency Room for simple things like fevers under 101 F, minor cuts, non allergic stings, or simple boils. Most often, all they are going to do is make you wait hours, give you a prescription for a med, and give you a sheet telling you you need a private physician.

ER staff hates those who come in acting like jerks, obviously looking for street value drugs, or coming in with things that can be treated at home.

ER cabinets usually only contain bandages, alcohol pads, cotton swabs, etc. The real drugs are stored in two places. It is usually in a computer password activated safe in a watched and video taped room. All drugs are counted once a shift with carefully logged. The more valuable medicine must be witnessed if all of it is not used. The 'quick use' medicine for life saving is usually kept on what they call a 'crash cart'. The carts have breakable plastic seals on them to let it known if they are used and are tracked as well. On top is an AED (the heart shocker you see on medical dramas).

The wasted drugs from old needles, ect. Ends up being squirted in the trash or put in a red bio hazard 'sharps' container. There have been stories of junkie medical staff digging through these, but it is a huge health issue and quite disgusting. Not only are they locked with a small key, it can have all manner of disease as well as some drug. Get help if you feel the need to stoop that low.

The ER typically does not give meals outside of snacks and a drink for folks with low blood sugar. You will need to be admitted to the hospital for this.

Free Clinics

There are some free clinics depending on the area. The only drawback is that many times they only take you if you can prove you have very little or no income. Many also require you have a letter of referral from a social worker or welfare worker. Some are not really free, but are based on income. Be sure to check around to see if one of these in in your area.

Cities usually have free clinics for a variety of special ailments. Tuberculosis Clinics, Venereal Disease Clinics, and Free Shot Clinics (yellow fever, polio, tetanus, etc.) are some of the more common. A directory of these clinics and other free health services the local community provides can be obtained by writing your Chamber of Commerce or local Health Department.

Most universities have clinics connected with their dental, optometry or other specialized medical schools. If not for free, then certainly for very low rates, you can get dental work repaired, eyeglasses fitted and treatment of other specific health needs. This is probably not a good idea for emergencies, though. Wait lists tend to be long, and they only accept new patients certain times of the year. They also tend to take their own sweet time getting around to treatments, and if you cancel even one appointment will drop you from the program.

Free psychiatric treatment and counseling (marriage and individual) can often be gotten at some out-patient clinics and some religious organizations . Actual admission into a mental hospital is a bit harder and a real bummer. Use them as a last resort only. Some cities have a suicide prevention center and if you are desperate and need help, call them. Your best choice in a psychiatric emergency is to go to a large general hospital, find the emergency unit and ask to see the psychiatrist on duty. Expect to be stuck in an emergency room with a large Mental Health Tech orderly standing over you for hours or days until they find a bed for you and a legally binding doctor's order preventing you from leaving even if you change your mind hours later! It is not free, either. The hospital and the behavioral health unit is going to bill you thousands. See Detox and Rehab Programs for a good write up as Psychiatric units are many times lumped in with these places.

Medical Tourism

If you have some cash and need real treatment but do not have insurance or the many thousands needed for a procedure, you may consider getting it out of the country. Do some research, set up your treatments, and take a trip to Mexico, Thailand, or other countries that have made a reputation for cheap, good quality care. Mexico has a private payment health system designed around cash payment which varies between current US care levels to that of 20-30 years ago. The doctors, dentists, and nurses are caring and professional and the big equipment is quality stuff and may be purchased used from a US or Canadian clinic. Caveat Emptor, buyer beware, research your doctor, clinic, or hospital online before going as there is less regulation in Mexico.

Stretching, Massage, and Exercise

Of course, the most free of all medical care is proper and regular exercise along with stretching! One doctor in a recent book wrote that if there is one thing he wished was in pill form he could prescribe, it would be this. Indeed, most ailments can be prevented through a proper exercise routine and most BigMed prescriptions are sold as bandaids around folks that will not or can not exercise.

Many lower back problems and knee pains can be greatly reduced or eliminated with proper stretching and calisthenics in the morning. Most important in calisthenics is sit=up crunches which build the abdominal muscles supporting the lower back. Hamstring muscle stretches where you slowly touch your toes when standing and calf muscle stretches where assume the lunge position will reduce many back and knee problems. Stretching the trapezius muscles of your upper back and neck by arm cross overs will help with upper back strain.

Try looking for Yoga books in the library. With a little practice, many of the poses stretch out a lot of daily stress. Reclining Hero works the fronts of the thighs and Downward-Facing Dog is a favorite for the backs of the legs.

Check these pages for what these poses look like:

Reclining Hero: http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/790
Downward Facing Dog: http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/491

While it will not necessarily cure any diseases or injuries, learning the science and art of massage is a good way to keep your friends in good health, especially considering the places we sometimes have to sleep. Olive oil is good massage oil, you can heat it with scented herbs for aromatheraputic properties then filter and place in a squirt bottle. You will quickly be able to feel the tensed muscle fibers that need to be worked, some people need a hard massage others require a more gentle touch. Practice makes perfect. It is nice to teach the art so you can trade off with your friends.

Old Vitamin Names

You may come across old medical books or even cookbooks that list several Vitamins that you can't find in stores. This is mainly because some vitamins were either reassigned as B Vitamins or proven not to be vitamins at all. Here is a list of the old vitamins and what they're called now:

Vitamin B4 (Adenine)
Vitamin B8 (Adenylic acid)
Vitamin F (Essential fatty acids)
Vitamin G (Vitamin B12 or Riboflavin)
Vitamin H (Vitamin B7 or Biotin)
Vitamin J (Catechol or Flavin)
Vitamin L1 (Anthranilic acid)
Vitamin L2 (Adenylthiomethylpentose)
Vitamin M (Vitamin B9 or Folic acid)
Vitamin O (Carnitine)
Vitamin P (Flavonoids)

Vitamin PP (Vitamin B3 or Niacin)
Vitamin U (S-Methylmethionine)

Eyes and Eye Glasses

For many of us, squinting will not help when trying to see. Many of the discount stores will sell non-prescription reading glasses (often called "cheaters"), which are good if one just needs improved vision for reading, but they're not good for seeing from a distance. In a pinch, you can make "pinhole" lenses using stiff cardboard or an index card and punching holes with a pin to see through. There are dealers on-line who offer to sell pinhole glasses (also called "stenopeic" or "aerobic" glasses) that have opaque black "lenses" with dozens of little holes in them. However, they have two major drawbacks; They only work well in bright light and can limit peripheral vision, making them unsafe for such things as driving or operating machinery. Also, the claims that they will make your vision improve are questioned by many in the medical field. They can also make you look like some sort of mad scientist (unless you wear the ones that are made to look like sunglasses).

If you can get an eye exam for your prescription, or know what your prescription is, there are three on-line discount eyeglass dealers:

There is also a fraternal organization called the Lion's Club that has chapters empire-wide. This club recycles used eyeglasses and donates them to those that cannot afford to buy them. Getting help from them is up to each individual clubs rules as some only deal with the elderly.

http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/our-work/sight-programs/assistance-requests.php

The following organizations might help you with eye care either at reduced costs or for free:

EyeCare America (Public service program of the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology)
1-800-222-EYES (3937) - http://eyecareamerica.org/
Knights Templar Eye Foundation
1-847-490-3838 -http://www.knightstemplar.org/ktef
Mission Cataract USA (Public service program of the Volunteer Eye Surgeons' Association)
http://missioncataractusa.org
Vision USA (Public service program of the American Optometric Association)
1-800-766-4466 -http://aoa.org/x5607.xml

Links and Further Reading

You can really take control of your own health care. It is your responsibility to study and research when you have a personal medical disorder. The doctor has only so much time to spend with a patient.

The first step you can take if you've been diagnosed with something is to go to wikipedia and search it. You can learn about psychological and psychiatric disorders with a copy of the DSM-IV TR (latest version as of 2010) which may be purchased or liberated from a bookstore, or possibly torrented as an ebook.

Some tools to help you are the book Where There is No Doctor by the Hesperian Society. It uses simple language to explain treatment of most common injuries and disease. The Merck Manual of Medical Information is the CorpGov standard reference book for medical treatment and is available in most large book stores and on-line; ask in a doctors office for their last years copy. You will have symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment at your fingertips for most common medical problems. Merck also offers a number of other medical books on-line for free.

The Merck Manual of Medical Information - Home Edition:http://www.merck.com/mmhe/index.html

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy:http://www.merck.com/mmpe/index.html

The Merck Manual of Health & Aging:http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual_ha/contents.html

The Merck Manual of Geriatrics: http://www.merck.com/mkgr/mmg/home.jsp

The Merck Veterinary Manual: http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp

Ignorance is no excuse in the eyes of medicine. Download and print these books from the Hesperian Society:

Where There Is No Doctor: http://www.hesperian.org/publications_download.php#wtnd

Where There Is No Dentist: http://www.hesperian.org/publications_download_dentist.php

Where Women Have No Doctor: http://www.hesperian.org/publications_download.php#wwhnd

A Book For Midwives:http://www.hesperian.org/publications_download.php#midwives

You can buy paperback copies of these books as well. If the main site is down we host a copy at Hacker Labs but it may end up out of date trust the copy at http://www.hesperian.org first as they request. Link http://www.hackerlabs.net/downloads/stw/PDFs/Where%20There%20is%20No%20Doctor.tar.bz2 unzip with 7zip or similar program.

The Borden Institute, an agency of the US Army Medical Department Center & School, keeps a database of Military Medical Textbooks for free download, including such titles as Emergency War Surgery and Military Preventive Medicine: Mobilization and Deployment, Volumes 1 & 2:

Most of the equipment and medications can be obtained over the internet. If you want to stock antibiotics and medications the best way to buy them is to find a veterinary supply who will sell you standard human antibiotics and explain them as for use on fish. There is no difference in the meds except you do not need permission from a doctor to treat your illness. Oral antibiotic use is safer compared to intravenous antibiotics with rash and allergy being the most common side affect of the oral antibiotics, contact a doctor and have Benadryl ready if this happens. Yogurt and probiotics are a must if on antibiotics to keep your body from being totally stripped of its microscopic defenders and helpers.

An EMT course which takes about one term is a valuable course to take, yet time in the field as a medical volunteer will teach you even more. You will be better prepared to treat protesters as a medic and you will be much more educated about your own body.

If you prefer more natural care there are plenty of remedies that you can make for yourself with common plants, many practitioners give free classes on natural health care to gain patients.

US Health Resources and Services Administration:http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/

Find a government run health clinic that will see you for free or reduced cost.

Unite For Sight Free Clinics: http://www.uniteforsight.org/freeclinics.php

Find a free eye care clinic in your area.

Planned Parenthood Locator: http://www.plannedparenthood.org

Find a Planned Parenthood Health Center near you.

List of Hotline Numbers:http://www.coolnurse.com/hotline.htm

A list of 1-800 numbers that you can call for many situations you may face.

Find a Covenant House (Homeless & runaway youth): http://www.covenanthouse.org

A free physical if you decide to check in. You can also call their "Nine Line": 1-800-999-9999

Free Medical Campshttp://www.freemedicalcamps.com

Information on free medical and dental clinics in the USA.

Check the phone book or at the local library for Dental Schools. Ask if they will allow you to volunteer as a subject in exchange discounted (maybe even free?) dental care. You will have to fill out a legal disclaimer.

Free Condoms

If you live near a university, go to the health services office and ask for some condoms. Also worth noting: many universities have 1-800 numbers (nurse lines) for their students to use to get medical advice. Find the number for the university near you and call it if need be. Also planned parenthood gives out condoms.

This page was last modified on 7 September 2011, at 16:01.

Content is available under GNU Free Documentation License 1.2.

The Free Pharmacy

Last updated: 8 July 2011

The pharmacist and the doctor have a good gig making money selling folks cures. Often, for minor stuff, you end up paying the doctor 100 USD or more to tell you that you are messed up and then sent to the drug store to buy something that you could have originally picked up yourself. However, for many minor illnesses and injuries, you can take care of yourself and others right out of your pad! Of course, this is no substitute if things go really wrong. You still need those guys for the serious stuff. However, with a fully stocked cabinet and a little bit of know-how, you can be the go-to person whenever someone needs help. You may even already have many of these items in your pad!

1 Common Household
2 Herbal
3 Over the Counter
4 Recycled BigMed Prescriptions
5 Write Like a Doctor or Nurse

Common Household

Many common household items also have uses in medicine.

Vinegar is a Miracle Drug, and it is one of the cheapest things in the grocery store. Rubbed into your underarms and pubes it slows the growth of bacteria that make you smell all funky -- you can use it to have at least a cleanish day if you're not carrying any deodorant. Rubbed on your face it is very effective against acne. It can also be used to treat all sorts of skin infections, from crotch rot to athletes' foot. Warm vinegar water is a good soak for skin infections, but if your skin is tender from an advanced infection, it will sting like fire, so fold a bandanna or washcloth, wet it good with water, and put a small sprinkle of vinegar on it, and gently pat yourself down if your skin is red and tender. Sluice down your feet with it and rub the vinegar in hard between your toes if you have, or even might get, Athletes' Foot. It works in about three good applications over a couple of days, on even advanced infections, much faster than drugstore creams. If your skin is cracked and bleeding, though, you're screwed and you need the drugstore creams or even medical assistance. Vinegar is a powerful food acid, and will sting the living shit out of raw, tender skin, so test out a goodly dab on you first to see how bad off you are before your screams echo in the bathroom, or behind the church, or wherever....
Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is a good wet or dry deodorant for the crotch and armpits. It is also easy on the skin. Baking soda is also a toothpaste powder, mouthwash and a quick effective antacid. Add to your wash bucket with the soap to deodorize your clothes and bedding. Just don't try to combine baking soda with vinegar. They produce a great deal of foamy bubbles when mixed.
Rubbing alcohol can be used for cleaning out wounds and cuts if you don't have iodine solution but it burns like hell and is not as effective. It can bring relief from a cold or fever when rubbed down after a bath. Just remember that it is a combustible liquid, and has been denatured to keep people from drinking it (You WILL get violently sick if you do!) and you can use it as fuel if you make a soft drink can stove.
Witch Hazel is an excellent (and cheap!) astringent, and is good for stopping up shaving cuts and reducing hemorrhoids.
Zinc Oxide can be used to make a sunblock cream like old school lifeguards would wear on their nose. Oil of cloves is good to numb a sore tooth. Mix oil of clove and zinc oxide into a clay, stuff it into a dry lost filling cavity, then bite down on a cotton ball for a half hour to make a well fitted temporary filling good for up to six months.
Charcoal. We are not talking about the commercial nuggets you buy in stores, most charcoal in stores has chemicals added to it to help it burn. We are talking about burning a slice of bread to cinders on a stove top (wait until there are no more orange flames coming from it). Both can either be chewed (when cool) and swallowed or crushed and mixed into a glass of water and drunk (gritty but quick). The charcoal absorbs the toxins from an intestinal infection giving your bowels a rest.

Taking charcoal when you have diarrhea is the answer, in addition to drinking clean or purified water and light soup, for returning to health. Be careful not to take anti-diarrhea medications unless you have a very mild case. The idea is to let your body eliminate the bad stuff inside you instead of hardening it up and leaving it in you to keep you sick.

Acidophilus. If you have a fungal infection on any part of your body give acidophilus a shot before seeing a doctor. It works wonders by displacing the fungal organisms and then staying to defend their new territory. Acidophilus is either available from health stores as a powder in a capsule which is either eaten or broken open and applied wet or in active culture yogurt which can be rubbed onto to unbroken skin.
Salt. While Epsom salts are best even regular table salt and very warm (not burn yourself hot) water is a great way to soak out an infection or stiff joint or muscle. For a hand or foot just use a bucket and add salt until a drop tastes very salty.
Hydrogen Peroxide. Excellent first aid antiseptic. Dilute it with equal parts water, and it's a very strong mouth rinse. (Just do NOT swallow it!).

If you need to soak your body and have no bathtub get the smallest kids inflatable pool you can find or a wash tub, place it on an insulating layer of cardboard or sleeping mats, inside a tent if it is winter. Add a gallon or two of cold water to protect the pool and boil up a gallon or two in a metal bucket over a camp stove or hotplate (you might need to wrap the outside of the bucket with many wraps of foil and cardboard and make some kind of lid so it will hold it's heat) add cold water to the pool until water is cooled to the hottest you can safely stand then add salt. Have a friend heating more water to keep your soak warm.

Herbal

Herbs have been used by medicine men and women since ancient times. If you know about plant identification, you could even go out in the woods and harvest some of these herbs. The more common plants, you can even grow yourself if you have a green thumb.

However, hospitals and medical staff shy away from herbs for good reason. Many herbs have widely varying strength. Some herbs may have no effect and others can be very dangerous if they interact badly with other herbs or drugs or are given in the wrong quantity.

Aloe Vera EVERYBODY should grow this plant in their pad or backyard. Get one now. Aloe Vera is an active ingredient in many over the counter and prescription skin ointments and skin products. Why pay for this when you can have it for free? Even folks with no green thumb will find it easy to grow and near impossible to kill.

The leaves from the Aloe Vera plant, if broke open, contains a ready to use salve that can be a godsend for burns, minor cuts, and skin conditions. Even a novice can grow it.

Plantago Also known as Plaintain(but not the same plant as the one that bears fruit). It's a small common weed that grows on every continent which can be identified by it's broad fibrous leaves. There's medical evidence that it can be used as an anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory. Grind up it's leaves with a little water and put it on small wounds. Alternatively you can chew up the leaves and put it on wounds. The seeds contain a chemical very similar to that which is contained in many commercial laxatives. Eating them should give a desirable laxative effect.
Diarrhea - Drink tea made from the roots of blackberries and their relatives to stop diarrhea. White oak bark and other barks containing tannin are also effective. However, use them with caution when nothing else is available because of possible negative effects on the kidneys. You can also stop diarrhea by eating white clay or campfire ashes. Tea made from cowberry or cranberry or hazel leaves works too.
Antihemorrhagics - Make medications to stop bleeding from a poultice of the puffball mushroom, from plantain leaves, or most effectively from the leaves of the common yarrow or woundwort (Achillea millefolium).
Antiseptics - Use to cleanse wounds, sores, or rashes. You can make them from the expressed juice from wild onion or garlic, or expressed juice from chickweed leaves or the crushed leaves of dock. You can also make antiseptics from a decoction of burdock root, mallow leaves or roots, or white oak bark. All these medications are for external use only.
Fevers - Treat a fever with a tea made from willow bark, an infusion of elder flowers or fruit, linden flower tea, or elm bark decoction.
Colds and sore throats - Treat these illnesses with a decoction made from either plantain leaves or willow bark. You can also use a tea made from burdock roots, mallow or mullein flowers or roots, or mint leaves.
Aches, pains, and sprains - Treat with externally applied poultices of dock, plantain, chickweed, willow bark, garlic, or sorrel. You can also use salves made by mixing the expressed juices of these plants in animal fat or vegetable oils.
Itching - Relieve the itch from insect bites, sunburn, or plant poisoning rashes by applying a poultice of jewelweed (Impatiens biflora) or witch hazel leaves (Hamamelis virginiana). The jewelweed juice will help when applied to poison ivy rashes or insect stings. It works on sunburn as well as aloe vera.
Sedatives - Get help in falling asleep by brewing a tea made from mint leaves or passionflower leaves.
Hemorrhoids - Treat them with external washes from elm bark or oak bark tea, from the expressed juice of plantain leaves, or from a Solomon's seal root decoction.
Constipation - Relieve constipation by drinking decoctions from dandelion leaves, rose hips, or walnut bark. Eating raw daylily flowers will also help.
Worms or intestinal parasites - Using moderation, treat with tea made from tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) or from wild carrot leaves.
Gas and cramps - Use a tea made from carrot seeds as an antiflatulent; use tea made from mint leaves to settle the stomach. Fresh parsley eaten raw is good for a quick antacid, but be sure to eat the stems too. They have the most juice.
Antifungal washes - Make a decoction of walnut leaves or oak bark or acorns to treat ringworm and athlete's foot. Apply frequently to the site, alternating with exposure to direct sunlight.

You can download the US Army Survival Manual here:

http://www.humboldt.edu/~hsusnc/FM%2021-76%20US%20ARMY%20SURVIVAL%20MANUAL.pdf

Over the Counter

Not all over the counter medicines are evil. In fact, a very few are worth keeping around.

Aspirin. Aspirin is a low strength pain killer and blood thinner. It can take away light pains and some smaller headaches. Recently, scientific studies have shown that a baby aspirin a day can prevent heart attacks and strokes and may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. It does have one nasty side effect: it can upset some stomachs if too much is taken.
BC Powders/ Goodies. These awful tasting aspirin powder cocktails react fast and can kill most hangovers, headaches, and medium level aches pains very quickly. Be sure to have a soda or other beverage to chase it with! If the rancid taste can be handled, you will swear by this product.
Diphenhydramine. Sold as Benadryl in the USA. It's both an antihistamine and a mild sedative; useful for allergic reactions and insomnia. One of the few OTC drugs that have a noticeable effect. Also comes in the form of a cream which can be used to treat rashes and bug bites. The liquid from the gel cap form can be used as a very mild local anesthetic.
Drawing salve. This is an ointment that can help extract things from your skin like splinters, acne, boils, ingrown hair and toenails, insect stingers or even small infections. Often sold under the generic names Ammonium Bituminosulfonate, Ichthyol or (more commonly) Ichthammol.
Naproxen. This goes by the brand name Alleve in the USA. It is not as bad on the liver as Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and nowhere near as bad on the stomach as aspirin.
Neosporin (bactracin). Your grandmother is correct. This is a miracle ointment. It kills bacteria, has a mild pain reliever, and keeps wounds moist under bandages. Use this on most minor cuts.

Any other product like cough medicine and other situational stuff is probably not worth keeping around. Most healthy folks do not get sick very often, and most of these medicines have a limited shelf life when opened.

Recycled BigMed Prescriptions

Contrary to what doctors tell folks, it is usually okay to take other folks prescriptions or let someone who is hurt or sick take one of yours. The reason they give this advice is because most non-medical people are not well researched on allergies, drug interactions, side effects, and doses. Some pharmacy meds are also extremely addictive, particularly pain medications. However, if you can manage to acquire some of the more popular and useful prescriptions, it may pay to have around for emergency use.

Big Med prescriptions have three names: a brand/trade name, a generic name, and an actual chemical name. In our descriptions, we will stick to actual chemical names and easily recognizable trade names.

Get this book! If you are dealing with any prescriptions, you will be glad you have it. It is updated once a year and has pictures of each pill, side effect information, bad interaction information, and pregnancy precations.

Antibiotics. Usually, the patient wants to take all of this that is prescribed. The reason is that many bacteria will evolve into a more resistant strain if it is not all killed off. MRSA is an example of such a mutation. Hoarding and too widespread use of antibiotics during the 1990s created a monster flesh eating form of staph that only IV antibiotics like vancomycin have any effect on. However, sometimes a good amount can be left over occasionally. Keep these around in case someone gets infected. Common antibiotics include Penicillin, Amoxycillin and E-Mycin (Erythromycin). When you get prescribed antibiotics, you may be able to ask for a second prescription, if say, there's a chance of infection occurring immediately after the treatment is over.
Narcotic pain medicines. The average stoner may be tempted to ingest these to get high, but we suggest you save them for a time when you have a bad tooth ache and the dentist wants to rape you for cash! Most pain meds have actual street value. Be sure if you are sitting on these that you take measures to prevent visitors from going through your medicine cabinet to "relieve" you of this. Females may be able to get a Tramadol prescription by bitching about their cramps and asking about muscle relaxants.
Sleep aids. If you occasionally have a restless night or have a partner who does and Melatonin tablets will just not do, many prescription sleep medications can be good to have. Just be careful you or the person you give this to do not become dependent on this. Be careful of sleep medication side effects, too. Sleep medicines include Zolpidem (Ambien), eszopiclone (Lunesta). Anti-anxiety meds like Clonazepam (Klonopin), Lorazepam (Ativan), Alprazolam (Xanax) and many others are sometimes used to help insomnia, as well. The same warning that applies to narcotic pain medicines apply to the anti-anxiety meds sometimes also used for sleep and relaxation. They have cash street value and can be stolen from you. Keep these meds safe. Be careful with Ambien because in some folks it creates a delusional, dementia filled night of no sleep and living hell.
Stimulants. Given to those who "have" ADHD/ADD to increase dopamine levels. It's usually not hard to find some adderall(mixed amphetamines), vyvanse(lisdexamfetamine), strattera (atomoxetine) or similar. These have value in an emergency kit as they can keep you up for days on end far better than caffeine. There is a risk of addiction and withdrawal with their use, but they store well enough and can be of use in a first aid kit.

Write Like a Doctor or Nurse

Yes, you too can set up your own herbal practice or write orders for your brothers and sisters like a doctor. Or just be able to decipher the gibberish on a prescription. Or you can memorize these tables to help you out through the first few classes of any allied health course. Below is a list of abbreviations used in prescriptions and medical charting. We have left out some of the more nursing specific terms like BSC for bedside commode and Pt. for patient. It is a bit overwhelming at first, but all medical staff knows all these by heart. Sadly, many of these will be lost forever in a few years as healthcare is in the middle of a push towards all computerized charting after lagging behind business and government for a decade.

Example chart/ prescription orders:

Ativan Xmg tab po prn = take ativan (x mg tablet) by mouth as needed.

A DSG qod = change dressing every other day.

BS q4hr - take blood sugar reading every 4 hours.

A note on forging prescriptions

Just remember, it is a misdemeanor to forge prescriptions and in some cases, a felony to impersonate a doctor or nurse. The old fashioned prescription tablet, though not completely dead, is gradually giving way to computer charting and shared databases between doctors and the drug stores. Most of the time, all you need to do is tell the doctor where you want the prescription filled, and it is automatically sent there. Even in cases where the old tablet method is still used, the pharmacist will AUTOMATICALLY call the doctor if there are any strange large orders for street value medicine. Addict folks that tend to like nasty BigMed offerings usually just seek out quack doctors rather than risk fines and imprisonment.

Partial list of prescription abbreviations
Abbreviation	Latin	Meaning
A	(delta sign)	change
aa	ana	of each
ad	ad	up to
a.c.	ante cibum	before meals
a.d.	auris dextra	right ear
Ad lib	ad libitum	use as much as one desires; freely
admov.	admove	apply
agit	agita	stir/shake
alt. h.	alternis horis	every other hour
a.m.	ante meridiem	morning, before noon
amp	ampule
amt	amount
aq	aqua	water
a.l., a.s.	auris laeva, auris sinistra	left ear
A.T.C.	around the clock
a.u.	auris utraque	both ears
bis	bis	twice
b.d./b.i.d.	bis in die	twice daily
B.M.	bowel movement
bol.	bolus	as a large single dose (usually intravenously)
B.S.	blood sugar
B.S.A	body surface areas
BUCC	bucca	inside cheek
cap., caps.	capsula	capsule
c, c.	cum	with (usually written with a bar on top of the "c")
cib.	cibus	food
cc	cum cibo	with food, (but also cubic centimetre)
cf	with food
comp.	compound
cr., crm	cream
CST 1 1	1 1	Continue same treatment 1 1

D5W | The Free Pharmacy - Steal This Wiki |

dextrose 5% solution (sometimes written as D5W)
D5NS	dextrose 5% in normal saline (0.9%)
D.A.W.	dispense as written (i.e., no generic substitution)
dc, D/C, disc	discontinue
dieb. alt.	diebus alternis	every other day
dil.	dilute
disp.	dispersible or dispense
div.	divide
d.t.d.	dentur tales doses	give of such doses
D.W.	distilled water
elix.	elixir
e.m.p.	ex modo prescripto	as directed
emuls.	emulsum	emulsion
et	et	and
eod	every other day
ex aq	ex aqua	in water
fl., fld.	fluid
ft.	fiat	make; let it be made
g	gram
gr	grain
g^tt(s)	gutta(e)	drop(s)
H	hypodermic
h, hr	hora	hour
h.s.	hora somni	at bedtime
ID	intradermal
IM	intramuscular (with respect to injections)
inj.	injectio	injection
IP	intraperitoneal
IV	intravenous
IVP	intravenous push
IVPB	intravenous piggyback
L.A.S.	label as such
LCD	coal tar, coal tar solution
lin	linimentum	liniment
liq	liquor	solution
lot.	lotion
mane	mane	in the morning
M.	misce	mix
m, min	minimum	a minimum
mcg	microgram

11/28/21,7:59 PM m.d.u.	The Free Pharmacy - Steal This Wiki
more dicto utendus	to be used as directed
mEq	milliequivalent
mg	milligram
mist.	mistura	mix
mitte	mitte	send
mL	millilitre
nebul	nebula	a spray
N.M.T.	not more than
noct.	nocte	at night
non rep.	non repetatur	no repeats
NS	normal saline (0.9%)
1/2NS	half normal saline (0.45%)
N.T.E.	not to exceed
o_2	both eyes, sometimes written as o2
o.d.	oculus dexter	right eye
o.p.d.	once per day
o.s.	oculus sinister	left eye
o.u.	oculus uterque	both eyes
oz	ounce
per	per	by or through
p.c.	post cibum	after meals
pig./pigm.	pigmentum	paint
p.m.	post meridiem	evening or afternoon
PRN, pm	pro re nata	as needed
p.o.	per os	by mouth or orally
p.r.	by rectum
pulv.	pulvis	powder
PV	per vaginam	via the vagina
q	quaque	every
q.a.d.	quoque alternis die	every other day
q.a.m.	quaque die ante meridiem	every day before noon
q.d.s.	quater die sumendus	four times a day
q.p.m.	quaque die post meridiem	every day after noon
q.h.	quaque hora	every hour
q.h.s.	quaque hora somni	every night at bedtime
q.1h, q.1°	quaque 1 hora	every 1 hour; (can replace "1" with other numbers)
q.d.	quaque die	every day
q.i.d.	quater in die	four times a day
q.o.d.	every other day
qqh	quater quaque hora	every four hours

11/28/21,7:59 PM	The Free Pharmacy - Steal This Wiki
q.s.	quantum sufficiat	a sufficient quantity
QWK	every week
R	rectal
rep., rept.	repetatur	repeats
RL, R/L

Ringer's lactate |

s	sine	without (usually written with a bar on top of the "s")
s.a.	secundum artum	use your judgement
SC, subc, subcut, subq, SQ	subcutaneous
sig	write on label
SL	sublingually, under the tongue
sol	solutio	solution
s.o.s., si op. sit	si opus sit	if there is a need
ss	semis	one half
stat	statim	immediately
supp	suppositorium	anal suppository
susp	suspension
syr	syrupus	syrup
tab	tabella	tablet
tal., t	talus	such
tbsp	tablespoon
troche	trochiscus	lozenge
tsp	teaspoon
t.i.d.	ter in die	three times a day
t.d.s.	ter die sumendum	three times a day
t.i.w.	three times a week
top.	topical
T.P.N.	total parenteral nutrition
tr, tinc., tinct.	tincture
u.d., ut. dict.	ut dictum	as directed
ung.	unguentum	ointment
U.S.P.

United States Pharmacopoeia |

vag	vaginally
w	with
wf	with food (with meals)
w/o	without
X	times
Y.O.	years old

Infections

Last updated: 8 July 2011

If cleanliness is not adhered to, infection can set in. It is not a pretty sight. Bacteria, fungi, and all manner of critters feed on human flesh. Your skin protects you from most of this. But.. a simple cut, non-sterile techniques when using bandages, and even plain bad luck can mean a bit of inconvenience and trouble!

1 Infections
1.1 Prevent Infection
1.2 Antibiotics
1.3 Urinary Tract and Bladder Infections
1.4 Boils and Abscesses
1.5 Tooth Abscesses
1.5.1 Brush Your Teeth
1.5.1.1 DIY Toothpaste
1.5.1.2 DIY Oral Rinse
1.5.2 Dental Schools
2 Fungal Infections
3 Digestive System Bacterial Infections
3.1 Clostridium difficile
3.2 E. Coli
3.3 Salmonella
3.4 Treatment

Infections

If the infection is making you feel sick, go to a clinic or emergency room! If there is a red streak going up your arm or leg or the lymph nodes swell up when you have an infected wound this is a sign of an advanced infection again get help! Some infections require intravenous antibiotics pills are not enough and to not get them may kill you once the infection gets systemic in your blood.

Prevent Infection

Washing Hands frequently.
Bathe at least once every two days and change clothes and bedding frequently. Particularly socks and underwear. Never re-wear clothes, especially socks.
NEVER touch exposed tissue or anything that penetrates tissue with unsterilized surfaces. Use latex or nitrile gloves. Nitrile gloves are more expensive but better made and no one is allergic to it.
ONLY putting sterile things in tissue. This includes tap water, reused needles, etc.
Be careful with handling of bodily waste and fluids.

Antibiotics

If you need antibiotics for an infection or illness and you really know what you are doing there is currently (2007) an exemption for veterinary fish antibiotics. These are available both at pet stores and online. Do research and find about the brand before buying. Some just divert regular meds from the human antibiotic supply chain. You can run the numbers found on the pills to find out more. If the antibiotics are expired it is usually not a problem it will just be less effective two or more years after the printed expiration date, the exception is tetracyclene which becomes somewhat toxic. Obtain a few bottles or packs of these meds before you or a friend needs them; this is better than being unable to find a free clinic or depending on unresearched stuff from the neighborhood pet shop.

Urinary Tract and Bladder Infections

If you have cloudy urine, pain in urination and frequent need to urinate you likely have a urinary tract infection. The most likely cause is you have become dehydrated, even in cool weather, you need to drink more clean water. If these are the only symptoms try chugging water and pure (unsweetened) cranberry juice or crushed cranberries, if you can't get unsweetened cranberry juice you can add lemon juice or vineger to your water to make it very tart, this will acidify your urine and help fight the infection, sugar in you food or drinks will just feed the infection. Orange juice in very large doses will help too.

If you begin to feel abdominal or lower back pain, blood in the urine, fever or chills, or worse yet swelling of the feet or face you are in trouble, the infection has gotten to the bladder and possibly the kidneys, you need antibiotics NOW!

Boils and Abscesses

Infected Sores are cased by bacteria getting into wound or pocket of flesh. Most of the time this is caused by an organism know as "staff" or Staphylococcus. There also are mutated forms of staff like MRSA that are very resistant and are spread to touch and is resistant to all except IV antibiotics. Other infectious bugs like E Coli also exist. Infection is spread through wash areas, hands, dirty clothes, dirty bed sheets, putting unsterile equipment and substances into exposed body tissue, and sometimes poor hospital care.

Deep Abscesses are common in IV drug users, but stepping on a nail or getting a deep thorn or wood sliver wound can cause them too. You may need antibiotics.
Boils are located on skin near buttocks, thighs, and sometimes other areas are from staff getting in hair follicles.
Decubitus is a abscess common on bedbound patients who can not move in bed. It can get worse if the patient must use diapers or sweats a lot. It starts as a red spot then gradually the bacteria eats through the skin into muscle and bone within a few weeks time. Someone with this needs skilled care and must be turned every two hours and may need frequent bandage changes and heavy antibiotics.

They can be painful, can have a foul odor, be accompanied by fever and produce puss.

You can treat these by:

Use warm (salted if possible) water to soak, soften, and remove infected yellow scabs.

This is an example of a simple boil caused from infected hair follicles.

p§A hardcore heroin addict who had had several abscesses, picked on them, and created scar tissue. Do not use tap water to inject anything! Tap water has bacteria.

A hardcore heroin addict who had had several abscesses, picked on them, and created scar tissue. Do not use tap water to inject anything! Tap water has bacteria.

This is stage 4 decubitus. Usually this is limited to older bed bound who are incontinent. If you are caring for an older revolutionary, be sure to turn them every two hours. The worst cases can even eat through bone!

Leave the sores open to the air or cover with light dry bandages

You can apply topical antibiotic (like Neosporin and the like) or vinegar
Watch for swollen lymph nodes or lines running up your infection this is a danger sign, you need a doctor and antibiotics.
Don't scratch on infected sores or around them, it can spread the infection to other parts of your body.
Put a hot compress on the wound as often as possible or give it a hot soak several times a day.
Let the abscess break itself open and drain the pus
NEVER try to pop or squeeze an abscess! it can cause a local infection to go into the blood!
Do NOT sit in one place on the abscess for extended periods of time. Turn from side to side.

Tooth Abscesses

If you get a cavity that becomes a tooth abscess and no dentist or hospital emergency room will see you, try to at least get on antibiotics. The tooth will probably have to come out before the infection destroys your jaw, spreads to your other teeth, gives you blood poisoning or an infection that can spread to your skull, bones or even your brain (Yes, really). If the old string pull method doesn't work, look for a strong friend and a filed down dull horizontal side cutter wire snips that will grip around the base of a molar. Take all the tooth parts and put them back together if it breaks apart, you need to get the parts out. Once the tooth is out the socket can also be infected, it is important that the skin be able to close and heal over the empty tooth socket.

Brush Your Teeth

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so remember to brush and floss your teeth every day. If you don't have or prefer not to use fluoride toothpaste, use baking soda or salt. If you don't have dental floss, use sewing thread. If you don't have a toothbrush, use a clean finger or chew the end of a twig to make a little brush. The single most important factor is to rinse your mouth after meals and to stay hydrated so your natural cleaning system can work. TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY: Abscess' were once the single biggest cause of adult death. If it is abscessed, you need antibiotics and competent care.

DIY Toothpaste

(From Kyle Bravo's Making Stuff and Doing Things)

2 tablespoons Calcium Carbonate (also known as Chalk. Available from pottery stores. You can also take unflavored, sugarless antacid tablets and crush them into powder.)
1 tablespoon Baking Soda/Sodium Bicarbonate
1 to 2 teaspoons Glycerin (Vegetarians note: You'll want to use "Vegetable Glycerin")
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened flavoring (Oil of Peppermint, Cinnamon, Fennel, etc.)
A small amount of water to moisten everything

Mix together and keep in an air-tight container. A reusable squeeze tube from a camping store will do perfectly.

DIY Oral Rinse

Take equal parts Hydrogen Peroxide and Drinking Water, mix and store in a clean plastic bottle. Take a small amount in your mouth, swirl it around for about a minute (including around your gums), then spit. It tastes bad, but it will work.

Dental Schools

While probably not good for emergencies, major cities with Dental Colleges do need patients for the students to practice on. You will have a screening to be accepted. If accepted, you can get dental work done for a greatly reduced price or even free, if they use you for boards. Expect them to take their own sweet time, though. Also, do not cancel appointments or they will drop you from the program.

Fungal Infections

Athlete's foot, Jock itch, and head ringworm are actually caused by the tinea fungus. It loves to grow in dark, moist places and feast on flesh and skin. The actual medical term differs as to it's location: for example, tinea pedis is the name for when it is on the feet, for example. Tinea is spread through public showers, unwashed bed linen, touching one affected area to another, rewearing socks and underwear, and by contact with another infected person. Try not to scratch your feet then crotch area without washing hands as you may give yourself jock itch as well. If left untreated, cracks can develop between toes, letting bacterial infection and abscesses like described above happen in addition to the fungal infection. This is particularly dangerous for those with diabetes since their feet tend to sweat more and they heal more slowly, even to the point of needing amputations in rare cases!

This is a pretty bad case of athlete's foot. Notice the skin breaks between the toes. Bacteria can get in here as well causing an bacterial abscess as well as the original fungal infection.

Eliminating the Tinea Fungus

Wash all bed linens, clothes, socks, etc. nightly until the infestation has gone away.
Throw out old shoes. If this is not possible, use Goldbond Foot Powder or Baking Soda to draw out moisture and kill the fungus.
Rotate shoes and always wear socks!
Treat the foot with an anti-fungal cream.
Do not share towels! Dry your feet after each shower, especially between the toes.

After you have gotten rid of this, be sure to keep your feet dry. Keep cheap baking soda around and put some in your shoes.

If you have diabetes and your foot begins to look black where the athletes foot is, see a doctor soon.

Digestive System Bacterial Infections

While merely an inconvenience to healthy folks, digestive system infections can mean severe illness and even death to the elderly or infirmed. As with all other infections, all of these can be prevented by washing your hands, especially after eating or toileting.

Clostridium difficile

This is a real problem in the elderly and very sick. It spreads through touching infected stool. C. Diff is the natural enemy of helpful bacteria already in the intestines like E. Coli. It spreads there until it takes over the intestines leaving room for nothing else. It makes your crap very watery and very sticky, hoping to cling to anything so it can spread and thrive. Symptoms include bloating, severe diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Hospitals and nursing home facitlities that do not practice good hand washing and isolation procedures have been known to have outbreaks of this stuff infecting up to half the facility.

E. Coli

Yes, we did just mention that E. Coli is a naturally occurring bacteria in your intestines and the intestines of most warm blooded mammals. It does fine there as long as it stays there, helping to finish digesting food. However, if it gets out and into someplace it can be consumed orally - like a restaurant worker who prepares food after not washing his/her hands and letting it sit to grow on the food, it can make folks very sick. Most folks call this a stomach virus, even though this is a bacterial deal, not a viral deal. This is the cause of most cases of food poisoning.

Salmonella

Salmonella is yet another "stomach virus" that causes food poisoning. It is spread by contact between cooked food and frozen food, the crap of infected humans or animals, standing water (even water on a counter not wiped up) left for a long period at room temperature, bad food preparation, and other bad food handling practices. Salmonella can survive for weeks outside a living body. They have been found in dried excrement after more than 2.5 years and is NOT destroyed by freezing .

Treatment

With most food poisoning and other intestinal illnesses, the only cure is to vomit and poo the stuff out until you feel better. However, if you do not feel better within a few days, you may need to go to a hospital.

Common Illnesses

Last updated: 27 April 2011

There are a myriad of ailments that we all get from time to time. Most of these are, but simple but can turn ugly fast without proper care. Many of them have no real cure, just doctors who prescribe drugs to stop the symptoms. There is no substitute for the Human immune system, though, and once you've beaten a disease once you'll be less susceptible to it later. However, if home remedies don't work or you develop an allergic reaction, you should see a professional.

1 Rules for Illness
2 Influenza
3 Other Illnesses
3.1 Chicken Pox/Varicella
3.2 Pneumonia
3.3 Tuberculosis or TB
4 Parasites
4.1 Lice
4.2 Giardia

Rules for Illness

There are some common sense rules for every illness that should be followed:

Stay warm.- Cold weakens your system, and generally makes the illness that much more unpleasant. Bundle up, keep the heat on or the fire going, and eat lots of hot nutritious foods.
Stay Dry.- Dampness promotes growth of molds on the walls and in your stuff, it also robs you of warmth even in bed, try to find a reasonably dry place to sit out your illness and keep your place clean and dry if possible, air out your room every day to get rid of the damp boggy air. It might be you are in an overly dry room, this is a problem too, set a pot of water near your heater or hang a damp towel over your radiator.
Stay home.- We understand that this is difficult, if not impossible for some people. Employers hate it when people call in sick, and this can lose you a job if you're not careful. A good rule of thumb is that if you're in the food service industry and have a fever, you are infecting everyone who eats what your restaurant serves. Remind your employer of this. When vomit enters the picture, most employers will send you home anyway to avoid a potentially disgusting scene. If there is absolutely no chance of staying home, many employers will tell you to take it easy. If they ask for a doctor's note, you may have to go in. If so, play up the sick person role. If you look like the living dead, you're likely to be sent home. Remember that no employer worth his stars wants sick customers or employees. You can always offer to breathe/vomit on your employer. This is surprisingly effective.
Eat up.- You probably won't be hungry, but you need your strength to fight the disease. Avoid junk foods like the plague, but get lots of proteins and vitamins. Vegetables and meats (or other proteins for our vegetarian brothers and sisters) are key.
Go to bed.- Once you are home, sleep as much as you can and lounge around. If you have chores and homework to consider, do the absolute minimum and go back to sleep. It's likely you won't have much energy anyway, but don't force yourself to be up and about. Your life is best put on hold for a few days.
Antibiotics are a LAST RESORT!- Don't use these unless nothing else is working. If you have to use them, use everything that the doctor gives you even if you start feeling better. The stronger bacteria take longer to kill, and if you don't use the whole prescription they'll be the ones that survive and breed into a resistant disease. Antibiotics breed stronger diseases, and kill the good bacteria in your body, weakening your natural defenses. This holds true for those antibiotic soaps and lotions, too. Avoid them.
Get it out.- If your illness involves diarrhea, vomiting, runny nose, sweating, or other bodily purging, this is your body pushing the germs out. Let it do it's thing. You'll need to keep hydrated, and in bad cases you'll need electrolytes. Gatorade and clear sodas (Sprite, 7-up) are recommended by many doctors. Drink a lot. If you're vomiting you'll need your nutrients. Your blood sugar can drop quickly, but the aforementioned drinks will help there. Stick to clear liquids and broths for a day or two, then move to toast, rice, and bananas and work your way up.
Don't get sick in the first place.- Keep a balanced diet, sleep, and keep as little stress as possible. If your immune system is strong, you won't need the rest of the advice. Eat lots of garlic and onions. All of the alliums (onions, garlic, chives. . . ) are loaded with goodies that boost your defenses.

Influenza

First, there should be a note on Swine Flu. Unless the patient is elderly or very young, there isn't much more danger than there is in a normal flu. That said, normal influenza kills many people every year. We don't want you dead.

There is no such thing as a 24-hour flu. These are usually mild cases of food poisoning, and just need to be purged. Let yourself vomit. Go to bed.

If someone you're close to gets the flu, you already have it. You are contagious for at least a day (or five, depending on who you ask) before symptoms appear. Get your supplies now and get ready.

If you have been exposed, get supplies as soon as you start feeling off. Even a sore throat is a warning sign. Drink about a gallon of orange juice in the first 24 hours if you can, and go straight to bed. Don't get up if you can help it. These days, few employers or teachers will grudge you a few sick days for the flu. Eat lots of fresh garlic and onion in your food. This is a good excuse for Italian food, as if we need it. After a day or so of sinus trouble, this may be all you can taste.

If you get a fever, try to break a sweat. Use an electric blanket, or drink something hot and wrap up in a comforter. This is the fever breaking, and sweating the viruses away. As soon as it breaks, take as hot a shower as you can stand to wash it all away. Try for clean bedding if you can after that. You'll probably have to do this a few times. IF your fever gets higher than 102 degrees, 100 for a child, or you start uncontrollably shaking, get to the doctor or emergency room NOW. After a fever gets too high it can febrile seizures. Brain damage and death are close behind.

After the flu has run it's course, many people notice a vile odor in their space. Healthy people can recognize the odor on the infected. We don't know what it is, but we recognize it. We recommend getting it out as soon as you have the strength. You'll have to wash all of the fabrics used while ill, including clothing and linens. Air out your living space for a few minutes. Take out your garbage.

Other Illnesses

There are a variety of other bugs that are a bit more serious than the common cold or flu that need to be discussed in brief. Many of these have symptoms that resemble the flu at first, but can be a bit more serious.

Chicken Pox/Varicella

Good thing is if you catch this in childhood, you are immune to it for the rest of your life. Bad thing is, if you get this as an adult, it is a major pain in the ass. Varicella is highly contagious and is accompanied by fever, weakness, and nausea. Characteristic "pox" or blisters form over many parts of the body. The infectious period lasts until all the blisters have dried out and scabbed over, so if you have not had this illness, you may want to avoid being around folks who have it until it happens. Health clinics do sell a vaccine to prevent this. However, the vaccine is expensive. It requires a series of two to three shots at a cost of 90 USD to 120 USD apiece and is usually only purchased by medical staff.

Pneumonia

This is when the insides of the lungs become swollen from a virus or bacteria spreading there. It can also be caused by an injury to the lung, some parasites, and exposure to some molds or chemicals. A bad cough, fever, difficulty breathing, and chest pains are all symptoms. Depending on how bad the condition is, you may need antibiotics.

Tuberculosis or TB

TB has gotten a lot of press as of late. Basically, it is a strain of bacteria that gets in the lungs (or sometimes other areas) of the body and spreads through coughing, sneezing, and mucous from it's host. Left untreated, this can kill up to half of the folks that get this. It is also the reason that the back of OTC cough syrups always state if you have blood in the stuff you cough up or have a cough lasting more than week to see a doctor. Classic symptoms are night sweats, really bad cough, high fever, blood in spit, and weight loss. But, sometime folks can be merely carriers and have TB with no symptoms. Most clinics do offer a simple test for TB called the TB skin test. It costs 20 USD to 40 USD. They inject a substance right below the skin and ask you to come back a day or so later. If the spot they injected you becomes red and swollen, they then give you a chest X-ray to rule out or confirm TB. TB can be very hard to get rid of once you get it.

Parasites

Lice

When living in communal situations it takes only one person to bring lice to everyone. This rule especially applies to kids. You are less likely to get infested if you don't share combs or hats but most of all a buzz haircut gives the little guys no place to hide or attach eggs. You can use several different essential oils such as rosemary or eucalyptus to drive/kill the bugs off or use a shampoo from a pharmacy which is almost as effective but cheaper. kerosene was an old school treatment to kill lice and eggs but the danger of a horrible death in flames should there be a spark makes this method unreasonable to the point of insanity. Vinegar dissolves the glue lice use to secure their eggs but often takes several treatments and then washing with soap or shampoo. A few drops of olive oil combed into long hair prevents the lice from gluing their eggs down. The best all around method is to purchase a lice comb before you start out, they are tiny and if used daily will remove any lice as they hatch and keep them out if you get colonized, lice combs are cheap and available at any pharmacy worldwide.

Giardia

Giarditis is a waterborne illness sometimes found in the wilderness from animals defecating in the water but more commonly in urban areas and places with dysfunctional water and sewer treatment systems. Giardia can be killed with a medication called Metronidazole or Flagyl but you can avoid the cramping and diarrhea by filtering or boiling water form a questionable source. Bottled water is also a good way to avoid this and other waterborne illness but be sure to break the seal yourself some restaurants will refill water bottles from the polluted tap and resell.

Diseases and Conditions

Last updated: 30 December 2010

Unlike Illnesses or infections, there are some conditions that can be hard to get rid of or maybe permanent. Some of these have risen to epidemic proportions. We will talk about the more common ones flooding the hospitals and clinics along with what to look for and what you can do.

1 Obesity
2 Diabetes
3 Cancer
4 Stroke
5 Heart Attack

Obesity

When we talk about obesity, we are not talking about Madison Avenue's skinny, waif-type image that CorpGov uses as mind control to sell things. Nor are we talking about eating nothing but egg whites or expensive powders from cans for months like the bodybuilders. We are talking about being out of shape. Some folks have a genetic disposition that lets them gain weight easily while others cannot gain pounds even if they eat two gallons of ice cream and four bags of chips. While it is usually okay not to obsess over a few pounds, anything over 20 pounds overweight that is not muscle is asking for trouble. Much further than 20 pounds BigMed calls being morbidly obese.

Sedentary lifestyle and being overweight can lead to depression, low self esteem, and a myriad of health problems including diabetes, stroke, and joint problems.

Being too large causes problems. Many folks view those who are overweight as lazy even if they are not. You may sweat more and are prone to more body odor. You may have a more limited choice of quality compatible mates. If you are morbidly obese, folks gawk at you. Mobility and athletic ability may be limited. Low self esteem can set in, contributing to other problems. It leads to early onset of diabetes, joint and back problems, and decreased ability to perform strenuous tasks. In the worst cases, heart problems and stroke can develop with some having strokes as early as age 40.

The cure is simple, barring certain very rare hormonal problems. You must either consume less calories or increase the calories you burn or both. This means if you are not having to put out a lot of energy, you do not need to eat as much.

Get out! Do at least 1 hour of exercise every three days. Even if this is walking around the block. We here at STW are huge fans of bicycles. Not only does this free us from being addicted to Corpgov's favorite drug of gasoline, it keeps us in great shape. The bicycle has the added advantage of being fun. If exercise is fun, you tend to do more of it. Why get in a car to go to a corner store when you can bike it or walk it.

Do not just sit and eat easy, empty calorie Corpgov junk! Huge conglomerates like Frito Lay sell convenience and a full filling to the working poor by offering cheap, no preparation needed, calorie laden junk and have built empires on this. Do research on what foods are good and what should be eaten sparingly. Read the backs of food labels. You may be shocked at what you learn.
Do not trust fad diets and stupid exercise devices. Some of these do actually work, but we have seen some pretty laughable contraptions like girdles hooked to electrodes and rubber sling activated resistance devices to press against the abdomen. Beware plopping down cash even on the devises that do actually work (like total gym) unless you already have a long, established habit of exercise on a religious basis or you have a job that requires being in good shape. Just having a great machine in your pad will not cure obesity. You have to use it. We have been in too many lower middle class houses with nice equipment that is never used except as a place to hang clothes. Most of the folks on the infomercials that sell these are paid models who live in a gym and make a living going to actor agencies for a tiny bit of cash. They did not lose weight using the device or being on the diet, but by a long term athletic lifestyle of healthy living because their job depends on it.
Do not be discouraged if progress is not made rapidly. Many times, it took years of neglect to get in bad shape. It may take a process of months to reverse this.
Lift weights! Increasing muscle mass is the easiest way to increase the amount of calories your body needs. No, you do not need an expensive rip-off gym membership or thousands in equipment. Even simple push ups and sit ups is considered resistance training.
When you get in shape, stay in shape. Too many folks quit being healthy the moment they get to a certain goal only to fall back into old habits. Many times, they gain weight even above what they originally weighed within a very short time! No, you do not have to be a health zealot, but keeping active and watching what you take in should be a lifelong habit. Not just a several month “diet” or “program”.
For the really bad off, there are surgical procedures like gastric bypass, stomach stapling, and liposuction. However, these are almost always considered elective procedures by insurance and medicaid, meaning most need to be paid for out of pocket. They also carry risks of serious complications.

Diabetes

One of the great plagues visited upon lazy Amerikans for sedentary lifestyles and mindless consumption of garbage is diabetes. A quick scan of the medical records of all the patients in any hospital at any given time will reveal that over half of them are diabetic. Indeed, diabetes is an epidemic of our time. Everyone either knows someone or has diabetes themselves. Diabetes has classic symptoms that include always being thirsty, frequent urination, always being hungry, slow healing, and extreme weak spells.

If left unchecked, it can lead to having to inject insulin when it was not needed previously, diabetic coma, kidney failure, dementia, strokes, blindness, and amputation of limbs that get infected and never heal!

Insulin is the hormone that regulates how sugar is processed. Too much sugary stuffs and fat can make the body resistant to insulin's effects. The sugar is then trapped in the bloodstream to wreak havoc. The kidneys have to work double time to remove all the sugar. This is the reason for kidney failure being common. Sugary flesh is a ripe target for all manner of bacteria.. particularly around the feet. This is the reason doctors ALWAYS check the feet of diabetics for cuts and infections. The excess sugar can also eventually clot off inside the fluid of the eyes causing blindness.

There are childhood onset (Type I) forms of the disease where insulin is simply not produced and adult onset types where insulin may be produced, but the body does not know how to deal with it (Type II) . There is also a rarer form that only occurs temporarily during a few pregnancies. Type I usually is purely genetic and not preventable. Type II is the most common - and the most preventable. DO NOT GET LIKE THIS!

Diabetes CAN be prevented or even minimized (and some scientists claim cured) if an active lifestyle is maintained and a good diet is kept.
Avoid too much sugar. Sugar is aptly called “the white death” when vast quantities are consumed. This is really important if you have a genetic disposition towards keeping body fat.
Obesity is the number one cause of diabetes. Work to keep in shape and stay active.
If you do have this disease, watch your feet! Keep your feet dry and free of fungus, bacteria, and other bugs by always wearing clean socks and drying your feet meticulously. Small infections that grow and never heal is the leading cause of diabetic amputations and sometimes dementia as a complication of the amputation particularly amongst older folks.
Doctors often prescribe a blood sugar monitor to help identify if sugar is too high or if it is too low and a weak spell is approaching. With no insurance or medicaid, the strips for these machines are expensive (50 USD to 90 USD for 50 strips... that is not including needles and other stuff needed.)
The cure for a weak spell for low blood sugar is a simple old nurse's trick. Simply drink a glass of orange juice with a pack of sugar in it. Be sure to eat a small snack right before sleep to keep blood sugar from going low in the night.

Cancer

Some cells never want to die. They just keep reproducing and reproducing and getting larger until they crowd out and kill everything around them. Sometimes they spread their kind to other places. This is called cancer and can be a serious problem if not caught early.

While much research is still being done, Cancer is believed to be caused by many chemicals, a very few viruses, exposure to radiation, over exposure to sunlight, and tobacco. Cancer can appear in any place in the body. The most common places are the lungs, breasts, prostate, and colon.

Women should always check their breasts to notice any unusual lumps. If any lump is found, they may need a mammogram.

All men are recommended to get a prostate exam as they get toward their late 40s.

Stroke

Often called a "brain attack", a stroke occurs when the blood vessels in the brain burst. Symptoms differ according to where in the brain the stroke occurred. It is caused by clogged arteries from either genetic disposition to store cholesterol or long term consumption of fatty foods, heart disease, bleeding disorders, and head injury. Chronic alcohol use, cocaine use, obesity, diabetes, and old age can increase the possibility of this happening.

It sometimes starts out as a severe headache that can wake someone from sleep and gets worse if someone moves, even to cough or shift positions. Other symptoms depend on what part of the brain is taken out.

General weakness or paralysis on one side of the body.
Trouble speaking and understanding what others are saying (if language centers are taken out).
Vision can go out with blurred vision, double vision, or complete blindness.
Confusion, loss of memory, and mood changes can develop.

Difficulty making sense of letters, sentences, and words.
Dizziness
Clumsiness, loss of balance, and lack of coordination.
Changes in touch and the ability to feel.
Loss of control over urine and bowels. (incontinence)

Immediate treatment is necessary to save lives and reduce any permanent disability. If treatment is started within 3 hours of a stroke, prognosis is very good. The doctors are going to give blood thinners, do MRIs and CAT scans, and may need to do surgery to clean out arteries or remove blood on the brain.

Many times, years of physical, speech, and occupational therapy is needed to recover, if ever. Sometimes the muscles that control swallowing are affected and the patient must have a feeding tube placed. Do everything you can to avoid this happening to you.

Heart Attack

Injuries

Last updated: 6 March 2011

Injuries are a painful reality for most at some point in most people's lives. Broken bones, cuts, black eyes, concussions all await those who are unlucky, careless, or stupid. Many folks are at a loss of what to do, but since you are reading Free Medical Care, you can be a revolutionary first aid medic.

1 NOT Getting Injured
2 Cuts, Punctures, and Lacerations
3 Broken Bones
4 Burns
5 Trench Foot
6 Frost Bite

NOT Getting Injured

A ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Falls are the #1 cause of injury. Watch your step for slippery stuff and hidden obstacles (especially if you are an elder or care for one - falls and old folks is like Colonel Sanders is to chicken. Most die or start going way downhill shortly after if they are frail.)
Do not be drunk and high or be a dumb ass around heavy machinery, weapons, or vehicles.
Avoid stupid fights (if you CAN avoid them)and situations that may put you in fights.
Buckle your seat belt and be certain it's correctly fastened!.
Be careful around workplace hazards like hot fryer grease, chemicals, dangerous equipment, heights, and unsafe conditions. Make sure all equipment is safe and in working order! No paycheck is worth your life. Especially, if the job is not paying your insurance.

Cuts, Punctures, and Lacerations

Good news is that most minor cuts do not need a doctor. Good sized cuts probably need stitches to keep the wound closed and keep infection from getting into the deep tissues. However, for deep lacerations and punctures like knife wounds, you may need surgery if any damage is done to internal organs.

Cuts vary in severity according to how deep past the skin they go and long they are. A cut like this one probably requires stitches. He will even have to wrap the hand in plastic while bathing until the wound has completely closed up, even with stitches.

Cuts and Lacerations in general:

Stop that bleeding!! Most minor cuts will usually stop by themselves. However, sometimes they do not if the cut is across a vein, the patient is diabetic, or the patient has thin blood or low blood platelet count. Apply gentle pressure continuously for 20 to 30 minutes. Elevate the wound, if you can. Don't keep checking to see if the bleeding has stopped as this may damage or dislodge the clot that's forming and cause bleeding to resume. If you see blood spurting out or the bleeding continues even after maintaining pressure, seek a doctor immediately! This may mean a good sized blood vessel or even (in worst cases) organ is hit and requires someone who knows what the hell they are doing with special equipment to go in there (and is out of the scope of Free Medical Care). Never tourniquet especially with improvised things like belts, rags, or cord this could lead to vascular damage and loss of the whole limb, instead apply pressure to the arterial area of the arm or leg if direct pressure is inefective. Bleeding all over the place is not only messy and inconvenient, it can lead to loss of consciousness, low blood pressure and high heart rate, difficulty breathing, and ultimately death. If there is a lot of blood lost, the patient may need a transfusion as soon as possible.
Clean the wound. Once it is sure that no one is going to die in a pool of blood, you need to clean it. Get a sterile cloth and rinse out the wound with clear water. Do not use soap as this can irritate the wound. Never use hydrogen peroxide on a fresh open cut because while it may kill bacteria, it will also kill living cell tissue and may dissolve the clot. If dirt or debris remains in the wound after washing, use sterile tweezers cleaned with alcohol to remove the particles. If you still can not get debris out, or if the debris is something like broken glass, get a doctor. Stuff like that left in after the wound closes can lead to deep infections or worse. Be sure to clean around the wound as well.

With serious, complex lacerations like this, pressure to the area of the wound is not going to stop the bleeding. In this case, apply arterial pressure to the upper part of the limb, armpit area on the arm and the groin area on the legs. Get to a doctor soon, as major blood vessels are severely damaged along with muscle function and bones.

Apply an antibiotic. Neosporin is awesome. As we mentioned in The Free Pharmacy, every serious revolutionary medic should have this in their first aid kit. Contrary to advertisements, neosporin does not make the wound heal faster, but merely kills infection.. Never put any ointments inside a wound or on a deep puncture wound!! We have seen allergic reactions to ointments in the past, but it is rare. If you see a rash, discontinue use.
Bandage. Apply the right sized bandage to the wound. Of course, if no bandage is available, you can wrap it with the cleanest cloth or towel whatever you can find. However, if you do use improvised "bandages", switch to sterile bandages and clean the area again as soon as possible to avoid infection. Try to change the bandage every other day. If it is a newer bad cut or recent surgery, try not to get it wet in the bathtub. Wrap the area up with waterproof plastic as tap water contains numerous bacteria if you absolutely need to bathe. Like with tourniquets never wrap tightly with tape or even tape all the way around an arm or leg, swelling can make this very tight cutting off blood and causing damage or even loss of a limb.
Get stitches if the cut is deep. Deep lacerations often will not close without help. The skin is your best defense against infection and an open wound lets nasty things bypass this. If you cant get stitches right away butterfly bandages available in the same area of the store as bandages will hold many lacerations closed until you get to a doctor, if they wont stick try cleaning the area near the wound with alcohol swabs, you can superglue the edges of a butterfly dressing away from the wound if it will be in use for a few days or it just wont stick.
Watch out for infection. Sometimes even with the best precautions, nasty bugs can get inside the wound. If you see any redness, increasing pain, drainage, warmth, or swelling see a doctor. If the wound is not healing, see a doctor as well.

You may need a tetanus shot. Deep wounds or dirty wounds like stepping on rusty nails are particularly bad for this. Even if you may have had this earlier in life, medical professionals recommend you get boosters every 10 years or so. Try to get this as soon as you can after the wound.

Broken Bones

Bones that are shattered in many areas need a special appliance to heal correctly. The example above is an external appliance. Sometimes internal appliances are surgically placed and then removed a few months later after the bones have healed.

Bones that are shattered in many areas need a special appliance to heal correctly. The example above is an external appliance.

Sometimes internal appliances are surgically placed and then removed a few months later after the bones have healed.

The medical term for broken bones is fractures. It is recommended, that a doctor with access to X-rays, appliances and prosthetic devices (if the fracture is really bad), and experience in bone setting is reached as soon as possible. Bones can be broken any number of ways. Sometimes, it is just one clean break in one area which may or may not stick out of the skin. Breaks that stick out of the skin are complex fractures and those that do not are called simple fractures. More serious cases involve where bones can be shattered into many pieces, chipped off into the body or a joint, and even driven into one another!

Of course, if the person is not breathing or there is no heartbeat - begin CPR.
Stop that Bleeding! As we mentioned in Cuts, Punctures, and Lacerations bleeding to death sucks. Sometimes bones can penetrate the skin and cause bleeding. Other times, the patient will have cuts as well as broken bones. Apply a tourniquet if you need to. Light pressure can be used if there is a bone sticking out but be careful.. this hurts like hell.

If you believe a neck is broken or a back, you need some kind of neck brace (pictured) and a back board. Do not attempt this without medical training like EMT-Basic, higher level CNA, or higher training where you can practice the safe way to do this with experienced folks.

Avoid moving the patient to prevent further injury. This is very important if a back or neck has been broken. If the back or neck is broken, you need special equipment like neck braces or back braces to safely move the patient. Otherwise, you may increase the chance of permanent paralysis.
Splints. These can help immobilize some fractures, particularly limb fractures. Grab two thin pieces of wood or whatever and a string or a store bought emergency splint. Apply this splint to the area above and below the fracture sites. Padding the splints can help reduce discomfort. Only do this if there is no professional help, because if done wrong, you can mess someone up.
Get ice packs. This reduces swelling and some discomfort. Plastic ziplock bags or even grocery store bags can make quick ice packs. Wrap these in a towel, though, because if it touches the skin too long it is painful.
Shock. Many times, breaking bones induces shock in patients. You can tell they are in shock because they are feeling faint and breathing rapid, short breaths. lay the patient down with the head slightly lower than the rest of the body. Elevate the legs, if you can.
Traction. If you break a hip, you may need traction to separate the thigh bone from the hip to let it heal.

The time needed for bones to heal varies. With small hairline cracks, this can be a few weeks. For serious stuff like broken hips or shattered bones, you could be looking at months to a year. Even when a serious fracture like that heals, you can still be looking at a limp or arthritis much later in life. Just be careful and try not to let your bones hit anything harder than it.

Burns

Burns come from fire, hot grease, and chemicals. The more serious ones can be permanently scarring and lifethreatening. Burns are categorized according to how much flesh is consumed.

First Degree Burns. This is where just the top layer of the skin is singed. Usually, all the patient has to go through is a bit of redness, some pain and swelling, and being hypersensitive to touching stuff. With minor burns, all that needs to be done is to cool the burn under cold, running water. Then, just bandage it loosely and take an Alleve or aspirin if you need to. There is a slight chance for pigment changes on those with dark skin. If the first degree burn takes up large areas of the body, though... you still need a doctor.
Second Degree Burns. This is where the second layer of skin gets burned into. With second degree, you will start seeing blisters and may have even more pain. Use cold water and bandage just like first degree burns. With these burns, though, your skin which protects you from infections is compromised. You need to look out for signs of infections, too. Also, if it covers large areas of the body, seek help.
Third Degree Burns. This results from extended contact with fire and being nearly burnt alive. Not only is the skin gone, but entire parts of muscles, nerves, and veins may be nothing but black soot and ash. If someone gets this badly burned, they need a doctor immediately! But, until then, remember this:

Make sure nothing is still smoldering on the person like burning clothes. Wet them down or use a fire extinguisher.
Do not pull off the burnt clothing! You could very well pull off pieces of flesh that can be saved. Let a doctor with steady hands and equipment do this.
Unlike with lesser burns, you do not want to soak this in cold water. Doing so can result in hypothermia and shock!
Of course, check for breathing and pulse. If none of these are present, use CPR.
Raise the burnt parts of the body above heart level.
Use cool, moist towels or bandages to cover the burn area.
Do not use creams like neopsporin or aloe vera on a second or third degree burn.

Trench Foot

Affected feet become numb and then turn red or blue. As the condition worsens, they may swell. Advanced immersion foot often involves blisters and open sores, which lead to fungal infections; this is sometimes called jungle rot. If left untreated, immersion foot usually results in gangrene, which can require amputation. If immersion foot is treated properly, complete recovery is normal, though it is marked by severe short-term pain when feeling is returning. Be careful in cold conditions if your feet get wet constantly because this can combine with frostbite and really mess a patient up. Immersion of the foot is easily prevented by keeping the feet warm and dry, and changing socks three to four times a day when the feet cannot be kept dry. As quickly as possible get to a warm dry place where you can keep the feet elevated.

Frost Bite

Frost bite is the result of freezing fluids in the body. Most at risk are the fingers toes and ears followed by other parts of the extremities. DO NOT RUB OR SLAP FROZEN EXTREMITIES this will greatly reduce the chance of successful recovery. Get to a hospital for treatment. If there is no possibility of proper hospital care thaw the frozen areas in lukewarm water only if there is no chance of refreezing, this will be very painful. There is a danger of gangrene and some damage might need to be amputated. There has been some recent clinical success in using leaches to draw blood through damaged capillaries to the finger and toe tips.

Mental Illness

Last updated: 29 November 2010

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstien

The Human mind is only now beginning to be slightly understood by psychologists, sociologists, and therapists. Corpgov still prefers to intern most of the severely mentally ill in prison labor camps. BigMed turns it's nose up at any treatment that does not have some pill needed to be "normal" for the rest of one's life. And, Corporations and Landlords still send many to live onThe Street. It can help to be well versed about things dealing with the mind and head off most of these before it gets severe. Without one's mind, all other endeavors are futile.

1 Psychology Basics
2 Addiction
3 Depression
3.1 Winter Blues
4 Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
5 Manic-Depression
6 Relocation Stress Disorder/ Stress
7 Dementia
8 Delusions and Hallucinations
9 Schizophrenia

Psychology Basics

Early Psychology should not be taken too seriously. Sigmond Frued was a coke head, Carl Jueng studied dreams too much, and their apprentice Wilhelm Reich got kicked out of all legitimate psychology circles by trying to tie orgasms to health and sell devices increasing "orgone" energy. Most of the early work in the field is now widely regarded as superstition and the occult.

There are still many cases where drugs combined with therapy is the best method. Of course, when we talk of drugs, we are not just talking BigMed drugs. Exercise also releases chemicals that can often straighten out some of the less severe mental conditions! Recent research has now discovered different genetics can predispose some to real, physical abnormalities that cause these "brain locks" and may need medicine or avoid certain foods and activities. If someone is locked into behaviors that they can not snap out of, pop psychology may not be able to help them. They need a professional. For example: There is no "positive thinking" for someone with dementia, and medication is the only thing that helps schizophrenics.

Below, however, are the best tricks in their arsenal and have been "stolen" by some of the best motivational coaches, doctors, and writers of today.

Identity - This is "I Am." It is your internal name tag and can be a source of mental illness if conditions are wired to it. It is the ultimate meme. If you say to yourself "I am a loser, I am an addict, etc" the rest of the wiring in your brain will process this to make this happen. Also, internal statements like "I am a doctor, I am a garbage man, etc" can be bead if a wire goes from that to the wiring controlling happiness. If you lose that, you could be in trouble. On the other hand, "I am" can be used to change undesirable things, too, as long as there is no damage.
Movies - Normal brains can visualize and store any pattern they want and replay this at will. What most do not realize is that, barring no wiring damage, the movies can be altered, created, and erased at will.
State - This is how you feel can affect the way thoughts become actions. Contrary to popular belief, states can be changed at will with practice. States can also be changed with drugs with the disadvantage of not being able to control when the drug wears off. This is also known as "anger management", emotional intelligence, self control, and maturity.
Principles and Beliefs - Hard coded rule sets in the mind that are not changed often.
Thoughts, Actions, Habits, Character. According to Covey, Thoughts become actions. As these actions become done more, the brain makes more wires to make it a habit. After a habit gets wired strong enough over an extended period of time, it becomes part of a person's character and can attach to identity, beliefs, and every other area. These can be helpful, neutral, or life threatening!
Pain and Pleasure. Rational minds always seek to go towards pleasure and away from pain. However, the brain can associate and attach pleasure to things that are ultimately painful.
Associations. The brain wires images and thoughts with feelings, much like a DNS server to a website

Do not read too much into it, though. As we mention in Free College Life the study of psychology is an interesting one, if not delved in too deeply.

A quick word on NLP, PUA, and other pop psychology movements

In the 1980s, Richard Bandler and John Grinder elaborated on the previous Transactional Analysis theories to come up with Nuero Linguistic Programming. It is definitely worth a read into, if you like psychology topics. However, while NLP does have valid points and good insights into motivation and the way people use language, it is no magic fix. Recent repackaged uses include everything from being a foolproof method for single guys to pick up women to ways to increase volume for commission salesmen! Like any "religion", take the good things from NLP and discard the hogwash designed only to sell books. If anything, it is only a way to look at how the brain associates things with each other and changing those associations.

Addiction

Addiction is a compulsive disorder. With some drugs, it is also a physical dependence. Free Dope has more on getting clean, if you are dealing with this. Be aware that many times, the more severe addictions are paired with mental illness.

Depression

Depression can be a real bummer. You can also be depressed and not even know about it. The world takes on a shade of colorless grey, and nothing - even things that used to provide joy, matter. You may find yourself laying in bed and sleeping more than usual. In extreme cases, you may have thoughts of suicide or cry uncontrollably. Let's talk about some of the more common depressions.

Curing Depression in General

Get out! Sunlight produces vitamin D, which is known to fight depression.
Exercise. An aerobic work-out produces endorphines which can counter depression and restore brain chemical balance.
Do not dwell on mistakes. Sometimes, we can play bad movies in our head showing failures over and over. It is possible to change these movies through visualization. Next time you play the bad movie, practice changing the colors and scenes to something humorous.
Yes, life sucks! But, focus on what can be achieved. Do not make rules for yourself like "I can not be happy unless...." Be happy now.
Many drugs like alcohol are depressants. In addition, cocaine and crack have a very high high followed by a severe depression. Avoid these drugs if you are prone to feeling down.
If your mind is trapped and none of these tricks work, a competent doctor can prescribe drugs that can force your mind out of depressive patterns. Make sure to ask the doctor if it is possible to not need this medicine for a lifetime and only use the medicine as an opportunity to re-wire your head.
Remember if you feel shitty at night, your best bet is to go to sleep. Sleeping early is okay: you'll feel better the next day from the rest, and your mind cleans itself up overnight.

Winter Blues

Unless you are in a tropical location winter is the hardest time to survive any of our alternative or low income housing strategies. Besides freezing our asses off and dealing with moisture, mold, and illness there is another problem that often leads to many depression, drug use, and even suicide.

This is why people feel so shitty around late October through November. Work or school combined with daylight savings time means that we get more time to sit in a building under florescent lights while the sun is up. Less daylight means less time spent outside. Do your best to get out!

SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder strikes in the months of the year when clouds, short days, and staying indoors reduces our sunlight exposure. Even worse is when we are often forced to cover over our windows to prevent detection of our squats or to replace broken windows. Alternatively the cheapest apartment rooms often have little natural lighting denying needed sunlight.

SAD may set in so slowly you don't notice your sluggishness until you find yourself almost confined to bed or badly depressed. Here are some non corpgov drug treatments, if these don't work see a competent doctor or natural healer.

Spicy food is thought to increase endorphans giving a temporary break from the depression symptoms.
Full spectrum lighting, find light bulbs that produce full spectrum lighting known to help reduce SAD.
Light box, for the worst sufferers a prescription to spend half an hour or more every morning in front of a light box to stimulate the somatic centers of the brain. We knew a guy who made a portable lightbox setup, he stuck two bright white LED's in a pair of cheap sunglasses, he claimed they really helped when used in the morning during breakfast.
Exercise, we have found this to be the best answer, force yourself out every day for a run or long bike drive up several steep hills(whatever drives up your pulse), exposure to the sun and aerobic activity are both good treatments for SAD.
The English and Cascadians are famous for their rainy winters and their tea and coffee, caffeine runs up the metabolism and helps you wake up. Do not stay awake on caffeine for sustained periods of time.

Watch out if you are working on quitting a drug habit, this will be the hardest time of the year for most drugs even if you have been successful so far, plan ahead coping strategies.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder takes many forms. It is pretty much an anxiety disorder in which the person believes that certain things must be done almost on a ritual basis. It usually takes the form of intrusive thoughts that "urge" the person to do something over and over. Almost everybody has topics that they favor and things they are into or insist must be done, but the sick mind does this to unhealthy levels - sometimes ignoring everything else. The object of obsession can take almost any form! Everything from the old classic of washing hands until the hands bleed to being worried about damnation from the devil to even being unhealthily concerned with sex can all become obsessions. When these obsessions become actions that someone is compulsed or almost forced to do, it becomes OCD.

J^The 'shopping cart homeless" cliche is almost always from homeless suffering from a form of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder called hoarding, where they have lost so much that they get violent and agitated if they must throw anything away - even if it is rotten food or trash.

The "shopping cart homeless" cliche is almost always from homeless suffering from a form of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder called hoarding, where they have lost so much that they get violent and agitated if they must throw anything away - even if it is rotten food or trash.

Folks that have OCD are definitely not stupid. In fact, higher IQ is often a requirement for OCD.

Severe OCD sufferers often re-enforce the intrusive thoughts they have with delusions to justify their actions. For instance, an obsessive hoarder who can not even see the floor to his house will justify it by claiming to "be able to use this later", even if the item is worthless trash!

Fortunately, if caught early, this can be dealt with fairly easily. If the person can look at the outcome a bad behavior is causing and cope with the anxiety that results from not doing that action, eventually the anxiety goes away. However, if the behavior has gotten so strong that the anxiety is crippling, a doctor may be needed to give drugs to lessen the axiety until that person can overcome it on their own and learn better habits.

Manic-Depression

Manic Depression is a literal roller coaster ride through life. Everybody has highs and lows, but the manic depressives highs and lows are extreme. It is an imbalance affecting mood.

During a "manic" cycle, the person is on top of the world! Creativity is at a high. Less sleep is needed. Speech becomes clear and confident. Sometimes in the manic phase, delusions of grandeur can appear and the person can exhibit quite a bit of unwarranted self-importance. Some of the greatest artists in history like Beetoven suffered from this and created inspiring works of art during their manic cycle. However, at worst, the manic stage can make a few easily agitated and violent, if no controls have been placed.

The depressive side is like any other depression, sometimes worse. Nothing is worth doing. The person may dwell or feel sorry for what he/she has done while they were feeling "up". At worst, this can be a full-blown clinical depression with suicide attempts. The man who wrote the book that inspired this project, Abbie Hoffman, suffered manic depression all his life. In the end, his depressive state is what killed him. Despite being a best selling author and father of a vast culture-jamming movement, he committed suicide using a large amount of prescription pills.

The causes of this are still being looked into. There is evidence that this is genetic and has something to do with sleep patterns and being very sensitive to melatonin (brain chemical affecting sleep) and uppers like caffeine, taurine, and ritalin. If you are noticing cycles between moods, you may want to look at what you are taking in and how you are sleeping.

Doctors do have drugs that can stabilize the moods by blocking certain receptors that affect state. Of course, this is at the cost of losing the manic state. Many manic depressives stop taking their meds, thinking they are cured or believing life has become bland because of this. However, with the more severe sufferers, this just winds them back up in the hospital.

Relocation Stress Disorder/ Stress

Stress is a constant in life, but the worst stress is called Relocation Stress Syndrome. Now, before everyone claims "moving around does not phase me much", let's look at what publications list as the most stressful things in life.

Divorce / Breakup
Bereavement
House moving
Losing job
Wedding planning
Work
Kids / Family
Debt
Commuting
Studying for exams

Notice that most of these are related to or actually involve changing a location or your environment permanently. It can get so bad, that even elders in a nursing home will sometimes go ballistic if forced to move even across a hall in the same facility. The longer an environment has remained the same, the worse the anxiety gets.

Fortunately, there are ways to deal with stress and anxiety. If you breathe and exercise, this will affect you less because of the endorphines work-outs release. Also, if you become accustom to situations and can train your mind in how it deals with change and frustrations, the axiety can become less or nonexistent.

Dementia

We have all read short stories or comic books that talk about the "demented" bad guy. However, when used as a medical term, the word demented has a totally different meaning. If the bad guy was truly medically demented, he would not even know what day it was and may poop in his pants because he forgot how to use the toilet!

Dementia typically only affects older folks that have had strokes or have Alzheimer disease, Parkinsons, or other dementias. However, some drugs have dementia as a temporary side effect.

Symptoms of dementia include:

No short term memory. Long term memory of days past may still be intact.
No ability to keep track of time.
Not remembering names - even close family members.
Getting stuck on one idea and brain locked into not letting go of that idea. Example: Insisting folks are stealing from them, but the item that was "stolen" has not been owned for years or wanting to go home to a place the person has not lived in for decades.

If you find yourself needing to care for a relative or an old-timer revolutionary from a bygone era, constant redirection and constant observation is mandatory. Most folks with this illness must be placed in a locked down psych unit for the rest of their lives as the condition gets worse.

This has become an alarming epidemic amongst the elderly. There are massive lock-down facilities in every major city housing dozens and even hundreds of these patients. There is no cure, but it is believed that the cause of the disease is related to plaque on the brain choking out all stored memories. A vaccine is in the works for a few years away, but any damage that is done already is irreparable.

Delusions and Hallucinations

Delusions are "lies" the brain tells itself. Hallucinations are the lies taking visual form. Normal minds justify themselves all the time to reinforce habits and defend against things that threaten those habits. The delusion is when the reinforcement is totally out of touch with reality. Most of us have a construct of wiring in our head that compares reality to a belief and can sort things out. However, if the logic wiring harness is malfunctioning due to drugs, bad wiring, or brain damage from dementia, delusions can thrive.

A perfect example of malfunctioning wiring and delusions and hallucinations is this:

Imagine a dog sitting in the chair beside you. Some folks have powerful imaginations and can even give to color, size, and even put an odor to the dog. (That is, unless there is brain damage or some sort of mental retardation that affects the center of the brain that controls imagination!) Is the dog real? Of course it is not. Certain wiring in your head knows the difference between a thought and a real dog. If this wiring is suppressed or damaged, delusions and hallucinations come about. You would be unable to tell the dog in your head from an actual, real dog!

Delusions can also "stack" on top of other delusions and inject themselves into other areas of the mind, like the part controlling identity and perception. The guy in a psych ward who thinks he is Jesus is a classic example of a complex delusion that has become part of an identity.

”Magical Thinking" is another delusion. Usually this involves convincing one's self that merely thinking a certain pattern can change something in reality and if this reality does not change, then you need to "think" harder.

Most of the time, though, delusions are a bit more subtle. It is more like having a bad road map and trying to find a location but refusing to ask directions when lost. It is possible to be totally convinced of something and still be wrong. Just remember that no amount of belief can make something right.

Be careful to guard against bad information and delusions. Also, be cautious of what drugs you take as some of them have delusions and hallucinations as side effects... unless you are on some shamanistic journey, then be our guest. Just be sure the journey you embark on, you can come back from.

Beware that use of stimulants, smoking, alcohol, and weed are all going to offset your brain chemistry to increase the possibility of delusions and hallucination. Then again there are people who parachute a half gram of meth and are fine.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is when the brain wiring gets totally mis-wired. Delusions, compulsions, and hallucinations all coexist and thought patterns can not be focused at a single task at many times. The hallucinations are often auditory and can not be shut off. "Voices" which the normal mind associates with the helpful voice that tells them to wake up for work, reminds them to make a needed phone call, or get around to doing laundry can turn into something hostile or spout nonsense. The mental disorganization also carries over to appearance. Many times, someone who suffers from this will dress inappropriately and have disordered speech patterns -often using words out of context.

Usually, this disease onsets in the mid-twenties and can get worse as time goes on. There is no cure, as it is believed to be an actual, physical brain abnormality. However, certain treatments can stabilize this. More often, someone with schizophrenia must spend the rest of their lives on disability as it can severely impact daily life. Schizophrenics must be very careful what drugs they take. Even harmless drugs like pot can trigger episodes.

The cause of this disease is still under hot debate. Most doctors do agree that it is genetic. However, inconclusive studies have also been done implicating everything from early teen heavy alcohol abuse, what time of year born, and even early childhood drug use.

Pregnancy, Abortions, and Child Care

Last updated: 28 May 2011

Giving birth is one of the revolutionary miracles of life. It can be source of great pride. However, for those too young or unprepared, can be a source of never ending struggle. Bear in mind, raising a child is VERY expensive. Make sure, if you can, that you use safe sex to avoid getting pregnant or making someone pregnant who will not be in it for the long haul. Having a child with another person ties you to them forever, regardless of how people change. That child will always remember who is mommy and who is daddy.

That said, we at STW have quite a bit of advice to help.

1 NOT Getting Pregnant
2 Emergency Contraception
3 Symptoms of Pregnancy
4 Abortion
5 Adoption
6 Pregnancy
6.1 Birth Preparation
7 Childbirth
8 Child Care
8.1 Nursing
8.2 Diapers
8.3 Child Proof your House!
8.4 Drug Use and Kids
9 Potential Pitfalls
9.1 Divorce/ Breakup
9.2 Child Support and Visitation

NOT Getting Pregnant

A chart showing the average 28 day period and fertile times. Do remember that sperm can live inside the vagina for up to three days extending this to three days before. Other factors can speed up or lengthen the cycle without prior knowledge. It can pay to keep up with this, if pregnancy is a concern.

The best way to not have to use the information on this page is to practice safe sex. Just because you are a male does not get you out of being responsible! If it helps any, it is a bit harder to get pregnant than the sex education classes let on. In fact, women can only get pregnant during certain times in their cycle. There are also fertility issues between both men and women. Some couples have to try hard to get pregnant while others get pregnant easily. Lets talk about the common methods used.

Don't have sex. While it may not be the funnest alternative, it has the added benefit of not attracting bad relationships with emotional attachments, not leaving yourself open to diseases, and not causing pregnancy before you are ready. While it is out of the scope of STW to give you advice on how to get women or men, we do encourage you not to give yourself bad self image or beat yourself up if you have been not getting laid or worse attracting someone who will bring you down. Everyone - even those who may be considered not attractive or shy - will have the chance at least once in life, barring extreme deformities or other rare issues. For the purposes of pregnancy this means oral, anal, and hand jobs for both sexes are not going to get anyone pregnant, but still may risk some STD's and other issues especially with anal.
Withdraw/ Pull out. This can work. However, if the woman is ovulating and any sperm leaks out, there is a possibility of getting pregnant.
Condom. Condoms are easy to get. Not only can you get this no questions asked in any store, they are literally giving these away in clinics and various programs if you look around. While no fun for some guys because of dulled sensations, the condom is readily obtainable and effective. Condoms are one of the few birth control methods that also protect against sexually transmitted diseases. It does have the disadvantages, though. Condoms can slide off if the penis becomes flaccid and is not pulled out right after ejaculation. Some cheaper condoms can also bust. Condoms can also break down if stored for long periods of time in hot places like wallets or car glove compartments. These should always be carried by BOTH boys and girls if sexual activity is likely.
Rhythm Method. If you are a woman, you can keep track of when you ovulate and when periods arrive. Try not to have sex or use condoms if you do have sex three days before and during the time you are fertile. This is not foolproof, though. Stress, some drugs, being around new females (it is scientific fact that ladies that work together and live together tend to adjust their cycles to match over time), some medical conditions, and illnesses can change your cycle with little warning. Remember, sperm can live inside the vagina for up to 3 days.
IUD/ Diaphragm. You will need a doctor to place this. It forms a barrier between the spermies and the eggs they try to reach.
Spermicide. Place this in the vagina before sex. Many folks do not like this because it has a nasty taste and discourages oral sex on the lady.
Tube Tie/Vasectomy. The final solution. Vasectomy is out patient. However, this requires a doctor's visit and can get expensive. It is also intended to be PERMANENT and reversing a vasectomy is very expensive and isn't guaranteed to work.

Emergency Contraception

Commonly called 'the Morning After pill', Emergency Contraceptive pills (EC) can be taken up to 120 hours (that's five days) after sex to prevent pregnancy, but the sooner the better! Plan-B and Next Choice are available at Planned Parenthood, drugstores, and health centers without a prescription.

If you are unable to get a hold of EC pills, but do have regular birth control pills, SOME birth control pills can be safely taken in higher doses as EC. This chart contains information on which pills and which doses can be used as EC: http://ec.princeton.edu/questions/dose.html#dose

Symptoms of Pregnancy

The symptoms of pregnancy vary widely from person to person. There are home pregnancy tests of varying accuracy. A pregnancy test from a private doctor is recommended as the doctor has much more accurate tests available.

Missed Period

The most common symptom of pregnancy is a missed menstrual cycle. There are cases of women still having a cycles during pregnancy, but it tends to be lighter and shorter. Other causes of missed, delayed, or changed cycles include mental stress, excessive weight gain or loss, ceasing birth control, and some hormonal problems.

Implantation Bleeding

Sometimes around 6 to 12 days after conception, the egg implants itself on the uterine wall. This can cause 'spotting' that can be mistaken for a period. This can also be caused by some infections, changing birth control pills, and abrasion during intercourse.

Morning Sickness

Perhaps the most famous of all symptoms. It usually shows up about a month or so after conception. Some ladies luck up and do not have this. Food poisoning and stomach illnesses can also cause this feeling.

Cravings

The old 'pickles and ice cream' joke is a mainstay in movies with the hapless guy embarking on late night missions to 24 hour grocery markets to appease his lady. The cravings are real, however, and can be anything... not just pickles. Poor diet, depression, stress, and impending cycle can also cause cravings.

Back Pain

A dull back pain is common during pregnancy for many.Improper lifting, sedentary lifestyle, and bad posture can also give back pain.

Headaches

Some experience headaches. Headaches can also be caused by eyestrain, hangovers, stress, diet, some infections, and many other things.

Frequent Urination

Ladies who are pregnant tend to go to the bathroom to urinate more often. However, a diet with lots of fluids and the onset of diabetes can cause this, too.

Nipples darkening and enlarged breasts.

Nipples can darken and breasts can feel swollen. Of course, hormonal issues can cause this, as well.

The need for a good pregnancy test can not be stressed enough due to a fact that many of these symptoms are duplicated by other situations. If you or your lover have missed a period and experience any of these other things, a visit to a doctor is in order.

Abortion

Abortion is not a form of birth control. It is expensive, can have complications, and can cause a feeling of emptiness and depression lasting years afterwords for the ladies. To some, it may also be a moral or religious issue. Please use good birth control to avoid having to resort to this.

That said....Women, and men for that matter, may consider abortion as a solution if the pregnancy is not too far along. Abortions, while expensive, can save you from severe hardship, lost dreams, and a life of poverty as a single parent or worse. With Roe vs Wade, Abortion is now a recognized constitutional right. There are religious groups, social workers, and Planned Parenthood that will be glad to help you make up your mind, of course. But, just like DARE and the drug programs we talk about in Free Dope, these groups often have an agenda as well. Use your own moral compass when making a decision like this. There have even been some groups that claim bias within these groups, encouraging white, suburban kids towards adoption and black, inner city kids towards abortion. We here at STW will leave that to those groups to fight out.

Free abortions are a thing of the past and myth. Only in the rare case of the mom's life being in danger and going to an emergency room will an abortion EVER be given without money up front. Most of the time, you and your mate are going to have to go to an abortion provider. That provider is going to want 500 USD to 1000 USD or more. Because of liability and pressure from the religious right, many states may only have one provider serving a large geographical area. A long road trip may be needed. In addition, some states are going to require if you are a minor that your parents need to sign off on the abortion. Other states will not.

In the end, you will have to decide what is best for you. If you are extremely sexually active and never want kids, it may be economical for a vasectomy or tube tie. If you change your mind later, this can sometimes be reversed.

You may in some research come across some links for herbal abortions. However, we here at STW strongly discourage this due to the fact that you can seriously mess yourself and your kid up. Herbal remedies are well known to widely vary in strength and dose potency and are avoided by the medical community for serious issues for good reason. Instead, talk to a social worker or doctor for much better and less dangerous options.

Adoption

If there are real religious or moral objections to abortion and there is no way financially to support a kid, adoption may want to be considered. On the web there are many organizations both secular and church affiliated that can help with this. Sometimes, your pregnancy is paid for.

This can be heart-wrenching on the birth parent to 'lose' a kid. However, the adoption process is very expensive for the adopters and background checks are extreme. Most of the time, the baby will grow up in a more privileged environment.

Most of the time, the adoption court records are sealed to prevent the birth parent or adopted child from finding out each others name until the kid hits 18. However, recent court decisions have been far more lenient in helping people search for their real parents. You may very well have a 'visitor' decades in the future to thank you for sparing their life! And, who knows... that baby could go on to be the person who causes great positive change in the world.

There are sites dedicated as registries for adoptees to find their birth parents, if they wish. If you want to help them with this, go to one of these and put in all the information you know and tie it to a free e-mail like yahho that you will maintain regardless of moves you may make over the next two decades. Avoid the paid registries and go with the better maintained free ones.

Pregnancy

So, the test is back and the symptoms are there. You or your lover is officially pregnant. Now, not only is the health of the mother an issue, but the baby's as well. There are certain things that the mother definitely NOT do, and some things that are merely old myths. We will go through some of the major points that can help.

Get a doctor! Doctors have many high tech tools like sonograms and tests that can determine any issues with the baby months before the baby pops out. A good doctor has seen hundreds of pregnancies and can provide ways to avoid miscarriage. Heads up can be given in the rare case the baby will have severe issues like deformities or developmental disorders which may bring abortion into consideration.
There are CorpGov programs to help with the costs of doctor visits and the pregnancy. Medicaid is issued to low income moms without insurance. Go by your local Social Security office with two IDs and a doctor's paperwork NOW!
If you smoke cigarettes or do drugs, STOP NOW! Most drugs, even BigPharma ones, can really mess your newborn up! Nicotine can lead to low birth weight. Highly addictive drugs like cocaine and heroin can make the baby come out addicted. Even pot can give issues as the hospital automatically drug tests both you and the baby. There is some conflicting evidence that smoking pot (even to relieve morning sickness) while pregnant can cause ADD, but it is inconclusive. Be aware hospitals do employ social workers. These guys can initiate procedures to try to take your kid away if the baby comes out with severe health problems and you tested positive.

TAKE NO DRUGS UNLESS A DOCTOR SAYS IT IS OKAY. Even then, still do your research on any prescribed drug.

It is usually okay to be active by working and doing medium physical activity. You should be okay as long as you are not at risk of taking sharp blows to the stomach or have to do heavy labor like digging. If the job exposes you to vibrations or hazardous chemicals, you may want to take off or ask if they have something less dangerous to the baby. The authors know of some ladies who waited tables up until the last two weeks of pregnancy. Most doctors even encourage keeping an exercise program to help with mood and labor.
The mother needs to eat healthy. This means three good meals and drinking lots of water. Try to avoid raw fish as sometimes these can contain mercury. Avoid alcohol because this can cause fetal alcohol syndrome if to much is had.
Contrary to myths, it is okay to have sex during normal pregnancy. However, in practice sex usually happens less often. Some males can feel this to be weird. Some females may be overly self-conscious about their body or lose desire late in pregnancy. Precaution still needs to be taken against diseases if you are sleeping with someone other than the father to protect against STDs.
If funds are an issue, there is no need to blow money on expensive maternity clothes that will only be worn for a few months. Over size, long tee shirts are perfectly acceptable to go around town or your activist meetings. Designer maternity dresses for more fancy occasions are literally dumped on thrift stores and yard sales.
Water Breaking. The baby is surrounded in a membrane filled with amniotic fluid. The fluid can be clear, pink, brown, or green and has a distinctive ammonia smell to it because it contains fecal urine. Sometimes this happens before labor and sometimes not until during. When the membrane containing the fluid breaks, it can be a sudden gush or a slow trickle wetting many changes of undergarments. Labor is imminent when this happens. If this happens before the 36 weeks gestation, get to a doctor immediately. Many times, breaking water is accompanied by contractions which feels similar to severe menstrual cramping. It is time to get to a doctor.

Birth Preparation

A few weeks before the due date, it can be worthwhile to be prepared. It can pay to befriend other folks who have had kids in the past. They can offer hand-me-downs and other goodies as kids outgrow things pretty fast.

Find a crib.

When you take the baby home, you really need a crib. Some poor moms keep the baby in their own bed with them. But, this is dangerous if the mom tosses and turns a lot or if large dogs or cats are around. The advice from a prominent obstetrics professor is that sleeping with the baby on the mother can reduce the chances of SIDS but if there are any sleeping issues or even worse any alcohol or drug use at all the smothering risk overrides the benefits of co-sleeping and night nursing. Hit up yard sales and thrift stores BEFORE the birth. Fortunately, if you only have a small flat, you will not have to move into a two bedroom for a few years.

Get a car seat.

Cops mess with anyone who has a very young child not in a car seat. Plus, if a wreck happens, the child is much more likely to survive. A car seat is great because it can also double as a mobile get-by crib if you are visiting overnight somewhere or have not found an actual crib, at least for a month or two.

Find a stroller

Small children should never be left unattended. However, there will be times when you must take the kid with you. A stroller makes this much easier.

Have a hospital stay bag ready.

A few days before the birth, pack an extra set of clothes and a few things that may be needed. While most hospital stays for giving birth are only a day or too, complications (like needing a C-section) can leave the mom in there for up to a week.

Research Hospitals

Know where you are going to give birth. This is a step sometimes overlooked. Many hospitals can not handle births and some may not take medicaid, some insurances, or charity. Do not be the mom that has to be driven around from hospital to hospital while a baby is trying to pop out! That is, unless you want to have under trained EMTs in an ambulance or your partner fumble through a dangerous delivery!

Decide between Natural Childbirth and Medicated Childbirth.

There is conflicting evidence that not taking any drugs during childbirth makes for a healthier and smarter baby. Be warned, giving birth hurts like hell! Natural childbirth will not be possible if the staff has to do a C-section. Some midwives will assist a birth for free or on a sliding scale if you tell them your situation, be sure you are in a place with good ambulance and hospital access if there is an emergency.

Childbirth

In modern America childbirth is treated as a major medical and surgical emergency. A c-section is often recommended to give both the doctor and healthy mothers a way to avoid a painful and messy birth that might happen at an inconvenient time. Women are forced to push a baby up into the air so the doctor can easily catch the baby and the glory. Few mention the lasting pain and damage that even the most modern c-section does to a woman.

Home birth is the natural alternative, good medical care through the whole pregnancy is essential, but giving birth to a baby in comfortable and familiar setting is much better for many women in most cases than having a baby in a super-germ infested hospital. Unless you are certain that there is a problem and need to have surgery, giving birth in town near a hospital will have you as close to emergency surgery as someone actually in the hospital.

Find a competent midwife and begin working with her as soon as possible in the pregnancy. Make sure you are getting enough protein and green leafy vegetables. Keep track of your urine output and baby motion. It is a big problem if you start getting high blood pressure, puffy face, or seizures you might have eclampsia. It is nice to have your own quality stethoscope to monitor babies heartbeat.

When the big day comes be sure you have at least one competent helper preferably with pediatric advanced life support training, especially someone who knows what to do in case of a breech birth. Have plastic sheet or tarp and be ready for a mess. Most women like to give birth on their bed but many first time mothers need a gravity assist like pushing while sitting on a stool or toilet. Don't worry about breathing or timing, your body almost always knows what to do especially if you are in good shape. Again it is a good idea to have an experienced midwife and probably a good friend and a apprentice midwife.

It is a good idea to have oxygen and intubation equipment if there is someone skilled in their use (if you are unskilled don't attempt to use a laryngoscope or airway equipment) , airway problems are the most common problem at birth. If baby comes out purple before you panic try rubbing the baby with a towel or blowing at their face forcing them to take a deep breath. In a rare worst case you can start CPR and consider epinepherine IV or in the endotrachial tube. A bulb syringe is good for cleaning out the nostrils and mouth of mucous. If there is black bits in the amniotic fluid it could be an emergency that has to come out if it was sucked into the lungs.

As the baby is born be careful not to pull on either end of the umbilical cord, a few minutes after birth it is time to cut the cord. Keep baby level to the mother so blood doesn't flow back into the placenta from baby, clamp or tie string about three to four inches from baby to close the blood vessels. Cut the cord on the mother side of the knot! To make it easier you might tie or clamp twice an inch or two apart on the cord and cut between the clamps.

Get baby nursing as soon as possible, this will help the uterus contract and slow bleeding. There are herbs and medications that the midwife may give to assist in this contraction as does massaging abdomen over the uterus. Piece together the placenta and look for any missing pieces, if these remain inside they can cause very serious problems.

This information is in no way a substitute to a good midwife or doctor who will walk you through your pregnancy and birth. Talk to your midwife and assemble or buy a basic birth kit. After you experience your bright eyed natural home birth you become an excellent candidate to begin learning the important skills of midwifing and birth coaching. If you feel there is an emergency you can always try to call 911 and hope they show up.

Child Care

Volumes of books have been written about baby care. We here at STW are not about to try to replace classic books like Dr. Spock or some of the excellent advice online. However, there are many key things that need to be discussed.

Nursing

You need to decide if you are going to do natural breast feeding on a regular basis or not. If you do not drain breasts of milk regularly through either commercially available pumps or by feeding, the breasts can feel swollen and be painful. The doctor has medications that can dry you up to alleviate this pain at the cost of not being able to breast feed.

If the baby doesn't want to nurse for up to 36 to 48 hours don't get too stressed, especially in larger babies they have lots of stored food and water, being born is tiring for them. First time mothers might need to manually pop out inverted nipples or use nursing shields at first if baby has trouble latching on. If all fails and formula is needed try to avoid bovine or soy based mixes, we have used a mix of brown rice syrup, goat milk, vitamin drops, flax seed oil, ask your midwife what she recommends. Don't fall for WASP slave propaganda it is OK to nurse for two or three years if you and baby like, many women are without their period during this time and enjoy natural birth control for around a year and a half, it is good for bonding and great nutrition for baby. Keep your nipples clean and if your baby is sick it might be smart to wipe your nipples with vinegar or yogurt culture and then clean after a few minutes before and after nursing to help prevent mastitis, this is also a good cure for thrush for both mother and baby.

If you have issues affording milk and baby food, consider WIC. WIC is a state program that can help with juice, baby formula, and food. More information on this program is here: Food Programs

Diapers

Diapers, at least until the kid is potty trained, is a major expense. Cloth diapers are still sold, and can be a more environmentally friendly solution at the cost of having to scrape poo and the loss of convenience. Be sure to keep specific lined diaper pales and plastic bags around to keep down on smells if you use this. For the store bought, disposable ones the price goes up as the kid needs different sizes. Unfortunately, we know of no programs to help with this extra expense.

Be sure to change diapers frequently as the baby can get diaper rashes. Avoid some baby powders as this can sometimes irritate skin more. Urine is a natural acid that can break down skin. It is also considered abusive to leave a kid in a dirty diaper for extended periods of time.

Child Proof your House!

When the kid is young and still in cribs and chairs, this is not an issue. But, as the kid becomes capable of crawling, this can be a major safety issue! Kids are naturally curious creatures and will explore every nook and cranny of the house. Be sure to straighten up wires around computer and entertainment centers. Keep stuff like bleach, fifths of vodka, your pot stash, and other things you would not want the kid to get out of reach or locked up! Keep the area clutter free so the kid does not trip or fall. (Admittedly, this can be rough with toddlers that spread toys all over the place.)

Drug Use and Kids

Taking care of a kid is a 24 hour job. Do not be the one that has Social Services called to the house because you were passed out drunk or left a newborn in the house in a dirty diaper for 8 hours to find crack! For that matter, you should avoid any drug that puts you 'unavailable' to the kid like hallucinogens, overuse of alcohol, or very addictive drugs like heroin or cocaine derivatives.

Smoking pot or light alcohol use is another matter which is highly debatable. Even though you still are now a parent does not mean there is no possibility of fun. If you still decide to imbibe in herb or drink, you will need to be extremely discreet and responsible. There have been cases of social services being called to 'investigate' for mere casual pot use or accidentally drinking too much by nosy neighbors, grandparents, and others. Keep your place immaculately clean and free of beer can pyramids and bongs on the coffee table. Try not to smoke pot around older kids, as councilors and teachers can be told about your use if the kid wants to lash out for being grounded or disagreements.

If you smoke cigarettes, you may want to institute a 'no smoking in the house' policy. Recent medical research has revealed a direct correlation between cigarette smoke and common childhood maladies such as ear infections and asthma. Smoking outside can save you preventable trips to a doctor with a sick kid.

Anything harder than pot, quit now. You do not have time to be tripping on LSD for 12 hours even if you have a baby sitter. You do not have the money to be snorting coke. Any deviation from a no hard drug policy is asking for a concerned grand parent or neighbor to bring social services down on you. Once again, do not be that parent that got their kid taken away because you were fucked up and left the baby in the car for three hours in the hot sun!

Do not let anyone around your kid that does hard drugs, either - even if these people are 'friends'.

As the kid gets older, be sure to properly educate the kid on drug use. This means responsible use and leading by example.

Potential Pitfalls

Life can sometimes go in bad directions. No discussion of kid related issues can be without a short mention of some of the rougher things that can happen.

Divorce/ Breakup

When the two parents can not get along for whatever reason, a divorce or break up can be imminent. Divorce can be a brutal experience. One or both will probably have to move (especially if an apartment is involved or housing took two incomes). There are, however, rare agreements between estranged couples to still live together for a limited time. Any accumulated stuff like cars, houses, bank accounts, or anything else with real value will need to be divided.

If possible, try to work things out amicably to avoid huge legal fees. For married folks that generally agree to work things out amicably, there are no-fault divorces. These are exponentially cheaper than regular divorces. In many cases, no court appearance is needed.

After the divorce is agreed upon, most states delay the final date of the divorce for many months. This period is called Legal Separation. If a fight is anticipated from the future ex-spouse, some places consider dating someone else during this time to be adultery.

If it is any consequence, the mother usually gets custody of the kid unless it can be proven without a doubt that the mom is a habitual hard drug abuser, has severe medical or clinical mental issues, or is in jail.

Child Support and Visitation

This section is for general observations and informative posts only. It is not a substitute for a knowledgeable lawyer specialized in family law. Family Law is a very complex subject varying widely even county to county!

This is a huge, sticky issue amongst the community. On one side, you have groups telling horror stories of never being able to see their kid yet being chased relentlessly by CorpGov or even jailed for increasing amounts of money. On the other, you have custodial parents forced into welfare, living with parents, and unable to juggle child care and being employed who must constantly case down spouses who openly refuse to pay in times of real need. We are not here to be a soundboard from one group or another since both groups make valid, if not biased, points. Instead, the authors will discuss the facts of Child Support and Visitation

Child Support is a separate issue than visitation. However, forcing an ex-spouse to do this when he/she has not agreed in the past can get expensive due to legal fees. Proven records of abuse, long distances between living addresses, and other things can make this harder or easier.

This also applies to grandparents! There have been successful court cases where grandparents successfully sued the parents to see the grand kid.

Child Support Enforcement only gets involved if the custodial parent goes to the office to claim a case or the custodial parent applies for government assistance programs. It does not automatically get involved. If the two parents are amicable and acceptable terms are agreed to, everything is okay.
Once Child Support Enforcement is involved, all payments are to be made to them. Most states now issue any funds received on a state issued debit card.
If money is not paid, for whatever reason, Child Support Services maintains a database alongside employee withholding databases. Any employer that reports withholding is automatically compared against this list. Some extreme deadbeat type parents will switch from under the radar job to the next trying to avoid paying. However, the balance keeps building and if Child Support Services finds out the job, a garnishment order can be sent anyways. Tax refunds and lottery winnings can also be taken. This can be enforced regardless of state of residence and is enforced empire wide.
Someone can not get a passport if Child Support is more than 3 months behind. US Customs also checks the database.
If you pay Child Support, never pay in cash or money order. Use a check. Rarely, vindictive ex-spouses can claim they did not receive support from you and collect double from the Child Support office.
Some states suspend the driver's license , fishing/hunting license, and even professional licenses (nursing, plumbers, bartender, etc.) if child support is fallen behind on.
Someone way behind on Child Support CAN be put in jail. However, there has to be an actual judgment for support, and the person who owes may get several chances to make repayments at the court. If the one who owes in in another state, the person who owes must be extradited to actually be locked up. Problem is, some states will not pick up or extradite unless vast sums are owed or the case is high profile. Driving while a driver license is suspended for non-payment is another matter.
If you join the military and do not have custody, the government will make child support payments for you without cutting pay.

Moral of the story is that having a child is a big deal not to be taken lightly. We encourage all men to use good sex practices and for ladies to wait for the right guy and make certain she is ready. Always try to get along with your brothers and sisters and keep a secure culture. The survival and vision of future, for all children is at stake. Will this be a corporate police state where the non-elite in society are cattle or a paradise where the workers are equal partners? Do not become a slave to the Empire by getting in a bad position.

Skin Care

Last updated: 1 September 2011

Most cosmetics (and by this I mean cleansers and the like as well as makeup) have some really nasty stuff in them. Someone once suggested that if you wouldn't put it in your mouth, don't put it on your skin. It's a good rule of thumb, really. Also, if you're worried about that sort of thing, one could complain about animal testing. If you're so worried that you want a guinea pig to check the chemicals on, why are you even considering smearing it all over your eyelids? Be sure to test any of these recipes on a small part of your skin first to see if you're allergic. These shouldn't set off any allergies, but you never know. Any new skin products, if working properly, will cause acne at first. They're getting all of the ipurities out of your skin. Don't fight that.

1 Baking Soda
2 Lemon Juice
3 Oatmeal
4 Shampoo
5 Toner
6 Egg Mask
7 Powdered Milk Bath
8 Stocking List
9 Sunburn
10 Chapped Lips
11 Chapped Hands

Baking Soda

Expensive store bought facial cleansers can be replaced with one simple, cheap chemical: baking soda. A 60 cent box will last you for weeks. Go to a pool supply and get it it bulk, though, if you can. It keeps, and it's useful for everything: clogged drains, cleaning, cooking, odor control... If you're on a budget or on the move, just get a small box at a time and store it in a cleaned and dried soda bottle to keep it from moisture.

For the basic use, soak your skin in really (not dangerously!) warm water or under a washcloth for showers, then form a paste with the soda and water until it's just a little thinner than toothpaste and smear on like normal cleansers. Rinse well, or you'll have itchy white powder all over your face.

Lemon Juice

Warmed lemon juice, just a little in the microwave or over a tea light in an oil diffuser (I put a sauce dish on a baby food jar with a light inside.) is a magnificent astringent. Soak a cotton ball and spread over the face. Technically, any heat will open the pores, but the acid in lemon juice bleaches skin, leaving a nice smooth and even complexion. It soaks into the pores, too, reacting with baking soda cleansers to push gunk out of your skin.

Remember that vinegar and baking soda experiment in first grade? It's the same principle. If you use this, use oatmeal in the baking soda. The reaction stings a little, but it's exothermic and feels really nice after a few seconds.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal in the baking soda, in a 1-1 ratio, will help keep your skin from drying too much during the lemon juice reaction. I recommend grinding it into a nice powder before using it, because whole oats clog drains... which could be useful, depending on where you are. I've experimented with the gel inside aloe leaves mixed in with the soda before, but not enough to recommend it. It's best at this point to just use that as a lotion as needed. A half-inch off of the top of one leaf will do.

Shampoo

Baking soda can be a shampoo, but that gets more expensive than store bought, even in bulk. Don't bother. We have read about chopping a bar of soap up, boiling it until liquid and mixing it with water to make shampoo, have not yet tried it.

You can also just use soap, which will clean your hair just fine for a lot less.

Toner

For a toner, make a very strong tea of one part basil and one part cucumber peels. In a pinch, just basil will do. Make it in decent amounts, then freeze it in ice cubes and store in the freezer in baggies. This stuff spoils within days, so thaw one cube at a time and use quickly. This should be used cool to close the pores, but not too cold, and applied just like the astringent.

Egg Mask

A beaten egg is one of my favorite facial masks. Beat the egg, then pour out just enough to coat your face and divide the rest into an ice cube tray for freezing. They'll keep in baggies too. After cleansing, smear onto the face (or whatever) and let it dry for a few minutes. Rinse off. There's all sorts of vitamins in egg that does wonders for the skin. Honey can be used instead. I don't currently have any suggestions for vegan masks, but I welcome input.

Powdered Milk Bath

Throw a cup of powdered milk under a running faucet for a milk bath. If one can only find it in pre-wrapped packets, one packet is perfect.

Stocking List

For those who are more luxuriously minded, here is a list of things to keep on hand:

Powdered milk
Baking soda
Lemon juice (Don't bother with concentrate, just get the big bottles.)
Eggs
Honey
Dried basil, or get a plant (Any house plant lowers your carbon footprint AND freshens your air.)

If you can get an aloe vera plant or five, do so. Every household should have one of these.
Cucumber peels (When you eat cukes, Dry the peels for storage, or use fresh)
Plain oatmeal (NOT quick oats)
Small bowls (I use Asian style sauce dishes, but if you have access to a ceramics studio this could get pretty)
Mortar and pestle (Once again, everyone should have one of these.)
Ice cube tray
Ziplock baggies
Cotton balls or a small cotton cloth

Sunburn

Baking soda in cool bathwater is nice and soothing, or for a lotion use the gel inside the leaf of an aloe vera plant. Don't make this mistake: nonstop ice packs on a bad sunburn. the woman got frostbite on top of the burn (The doctor was baffled!), and the cold-on-hot made for huge blisters and skin peels the size of her palm. Nasty. The best suggestion is to wear block (Only storeboughts or zinc oxide cream can get strong enough for the most sensitive, but there are weaker recipes around.) or stay in the shade. A grave shift job is useful there.

Chapped Lips

Most recipes mostly boil down to beeswax, oils, and sometimes menthol or camphor. Some like the aromatic coolness of menthol and camphor, while others hate the smell. Some people claim that the camphor or menthol make for softer lips, but when you stop using it actually makes you more susceptible to chapping for a while.

Chapped Hands

Aloe would work on chapped hands too, but use sparingly. The gel doesn't store well, and a little pinch goes a long way. Every household with a window should have an aloe cactus or three. They'll fix just about any skin damage. If you can't get a plant then look at a natural foods store or even a corpgov pharmacy for aloe gel with a high percentage of real aloe vera, many shaving gels now also contain aloe and other helpful vitamins and herbals.

Another tact is to visit a farm store and look for the udder softening cream used on cows and goats, many people swear by this for their own hands.

Note for the inked: one trusted piercer says he tells the newly tattooed to rub personal(sex) lubricant on the healing tat. It's good for delicate skin.

8. Free Communication

Last updated: 5 January 2011

Today's world of communication is light years away from what it looked like 40 years ago. This section contains information about traditional means of communication. The next section contains information about internet communication.

But the existence of electronic contact shouldn't cause us to overlook these traditional methods. The internet may be used for many things, but we don't pass the internet on the street, we don't see it on billboards or roadway overpasses. Despite how embedded the web is in our society, there are many methods of communicating that don't involve web sites, log-ins, RSS feeds or browser applications. In fact, many of our brothers and sisters don't have regular or reliable access to the web.

This is not a bad thing. Traditional methods of communication can sometimes be more flexible and direct than electronic means. As web content is often disconnected from everyday life, traditional content is everywhere — on our radios, on our phones and in our newspapers. The false notion that many activists have that says that the internet is the only or even the best way to communicate is perhaps the primary reason for the lack of involvement on the part of many people in influencing public policy.

The challenge with using traditional means is thinking outside the box. Effective communication breaks the pattern of expectations. Define your audience and know your medium. Challenge yourself to invent new and interesting ways to capture the attention of your audience by manipulating the medium or refining the message. When communication fails, it is most often because it doesn't convey meaning to the audience or because it doesn't use the medium correctly.

Effective communication conveys information quickly and generates the desired response on its own. Take advantage of the fact that most of the information that many people get from our corpgov system is batch processed and bland. By leveraging those means of communication effectively, you can counter the system's propaganda and generate action in a way that includes a huge number of people at once.

External links

www.personaltelco.net(http://www.personaltelco.net/) free community wireless network activism

Press Conferences

Last updated: 9 February 2011

Go back to Free Communication

If you have decided to reach out to the average ignorant Amerikan, you need to dress to the standard that they expect from their leaders, a nice suit and tie (make sure it is not shiny in bright light). Pack your suit and shoes in a garment bag to keep them clean and unwrinkled. Get dressed right before the interview and have a friend check you out. Clean paper towel can be used to emergency re-shine black shoes. If there will be lots of lights and TV crews filming it could be useful to have a stage or TV expert apply a layer to reduce the shine of your face.

Keep your comments short, and use plain statements that can't be easily placed out of context. Plan for baiting questions from unfriendly CorpGov press and rehearse smooth answers. Don't get angry at the reporters. Try to get friendly reporters who can rescue you, but always remember that not all reporters are your friend, even if they play the part. Anything you say, even an aside that was not meant as part of the interview, can end up in the report. Take some hints from Public Speaking. If possible, get a brother or sister to tape the interview with a quality digital camcorder, HID light, and decent microphone for archival and to counter out of context chop clips by the CorpGov media.

Get an appropriate place that has some relationship to the content of your message. Send out announcements to as many members of the press as you can. If you do not have a press list, you can make one up by looking through the Yellow Pages under Newspapers, Radio Stations, Television Stations, Magazines and Wire Services. Check out your list with other groups and pick up names of reporters who attend movement press conferences. Address a special invitation to them as well as one to their newspaper. Address the announcements to "City Desk" or "'News Department." Schedule the press conference for about 11:00 A.M. as this allows the reporters to file the story in time for the evening newscast or papers. On the day of the scheduled conference, call the important city desks or reporters about 9:00 A.M. and remind them to come.

Everything about a successful press conference must be dramatic, from the announcements and phone calls to the statements themselves. Nothing creates a worse image than four or five men in business suits sitting behind a table and talking in a calm manner at a fashionable hotel. Constantly seek to have every detail of the press conference differ in style as well as content from the conferences of people in power. Make use of music and visual effects. Don't stiffen up before the press. Make the statement as short and to the point as possible. Don't read from notes, look directly into the camera. Keep it breif and action packed to fit into TV News Segments. The question period should be even more dramatic. Use the questioner's first name when answering a question. This adds an air of informality and networks are more apt to use an answer directed personally to one of their newsmen. Express your emotional feelings. Be funny, get angry, be sad or ecstatic. If you cannot convey that you are deeply excited or troubled or outraged about what you are saying, how do you expect it of others who are watching a little image box in their living room? Remember, you are advertising a new way of life to people. Watch TV commercials. See how they are able to convey everything they need to be effective in such a short time and limited space. At the same tune you're mocking the shit they are pushing, steal their techniques.

Lay out a short exciting rap on what's coming down. Focus on a call around one action. Sometimes it might be good to engage rock groups in dialogues about their commitment to the revolution. Interrupting the concert is frowned upon since it is only spitting in the faces of the people you are trying to reach. Use the Culture as ocean to swim in. Treat it with care.

Use of the Flag

Last updated: 18 February 2011

Go back to Free Communication

A flag is an ancient symbol of power used in identifying groups and nations. If enough people use it or attach identity to it, the flag can be a source of solidarity. Those who manage to design a flag that gets particularly powerful can get a footnote in history like Betty Ross.

The Red Star with Pot Leaf that emblazons the top left hand corner of the wiki is a tribute to those that came before us. Of course, feel free to wear, hoist, print off, put as computer wall paper, or not care about any flag you please. Just remember one flag's worshipers may have been brainwashed to dislike worshipers of other flags.

If you really, really want to use the symbol of generation old flag that some Yippies used and made lunch money off of here it is:

The Yippie flag:

^Image:Yip.gif

Flags of the World - Youth International Party flag listing (http://www.fotw.net/flags/us%7Dyip.html)

For those who wanted a flag that did not scream of being "a communist pot-smoker" and attract oppression..

^Image:Blkred flag.png

With google, we are sure you can download any flag you would like if you want that image. Want to be a gay rights kind of person? There is a flag for that. Want to show you are a proud fan of a sports team? There are flags and a complete clothing line for that. Just remember that all religions and symbols can have zealots. It is okay to respect some of the good things about movements, as long as those movements do not become "too good/ holy" to be questioned.

rfImage:Orig11.jpg

Abbie Hoffman on the Yippie Flag from 1970

The generally agreed upon flag of our nation is black with a red, five pointed star behind a green marijuana leaf in the center. It is used by groups that understand the correct use of culture and symbolism in a revolutionary struggle.

Use of the Flag - Steal This Wiki

When displayed, it immediately increases the feelings of solidarity between our brothers and sisters. High school kids have had great fights over which flag to salute in school. A sign of any liberated zone is the flag being flown. Rock concerts and festivals have their generally apolitical character instantly changed when the flag is displayed. The political theoreticians who do not recognize the flag and the importance of the culture it represents are ostriches who are ignorant of basic human nature. Throughout history people have fought for religion, life-style, land, a flag (nation), because they were ordered to, for fortune, because they were attacked or for the hell of it. If you don't think the flag is important, ask the hardhats.

Radio

Last updated: 30 August 2011

Go back to Free Communication

1 Radio
1.1 Small Broadcasters
1.2 Shortwave Radio
1.2.1 Receivers and Antennas
1.2.2 Programming
1.2.3 Time
1.2.4 Related websites
1.2.5 Tips
1.3 Crystal Radio
2 Original Radio

Radio

Whether at home, on the lam, or traveling the world it is useful and socially comforting to get news and programming in your native language and from several sources. Having a news station or shortwave broadcast in the background is usually enough to satisfy even the most addicted news hound even when cut off from the net.

If you want to use radio for secure, distant, or tactical two way communications see Communication

To avoid confusion if you come across older radio manuals, the terms "hertz" (Hz) and "cycles" (c) mean the same thing.

Small Broadcasters

Check out the 88 to 91 MHz range of the dial. These stations are licensed by the FCC for non-profit broadcast. This includes not just NPR affiliates and national syndicated religious programming, but local and college broadcasters. If you live near a college or university, be sure to check out their radio facilities. Many are quite large, sporting FM and AM transmitters in the kilowatt range. These stations usually have their own FCC licenses, and are fiercely independent. There are a variety of opportunities, both as music DJ and other programming, and usually are willing to let community members get involved.

Shortwave Radio

In an age of snooping and censorship, Shortwave Radio can be a godsend. International broadcasts can provide different perspectives on a major news event, as well as providing information that may not be available from corporate sources. Some stations, like Radio Habana Cuba and Voice of Korea (North Korea, that is) have a heavy political slant to their reporting, while the far-right conspiracy mongers who buy air time on US commercial stations often drift into the political Twilight Zone.

The BBC (British Broadcasting Company) World Service is a great source of news and info, but in a cost-cutting move, stopped almost all their entertainment programs on the World Service as well as discontinuing beaming signals to North America. They now focus on satellite radio (Sirius and XM) and licensing programs to NPR stations. However, you can pick up the BBC's Asian, African and Caribbean services in many parts of the USA. You can also listen in on the internet for free (http://www.bbcworldservice.com).

CRI (China Radio International), broadcasting from Bejing, picks up some of the BBC's slack especially in Asia and Africa with their Simple English service and Chinese language lessons. It often has a college radio feel with some shows being the hosts chatting on random topics like favorite holidays or stolen bicycles. They like to get emails and respond on air (http://english.cri.cn/).

WBCQ "The Planet", a commercial USA shortwave station, was founded by former radio pirate Allen Weiner (Falling Star Radio Network, Radio Newyork International), and offers a number of diverse programs on the station's frequencies. Programs ranging from Christian preachers to old time radio to music programs to financial planners who want you to buy their gold coins. (http://www.wbcq.com/)

Voice of Korea (formerly Radio Pyongyang) reflects the Stalinist government of North Korea (or as they prefer, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea or "DPRK"). While their station is a worthy catch for shortwave listeners, the programming can be quite detached from reality, since it mostly extols the "Supreme Leader of the Republic" Kim Jong-il and the glories of their country. A word of warning: If you send them a reception report (at: Voice of Korea, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea) you may be getting fliers and newsletters in the mail for several months afterwards. The station has no website, but recorded broadcasts can be heard here: http://northkoreanradio.com/

Receivers and Antennas

When buying a shortwave receiver, get the best you can afford. Cheap portable radios simply aren't worth it. While the many "wind-up" radios, like the Baygen Freeplay models (http://www.freeplayenergy.com/) , are good in an emergency, you'll need a serious radio for serious listening. This does not mean that a small travel radio is not necessarily a quality receiver, but be watchful since many well known quality brand names also have a junk discount product line for the lower end. Research the model that you want before buying.

Some newer radios have digital technology like "DRM" (Digital Radio Mundiale, French for "Digital Radio Worldwide"). This promises much of what digital TV offers; more channels and cleaner signals with smaller bandwidth using less power. However, this is still in the experimental stages and only a few stations are using it.

If you can, get a radio with continuous tuning (150 to 30000 kHz) and a Sideband filter so you can listen to the Hams and Pirates. Check the net and look for mods to your shortwave radio to tap the IF stage and add the sideband or digital decoding stages. If there's an Amateur radio swap meet where you are, go there and ask a lot of questions. See if you can get a good deal on a used receiver. If someone mentions a "boat anchor", that's slang for an older style desk top radio. The name comes from the fact that since they use vacuum tubes, they're quite heavy and parts may be hard to come by.

If you already have a regular non SSB shortwave set and want to pick up sideband or SSB broadcasts and communications you will need to add a BFO or beat frequency oscillator since sideband unlike broadcast AM is a signal without the wasteful carrier. There are easy plans and ready to solder kits on the net under $10 to inject a 455Khz IF (intermediate frequency) carrier to the internals of the radio instead of receiving the carrier from a far away radio station. The IF stage is where the received signal goes after the tuner but before mixer and sound amplification, look on the net for info on where this is on you radio or find a good radio geek to help you. The best system is to solder the injector directly to the IF stage of your radio but often just making a loop and placing the injector closer to the radio will be enough to allow good reception of sideband transmissions.

A radio is only as good as the antenna, so if you don't have the space or budget for an outdoor antenna, you can use an indoor longwire antenna. Get 48 feet (about 14.6 meters) of insulated, triple-braid copper wire and an alligator clip. Trim off just enough insulation to attach the clip to the wire, and then attach the clip to the telescoping rod antenna on the radio. Either lay the wire flat on the floor or tack it onto the wall. Don't worry if you have to bend it along another wall, but keep it from turning back onto itself. You want it to stretch it out as far as you can to pick up all the signals. Just remember not to attach the wire to any electrical outlet or any electrical appliance other than the radio, and don't drive any staples or thumbtacks through the wire. You don't need to ground the antenna, since you're using the existing ground in the radio.

Programming

The closest there is to a "TV Guide" to shortwave is the annually published World Radio-Television Handbook (://www.wrth.com), which covers the whole broadcasting industry (AM, FM, TV, Longwave, Shortwave) and is very tech-heavy. (There used to be Passport to World Band Radio which only covered shortwave, but it stopped publication in 2009.) The magazine Popular Communications (http://www.popular-communications.com/), known by techies as "PopCom", is a monthly magazine that covers almost all facets of radio and TV broadcasting from many technical angles. The centerfold always has a listing of shortwave broadcasts and times. Another good monthly publication is Monitoring Times (http://www.monitoringtimes.com), which mostly covers Ham Radio and scanners but has a multi-page "Shortwave Guide" listing.

The following websites provide frequently updated shortwave schedules:

The DX Zone - http://www.dxzone.com/catalog/Shortwave_Radio/Schedules/
Frequent Frequencies - http://shortwave.frequentfrequencies.com/
North American Shortwave Association - http://www.naswa.net/swlguide/
Prime Time Shortwave - http://www.primetimeshortwave.com/
Shortwave Central - http://mt-shortwave.blogspot.com/

Pirate radio broadcasts are necessarily unpredictable but tend to hang around the edges of broadcast and ham bands, particularly at 6925-6975 kHz ("42-meter" band) and 10-10.1 MHz ("29" meters), as these are accessible with minor modifications to ham radio equipment.

Time

Broadcast times are set by Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which is also called Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) or "Zulu" (Z), and is the local time at 0 degrees longitude. UTC is posted in a 24 hour standard. That is, 2 AM is 0200 or "Two Hundred Hours", 2 PM is 1400 or "Fourteen Hundred Hours" and 5:32 PM is 1732 or "Seventeen hours, Thirty-Two minutes". You can find what UTC is where you are by tuning in time signal stations WWV or WWVH at 2500, 5000, 10000, 15000 and (WWV only) 20000 kHz. If you hear a "tick" once a second, wait for a voice announcement saying "At the tone, -- hours, -- minutes, Coordinated Universal Time", then a loud "beep" marking the minute. You can tell the difference between the two stations by the voice announcements. WWV in Fort Collins, Colorado uses a male voice, while WWVH in Kekaha, Hawaii uses a female voice. If both stations are being received on the same frequency, you'll hear the female voice first.

In Canada, there is CHU, broadcasting at 3330, 7335 and 14670 kHz from Ottawa, Ontario. They broadcast their timechecks in English and French, beginning with "CHU Canada". Due to propagation problems, their signals can't be heard in most of Western Canada, as well as Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.

Other time signal stations broadcasting on or near 2500, 5000, 10000, 15000 and 20000 are:

BPM, Xian, People's Republic of China
BSF, Taipei, Taiwan
EBC, Cadiz-San Fernando, Spain (4998, 15006 kHz)
HD2IOA, Guayaquil, Equador (3810 kHz)
HLA, Taejon, South Korea
LOL1, Buenos Ares, Argentina
RWM, Moscow, Russia (4996, 9996, 14996 kHz)
YVTO, Caracas, Venezuela

Not all stations broadcast 24 hours a day, and some ID only by CW (Morse Code). You can get more info on these stations here: http://www.dxinfocentre.com/time.htm

While not a time signal station, BBC World Service gives a timecheck tone every hour on the hour. (The signal heard on Internet streaming and satellite radio services is off by a few seconds.)

Knowing these frequencies is very important if you are navigating at sea using a sextant, need to reprogram a computer that you are using to track communications satellites, or any other application where the exact time is needed.

The best thing to do is start a stopwatch at the time check and then take a reading or begin programming your device and just add the time on the stopwatch. When taking celestial readings with a sextant just hit the stop button when you take the reading and you can read the stopwatch and sextant below decks in full light when charting your position.

Related websites

The following sites offer tips for beginners, reviews of radio receivers, and other shortwave related information including links to other sites.

DXing.com http://www.dxing.com/swlintro.htm
Eton Radio Shortwave Tutorial http://www.etoncorp.com/shortwavetutorial
Shortwave.be http://www.shortwave.be/
ShortWaveRadio.comhttp://www.shortwaveradio.com/
SWLing.com http://swling.com/

Glenn Hauser has been called "The Yoda of Shortwave Radio" and has a syndicated program, "Glenn Hauser's World of Radio" on many shortwave and Part 15 stations. Podcasts of his shows can he heard here: http://www.worldofradio.com/

Tips

Just to avoid confusion, 1 MHz (Megahertz) equals 1000 kHz (Kilohertz), so 5.75 MHz is 5750 kHz. Also, the older term "cycles" is often substituted for "hertz".

A good thing to remember is that frequencies above 13000 kHz are better for long distance during daytime, and below 13000 kHz is better at night. There is overlap especially within a few hours of dawn or dusk.

Very important: If you are listening at home and using an AC plug for the radio, get a surge protector and use it!

Crystal Radio

If you get cut off from news outside, say when you are hiding in your unabomber wilderness hut, make a simple crystal radio set, just remember that a crystal set only pulls in strong local stations. All you need is some wire, aluminum foil, a non-cordless telephone handset, antenna and coil wire and a diode (or pencil and razor blade). No battery ever needed! If you find a wall wart transformer or almost any electronic gadget you are almost set except for the telephone handset speaker. A piezo speaker disk might work but sound will be crap. Take a diode and put it in parallel to your earphone, run one wire to a ground like a water pipe or ground and the other should be strung out as long as you can make the antenna. If a ground is impossible, string both ends as long as possible, making a dipole antenna. At the center between the antennas or antenna/ground wire you will place your stacked foil capacitor and a coil of wire around a straw or bottle (anything non-conductive, even air). Play with number wraps and alignment layers of foil (with plastic or paper between). This is your tuner/variable capacitor.

If you need a long antenna wire unwind a motor armature or transformer found in most plug in electronic devices, if you have only some stranded wire untwist and join the strands end to end for a longer more effective antenna and if you are unable to solder them knot and crush together using a steel tool as a hammer. (schematic Wikipedia)

^100p\

see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_radio_receiver and http://sci-toys.com/scitoys/scitoys/radio/radio.html

Even better, there are crystal radio circuits out there that ROCK; even some of the simple ones such as "The Mystery Crystal Set" are surprisingly effective.

http://www.clarion.org.au/crystalset/mystery.html

Shortwaves crystal sets are QUITE practical; they work on Short Wave broadcasts which are also AM, just a higher carrier frequency; 49 Meters is probably your best bet for a first time effort (that's 5.8 Mhz to 6.2 Mhz kiddies).

Visit the following sites for some cool instructions and snaps of very effective and fairly simple sets.

It is possible to make an FM crystal receiver, but you need some specialized capacitors.

Another type of crystal receiver is the "Foxhole Radio" that was developed by US soldiers during World War Two, and was also used in Prisoner of War camps by captured soldiers. It uses a razor blade for a crystal and a pencil lead for a tuner. However, you need a "blue" razor blade, which is not very easy to find these days. Back in the day when stainless steel was expensive, the blades were coated with blue silicone so they stayed sharper longer. You can also try a dark blue colored box cutter blade or hacksaw blade. If you can't track one down, find a blade that is rusty (or soak it in vinegar, salt water, gun bluing or cola for a few days to promote rust). Note that this sort of expedient detector is quite difficult to adjust and not as sensitive as a 99 cent 1N34A diode from Radio Shack or ripped out of of a broken radio or "wall wart" transformer, but if it's all you've got, try it.

More important than relieving boredom, a crystal set works without batteries or plug in power and, if kept in good condition, will probably outlast your great-grand kids. Think about that.

However, more importantly to us is not RECEIVING radio signals but TRANSMITTING them- see Guerrilla Broadcasting

Original Radio

Want to construct your own neighborhood radio station? You can get a carrier-current transmitter designed by a group of brothers and sisters called Radio Free People. No FCC license is required for the range is less than 1/2 mile. The small transistorized units plug into any wall outlet. Write Radio Free People, 133 Mercer St., New York, New York 10012 for more details. For further information see the chapter onGuerrilla Broadcasting later in the book.

Making Music

Last updated: 15 August 2010

"One good song with a message can bring a point more deeply to more people than a thousand rallies." - Phil Ochs

One of the most overreaching arms of Corpgov is the entertainment industry. It once was that a creative enough musician could tap into the unlimited power and greed of the king to outlaw performance of his work by any other artist, this copy-right included a bribe to the king or a royalty to make the deal interesting to the king. The framers of the US constitution saw a role for limited copyright and patent that would encourage people to create new works for the purpose of earning a living by giving them a monopoly for a few years on the works produced, a right that could be sold for cash up front to someone else.

Today with the power of massive CorpGov our fascist system of business to government entanglement, large mega corporations like Disney were able to find favor with the US congressmen with promises of cash for the election arms race if they would kindly extend the length of copyright to 70 years after the death of the artist. They had to keep the mouse in prison for fear that derivative works might be made from him similar to what Disney does with stories like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Robin Hood or The Jungle Book, all of which are based on Public Domain works.

In a world where we boycott the industrial evil or when copyright is no more we must make our own music. Our limited budgets need a way to still make our art and distribute it. Music is a medium to convey a message that might not be received from print or public speeches.

1 Instruments
1.1 Harmonica
1.2 Clarinet
1.2.1 Make PVC Clarinet in A3
1.3 Flute
1.3.1 Make a PVC Flute
1.4 Violin
1.5 Guitar
1.6 Drums
1.7 Keyboard
1.8 Kazoo
1.9 Ukulele
1.10 Home-made Instruments
2 Production
2.1 Digital Music DIY Now
2.2 Software
2.3 Amplifiers
2.4 Speakers
2.5 Recording
2.5.1 Recording Studio

2.6 On Air

3 Distribution

Instruments

These portable musical instruments will help you tell a story, make some money, and entertain your friends, sometimes all at the same time. For the "classy" instruments more money can be made if you wear a nice suit or dress while performing. In times of great stress a skilled musician is in high demand even if availability of cash is scarce. Barter is good payment, food and bed topping the list. Conversely an out of tune instrument or lack of skill can grate on nerves even if the player is enjoying himself, so start out practicing in a secluded area.

Harmonica

The harmonica is the hobo's friend. Easily stashed in your pocket a harmonica played on a street corner with a cup out will often pay your expenses for the day. Look for a quality instrument and carry a spare in case you break a reed. Keep your harmonica working, mealtime and music time are separate, you don't need to get beer or cheese inside your reeds ruining the sound and causing corrosion, also try not to get spit inside your instrument. Only open up your harmonica when you must and even then have a clean, well lit, indoor surface to work on, there are tiny fragile parts which are easily lost or broken. If possible get a hard case to protect your harmonica, banging around in your pack is a good way to break of clog your instrument. There are sites on the internet and books which have tabs, a kind of sheet music, to make learning easy, some harmonicas are numbered to make using the tabs easier.

Clarinet

Lightweight wind instrument, the clarinet is an excellent accompaniment to a piano for plays and background mood music by itself. Most clarinets break down to several short pieces that will easily fit in your pack. Always carry several extra reeds.

Make PVC Clarinet in A3

You need:

Alto sax reed
1/2 inch schedule 40 PVC pipe
Hex cap screw (or whatever fine thread short machine screw you have)

Building:

Cut a piece of pipe to 15 inches.
Make the reed mouthpiece, saw or sand to fit the reed, do the final fitting by hand with sandpaper, alto sax reed seems to fit this pipe best. The slope of the pipe must be steep enough that the thickest part of the reed is right above the location for the screw, not the sloped part.
Drill an angled hole for the reed screw into the pipe above the angle cut area of the pipe making sure that the screw hole is at an exact right angle to the reed.
Enlarge the hole in the reed so the screw is not threading tight into it.
Carefully thread the hex cap screw in.
Try blowing the reed, if the reed just sticks down you need to reshape the pipe with sanding paper until you get the proper reed sound, about 1/32 inch gap is needed.
Finger hole tuning is by carefully reaming the opening diameters, you either need to have a very good sense of tone or a tuning fork to make the right hole diameters. We will now need to remember our octave of Do,

Re, Me, Fa, So, La, Te, Do.

With no holes try blowing, you want to hear a match to A3 Do, shorten the far end of the pipe until you get a correct tone.
Now drill 1/8 in. holes at the following distances from the reed end of the clarinet in inches: Thumb(bottom) Do 7.54, Finger Holes Te 7.79, La 8.89, So 9.89, Fa 10.89, Me 11.89, Re 12.89
Starting from the farthest holes tune each hole by carefully opening up the holes.
Run a dowel through the pipe to clean out attached shavings as you work and carefully carve and sand the edges as you tune the holes so they are smooth

Patience is required or you will open the holes too wide and ruin the clarinet. If you like you can lightly sand and paint your clarinet flat black, or your favorite color but be careful over the holes as this might put it off tune.

Flute

Flute music gives a high pitch that carries for a long distance, useful for rallying the troops at a demonstration along with drums. Drum and flute hearkens back to revolutionary war days.

Make a PVC Flute

(Thanks Mark Shepard for un-copyrighting his design so we could edit it for this book) See Marks website for lots of smart advice on working with PVC safely, avoiding glue fumes, inhalation of PVC dust, and Gandhi.

http://www.markshep.com/

The plastic we’re talking about is PVC (polyvinyl chloride), used for cold water supply, and its close cousin CPVC (chloro-polyvinyl chloride), for hot water. DO NOT use ABS pipe for flutes or gray PVC electrical conduit. Since there are no restrictions on the toxicity of the chemicals added to it avoid the conduit also because of its greater wall thickness, which will hurt octave tuning..

Following is the plan for a flute I designed in the summer of 1988. I call it the “Plumber’s Pipe.” It’s in the key of G and plays two full octaves. Of course, you might have to modify the design, depending on materials available to you. (For basic principles of designing and tuning flutes, see my book Simple Flutes.)

The flute is made from 3/4 inch CPVC pipe, plus a standard end cap. The actual exact dimensions of the pipe are 7/8 inch outside diameter, 11/16 inch inside diameter, 3/32 inch wall thickness. The tube length, with the end cap off, is 15-9/16 inches. The wall thickness of the end cap too is 3/32 inch, for a total mouth-hole depth of 3/16 inch.

The chart shows the size of each hole and the distance from its center to the top of the flute tube—again, measured with the flute cap off. You can mark these distances on a piece of paper, a ruler, a dowel, or a length of pipe, then use this pattern to help place the holes on your pipe. Two holes are slightly offset as shown, for easier fingering.

A good trick is to use a plumbing pipe end cap—a standard part—as a combination stopper and lip plate. Glue it on with plastic pipe cement, then drill the mouth-hole through it. Apply the cement to the pipe surface only—not inside the cap—to avoid pushing the excess into the flute, where fumes can persist much longer, (also get the pipe flute players guide a free PDF http://www.markshep.com/flute/Pipe.pdf )

There is no copyright or patent on this design. Feel free to make as many as you like, and to sell them too!

^JmageTipeB.gif

Violin

Violins and fiddles are lightweight and their mellow sound is great for short gig's at pubs, coffee shops, and restaurants. Portability is the reason why nomads and those constantly forced to relocate like Roma, Jews, and Pavee are known for playing the violin. Learn to make a violin. http://www.centrum.is/hansi/construction.html

Guitar

A guitar with its powerful natural acoustic amplification works well for intimate performances or large groups.

Drums

Portable drums are readily available for traveling musicians, they are great for accompanying or solo work. A simple snare drum or wood blocks are excellent for working a few gigs while mobile.

Nothing says march on like a drum, if you are part of a demonstration and don't want your nice instrument damaged by the pigs just use your drum sticks and a plastic bucket, find buckets that have the tone you want by tapping everything.

Keyboard

If you are on the move a real piano is not an option unless it is already on site, a portable electronic keyboard can be plugged into a mixer and pumped out the amp during a performance. Roll up keyboards are considered by most to be inferior due to the bad tactile feedback although this is the most packable way to have a keyboard. If a keyboard has a MIDI or USB port that means it is ready to be used with a computer with the correct cable and software.

Kazoo

A very simple instrument that can be used for comic effect. If you can hum, you can play a kazoo.

Ukulele

The Ukulele is great fun to play, and is smaller than a guitar, thus easier to carry. It is also very easy to learn to play, especially on the road, and is an effective instrument to busk with offering better returns than a guitar simply because it looks different.

Some chords are available here:http://www.ezfolk.com/uke/chords/

Many tabs are available here:http://www.ukulelehunt.com

Home-made Instruments

If times are truly tough, or you want to go Hardcore DIY, you can build your own instruments. This style is often called "Washboard" or "Skiffle" and often consists of one person playing a "regular" instrument like a guitar, accompanied by a junkyard full of homebrew instruments (See the Little Rascals/Our Gang short film "Mike Fright" for a great example [1] http://youtube.com/watch?v=FFnJa9Tlk0k). Here are links to information or inspiration on building your own instruments:

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/cookietinbanjo/ Cookie Tin Banjo Yahoo Group
http://www.rhythmweb.com/homemade/ Homemade Percussion at Rhythmweb
http://web.mac.com/bashthetrash/Wecome/Home_Page.html Bash the Trash
http://www.grannysstore.com/Wilderness_Survival/flutesndrums.htm PVC Flutes

http://www.simplespanishsongs.com/RECYCLED%20INSTRUMENTS.htm Recycled Instruments
http://cigarboxguitars.com/ Scotty's Cigar Box Guitars - Information and plans.
http://www.cigarboxguitar.com/ CigarBoxGuitar.com

The following websites have since shut down, but have been archived at Internet Archive:

Dan Bruner's Website - Featuring plans for drums, flutes, panpipes and didjerido, all made from PVC or ABS.
http://web.archive.org/web/*/://www.geocities.com/danielbruner/home.html
Webpage of Dennis Havlena - Featuring plans for various instruments made from scrap or easily obtainable materials.
http://web.archive.org/web/*/://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena

You can also go to Instructables.com (http://www.instructables.com/) and search for "music" or "instruments".

Production

If you want to really pump music to a crowd or you wish to record and distribute the tools are now affordable to even garage bands, all that is needed is some skill in the trade.

Digital Music DIY Now

Download the e-book Digital Music DIY Now http://www.diynow.org/ - A guide to making a living making music out of your backpack, from anywhere, and everywhere. It is free under the CCL SA license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/) : print it, edit it, give it away.

Software

There are many free open source options to mixing and recording software in addition to the non-free options.

Audacity - Audacity is a free, easy-to-use audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems. You can use Audacity to record live audio, convert tapes and records into digital recordings or CDs, edit Ogg Vorbis, MP3, and WAV sound files, Cut, copy, splice, and mix sounds together, change the speed or pitch of a recording, and more! (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/)
Ardour - Ardour capabilities include: multichannel recording, non-linear, non-destructive region based editing with unlimited undo/redo, full automation support, a mixer whose capabilities rival high end hardware consoles, lots of plugins to warp, shift and shape your music, and controllable from hardware control surfaces at the same time as it syncs to timecode. (://ardour.org/)
LMMS - LMMS is a surprisingly sophisticated digital music production studio with a shallow learning curve which is very well suited for making music without any physical instruments or other music production software. That said, it will integrate well both with other music production programs and recordings or samples you might wish to use. (http://lmms.sourceforge.net/)
VLC is a media player that supports almost all multimedia formats. It also allows you to easily create a music stream, which offers a great way to start up a Pirate Radio station! (http://www.videolan.org/vlc/)
http://sound.condorow.net/ Sound and MIDI software for Linux

Amplifiers

In a mobile setting 12 volt amps might be used in place of expensive generators and standard hardware.

Speakers

A song that sounds great on a set of really nice, expensive studio monitors might sound like shit on a standard boombox. Conversely, a song that sounds superb might sound weak and boring on some nice speakers. When recording and mixing, be sure to listen to your mix through as many different and commonplace speakers as you can. A good idea, after mixing some tracks, is to burn a CD-R and listen to it through a portable cd player, a car stereo, some standard computer speakers, and of course iPOD earbuds. Know that if you plan on posting exclusively on the web, some people only listen to tunes through their hp brand 2 volt computer speakers. Especially be wary of the volume and tone of bass, cymbals, and high-end stuff like guitar solos or violins. Although it is a good idea to listen to the final product on high-quality headphones, many people have a tendency to allow far too much reverb to creep in if exclusively mixing with these.

Recording

Recording Studio

The acoustics and sound insulation of the recording studio are very important. While commercial studios cover all walls with sound-dampening foam, an acceptable home studio might be made by choosing a quiet room and covering the walls and ceiling with blankets or carpet to dampen reverb. Empty egg cartons taped or glued to the wall will break up and dissipate sound waves more effectively than standard flat walls. Old carpet, packing foam, couch cushions, old clothes, or even newspaper can act as effective sound insulation.

Dirty electricity can be a killer for most amplifiers, causing unwanted buzz during moments of silence. If you get this type of constant buzzing, look in RadioShack or other audiophile-type stores for power strips that offer the capability of "cleaning up" electricity.

Always be sure to safely store and lock up all of your equipment. Do not be too casual about letting people know about your space and equipment, as these spaces are prime for theft.

On Air

If you are feeling dangerous pipe a high quality feed over the internet with software like VLC (://www.videolan.org/) to your Guerrilla Radio station elsewhere in town as well as to internet users across the world. Keep the studio and transmitter operations separate as possible so the pigs won't confiscate your studio if they make a bust.

Distribution

The plastic and vinyl days are quickly ending, many bands release exclusively on MP3 or our free Ogg Vorbis format. Introduction onto the internet and sharing networks will get your music available but it helps to have prominent bloggers and reviewers mention your work so that people will know to look for your work. Wheatpasting and free public performance will increase interest in your work. You can also give away a few disks full of high quality mp3s of your work at performances.

Free Telephones

Last updated: 28 June 2011

Go back to Free Communication

Need to make a call, but lack a phone? Short on cash? Concerned with uninvited eavesdroppers? These tips will help you make your phone calls for free.

Just remember from the start that telephone calls in and out combined with tracking your bank and credit accounts is the first way anyone looking for you will track you.

1 Landline Phones
1.1 Calling Cards
2 Cellular Phones
2.1 Prepaid Cellphones
2.2 Phone Banking
2.3 Cell Phone Security
2.4 Phone Demo
2.5 Sim Cards
3 VOIP
4 Your own Phone Company
4.1 Your Own Mobile Phone Company
5 Phone Taps
6 Hacks
6.1 Phreaking
6.2 GSM/CDMA hacks
7 Onboard Vehicle Help Services
8 Lifeline and Link-Up
9 Walkie-Talkies
9.1 FRS Radio
9.2 Radio Tricks
9.3 Pig Radio

Landline Phones

As widespread as cell phones have become in the last decade, landlines are still widely in use. Common uses are:

Faxes, which are preferred for signed documents over email attachments.
Switchboard network for customer and supplier relations.

Subscription alarm equipment.
Gate switches for automatic gates in high end apartments, some gated communities, and condos.
DSL broadband internet.
Dial up internet (in extremely rural areas).
Residential use in upper working class homes and above.
Limited guest use (often local only unless a calling card is used) in hotels and motels.
Pay phones located in high traffic areas like airports, major city bus transfer points, large supermarkets, bars, and entertainment venues.

Hackaday recently reported on a method of getting your own phone number and free phone calls within the US and Canada, involving Google Talk and an asterisk server. Details on hackaday's page or http://pcprob.blogspot.com/2011/03/howto-use-google-and-asterisk-for-free.html

Calling Cards

The land line cards are now marketed to migrant workers who show up to Amerika needing call home without a cell phone or the few folks that must use hotel phones. They are sold in immigrant friendly convenience stores, tourist areas, drug stores and dollar stores. They can still be useful when having to cope with hotel phone long distance, and not having to carry lots of silver change for a payphone. If using a calling card on a payphone, often the payphone owner also charges additional fees onto the calling card. It also goes without saying to pay for a phonecard with cash if you concerned with being discreet. Phone cards can be tracked to the store that sold it. Short of a payphone being tapped because of being in an a "watched" area, it remains the most anonomous, if not expensive.

Before the big Worldcom and telecommunications bust, certain convention cities got bombarded with cheap advertisement calling cards. These are pretty much a thing of the past as conventions have died down and folks do not use payphones. A few companies have even resorted to putting cards with short minutes as a "legal" lottery in non-lottery areas just to stay in business. These cards could be used for cheap calls if you catch someone buying them for the prize and not winning. A scan of the ground around a convenience store in a working class neighborhood on payday might score 5 to 10 minutes on a payphone or a short long distance call from a hotel or home line.

Cellular Phones

Mobile phones have replaced land line phones as the preferred method of talking. Calls can be made and folks can be reached regardless of location. Today's cell phones are also small computers capable of internet browsing. Cameras are installed in nearly all cell phones as well, often the pictures are tagged with GPS coordinates. There are even newer models that can act as a mobile wi-fi hotspot with the correct app.

A mobile phone is one of those money sucking slavery machines that makes a CorpGov CEO's heart go soft. Most people are suckered into one to three year contracts with hundreds of dollars or more early termination fines in exchange for a $50-300 dollar discount on a phone that might not even last that long, of course a replacement will tack another few years to the contract. We often buy a phone on an auction site or used from a friend, and get it SIM unlocked by a friend or at a shop, often the tools are cheaper then the unlock service especially in the US and you can help your friends unlock too. Even if you bring your own phone most providers will still stick you with a year contract just because there is no real competition in the CorpGov monopoly of the rich and powerful. There are many frequency bands used by different service providers in the US and abroad; some phones are only good either in World/Euro(not Americas) or Amerika-Kanada but there are plenty which are good both places. Some newer phones connect to 3g or higher and can be used as a modem to suck down fast Internet almost as fast as it empties your bank account; again be aware of the frequency bands used where you plan to connect. Some phones are not GSM, you may get a better coverage or pricing with their service but they are pretty much locked into one provider and you can't easily swap SIM's but rather have to call the service center and read them the phone ID numbers.

Prepaid Cellphones

If you have been not paying utilities or have bill collectors chasing you, the major cell providers are probably going to want to rape you with a huge deposit to get a good billed plan and a nice phone. This can be as low as 200 USD but as high as 1000 USD! If this is the case, you may be looking at prepaid. In any case many of us in the revolutionary and under class are unwilling or unable to enter the mandatory year minimum bank vampire phone contract but still find utility in having a mobile phone.

You can get a cheap prepaid phone with wall charger and service for around $30-100 at grocery stores and convenience stores this usually only includes a few minutes initial credit but there are sometimes better deals so shop around. You can get a bare SIM from a mobile phone shop from free to about $20 and stick it in an unlocked phone. Once you have an active phone you can often pick up recharge cards at shops catering to the lower classes such as a convenience store or gas station, you can usually also use a credit, debit, or prepaid credit card to add credits or even specify talk minutes, SMS's, or order more data service. Prepaid service is almost always more expensive than contract service but some plans have free night/weekend talk minutes or free nationwide long distance at specific times so try to adjust your habits. In most countries other than Amerika/Kanada incoming calls and SMS are free even on prepaid, this is useful when traveling, find out if free incoming calls and SMS are cut off when your credit runs out. In some places it is useful to have two SIM cards running for example one from a cheap 3G data plan and another for cheap voice calling and SMS, there are adapters available to hot switch between these two SIM cards without opening the phone although only one can be connected at one time. Not all dual SIM adapters can be used with every provider especially with 3G tech and above SIM or USIM cards.

A new 'burner' SIM card does not instantly change your mobile phone identity, each phone has a unique IMEI number that is attached to the phone not the SIM card, there are some phones that can have this number altered although if you are forced to be sneaky just get a new unused phone and SIM card when you arrive in town and smash or burn the old one, better yet give it to some homeless guy with a few minutes left on it to confuse the cops. Be sure to cycle through both phones and SIM's regularly and keep it turned off except as needed since prepaid phones are just as easy to track as subscription phones with the added risk that prepaid is always under suspicion.

Phone Banking

Worldwide more providers, even prepaid ones are allowing the mobile phone to be used as a banking or payment method like a credit or debit card, some places especially in the third world even allow you to transfer money/credit to a friend via SMS and a special SIM card and compatible phone. We have even seen vending machines that can be paid via SMS when you need a snack at a hospital or bus station.

Cell Phone Security

The cell phone does make communication easy even on the go. But, it is also a huge security risk if certain precautions are not taken. It has been said that the universal carry of mobile phones is the wet dream of any Stalinst totalitarian police state type.

As of January 2011, in California the cops can now take cell phones without a warrant. This has been upheld by the California supreme court and may spread to other areas under the guise of "protecting children from kiddie porn" or "the war on drugs". Be careful with what you use your cell phone for or put in cell phone memory!

Guard your contacts list!

The cell phone also stores your contacts list and text messages. Folks you may be at odds with could get this info without even contacting a carrier (or needing warrants or other legalities)if they physically get the phone! Your contacts list can be a prize to anyone from the boss you are trying to organize a union with, cops you are trying to hide your pot from, creditors, nosy friends, or even a lover you are cheating on!

The contacts list has also made many folks lazy. Try to keep numbers memorized in case you lose your phone due to thieves or damage to the phone. It can really suck to lose all your contact numbers at an inopportune time. Imagine being thrown in jail and not knowing the phone number of the only buddy who can help because you did not memorize the number! And no, the cops probably are not going to let you use the cell phone to get it!

Do not use default password features!

If your phone's operating system has a feature that automatically enters your password for IM, email, etc by default turn this off! Take the time to type this out. Otherwise, snoops that get your phone can also read your emails or private facebook or myspace.

There are ways to determine your location even without using GPS!

If you are going to an area in which you want no proof that you have been there, leave your cell phone at home or take the battery out of the back. This includes places like your outdoor guerrilla pot garden, your protest activity, disposing of dead bodies, or anything else powerful folks may come looking at you for.

Your phone periodically broadcasts for the nearest several towers according to receiving strength. The information it sends out includes the phone's own unique IMEI number and SIM card ID. If you are around audio equipment, you can sometimes hear this as interference bleeding on the speakers especially with GSM phones. It also broadcasts if someone calls or texts you regardless of if you answer or not. There have been court cases where location has been triangulated based on the phone's periodic transmissions looking for towers. Location can be determined if the phone broadcasts to multiple towers, busting or proving alibis in court cases with or without even using GPS!

Of course, GPS makes this easier without having to get cellular companies system administrators to dig through pages of routing database printouts. There are invisible spy applications using the embedded GPS that can be installed through physical access to the phone or remotely by the carrier. A known problem with the default iPhone mapping program is that it saves a screen shot every time it is used. There are some ways for others to to do this remotely as well even available for private use such as "cheating spouse tracker" applications on sale in app stores.

Keep in mind who gets the bill!

With the exception of prepaid, whoever pays for the phone receives a bill with all phone numbers called with the time and city the calls were made to and from. Abusive spouses, concerned parents, and cops with a search warrant can use this to see who you were calling and when.

Get a Pager

The old numeric and alphanumeric pagers are still available and often have really good coverage area. If you keep your phone turned off or in airline mode and just give out your pager number. You will massively extend your phone battery life, become less trackable, and you wont get charged for every call that comes in. The pager records are still easily viewed by cops, but at least the tech is not tattling your location the whole time it is turned on. You can also carry a pager without owning a mobile phone and use pay phones or your friends landlines.

Careful with those pictures and video!

Some phones secretly record the GPS coordinates whenever you take a picture! This can have really bad implications if you are taking a picture of your stealth pot grow or you are below 17 and take a naked picture of your 16 year old girlfriend! (kiddie porn laws). Use a regular cheap camera instead. Better, do not give cops evidence by taking a picture of anything that can be used against you.

Phone Demo

Many stores that sell brand new service plans and phones let one make a telephone call for free. Corporate stores set up phones so people can test out the service features, plans, and reliability. Try any number of Verizon, T- Mobile, at&t wireless (formerly Cingular) or Sprint stores to make free phone calls. If one wants to talk for more than a few minutes without attracting unwanted attention, one should go at busier times of the day. Also, since the advent of the Apple iPhone, the Apple stores are a great place to use their phones to make free calls. The store in Midtown Manhattan is open 24/7 so one can always call 1-900 numbers if one is feeling frisky at 3 AM. The Apple stores are also a great place to browse the Internet uninterrupted for free.

Sim Cards

Phone got wet and the cheap carrier wants to charge your ass off for a new one? If you can get an unlocked GSM phone or another GSM cellphone by the same carrier, you can switch out a sim card from the trashed phone to the other phone pretty easy. It is a small card located behind the battery.

Sim cards is also where most phones store your personal carrier network account log in info and contacts list (although some phones save the contacts in phone flash memory as well.)

VOIP

One way to get free anonymous telephone calls is to head into a store selling VoIP services. Most big box stores sell these. Some even have a demonstration kiosk set up with one of their phones to try. These are working phones and will dial out to anywhere in the continental United States. You may even find some that will make international calls.

The only drawback is to actually receive an actual number you can be called back on, you are going to have to put up some cash.

If you have an Internet connection do some research and you should be able to find a free VOIP package to fit your needs. There is even VOIP software for some mobile phones and PDA's! You will either need a headset or headphones and a microphone to use with your computer unless you are using a dedicated VOIP appliance. There are now VOIP phones that look like a mobile but run off of WiFi instead of commercial carriers, you just need to find an open WiFi node.

In addition, there are also VOIP programs such as Skype, these programs allow you to call internationally very cheaply and for nothing calling to another user, in addition most of these programs incorporate a chat service.

You can also do like the internet gamer community has been doing for years. If you can agree to meet online at certain times, there are free programs like Ventrilo and Teamspeak. Both clients are free to download, but the Ventrilo server software is not free. Most of the time with Ventrilo, someone must pay for a hosting service or buy the server software. Prices vary by number of clients that can be online at one time. Teamspeak servers are free. With a bit of know-how, Teamspeak can be set up on even a linux computer in the house if you have a static IP address. You can talk almost worldwide for near free like this.

Your own Phone Company

A cool way to share phone service is to set up an Asterisk server on a Linux box and connect it to a local phone and/or VOIP line use a dynamic DNS service to direct to your DSL line. Many accounts to share the lines can be made and sharing can be with anyone connected to the internet. If the system gets overloaded just add another local line or VOIP line. Asterisk is free, open, and Linux basedhttp://www.asterisk.org/

Your Own Mobile Phone Company

A device known as a radio-telephone patch or autopatch connects a two way radio base station to the phone system. Another radio with DTMF tone keypad (most ham radio handhelds have this) is used to attach and dial phone calls. If you have a base antenna on a high hill or tower you might get service for many miles. You and a few friends can set up several patches on different frequencies and locations and then connect them to your internet connected community asterisk phone system saving you big money on mobile calls and totally bypassing the phone company for inter-network calls. Unless you set up some kind of encryption (illegal on ham bands) the calls can be listened to by anyone with a scanner.

Phone Taps

A lineman's handset, buttset, or home made "beige box" built from a cheap telephone and some alligator clips can help get you a phone call. We have even seen tiny phones as small as a pager with a belt clip and a hands free earpiece, now chop off one of snap in tips and add alligator clips to the center two wires, perfect! This cheapo lineman's handset will clip into most phone boxes worldwide, you just need to try the wires until you get a dial tone. It might be that the location you are trying to use has a digital phone box this will likely fry your test-set, that is why you make this gadget from a real cheapie. Look for a phone plug in the room you are using or cables attached outside houses and businesses.

In addition to your clip on cable a regular RJ-11 plug cable is useful for punch down boards and phone boxes which have a test jack, many of these boxes are not locked. For homes with the modern phone box, look for something that says "Telephone Network Interface." It has 2 sides, the consumer side and the corporate side. Open the side that belongs to the customer. There will be either one or two standard phone lines plugged into standard phone jacks. If the customers only have one line, one of the jacks will be inactive. Unplug the live one and plug a double phone splitter and your phone into the jack, if you don't have a splitter this temporarily disconnects their home from the phone lines, so they can't eavesdrop, but can't call out, either. That's also why it's best to do this at night. Remember to plug back in the line after you're done.

It might be smart to have a spool of narrow gauge speaker wire in your pack, connect your phone set and lay out wire to behind a shed or into a ditch, you will be free to operate out of sight for a longer time hiding from nosy neighbors. If you are doing some investigations and want to tap the phone line instead of making calls install a switch to disable the microphone on your handset. A 100K Ohm resistor inline is useful to add if you just want to tap to the line for information but still allow incoming calls. If you are really paranoid tape a fingernail clipper to your long wire, if a pig shows up clip the line and pretend you are on a cell phone call.... Walk away!!

You can get in legal trouble for this of course but if you keep your calls to 800 numbers and use a calling card you will not increase a home phone bill for your host, we at war with corpgov not Amerikan people. (Remember to pay for your calling card in cash to help prevent tracing and never use the same card from two locations.) The center white/blue or red green on older cables will be the pair you want to attach clips to on your handset as these are the live pair on single line phones. Now that you have a dial tone you can connect your laptop or PDA modem.

If you can get into the telephone utility box find a dead(unconnected) line pair and splice and redirect it to another house in the area onto their often unused second line pair if you want to keep an ear out on your quarry. Don't do this to your house, since the phone company can easily figure out what you are doing if there is an investigation, but someplace that you can safely access.

Hacks

Phreaking

You may hear about this in old hacker circles and publications. Most of the old 2600 Hz-type hacks to the bell phone system have stopped working, the last North American in band tone controlled exchange closed in Minnesota in 2006. No more classic phreaking.

GSM/CDMA hacks

Currently, there are no known widespread modifications for modern GSM/CDMA phones. The few systems that used to have free calling workarounds have been discontinued/patched.

There are however, some folks that 'unlock' phones to be used with carriers other than what the service the phone was made for, this is especially useful for GSM phones with tri or quad band capability so you can switch to an international SIM card. Depending on the manufacturer unlocking a phone can be as easy as using an unlock code generator to requiring a specific unlock program and a USB or serial cable, very few phones are more difficult than this. Some carriers will even give up the code if you tell them you will be visiting Europe or Asia. If you buy the phone from an unaffiliated mobile phone sales and repair shop, or car stereo place see if they will do the unlock right there.

Onboard Vehicle Help Services

Services like GM's OnStar are provided on some upper class vehicles so at the touch of a button help can be summoned. The cops are famous for turning this service on fulltime and listening in. Don't be a fool, the built-in microphone means you have tapped your own car, remember this in a vehicle belonging to family and friends of activists. In any case cars can be easily tapped, activists, make sensitive conversation outside even if you don't have an onboard service call system.

Lifeline and Link-Up

These are programs designed to help low-income people with communication. To qualify you will need to have an annual income below a certain amount, or be enrolled in certain corpgov programs such as Medicaid. For more info see http://www.lifeline.gov/lifeline_Consumers.html

Some states also will give a mobile phone and service to people on certain assistance programs, ask your social worker.

Walkie-Talkies

Of course, there is still the older generation voice communication of the walkie-talkie. Leave the cheap Radio Shack kid's toys on the retail shelf and get a set of good ones, though. Most good sets you will be able to talk within about a mile or two radius (sometimes more) barring hills, valleys, or large buildings. Employees of large convention hotels (that can be a half square mile in large areas) use these to coordinate customer service and the entire event! You can organize your event, too without having to sign a contract with a cell company or eat up expensive pre-paid minutes!

FRS Radio

FRS radios are now available in the USA, 14 available channels means you can usually find an open channel. Do not be fooled by the privacy codes, these are not encryption, just a blocking circuit that does not activate the receiving radio sound unless the sender radio first sends the electronic activation tone. Assume all transmissions are being intercepted by the pigs. For their current low price the utility, even in hi-rise urban areas, is amazing and they are free to use unlike cellphones.

Radio Tricks

If you can set up a repeater network you can communicate long distances in your area just like the cops do. Handheld radios designed for business or ham radio often have a DTMF tone keypad and digital tone squelch, a radio like this and a supporting repeater system can totally bypass the cellular phone system with your own network.

Pig Radio

Most cops in urban and rural areas now use 800 MHz trunked radio systems, this is similar to mobile phones with radio mode. If you get your hands on a pig radio like this and they figure it out they can switch to listen mode, set it to tracking mode, and surely not allow you into any radio nets. It is best to either leave these radios alone, smash them, or if you are sneaky hit the orange distress button locking the pig out of using the radio. There are trunk following scanners but they cant be purchased in the United States as these scanners were banned by congress in the 1990's to prevent privacy invasion on the old AMPS cellular network.

Internet Communications

Last updated: 8 July 2011

Communications via the Internet

Pretty much all internet communication is or can be monitored by the authorities. Certainly, once you're identified as a dissenter, everything you do will be watched.

This section lays out ways to work within this environment and ways to, in some cases, get around the overseeing eyes of Big Brother.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt said "Internet users shouldn't worry about privacy unless they have something to hide."

1 Using Email Securely
2 Looking at Web Pages Securely
3 Social Networks & IM (Instant Messaging)
4 Encryption
5 Flash Burns
6 Remember Pattern Matching
7 Email - What it is and isn't! (and thoughts on security)
7.1 Webmail
7.2 Free email sites
7.3 Local Email
8 How to Post Information on the Web
8.1 Domain Name
8.2 Keep It Simple
8.3 Podcast
8.4 Social Media
8.5 Blog & Micro Blogging
8.5.1 Popular Blogging Services
8.5.2 Micro Blogging Services
8.6 Social Networking Sites
8.7 College or Personal Web Space
8.8 Bittorrent
8.9 Photohosting Sites
8.9.1 Photo File Security
8.10 Indymedia
8.11 Video on Torrent or Video sites
8.11.1 Vagabond Video
8.11.1.1 Smart Phones
8.12 Usenet and Listservs
8.13 Internet Phone Communication - VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
8.14 Instant Messaging Anywhere
8.15 Internet Relay Chat
8.16 Free Webhosts
8.17 Random Free Goodies
9 Web Radio Streaming
10 Network Printing
11 Connecting:
11.1 Wi-Fi network
11.1.1 Wi-Finder
11.1.2 Net&Buzz
11.1.3 Cyber-Hobo Code
11.1.4 Where to Sit
11.1.5 Car Surfing
11.2 Cantenna, Antenna or Woktenna
11.3 WEP/WPA
11.4 Community Wireless Co-Op
11.5 Pirate Wireless
11.6 Piggybacking Restricted WiFi Access
11.7 HTTP over DNS
11.8 Cellular GPRS and 3G
11.9 Mobile Acess Point
11.10 Bluetooth Sniping
11.11 Wired Ethernet
11.12 Subnet Sniffing
11.13 DNS
11.14 PPPoE and VPN
11.15 Mac Address Spoofing
11.16 McDonald's Free Wifi
11.17 Dialup
12 Crypto:
12.1 pgp and gpg
12.2 TOR Onion Servers
12.3 SSH encrypted shell access
12.4 Disk encryption
13 Network Stealth
13.1 Disguise Your Gear
14 Covert Server
14.1 Shell Accounts Game
14.2 Wi-Fi and DMZ - A router to put your box on the net
14.3 Dynamic DNS
14.4 Generic Owned Box plugged into an Open Network
14.5 Arousing Suspicion
15 Anonymous Surfing
15.1 Off By One
15.2 Mozilla Firefox - Portable Edition
16 Links

Using Email Securely

While access to internet cafes or other public access point maybe monitored (CCTV will hardly ever be noticeable), if you pay by cash and use a disposable one time email address like hotmail or gmail it is very unlikely that your identity will be pin pointed. This is obviously only useful if the the recipient is not in danger of being compromised or if you can agree predetermined times to communicate using 'disposable email addresses and public machines at each end of the communication. What will be noticed is if you are under investigation stop using your old email address, make new accounts, and then continue to email your family and friends as normal, do you think it will be hard to figure out who that new account belongs to? Using encryption will raise eyebrows but does protect your communications and if you are using public key encryption you can also verify the sender's identity.

Looking at Web Pages Securely

Remember that while you are looking at web pages all kinds of information may be free to leak into your mind and even your soul. Check that you are conscious of this at all times. If possible use an ad blocker and make sure you do not look at web pages when you are tired or under the influence of any medication that may reduce your consciousness. Even the most legitimate looking and well designed web page may well contain information that is either completely incorrect or deliberately misleading.

Your browsing probably follows a pattern to your favorite news, sports, email, and other sites. With the right software or if the ISP is watching this browsing pattern can be detected potentially flagging persons of interest for either enhanced surveillance or sending your location to the police.

You can hide this using a mix proxy like Tor (http7/torproject.org/) . Used to be sponsored by Navy labs and later EFF, is open source though. There are also good guides on securing your web browser for use with it out there. Make sure your real identity is never possible to link to your pseudonym and you should be safe.

Freenet (http://freenetproject.org/) is used by all kinds of people to share static information like pages and files. More limited than Tor. (no exit into normal web) Best used for massive files.

I2P (http://www.i2p2.de/) is a system similar to Tor, but more closed. (most nodes aren't exits into the web) It is more suited than Tor for massive file transfers, P2P style. There's a good BBS app called Syndie for it.

General notes about anonymizing systems

Some forums and pages block these proxies due to jerk abuse and they may be used by some unsavory child pornography sharers. Don't get involved with that and keep all the "hot" data encrypted, so that pigs cannot put incriminating evidence.

Social Networks & IM (Instant Messaging)

Although fun and even useful, be aware that social networks can expose your personal details to other people, and is to be considered as a constantly government monitored method of determining who you communicate with even casually. Make sure you understand what you are sharing with whom. Many services by their nature allow many people even the whole of the internet to see the message you thought you just sent to a friend. Educate yourself and be aware.

IM tends to be more unambiguous but like email is inherently not secure or private and is mostly monitored or at least archived.

If you need to use Yahoo Messenger but don't want to download it to the computer you're using, there is a web based version at http://web.im.

Google Mail's IM is monitored well and automatically. Don't trust it. The good part is that it uses an open IM called Jabber, which there are many other servers of. Tryhttp://jabber.org for a list of servers and apps. It's fairly hard to find people there except by asking directly.

Encryption

While it is fairly trivial to install miitary/diplomatic grade free open source email encryption on any personal computer like http://www.gnupg.org/ GNU Privacy Guard for windows or http://www.pgpi.org/ for other platforms, it is only as good as your personal security habits. It may be difficult to impossible for security agencies to crack your encryption in your lifetime but there may well be 'back-door' access that you don't know about, especially if you run a closed source OS or have compromised hardware. Considering all of the risks besides just the encryption you can only consider this to be a way of hopefully slowing down third party access to your private information. If any third party wants access to your information they may feel the quickest way is to 'persuade' you to hand over your encryption keys.

see Crypto (http://wiki.stealthiswiki.org/wiki/Internet-Communications#Crypto:) section below.

Flash Burns

Most of us are smart enough to use TOR and other privacy services especially when operating in the sketchy bits of the net. With the popular rise of flash on websites there is a bigger problem, LSO's or flash cookies which stay alive even when you wipe all of the cookies from your browser. To say it another way, you can turn on tor and wipe your browser cookies and history but da' man at (google owned) youtube still can ID you as the same guy who logged into gmail 15 min ago. A cookie is a small file a website sends to your browser so it can ID you as you visit other sites or return, google and doubleclick are famous for tracking users with traditional cookies. You can just install a flash blocker plugin if you use firefox, never install/uninstall flash, or if you love to flirt with danger add a LSO wiper plugin. Many websites are built with flash and wont work without flash installed, we suggest just avoiding these pages because Flash Sucks!!

It is recommended to use NoScript (with flash on click even for trusted sites), some cookie manager and BetterPrivacy (LSO wiper) when dealing with flash. There's also a trick to increase your privacy on Linux: edit /etc/adobe/mms.cfg. On WinXP and below, C:\Documents and Settings\username\mm.cfg , on Vista/7 C:\Users\username\mm.cfg - if the file doesn't exist, create it. There are a few settings that may improve privacy of Flash somewhat. Especially important is DisableDeviceFontEnumeration=1 as it's an easy way to build a profile, as well as DisableSockets=1 which can otherwise skip anonymising proxies. Flash won't ask about these two breaches by default, unlike others (such as local file read, webcam and microphone). You can disable LSOs there as well.

Remember Pattern Matching

Remember that in general the pattern of your web browsing and email contact just like the pattern of your phone calls and credit card transactions will be much more telling than individual records. Just in the way that Credit card companies will now automatically notice if your spending goes outside the norm either in geography or amount it is certain that electronic communication can be monitored easily in the same way and act accordingly.

Email - What it is and isn't! (and thoughts on security)

Email is short for electronic mail. Now that we have email, email users refer to regular mail — received via the Post Office — disparagingly as Snail Mail. Inherent in its form, is its speed. When you send a letter through snail mail it can take days to arrive. When you send an email it arrives in the recipient's "email box" (inbox) nearly immediately. The only delay being the time it takes for the sender and recipient's email servers and the recipient's email client to synchronize with one another.

There is another difference though, (every rose has a thorn, right?) while snail mail arrives days later and doesn't run on Sundays it does require the use of tangible resources such as paper and stamps. It does have one benefit that email doesn't — it's usually in a sealed envelope. So speed or security. Oh, and email is probably massively less hungry on resources...

In practice, the only thing stopping your postal carrier (or any one of the various postal workers who touch your envelope from the time it's picked up to the time it's delivered) from opening and re-sealing your mail is the law of your country (but when did that stop anyone?). When it comes to email, they are still figuring out how to handle it from a legal perspective. Recent court decisions have tended to side with privacy advocates when it comes to who can read your email, how it is obtained and the responsibilities of the Internet Service Provider (ISP).

On the other hand ISP whistle-blowers have informed the public that media companies such as AT&T who provide you with your internet service wasted little time in responding to the government's request/demand for access to its data and voice lines. If you are using email you should expect the same kind of privacy you have when you are browsing the internet: None. Assume that someone is reading your email and assume that someone is watching all of your internet activity.

Don't communicate important or sensitive information through email. Once you've established groups of people or partners in actions, only use email when absolutely necessary. You should be similarly concerned about talking on the phone, but somewhat less so. The bottom line is that the only secure methods of communication involve direct conversations and sealed envelopes. But if there is a reason for the government to suspect you of illegal activities (read: anything they don't want you to do for any reason), then you should be careful on the phone and using snail mail just as you are careful with email.

Email can still be a good way to share reference material or for bringing people together. Still, be careful with it. Don't give your email address to anyone unless you know them or are confident in their security. When you sign up for access to sites on the web that require log-ins, read their privacy statements and never provide your email address, even to a person or a party appearing to represent your ISP. Don't even give your email password to your friends or family. Don't use your email to store important information or personal files on financial or other personal information — save it locally on your computer and/or print it out for your files. If something arrives in your email inbox that might be necessary for someone else to be able to access in an emergency, or if you are unavailable — temporarily or otherwise — then it doesn't belong only in your email inbox.

You should know that the content of your emails are actually less useful to an investigator than who you are in contact with, when you are sending, and from where. You can hardly claim to not know someone with whom you have regular or even sporadic email contact.

The Bottom Line...

The bottom line is that your email inbox is yours and yours alone, Email offers a efficient and easy means of communication for people with access to it but it's also easily vulnerable to access from the outside. Treat it appropriately, and treat it with respect.

The first place any cop or PI will go is your email and social networking profile. Months can go by if you are planning something with your friends on email without any indication that it's being accessed illegally, you can let your guard down, believing that you are speaking in private and then suddenly, without warning, you're being hauled into jail and your computer is taken as evidence against you.

You might not have done anything, but that doesn't matter. We no longer live in a society where the government allows free speech if we ever did. But hell, governments never never stopped anyone doing anything.

Even the suggestion of the idea of a notion of an intangible threat is enough to put you away. And the more innocent you are, the more likely you are to be tortured — cops, especially the feds, don't like to be wrong, and it should be obvious to anyone who reads the news that the government will stop at nothing to get what it wants or to make it appear like it has what it wants. Don't let your own email be your undoing. Use it with respect and caution.

Webmail

Webmail is now cheap and plentiful. Just remember that the contents are readable by anyone that your company wants to give access to, even if you have deleted the messages; many services just make them invisible to you while still keeping a full archive for the cops. If you are ever in jail or any institution, make a new account and don't email anyone but non-activist friends and family, as your email and surfing will always be watched.

When using webmail (or generally browsing), try to use a browser like Firefox, which has many extensions that are perfect for hiding/deleting/encrypting your history or your searches or your email content.

Free email sites

Most everyone and their dog does free email now. Here are some of the big ones:

Yahoo Mail (http7/www.mail.yahoo.com/)
Mail.com (http7/www.mail.com/)
Hotmail (http7/www.hotmail.com/)
Google mail (http7/www.gmail.com/)
The Hedge-Hog (http7/www.hedge-hog.com/)
Freenigma (http7/www.freenigma.com/) is a Firefox extension for encrypting emails from Yahoo or Gmail.
GuerillaMail (http://www.guerrillamail.com/) provides free temporary email addresses. These expire in an hour, and are useful for signing up to a website when you don't want to give your real email address. It is recommended, however, that you simply acquire an email from one of the main email hosters and use that as a spam address which you only check for registrations, and only give your real email to real people.

Local Email

Local download or POP3/SMTP email is the original way to get your email, but your information is downloaded and saved on your hard drive by default. Everything you send and receive, in addition to sometimes being archived by the email server in the same way that webmail works, is also stored on your drive.

The files are deleted from the server and saved on your computer. Often, emails remain on server backup for some time even after you retrieve and delete them. Unless you encrypt your email archives all of these emails are readable by a pig who gets his hands on your laptop.

Whether using local email or webmail, your emails are kept on a server for some amount of time. ANY and ALL internet communication can be intercepted or monitored.

How to Post Information on the Web

Domain Name

If you plan to do any web publishing of any type register and own your domain name. We own the stealthiswiki.org domain, meaning that reactionary companies cant just pay off a hosting company to take our web address. Many hosting companies give you a free taste of the domain, and will rent it to you but if it is not in YOUR NAME you dont own or truly control it. You can ask people what happens when the hosting company goes bankrupt where the domain name went, that domain name is the only way most everyone knows how to access you on the net. A whois lookup should return your information.

The top level domain for the small island territory Tokelau, .tk, link (http://www.dot.tk/en/index.html?lang=en) will provide free domain names. However, there are severe restrictions on your use of free speech. Content involving drugs, sex, firearms, hate speech, and copyrighted material is banned, leaving nothing interesting left.

Afraid.org (http://freedns.afraid.org/zc.php?from=L21lbnUv) provides free subdomains on catchy domain names like chickenkiller.com, crabdance.com and sexypenguins.com.

Some URL shorteners support custom URLs. This won't change the domain name of your site, but it can provide an easy url to remember to get there.

Keep It Simple

Not everyone has a cable modem, DSL or dedicated T1 line. When designing a website or other web presence, consider making a low graphics or even graphics-free version for folks using dial-up services or overloaded proxy services. If you're running a web radio station, consider a Low-Fi audio feed. For the truly security cautious Flash, Java and Javascript plugins are all problems as are other plugin type website gadgets. Give viewers the option of viewing a straight HTML site with normally linked pictures and downloads. Test your site in Internet Explorer, Links, LYNX, Firefox/Mozila, Konqueror, Opera, and mobile phone browsers and almost everyone should be happy.

Podcast

Have an outline and basic script for any monologues before you start to record. Be sure to research your guests and have questions ready. It is a good idea to send the questions to the guest so they sound intelligent, unless you are planning an ambush. Use the program audacity to record and convert to mp3 , get a good microphone, a telephone recording attachment is good for phone in guests. A basement or interior room which gets no noise from the outside with blankets hung on the walls and ceiling and carpeted floors absorbs most noise. Turn off furnaces or other appliances which could come on suddenly and cause noise for the duration of your recording session. Go through afterwards and do post production to wipe out parts that are not interesting or dead air gaps, It is best to edit down to standard times, half hour or an hour, break up into several mp3's if you want to do a giant recording session. Always have someone else listen to the show before putting it on the net, preferably someone not overly familiar with the topic. Be sure to research carefully your file host, for many people once they set up the RSS feed they will have trouble following you if you switch hosts, especially if you forget all the places you advertised. There are some really free providers like http://www.ourmedia.org/ and some good searching will turn out more but be careful that you are not just signing up with a place that will start charging once you get popular. Some of the best free hosts require you use a free distribution license like we do at Steal This Wiki for the files they host, this is mostly to prevent successful shows from suing for royalties later. You can do this all with the cheapest netbook and an internet connection, advertise with stencil paints and wheatpasted posters. check out Public Speaking, andGuerrilla Radio

Social Media

The new buzz words for the democratisation of communication and news media. While traditional news media like newspaper and TV are 'one to many' hierarchical structures Micro/mobile blogging and regular blogs allow citizen journalists to add their collective voices to a more democratic process. While the obvious bias of 'legacy' news media in contrast, becomes more apparent, many people realise they can scan the blog news feeds and make up their own balance view of 'reality'.

Blog & Micro Blogging

There are many free blog sites which have many options. Most now have an option to post via SMS and email. If you want a regular readership, be sure to post on a regular basis (at least once a week).

Popular Blogging Services

Blogger (http7/www.blogger.com/) Hosted for you for free. Part of the Google empire (for good or evil?).

WordPress.com (http://www.wordpress.com/) Choice of hosted of download the software and run on your own server.

MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/) Hosted Heavily monitored by the US Government and owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation (The goons who run Fox News)

Xanga (http7/www.xanga.com/)

LiveJournal (http://www.livejournal.com/)

Tagworld (http7/www.tagworld.com/)

Micro Blogging Services

Mostly known by the biggest of the pack which is currently (Aug 08) Twitter (http7/twitter.com/) . Allows you to post a SMS length text message from anywhere that is in some way connected to the internet. This includes to and from most modern mobile (cell) phones. You can choose who can see your postings; either people you approve, just the recipient or anyone. This combined with GPS and camera equipped mobile phones allow posts to be tagged and linked to location and photographs.

More about Twitter on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter)

Social Networking Sites

Now massively popular social network sites connect people with their peer group, relatives and social contacts. Most services are aimed at niche markets: Bebo for tween to teen market, MySpace and Facebook for older teens to third level and Linkedin for professionals. Just to be clear even having a social networking account even if you only use it to browse your friends pages is serving your friends and people who can help catch you to the cops, to quote Admiral Akbar "It's a TRAP", ignore those LinkedIn and facebook invitations and discourage friends from sending them.

All provide a locked in network that tends to tie users into their branded ringfenced domains by allowing users to invest large amounts of energy in tending their online 'profiles'. In most cases it becomes very hard for users to extract or migrate this data and the network of contacts that users develop as the actual data is masked from view, it is also impossible to delete, ever. Large privacy concerns and the ambiguity of what profile information is publicly shared or available to private investigators for a price makes use by inexperienced vulnerable people inadvisable. Treat with caution since this is the first place the cops will look for interrogation leads after hauling you in for questioning or tracking you down. For those sneaky types out there know that just making a new account when you run off to the caves of Azerbaijan to hide out will not protect you, by communicating to your old family and friends you make a match to your old life, very easy for any investigator private or police to follow.

If you need to cure your facebook addiction, a userscript like:

// =UserScript=

// @name fuck facebook

// @namespace fuck facebook

// @description fuck facebook

// @include .facebook.com/

// =/UserScript=

location. href = "http://wiki.stealthiswiki.org/index.php?title=Internet_Communications#Social_Networking_Sites";alert("no facebook.");

The still-in-pre-alpha social network Diaspora, when released, will let individuals host their own "seeds" in order to protect privacy. It may be a viable alternative to Facebook for those concerned about their privacy.

College or Personal Web Space

Most colleges and some ISP's give webspace and a shell account when you register. An account for low bandwidth sites will be a fine option, but if your site becomes hot quickly, you could be shut down or charged for bandwidth usage.

Bittorrent

The bittorrent protocol allows for easy downloading of large files, as well as easing the dissemination of your own stuff. Using torrents and tracker websites, you can find almost anything from the latest movies and games to applications and operating systems. The bittorrent protocol uses your upstream bandwidth to re-share the content as you are downloading, decentralizing the total downloading infrastructure.

Consider using PeerGuardian or similar block list software if you download unlicensed content through P2P networks. This may protect you from being profiled by known and suspected copyright license collection organizations that are known to use questionable legal intimidation tactics as well as blocking many torrent polluters which send out bad chunks which cause longer downloads as you have to re try many parts of your file.

Photohosting Sites

Photo hosting sites are an easy way to distribute or share photos.. Be sure to read the terms and conditions to be sure you retain rights and ownership if that is important to you, you will also want to research the takedown policy for controversial content. Here are a few sites http://www.photobucket.com http://www.imageshack.us http://www.flickr.com Flickr

Perhaps the most user-friendly photohost is the newcomer www.imgur.com, which aims for simplicity.

Photo File Security

Remember kids, your camera does leave a digital fingerprint the cops can follow, strip the EXIF data from all photos before posting so they are less easily traced. In Linux install the program jhead which edits the JPEG image file headers, in command line type

jhead -de *

in your photo directory and date and camera information for all of the .jpeg and .jpg files will be stripped. If you are a Windows or Mac user just select and copy the part of the pic you want to the clipboard, then paste into a paint program and save.

Your cameras pixels also leave a fingerprint, there has been some work eliminating the background uniform pixel noise from cameras by adding a random pixel shading to pictures. If you plan to photograph for radical causes it is wise to use a different camera than the one you use to post family photos on flickr.

Indymedia

Indymedia is a news site for an alternative viewpoint. It is a very activist source and covers activist news.

Many news sites now include a discussion area at the bottom. This is usually not read by the regular news viewer and is mostly a place for debate between posters.

Video on Torrent or Video sites

Video of police violence, corpgov malfeasance, or active resistance can be posted to video viewing sites or to bittorrent location sites. YouTube which has been bought by Google Video are basic sites for this, as they offer a huge number of viewers, but you may be more easily prosecuted if the pigs want to sue the video of them off of the web. Youtube will delete videos of police or other violence it it exceeds their acceptable policy. Liveleak and other video sites get less traffic but have more open terms or service.

Vagabond Video

Perhaps you want to waste brain cells and watch CorpGov TV shows and movies off of the net like everyone else does, but what if you don't have a regular net connection, or even more difficult not even a laptop just a PDA, wifi smartphone, or video player? If you either have a friend with a computer or access to a server shell account with the right software installed you can use the programs mencoder or ffmpeg to encode for playback on your PDA, these are available for most Linux distros and Apple OS-X, there are also programs to do this on Windows.

Many Linux and Unix distros for various legal reasons now ship with stripped media encoding/decoding libraries and software but have a gray market partner which can be added to the software sources file to permit adding the full free and insane media ripping capacity back, for example Ubuntu users can use medibuntu software repositories http://www.medibuntu.org/ and Mandriva has the Penguin Liberation Front plf.zarb.org/packages.php

One of our writers only has a PDA so she finds a WiFi hotspot, logs into her server account halfway across the globe, starts a screen(screen is a very useful unix/linux program that keeps a terminal session running even when you disconnect) session so she can log out and the work will continue, and uses bittorrent on the command line to download the file to her server account. It should be easiest to grab the weblink for the torrent file from your computer or PDA web browser and past it into the command line terminal session after the command links, elinks, or lynx which are text only web browsers, they will prompt you for a file name that will save the torrent, be sure whatever name it saves as ends with .torrent so your bittorrent program will recognize it. She mentioned that it is often easier to visit a computer lab or library and use a big keyboard and screen to hunt down the torrents you want assuming there is not a surf-block program installed to stop torrent sites. Since public machines almost never have a

SSH program installed she suggested a web based Java SSH program (Warning not for secure communications!!) to connect to your server and get the remote download started, try those:

In a few hours or so she brings a power cable or battery pack for her PDA and visits a good WiFI hotspot that she can sit at for an hour or two, coffee shops work well for this. She then logs in and exits the finished torrent and uses mencoder or ffmpg on the server side to shrink and convert the file to something her PDA will play back at a decent rate and download quickly. Here is an example of the Linux command string she uses, edit this for your own files and preferences, be sure to encode to a video codec that your player can read.

mencoder exampleoriginalfile.mpg -ofps 15 -srate 24000 -oac mp3lame -lameopts cbr:br=32:vol=5:mode=3 -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg1video:vbitrate=96:vhq:keyint=300 -vop scale=160:120 -o examplefinishedfile.mpg

ffmpeg -i examplestartfile.avi -ab 56 -ar 22050 -b 500 -s 320x240 examplefinishedfile.mpg

This conversion will not take more than ten to twenty minutes even on a slow server to convert a movie but you might want to start a "screen" session on your server and disconnect while the encoder is working to save battery pack power on your PDA. Tweak the bitrate settings, framerates, and size for better performance or quality. These examples encode using the mpeg1video codec since this should work on even early PDA's but you might see better results with more modern devices like Ipods if you use mpeg4 instead.

After this is all done she just uses a FTP program to grab the file to her PDA and once it is done watches it when she has time. To keep the less honest from seeing her PDA she starts the FTP program and puts the PDA into her backpack under the table with a battery pack or solar cell plugged in since big WiFi file transfers use plenty of battery power. Be sure you have a good connection before you put the PDA in the pack or you might realize that the file never downloaded.

She has another trick for TV shows such as news programs and some comedy, which she prefers to just strip out the the audio from the video files for listening to as a podcast during her bike commute she uses the following.

ffmpeg -i originalfile.mp4 -vn -ac 1 newaudiofile.mp3

If you want to something a bit different with codecs or other settings type man ffmpg or man mencoder to use the user manual program and see your options.

Smart Phones

If you have a smartphone equipped with WiFi but an expensive data plan you can send the commands to your server shell account over your cellular data connection. First download a free SSH program so you can connect to your server shell account. You will also need an FTP program unless your SSH program also allows secure downloads via SCP. Dont use your browser to search for torrents, instead log right into your server shell account and use links or lynx command line web browsers, they are all text and will save you on data costs. Once you have the text browser grab the .torrent file exit the text web browser and start the torrent over on your server account. MidpSSH is a Java powered SSH client program that will run on most mobile phones, even old ones that can run Java programs. http://www.xk72.com/midpssh/

Once the torrent is complete you can also send the command to start the conversion from almost anywhere. Even though you are using a metered service you will probably waste less than a kilobyte when connected to your server shell account since it is all just command line text, don't forget to use screen and detach when you are done so you won't continue to get billed. When the torrent and conversion are done and you are ready to grab your media files; do like above and find a WiFi hotspot to download the files for free instead of getting charged some outrageous per Kilobyte rate by your cellular provider especially if you are using a prepaid data plan. You can make this work even if you don't have a smartphone, most mobile phones you find can still run Java programs so you can still install an SSH client and use the keypad just like texting to talk to your server account. You just need a WiFi data device like the laptop or PDA mentioned above or access to a computer connected to the net to grab your finished files and stick them on your USB drive or other data storage.

Watch out for built-in "location-sensitive" or similar features if using a smartphone with GPS. This can pinpoint your location very well and broadcast it somewhere over the net. Always check if GPS is off before connecting and don't mix navigation with activism on one connection. Also, MAC address can be your doom in harder cases - look for tools to change it. (this also may be important for laptops)

Usenet and Listservs

Usenet used to be a great way to spread and discuss information. Much like the abuse of the CB radio networks in the USA, the sheer weight of spam and flame wars drove most serious users out, excluding a few special interest groups. Usenet can still be useful, especially if you are able to filter through the garbage. The good stuff can be filtered from the bad stuff using email applications or webmail services that provide good filtering, sorting and viewing options. A well set-up inbox can be extremely helpful in getting to the information you really want to read.

Note that free Usenet providers don't support binaries parts of the Usenet. All of the providers log info, so it's hard to send there without being linked.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usenet

Internet Phone Communication - VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)

Skype (http7/www.skype.com/) is a "free" VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service, but with proprietary communication protocol. The closed nature of the protocol make not possible to check the privacy level. If possible prefer free and open software like Ekiga http://www.gnomemeeting.org/

Instant Messaging Anywhere

There are several instant messenger clients and services, most free for anyone to use. If you look around, you can even likely find one that will blast through your work or school firewall. Don't expect any IM's to be private, and understand that most services keep a log.

Pidgin instant messenger is a free open source universal instant messenger, it runs yahoo, gtalk, icq, irc, aim, and other instant messenger services all in one program, plus you can get it in portable form so anywhere you can take your keychain USB drive. One of the most useful plugins for Pidgin is the OTR or Off The Record encryption plugin with OTR all Google or Yahoo get for their logs is a bunch of encrypted gibberish, if you use OTR you are reasonably safe as long as your communications partner or your computer are not compromised.

Internet Relay Chat

IRC is a communication protocol older than the web itself. You can create your own free channels (chat rooms), with the ability to operate it however you want, with a fair amount of customization. Very popular in the hacker community and a great way of organizing projects of all types over long distances. irc.freenode.net (http7/freenode.net/) is the network dedicated for free/open-source software projects. Anonops's server (http://anonops.net/) , irc.anonops.ru is used by hackivist group Anonymous to fight against injustices. Most networks will let you create channels of any type with virtually no moderation from the admins.

IRC is a great way to keep in touch with friends from around the world. It is recommended that one uses a command line client such asirssi (http://www.irssi.org/) inside the "window" application "screen" over a ssh connection. This will keep you connected 24/7 as well as provide anonymity. One free shell server is Blinkenshell (http://blinkenshell.org/wiki/Start) , hosted in Sweden. It costs nothing, but it may take a few days in their IRC channel to be trusted and vouched, and you need to donate a cent or send a text message in order to be activated. Blinkenshell also provides free webhosting. Another way IRC provides anonymity is through the service Hostserv, with which you can create custom hostnames, so others can't see your state/country/IP address.

The irssi client is recommended for Linux, as are the GUI clients Xchat, Chatzilla, and Pidgin. Silverex (http://www.silverex.org/news/) (Xchat compiled for Windows for free) is recommended for Windows. Webclients include the very popular yet controversial Mibbit (http://mibbit.com/) (banned from Freenode), Freenode's webclient (http://webchat.freenode.net/) , and the still-in-beta subscription service IRCCloud (https://irccloud.com/) .

Free Webhosts

As mentioned earlier, blinkenshell.org provides free, small webpages. Also available, although it has a very distrustful-looking URL, is byethost (http://byethost.com/free- hosting/news) . You feel dirty setting it up, and you have to answer a captcha that doubles as an ad, but it appears legit and doesn't try to install malware or anything, and actually provides php.

Random Free Goodies

Reddit (http://www.reddit.com/) will allow you to set up a free subreddit, which is similar to a forum and is a great way of organizing a project.

Wikia (http://www.wikia.org/) and Wikidot (http://www.wikidot.com/) both provide free wikis.

Everyone knows this, but Youtube (http://youtube.com/) ] (owned by Google) provides free video hosting.

Web Radio Streaming

Stream like the professionals do! Software and hardware for web-streaming is easy to obtain and easy to set up, with the hardware cheap, and the software free and open-source. Get yourself an older machine, and boot some sort of Linux/BSD operating system on it. Debian http://www.debian.org, Ubuntuhttp://www.ubuntu.com are easy to set up GNU/Linux variants, and NetBSDhttp://www.netbsd.org is a portable BSD system. Install icecast http://www.icecast.org/ and rip/download some mp3s. Information on each of these OS and programs is available on their websites.

Network Printing

While not really getting your message out ON the net, you can really get a radical message OVER the net to unsuspecting audiences. If you can make an exciting eye-catching flyer, people will recognize and grab your work.

You have to figure out how to get past firewalls from outside or even print at your own corpgov job without getting caught (or, print it on the day you are fired). Print servers are also often unpatched for security and become a great scan server to use in initiating attacks on the network. Another fun idea, if you figure out the printer admin access, is to upload a script on the day you quit that bank job that will regularly print radical messages, posters, or even this book until the IT department wipes or junks the printer or server. However, attacks which involve printing out all of the ink and paper are not usually warranted as we are not at war with the trees.

Most schools offer computer labs and allow students to print a maximum number of pages a day. Use this to your advantage! Draw up some fliers, print them on 3x3 settings off of a school library or computer lab printer for (somewhat above) your maximum number of free pages. Doing this once a day, or whenever the advisors change shifts to get an unlimited supply of print jobs.

Connecting:

Wi-Fi network

Many neighbors have open wifi networks that were left in their default unlocked mode. This is either by accident or the owners wanted to give free access. Often times, the owner will not change the default password from "admin" to a better password, so you may be able to gain access to the network by using the "admin" password. Many of these "admin" passwords can also be found online. Be a good nerd, and at most open ports or DMZ your machine, if you will be around for awhile. Don't rudely lock someone out of their AP or change the SSID to 10053r, p0wn3d, or 1d10t. Something like that will likely make them secure the node, ruining a good open node.

Wi-Finder

Cheap Wi-Finders, keychain wifi detectors will help you quickly survey an area to see if you have a Wi-Fi node nearby, that way you can leave your lappy in the pack. A good idea is to waterproof and tape one to your bicycle handlebars or stick it under the sun shade of your bike helmet so you can see the LED's.

Net&Buzz

Most hipper local coffeehouses offer free WiFi and the signal often leaks out into the surrounding area. If you buy coffee there regularly, thank them so they keep it running. If you need Internet for a long stretch, go in after taking a bath and wearing clean clothes; that way they won't kick you out. Plug in and buy a coffee or cake at least every hour and a half. Avoid squatting at high traffic times and most importantly of all, leave a tip!

Cyber-Hobo Code

Where there is open wireless to be had, why not let people know? Take a tip from Wall Painting and use our hobo code, )( the opposing half circles means open wireless node, while a closed circle means a closed network, chalk it on the curb. If you manage to crack the encryption on a closed network and get online leave the passphrase on the corner of the building near the ground.

Where to Sit

When out using free public wireless Internet, there is often a dearth of chairs. Many camping stores sell a light, inexpensive mini tripod stool which folds up into a 2/3 meter long bundle. You can strap this to your bike frame or pack for portability.

Car Surfing

Parking in an area with wifi is a popular way to get online if your Internet is disconnected, if you stay in a well lit area it helps hide the glow from your computer screen. Most netbook low-power computers can use an inexpensive 12 volt car adapter saving the battery for later. Be careful in parking meter areas as the cops may ticket you if the meter expires even though you are in the driver seat. Net squatting for hours outside somebodies home after midnight just gets creepy, especially if you knock on the door and ask to plug in an extension cord.

Cantenna, Antenna or Woktenna

If you are able to detect a wireless access point but not connect, often a directional high gain antenna will get you a strong enough signal for full connectivity. You can build or buy these antennas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantenna

If you can buy them, it is advisable, for durability sake, to spend the money for a 14dB or higher patch (flat) antenna and a quality tough antenna pigtail. Since these pigtails are fragile, a spare is advisable. Even if your laptop has built-in wireless, a high power removable wifi card that you can attach your antenna to will get you online in many densely populated environments where the built in antenna would normally fail.

Another option of high gain antenna (13-15dB easily) with a fairly wide (60-70 degree) cone is the biquad, where there is a driver element made from two wire squares with 30.5mm side lengths. these are backed by a reflector, and the whole thing is affixed to a short coax line. [1] (http://www.engadget.com/2005/11/15/how-to-build-a-wifi-biquad- dish-antenna/)

It is advisable to drive an antenna with a high power USB stick, Alfa manufactures them up to 2 watts, and they can be had for around $25 on (the evil corporation!) amazon. The advantage of usb is the ability to use a usb extension cable to get your antenna to a good position.

Another option is the so-called "Wok-fi" antenna - which is often cheaper and more effective, at the expense of being bulkier and more fragile.

Wok-fi (http://www.usbwifi.orconhosting.net.nz/)

Remember that you can use the directional antennas listed here to drive dishes, offering much better gain. With an old tv dish a few meters in diameter, connections have been made at line of sight distances of hundreds of kilometers. Why not use a smaller <1 meter dish to get a few extra kilometers of connection out of your wifi gear?

You're anonymous, the internet is free, and you don't have to leave your squat.

WEP/WPA

WEP is an old encryption used on 802.11b wireless networks. It is easily cracked, and some business and government offices may have an older personal wifi access point installed in big exec offices so they can play on their mahogany paneled laptops. Any reasonable IT department would have implemented better security.

Our hacks use a computer running Linux but there are also windows and Mac programs for this. Airsnort and Aircrack-ng can help you bust the WEP/WPA encryption: this software package comes as an downloadable option with most Linux distros. Sample some net traffic, then let Aircrack look for weak packets, unlocking the encryption key. If your are a MS-Windows user, booting up with Backtrack Linux, Knoppix STD or other security live distros will give you most of the security hacking tools you will need.

This gives you the ability to employ smear tactics against an individual or organization, imagine the reaction to the world discovering they're hosting a pedophiliac site from their ip? Also, with higher gain antennas (for example get ahold of an old satellite tv dish and drive it with a yagi or biquad antenna), you can connect to WEP protected networks at many kilometers and essentially have free internet which is essentially untraceable.

Community Wireless Co-Op

Many cities have community wifi co-ops which provide free internet and possibly other services from their access areas. These are great for anonymous surfing. Be sure to clear out all personal identifying settings and cookies from your browser and computer before you feel too secure and of course using TOR helps obscure what you are doing too.

To start see if you have any local businesses that wouldn't mind hosting wireless internet for their customers. This can be as simple as installing a used wireless access point and opening it up to an AP with a custom Linux firmware on it so you can control bandwidth and other services. While there are companies who may give out free hardware and even Internet access to businesses willing to host their service we mostly avoid them since they are ad based services and who knows what information is being reported back to home base.

Pirate Wireless

An interesting spin on community wireless is if at work you find a live network cable and power port you can just plug in an old access point and make a pirate wireless hotspot, of course it would have to make the signal available somewhere useful to justify the expense, maybe a directional antenna to extend the range and some disguise is in order to keep it safe. Alternatively drill holes high on the wall to the outside for your wires and install a plastic waterproof electrical box outside where there would be no suspicion. Make everything look professional and seal all holes for moisture and it might last for years.

Piggybacking Restricted WiFi Access

How to piggyback WiFi at the airport, university, train station, or other restricted or paid wifi access area using a Linux machine and assuming there is an authorized user online. This works by cloning the WiFi card mac address of an authorized user and makes you both appear to be using the same laptop. Helpful information is in (parentheses) and is either a value or instruction everything else is Linux shell terminal commands. A little practical experience in networking will help you guess or calculate the netmask and gateway address.

1. (type) tcpdump -en
2. (Carefully note Ip addresses and corresponding mac addresses that fly by)
3. (type) ifconfig wlan0 hw ether macAddress
4. (type) ifconfig wlan0 ip netmask (the netmask for the IP address)
5. (type) route add default gw (router ip address, router's ip can usually be guessed from IP)
6. (enjoy your free connectivity!)

HTTP over DNS

Many for pay commercial WiFi networks or crippled corporate networks still allow DNS queries. This opening can be exploited to allow tunnel access to a server and then out to the Internet. http://thomer.com/howtos/nstx.html

Cellular GPRS and 3G

Mobile phone based Internet connections are quite expensive and have the added detriment of being fully traceable back to you within a few meters, like all mobile phone use. The upside is possible broadband, even in remote areas or while in transit. However, it drains battery life quickly, and will give you a very sub-par viewing experience.

Mobile Acess Point

Most of the Linux based routers have an internal serial port or two. It will be either 3.3v or 5v. This serial port is a great way to connect a whole campout or crash house to the internet, you will need to add PPPD to the firmware and set up the config files. Use the mobile phone to dial in or get GPRS access, as most unlocked mobile phones accept serial connections and almost all phones accept some Hayes AT commands, you could also cable connect to an older real(non-winmodem) modem this way if DSL is not an option.

Add a battery pack or cigarette lighter adapter and you can even share Internet with a group traveling in several nearby cars, a train, or a bus. Some smartphones with Wi-Fi can either be hacked or you can install software to make your phone into a short range wireless Internet access point.

Beware of the next cellular bill after your net party unless you have an unlimited data account.

Bluetooth Sniping

Bluetooth, just like Wi-Fi, uses 2.4 Ghz microwaves. This means Wi-Fi directional antennas and amplifiers can be soldered onto your Bluetooth dongles and cards. Using this technique, locked executive phone books can be obtained, bogus phone or sms messages can be sent, or GPRS internet connections can be established. http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7461

Wired Ethernet

Often, you can quietly plug a patch cable into the library network when nobody is looking, Know how to get past the often minimal security, and don't abuse the sneak on. The library is our friend, not a thing to be abused.

Subnet Sniffing

Use of Linux "tcpdump" and watching the traffic will help you establish what subnet you are plugged into, even if there is no DHCP server to hand you an IP address. The "ifconfig" command will be used to set your IP address and subnet, "route" will be used to set your internet gateway. Windows users can use the GUI to add network a address and default gateway settings.

DNS

If you have to sneak onto a network without a DHCP server to give you an IP address, you may need to plug in your own DNS servers found in 'network settings'. There are a few stable ones in locations all over the world. Either edit /etc/resolv.conf and add these addresses in Unix/Linux or change the Windows DNS settings in your network TCP/IP settings. If you are using a network you can add these server addresses there and it will pass on the DNS requests to the whole network.

Other public DNS servers (without any filters):

4.2.2.1 - 4.2.2.6 - Level3 DNS servers with Anycast (multiple locations)
141.1.1.1 (cns1.cw.net) - A Cabe & Wireless DNS-Server with Anycast (multiple locations) by Cable & Wireless Worldwide

Public DNS servers from OpenDNS (blocks suspected malware, porn, and other sites - inserts landing pages on miss - not accountable):

208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220

Public DNS servers from DNS Advantage (they may block malware sites - not accountable, no landing pages):

156.154.70.1 (rdns1.ultradns.net)
156.154.71.1 (rdns2.ultradns.net)
you can also use 156.154.70.22 and 156.154.71.22 which are advertised by Comodo

Public DNS servers from DNSResolvers (without any filters):

205.210.42.205 (cache1.dnsresolvers.com)
64.68.200.200 (cache2.dnsresolvers.com)

Public DNS servers from Google (without any filters) (warning: Google doesn't tend to value user privacy very much...):

8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4

Realize that whichever DNS service you using, one of these or the one from your ISP your page requests are logged, this should be obvious since your ISP also delivers the content, TOR can obfuscate this as long as your browser is set to route DNS requests through TOR, this must be set as default is to run DNS in the open even when running a proxy. It can also work as a DNS server on its own since version 0.2 regardless of web proxying, which is useful for working around some broken apps.

You can also attempt to use ICANN root servers directly with a DNS server in proxy mode, e.g. bind (named), PowerDNS (pdnsd), MaraDNS, Posadis. Note they are blocked by some braindead ISPs.

PPPoE and VPN

Many ADSL providers use PPPoE or VPN to connect.

Mac Address Spoofing

Every network device has a unique ID called a MAC address. If you copy another machine's mac address and use it on your computer, you may be able to obtain access on certain wireless or wired networks. Often there will be an authentication of some other type you must pass as well, but the MAC address is often an easy way to secure home networks. If you do get kicked from a network, try changing the network MAC address (MAC address has nothing to do with being a Macintosh or not), as this is how a machine is usualy banned from a network. MAC addresses are also used in wireless networks.

McDonald's Free Wifi

Until recently McDonald's Wifi was a pay as you go network, now at many (not all yet) McDonald's you can freely access their Wifi network.

Goto http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/services/free_wifi.html to check out more info and search for available service.

Most that have the McCafe have the free Wifi so look for that and you should be surfing. Be nice and at least buy your favorite beverage while you are logged in to the network.

Dialup

Free Dialup Services

When a corporation "gives" you internet, beware, as you will likely be forced to stare at ads on part of your screen. Worst-case-scenario, they have full access to your data.

New England http://www.freedialup.org/site/
New Yorkhttp://www.metconnect.com/about.html
Western Washington http://www.nocharge.com/connect.htm
USA http://account.netzero.net/s/landing?group=freecorp&refcd=cj&cf=cj&AID=10388574&PID=61738

Netzero lets you have ten hours of dialup internet for free. This is an ad-supported service, which only works on either MS Windows or Linspire-Linux platforms.

Denver, Co http://www.nyx.net/
Toronto FreeNet http://www.torfree.net

Nonprofit Unix shell and dialup access co-op, lots of l33t options for connect.

If you are on the run and need to get online, see Free_Telephones for tips on covertly connecting to phone lines.

Crypto:

pgp and gpg

PGP (pretty good privacy) and its younger open source cousin GPG (Gnu Privacy Guard) are simple programs that use a shared key and a private key to encrypt data and messages. Many programs have GPG. Inside one of the most useful is a clipboard helper where you paste your text into the box, hit the encrypt button, and your clipboard now has the encrypted message. There is really no end to the applications that can have GPG inside from VOIP phones to instant messengers.

TOR Onion Servers

Obfuscate the origin of your connection. This provides good privacy from end use sites, but not against telcos and some larger governments who have the ability to monitor end to end internet packet traffic in real time. (WRONG. It does provide some security if you go through at least one node outside monitoring. Only if you are specifically monitored and your destination too, there could be a link made, weak one - using timing analysis. - R) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TorJanonymity_network)

If you find that the TOR network is suddenly not working be sure to check for an update in version at the http://torproject.org website. Some major Linux distros and other software packages may fall behind and not issue automatic updates if you have not set the updater to check the official TOR package sources.

One often unused feature of the TOR network is the ability to host hidden servers. Once you have the software running you can visit .onion sites which are as difficult to trace as a web surfer running TOR. Visit http://l6nvqsqivhrunqvs.omon/ for a popular reliable hidden discussion forum while your TOR is turned, http://eqt5g4fuenphqinx.onion/ is the official TOR core.onion site when it is up, here is where sites on the onion should be listed. Better yet set up your own hidden server.

Make sure you secure your hidden server and web browser don't leak out identifying data.

SSH encrypted shell access

The standard secure way to connect for console or tunneled connections to most Unix/Linux type servers. You can use SSH to tunnel or forward almost any service see http://souptonuts.sourceforge.net/sshtips.htm for more ideas. See http://www.openssh.com/ for the real thing or http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/download.html for Putty the small Windows client which will happily run from your USB keychain drive.

The following command you will start a Socks5 type proxy to forward all of your browsing to a remote server vial a remote tunnel:

ssh -D 1420 user@server.com

The -D means you want to have SSH make a Socks5 type proxy the number (1420 or whatever you like) is the port you want to connect it to. User is your username on a remote server and after the @ sign is the web address of your server, you will be asked for your password after connecting.

If you want to keep your browsing free of the IT department entirely also route your DNS requests through the Socks proxy, in Firefox type

about:conf

in the address bar and hit enter, you will be dropped into the manual config editing page of Firefox, scroll down to

network.proxy.socks_remote_dns

and toggle it to true (default is false) now got to Edit>Preferences>Connection Settings and click the Manual Proxy Configuration button, In the SOCKS Host add the address 127.0.0.1 and the port will be whatever you set after the - D (our example used 1420, choose something over 1000) be sure that SOCKS-5 is selected. Once TOR is set up and working install Torbutton in Firefox and add your port settings to make your switch quick as a mouse click.

If your boss blocks port 22 (normal SSH port) you can be a sneak too and route through the almost always open SSL port (443).

Disk encryption

Unencrypted data can be the revolutionary's doom. If it's likely your machine can be seized (there always is), the only way to protect yourself is to encrypt the data. Note that in some jurisdictions and esp. if you get slapped with Patriot Act, not divulging a key may be a crime or be prelude to torture. Always have a kill switch. Make sure the machine is never seized on or freshly off - disconnect power for at least a minute to reduce chances of password recovery from RAM.

You can use one of the following systems:

TrueCrypt/RealCrypt (http7/truecrypt.org/) - Similar to dm- crypt, slightly less widely used. Supports "double-floor" encryption, where you can have multiple partitions under different keys in one place - great to fool that torture part. Just don't give even fake key too easily.
EcryptFS - Linux, Supported by Ubuntu, per-file encryption. Hides file names in new versions too. Since it's per-file, you can send encrypted data easily or store it remote.
dm-crypt for Linux and FreeOTFE (http://www.freeotfe.org/) for Windows - these are standard disk/partition encryption systems. No special features.

Network Stealth

Disguise Your Gear

If you have secretly left a server in an office or other secure location, maybe an inside job, using their bandwidth broadcasting your radical news it must look like it belongs there. A nice clean modern case can often be found that will match the equipment where you are making the setup. Other options may be to to hide the server above ceiling tiles or placing a very small mini-ITX or other single board type machines double side taped under or behind a desk or cubicle partition. Hunting these down will drive IT nuts if they even ever figure out where all of their bandwidth is going. see Infiltrating for more ideas

Covert Server

Shell Accounts Game

Acquire shell access to as many servers as possible to be able to SSH over borders and obscure the point of origin while on the internet. This can be quite useful:

once you have a shell account, use it to proxify your web use. The web requests will look like they came form the server and not you. See SSH encrypted shell access above for details.

Wi-Fi and DMZ - A router to put your box on the net

Many home DSL lines have the Wi-Fi router unconfigured. Use the default password to take control and DMZ your machine. You are now live on the internet and can direct your domain name to this IP address for small scale web presence.

Dynamic DNS

There are now many dynamic DNS and DNS forwarding services available for free. Using these services you can direst web traffic from a domain name to your constantly changing DSL line IP address, some services also will redirect to an unblocked network port if your ISP blocks port 80. Many home network routers will automatically update your dynamic DNS provider, if your router does not support these updates there are many update programs that run on Windows, Mac, and Unix/Linux.

Generic Owned Box plugged into an Open Network

Any old computer plugged into a DSL line or office network and allowed to have an IP address on the internet can be a hidden server. Your server can be used to store files, serve a website, or even remotely browse the net, obscuring your location.

Arousing Suspicion

An encrypted transmission will generate suspicion on the internet. Always assume your data is being sniffed and act accordingly.

Anonymous Surfing

There are services that allow web surfing by-proxy which leave behind no trail of your visited websites on the computer. Great for sneaking past work or school snoops, but the Feds might be able to watch these networks. These proxies slow down your connection speed a bit, and may interfere with downloading, but for security, it's worth it. However, the fact that you've been on a proxy site for two hours may attract suspicion.

Anonymouse - http://anonymouse.org/
Guardster -http://www.guardster.com/ (Free low-level service, but won't work on encrypted SSL sites)
Shadowsurf - http://www.shadowsurf.com/
Proxify -http://proxify.com/

Off By One

A simple and free Non-Java web browser for Windows that fits on a CD or flash drive, but doesn't require installation onto the hard drive for use. It's only 1.2 MB and can be compressed down to about 460KB for distribution. When the disc is removed, all browser information goes with it. The page and image caches are memory-resident and utilize no disk storage, so after each session, any "cookies" simply vanish. The drawbacks to its small size is that it doesn't support JavaScript, applets, plug-ins or Flash.

http://offbyone.com/offbyone/

Mozilla Firefox - Portable Edition

A 25 MB version of the web-browser that can travel with you on your clip flash drive (along with your bookmarks and cookies that won't be on the computer you're using). Runs on Windows or Wine on Linux/UNIX.

http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/firefox_portable

Visit http://www.torproject.org/torbrowser/index.html.en for the TOR browser and instant messenger pack. All open source and it fits on your USB drive.

9. Free Play

Last updated: 20 May 2011

Before we start we remind you that stealing corpgov trash is like stealing and shooting heroin, The dealer is evil but so is stuff, it only prolongs your addiction as well as placing you in an easy position for close police investigation and incarceration

Movies and Concerts

Records and Books

Skiing and Boarding

1 Free swim
2 Bonfire parties/drum circles
3 The Mall
3.1 Rent-a-cop Psyche 101
4 Movies and Concerts
5 Pranking
5.1 Safety
6 Free Games
6.1 Free Computer Games
6.2 Abandonware
6.3 Pirated Computer Games
6.4 Demo Game Systems at Big Box Stores
6.5 Movies

Free swim

It's ridiculously easy to waltz into a chain hotel and take use of their indoor swimming pool and hot tub. Most places won't check for room verification, or if they have swipe-card access, you can simply tag along after a group. This can be really effective by wearing a swimming costume under your clothes, getting in the ground elevator and hitting the top floor button. Quickly strip to your swimming shorts on the way up, then on the way down, just walk out carrying your clothes to pass off as a guest just coming down from your room.

Many older subdivisions and condominiums/apartments (before the security craze of gated communities came into play) have wonderful sized pools that can often just be accessed without a code or key.

Bonfire parties/drum circles

More of a social gathering then recreation, simply gather a few friends, and then put together a bonfire. Sprinkle with food and instruments (could easily be turned into a social conscious or spiritual gathering). If you're in a rural environment, you're in luck. Just build an appropriate bonfire in the middle of a field, near a lake, or your backyard. If you're in a suburban or urban setting, know the status of state or local parks and either build a bonfire, or use a pre-dug fire pit. If you live in the USA, know if your county has a burn ban before you do this. For example, if you live in the Southwest (Texas to California), there is usually a burn ban in the summer, as it is very hot and dry.

The Mall

Before the internet and cell phone networking the mall was the popular place for middle/high school children to hang out. It is the pinnacle of Amerikan neo-fascist suburban culture: safe and alcohol free with goods and services available at ungodly inflated prices. Despite the malls reputation of being a death traps for five-finger discounters, it's very easy to walk out with a lot of free bargains that will make you the envy of all middle-class trash in your high school.

Avoid department stores. They invest in security by inflating the price of their goods and must have an insurance policy based minimum in their stores. Try hitting up drug stores, electronic stores, sweets shops, and other small shops.

To get past an electronic scanner system simply walk past the door with the item in plain site. They run on a charged magnetic field, and can usually be set off from quite a distance away from the entrance. There is a good chance that the item you are carrying will not set off the alarm. If it does, drop it or walk out with a group of people and run if you see anyone follow you out of the store.

Malls have undercover security along with uniformed ones. 90% of them in Amerika are unarmed and quite a few just don't give a damn about their jobs. If you're confronted by a rent-a-pig, try to force the confrontation in a public place. This looks bad for the mall and gives you a chance to escape easier. Do NOT go to a mall office or any other private area.

Rent-a-cop Psyche 101

The mall security officer is willing to take minimum wage pay in exchange for a sense of pride when making a bust. Bragging rights may outweigh other considerations and common sense doesn't apply to many of these personality types. The excitement of victory over their human prey is sometimes enough. The younger of pseudo-cops usually love to watch their quarry be lead away to the squad car,they almost feel like a real lethal enforcer and crave the approval from the real cops.

Movies and Concerts

Jambase.com (http7/www.jambase.com/) Find jamband concerts in your area

Punk Scenes Info. (s7Zweb.archive.org/web/20110903073122/7/www.sphinxmontreal.com/genre_web_sites/punk_rock_music.html) prowl around these links to find out about punk scenes all over the world. some are scene-specific or regional, others cover everything.

Punk By Region

(s7/web.archive.org/web/20110903073122/7/musicmoz.org/StylesZRock/AltemativeZPunkZRegional/North_AmericaZUnited_States/) Big list ofpunk links. Mostly US sites, lots of show listings, and lots regional scene sites. Nice.

Find music in your area (http://musicmoz.orgZRegional/North_AmericaZUnited_States/) This allows you to go directly to your state/region/city and search for specific scenes, styles of music, bands, or anything music related.

FestivalFinder.com (http://www.festivalfinder.com/) - Find music festivals in the US

Festivals.com (http://www.festivals.com/) This allows you to search for all kinds offestivals.

Pranking

Pranks are a great way to entertain yourself and can be an effective form of activism and low level guerilla warfare. The impression you leave with a good prank can last for many years, and when well executed smart can cause embarrassment to the target and even get press coverage for your cause, where otherwise none would be available.

For propaganda purposes any win especially against an unpopular government or corporate entity can really boost support for your cause. The public begins to feel that these trusted giants cant keep control which can force an unpopular corpgov overreaction befitting our cause. It also harms the confidence of the target, flustering them and causing them to make mistakes. A great prank also is a way to bounce back from big setbacks, as it may only take a little psychological win to help rally dejected troops and demoralize the opposition.

Safety

You must exercise caution that nobody is actually injured by the actions of your prank. Minimal monetary damage is also a good rule since we are out to mostly injure the pride of the target. over your tracks. Often our pranks will leave a mess and if the target can pinpoint the perpetrator they might be able to sue for cleanup and legal costs.

Have your group call a press conference claim that an anonymous friend, not your group, committed these hilarious acts which, while aren't endorsed, are thoroughly humourous.

Free Games

Free Computer Games

If any of you are interested in open source software such as OpenOffice.org and use it for your work on your computer, you might be interested to know that there is open source, freeware, and free domain games for your computer as well.

A lot of these are available for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux. If you're interested, here's a list from Wikipedia that lists many of the open source games available:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_open_source_games

If you don't find ones you like there you can always seek "open source games", "freeware games", "public domain games" or "free domain games" on a search engine. This will bring up a number of lists of free games available to you to download and play. Just a warning: Some "free" games are really "trial versions" that only run for a few levels until you pay for the passwords.

Abandonware

Many older games from years past are trapped in a limbo over actual ownership. Companies that were popular back in the day many times went out of business, or got merged 3 or 4 times. The original authors may be in totally different industries. While many of these old games have not aged well as far as graphics and modern interfaces, great gems can be found occasionally. Some of these will work fine with Window$, others will need an emulator of some sort whether DOS box or a Commodore 64 or Apple IIe box. Sad, too, as many of these ancient works have historical value.

www.abandonia.com is one such site dedicated to preserving the works of the previous generation. Oddly enough, if it was not for the crackers and pirates of that day, many of these important works would have been lost in the sands of time and technological progress.

Pirated Computer Games

You also have the option of warez, or pirated games. This allows you to play big name games for free. There are lots of places you can find them, but they can often be a huge hassle to get working. If you're smart and have some technical knowledge, this is a good option, if not, just wait a few years and buy the games for $5. Another option would be to look for sales on digital distribution sites where you can save up to 75% or more on games.

Demo Game Systems at Big Box Stores

Many Wal-marts, Targets, and other big retail outfits set up demonstration kiosks where you can kill some time when out and about playing the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3. Most of the time the wage slave workers in the stores really do not care how long you hang there as long as you are not camping out all day or pushing little kids off the system. Only thing is that many times these systems have timer that resets them after a certain time, may have only demo copies of a certain game, or may currently only have a game that does not interest you. The controllers also tend to get broken from time to time and is considered a low priority to fix amongst management.

Good luck and have fun!

Movies

A number of public domain and open source films are available for free download from the Internet Archive. These range widely in format and content: from dusty old training films and promotional shorts; to computer animation and independent film projects; to old cartoons and feature films whose copyrights have lapsed; and to mash-ups of old films with new soundtracks.

http://www. archive.org/details/movies

TV4U has streaming TV shows and movies, including rare kinescopes from the DuMont Network. You can watch in large screen if you register for free. You'll have to sit through a short commercial before some of the films begin.

http://tv4u.com/

OVGuide is a search engine for streaming movies, TV and other media. You'll get a lot of options, and on any given search, a lot of it probably won't work. With enough persistence, however, you can find whatever you're looking for, and not have to download a 2GB file potentially full of viruses.

http://www.ovguide.com

Movies and Concerts

Last updated: 9 February 2011

Go back to Free Play

1 Movies
1.1 MPAA Avoidance
1.2 Walk In
2 Concerts
2.1 Press Tickets
2.2 The Pit

Movies

MPAA Avoidance

Most of us avoid movie theaters even if we can sneak in for free to protest the heavy handed MPAA attacks against internet users, pirates, and innocents. Why make a dying breed appear to be popular by our attendance even if we don't buy a ticket or snacks? Be careful, most larger theaters are now equipped with military night vision goggles to catch pirates taping first run movies and send them to maximum security prison for ten years. Get a job for a few weeks at a big theater and swipe the goggles for our cause.

Walk In

Many theaters have arcades in them. Simply asking if you can play some games is often a ticket to a free movie. If you know the timing of movies, and have nothing better to do that afternoon/night, go to a movie and as it's ending (before the credits), go to the bathroom. Once finished (or after sitting in a stall for a minute), head to a recently started movie. If you time it right you can watch two entire movies for free!

Alternatively (if your chosen theater lacks an arcade), you can use the following method to gain a reduced price admission. Two people purchase tickets and enter a movie. One person leaves, with both ticket stubs in his pocket. He then hands one stub to a friend in a parking lot. The parking lot friend and the person who left then re-enter the movie. Rinse and repeat. And if you're lucky, the ticket taker will recognize the person who first left the movie, and not ask for his stub, thus allowing him to give it to a fourth person. (A good example of how NOT to use this method is represented in an episode of That 70's Show)

Another way to get free movies in the theaters is to have one person buy a ticket and find a 'exit only' door, open it for the rest of your movie going party. But check to make sure there are enough seats in the theater of the movie you want to see first, and look CAREFULY in the projector room for any staff members that will rat you out.

My favorite method is to find a ticket stub for any movie and come to the theater at least five minutes before the movie starts with a friend that pays to get inside. Enter the lobby, but don't make it look like you're together, run to the movie and flash the stub to the ticket guy. At this point your friend should show the ticket guy his paid ticket, and walk in the theater. When the movie ends, leave the theater, and come back for a different movie at least a few hours later with your old stubs and different clothes. This never fails for me. Also, if your local cinema has a door that leads to the theaters two ways, one leading to the ticket guy, the other leading behind him, just run behind him as SILENTLY as you can to the theater. If the ticket guy asks to see your ticket, or you get busted, you're on your own.

Most ticket takers rarely look at the actual stub you're showing them. Ask somebody who is coming out of the building if you can have their stub. Then just flash it to the ticket taker. Chances are he'll just nod you along, but if he does happen to look, just say you're returning to the theater to grab the jacket/purse that you forgot. Then pick a theater, and enjoy the show!

One of our favorite ways to sneak into a theater with continuously running shows is the following. Arrive just as the show is emptying out and join the line leaving the theater. Exclaiming, "Oh, my gosh!" you slap your forehead, turn around and return, tell the usher you left your hat, pocketbook, etc. inside. Once you're inside the theater, just swipe some popcorn and wait for the next show.

Concerts

Press Tickets

Free concert tickets can be obtained by contacting a given artist's record label a few weeks in advance and saying you're from a music publication (online publications are the easiest to lie about in case the local print magazines have already called. Search the internet for music zines) and that you want to review the show. They'll send you tickets or tell you who to talk to in order to get them, and if you're a good enough liar, you can get backstage passes. If you do get a favorable response, you can sometimes get one for a "photographer" too. This can either be given to a friend or sold to the really excited looking guy in the middle of the crowd for a pretty penny.

The Pit

A really good mosh pit can be the best part of a concert. Their presence in the pit is NEVER an excuse or permission to abuse women, they have every right to enjoy the rough fun of the pit without being groped or having their clothing ripped from them. It is the duty of every revolutionary to stand up and see that this and all violence toward women be stopped even if it means confronting a mob. Abuse is rare as most moshers hold to a code of honor will not accept abusers among them. If someone falls down push people back and help them up. The pit is all about rough love baby!!

Records and Books

Last updated: 6 March 2011

Go back to Free Play

1 Books
2 Music
2.1 CDs
2.2 Records
3 Original Records and Books

Books

If a book's copyright has expired, there's a pretty decent chance it can be found at Project Gutenberg, Internet Archive or even Wikisource/Wikibooks. Books still enslaved by copyright can be freed by looking through Usenet, Bittorrent tracker sites, and peer to peer downloading networks like Gnutella and EMule. These can be read on a PDA or laptop saving a tree, although they may need to be cracked with c-lit, a free program which cracks Microsoft .lit files. With a little formatting and a spell check these are ready for printing.

Internet Archive (Texts): http://www.archive.org/details/texts
Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org
Wikisource: http://www.wikisource.org

The Free eBooks page for the mobile read wiki, http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Free_eBooks, is the single best list of legally free eBooks available on the net.

Scribd is described as "the place where you publish, discover and discuss original writings and documents." Just about whatever you can think of is probably here:

Scribd:http://www.scribd.com

If you're looking for audiobooks of Public Domain writings, a great source is LibriVox, an all-volunteer project. http://librivox.org/

For the college students, 4shared's repository of textbooks can be a great money saver. http://www.4shared.com/

Never buy music or books from Borders or Barnes and Noble or Waldenbooks at the mall. These are the perfect example of conglomerate monopolies. Considering this is a book we're dealing with, it's especially important to stress this fact. The only thing you should be doing at one of these stores is spilling their coffee on the bookshelves.

If you're stealing books from the corporate chain stores, the RFID tag can often be found and disposed of by grabbing hold of both of the covers, and shaking it until a little paper-covered square falls out.

Frequent local bookstores, used book and record stores, and sidewalk vendors. If you become friendly with these owners and they know what you like, you're more likely to get first dibs on any new material that comes in. In local and used record stores, you can also often find promotional CDs for good prices. And these used bookstores are great, once you get friendly with the staff, for setting out your own chapbooks or artwork, either for sale or just up for grabs.

Local libraries often have book sales. In some cases, libraries have annual events where they sell old books. Sometimes, libraries have a room set aside as a used bookstore on a permanent basis. While it takes some time to shuffle through the endless supply of bad romance paperbacks, you can usually find good reference material and other nonfiction books which have a relatively low circulation (but are of great interest to revolutionaries). Besides, buying books from libraries is good kharma. In some parts of the USA, budget cuts have caused public libraries to cut back hours and services, if not shut down completely, so every penny helps. (Don't even think of stealing library books or other resources! They have enough trouble staying open as it is! Borrow a book then scan it or photocopy it like hell, but always bring it back!)

Libraries frequently discard books for various reasons. Dumpster diving is a great way to get free books, and library trash rarely includes the organic materials that make dumpster diving unpleasant.

Big schools, aside from having libraries, tend to have a closet somewhere with piles of old class sets of books. They're either textbooks that don't have classes anymore or novels that aren't taught (for various reasons). A high school had about thirty copies of Maus and Slaughterhouse Five, and some really interesting sociology textbooks. One of our writers received these textbooks that were given to her by the psych teacher who was just thrilled someone was interested. It's one of those things she found out in senior year that she wished she known all along. It is better than the school selling them by the ton to a paper recycler.

Music

CDs

The CD is a terrible music distribution format, the disks are fragile and large, the players are an awkward shape and also fragile and prone to skipping. Many of us believe the CD is just a way to get the music home before you rip it to ogg or mp3 file formats and play it on a digital music player or computer. Except for the fact that they are a digital format easily transferred to a computer many hold the old cassette tape was a better format.

These days, if you have a computer, it is very easy to get free music with limited chance of legal reprisal. Downloading entire albums and individual songs simple if you use P2P technology, specially torrents; see Free

Software (http://wiki.stealthiswiki.org/wiki/Free-Software#Bittorrent) for more information.

CDs can be borrowed from a library or friend and ripped onto a hard drive, making an essentially perfect copy.

It is actually quite easy to steal CDs, as well as DVDs, videogames and other small electronic items from various electronic stores like Best Buy. If you want to try, check out the Shoplifting: Techniques page.

For legal free music, just use the words "free music download" in a search engine. There's a wide number of websites offering either public domain, Share-Alike or Creative Commons recordings in a variety of categories. Just be certain they don't want you to sign up for some paid subscription service.

Records

Email, call or write to small record labels and ask if they give away free sampler or promo CDs or records. If they do, sign up for their mailing list and get some. When you've got cash, be sure to repay the good folks by considering buying some of their music.

You could also try contacting bands directly, perhaps through their MySpace page. Ask them for demos or promo cds. Often they'll be happy to send you something, even if it is just a one song demo and sticker.

Another easy way to join up with a college radio station. Bring a laptop in and rip all the Kelly Clarkson and Metallica you can get your hands on via the CD library.

Original Records and Books

If you have access to a few addresses, you can get all kinds of records and books from clubs on introductory offers. Since the cards you mail back are not signed there is no legal way you can be held for the bill. You get all sorts of threatening mail, which, by the way, also comes free.

If you have a friend who is a member of a record club, ask him to submit your name as a free member. He gets 4 free records for getting you signed up. A soon as you get the letter saying how lucky you are to be a member, quit. Your friend's free records have already been shipped. We used to have at least 10 different names and addresses working on all the record and book companies. Every other day we would ride around collecting the big packages. To cap it off, we opened a credit account at a large department store and used to return most of the records and books to the store saying that they were gifts and we wanted something else. Since we had an account at the store, they always took the merchandise and gave credit for future purchases.

You can always use the public libraries. Find out when they do their yearly housecleaning. Every library discards thousands of books on this day. Just show up and ask if you can take some.

Almost anything you might want to know from plans for constructing a sundial to a complete blueprint for building a house may be obtained free from the Government Printing Office. Write: to Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington D.C. 20402. Most publication are free. Those that are not are dirt cheap. Ask to be put on the list to receive the free biweekly list of Selected U.S. Government Publications.

One of the best ways to receive records and books free is to invest twenty dollars and print up some stationery with an artistic logo for some non-existent publication. Write to all the public relations departments of record companies, publishing houses, and movie studios. Say you are a newspaper with a large youth readership and have regular reviews of books, or records, or movies, and would like to be placed on their mailing list. Say that you would be glad to send them any reviews of their records that appear in the paper. That adds a note of authenticity to the letter. After a month or so you'll be receiving more records and books than you can use. Most record labels and publishers will ask you for a copy of this publication, though...which will likely leave you shit out of luck.

If you really want a book badly enough, follow the title of this one-Dig!

Skiing and Boarding

Last updated: 27 June 2010

(Note: this is entirely new content.)

1 Free Skiing and Boarding Through Hitching
2 Gear
2.1 Clothing
3 Riding for Free At the Resorts
4 Getting Free Lift Tickets
5 Lodging
5.1 Resort Dorm
5.2 Snow Camping
5.3 Car
5.4 Music
5.5 Ski and Board Bum Survival Tips
6 Cross Country
6.1 Types of Skis
6.2 Skins
6.3 Kick Wax
6.4 Haul Sled
6.5 Avalanche
6.6 Winter Nutrition
6.7 Field Repairs
6.8 Snowmobile Towing
6.9 Snow Caving

Free Skiing and Boarding Through Hitching

Often the access road is several miles long downhill from ski resorts to the pass highway. An excellent way to avoid the lift lines completely and get some really long wilderness runs is to ride the hitch-lift. Catch a ride from the highway up to the resort parking lot then board down to the highway. As it gets late, you will wait longer for rides up the mountain. Once you get tired or can't get a ride, hitch back to wherever you are crashing or ski over to your mountain snow cave.

Gear

Never try to steal from a ski or board bum, their expensive gear and some tunes is often all they have. Do not assume all gear at an expensive resort belongs to a corpgov billionaire, just because you see something expensive is not permission to steal it. Stealing gear while laying low or even if you are not involved with direct action will get you a lifetime criminal record and probably banned from the mountain.

Used ski and board gear is available cheap at thrift shoppes, auction sites, and even sometimes at military surplus shops.

Board gear (often promotional items) can sometimes obtained by swapping or shmoozing up a distributor.

Auction sites, pawn shops, used sports shops, and ski swap shows are all good places to look for gear.

Some older strap down type snowboard bindings can use normal winter pak boots so you can save on that expense.

Dumpster dive at ski and board shops and resorts looking for repairable gear.

Check for sales on used rental gear at the end of the season.

If you grow your own herb you really do have a money tree for this community.

If you live near a college with dorms, there may be an annual "summer sale" of abandoned or unclaimed property at the end of the semester (Call the college and ask). There are bound to be usable or repairable pieces of sporting goods available. Get there early and bring cash, since you won't be the only one looking for bargains.

Clothing

If you don't need to look like the stylish belle of the ball there are deals on ski gear for you. It is often possible to find military GoreTex jackets and pants at surplus shops. Get gear a few seasons out of date. Be sure to mix gear that will keep you warm and snow out when you wreck, be sure there are pit zips and vents so you don't start to sweat. If you are working hard GoreTex type breathable fabric is worth the expense, but new prices are obscene. Most of the swap meet knockoff gear is not really breathable GoreTex even if it says so, you are paying for copied style not function and you will sweat. If you go with a lightweight design your jacket shell works all year as a rain jacket. Be careful to de-new and de-logo your gear to prevent theft, this is a major problem with nice ski and board clothing. Only dress in wool or synthetics, cotton gets wet and stays cold.

A good set of pak boots or soft boarding boots is important for when you are not on the board or skis. Mountaineering boots work for cross country and randone, leather boots are only good for summer skiing and climbing, Plastic mountaineering boots are comfortable and warm, get extra boot liners for when the othere get damp.

If bushwacking a helmet is not a bad idea to protect from tree trunks and rocks, if you can't afford a ski/boarding helmet an oversized bicycle helmet is ok but has too many vents. See if your army surplus store has the bomber style wrap around hat, these really keep you warm and also close under your chin.

Riding for Free At the Resorts

Like in most other industries, people at a ski resort are paid jack shit. Most ski resorts only check passes at base lifts. This means if you can get past these, you can ride all you want without worrying about having a ticket or a pass. The simplest way to get past these first lifts is simply to ski past the people checking passes. Try and come up behind a big family or group, and slip by unnoticed. Hiking up to the second tier of lifts is an option as well. Often depending on the layout of the ski resort, one can drive or get a ride up on back roads that get one closer to the intended lift.

In European Alps we found that the ski lodges are often grouped together, you will find restaurants scattered around the very large ski areas which run free lifts intended for their customers, the runs are not too long but can be exciting and they are free, there are others of varying size that connect the resorts together which are also free.

Getting Free Lift Tickets

In order to acquire cheap ski tickets, it is fairly simple. All you have to do is wait outside the resort entrance, maybe in the parking lot, until you see someone leaving the mountain. Walk up to them and ask very politely for their ticket. Offer them about $10 for it, and usually they'll say yes. JV weld or hide the cut wire loop behind a pocket flap so the lift op won't see your scam. Make sure the ticket isn't a half-day, and enjoy a cheap day on the slopes.

Lodging

If you can't find a girl/boy friend near the slopes you need to find a way to stay near the fun without spending money.

Resort Dorm

Some resorts give free rides and dorming to employees, if you can put up with a corpgov type slave job, often for a government subcontract resort operator, at minimum wage and homelessness on being fired this might work for you. A lockable foot locker is a good idea to prevent theft, a cable to a pipe stops the walk away thief, drill the bottom for wheels and a trailer tongue and in summer you also have a bike trailer.

Snow Camping

If you can save up for a decent gore-tex bivvy sack and sleeping bag you could try snow-caving which is digging into a snow bank or making an igloo and living inside, these snow shelters can be surprisingly warm. Another idea is to put your bivvy under the eaves or inside of an equipment shed or lift house at the the resort. These shelters can be pretty warm if you stay dry but if you get your bag wet you had better find a way to get to a warm place quickly before everything freezes solid. The gore tex sack will serve you well in almost all solo camping but this is offset by their high price. A four season tent will take a snow load and keep you dry, but the bright safety colors contrast against the snow, you would have to camp far enough away that ski patrol won't bust you.

Car

A car is not a bad idea for a shelter, a sun shade can help keep the ice from getting too thick on the inside of the windshield. Don't be stupid and run the engine for heat, also don't use the car battery for light or music the cold will make starting hard already without draining the battery. Hot water poured on windows to de-ice can cause big cracks. Move the car every other day and hop resorts so that security and staff don't suspect the car is abandoned, staying in the town nearby may be an option see Cars for tips on living in a car.

Music

Most of what you need to know is in Pack your bag#Music, keep your elecronics for the slopes dry, a small river bag for cell phones works, poke a hole for the earphones and remote if you have one, seal the phones to the bag. put the player near your stomach or armpit so it will be protected in case of a wipe out. Again prevent theft carry your music gear or lock it up.

Ski and Board Bum Survival Tips

Get a minivan, they are cheap used and some handle pretty well in the snow and ice if they have good tires, the cops also think they are full of mothers and babies and leave them alone more.
You can get rid of a row or two of seats in your van and treat it like an old VeeWee camper by building cabinets and a mattress.
Use caution trying to store water in the van, if it freezes and splits the container you wont get the ice out of the carpet until spring.
Tint your windows and add shades or thick curtains, that way you can smoke out in privacy and cops can't look in when you are sleeping.
Propane for a stove is the easiest since you can use the big refillable tanks, this can also be used to heat the van but always crack the windows or the gasses and condensation can cause problems.
An extension cord to get power for your hotplate, laptop, and space heater will work even if you run out of propane, look behind most buildings and stores for an outlet.
If your electric hotplate breaks but you have a little folding iron for ski wax many are good enough to cook raamen or mac and cheese type meals, in one case this trick worked for almost a month until our writer got more propane.
Get a job at a board shop, you will get crazy deals on gear, sometimes people just leave their old stuff when they upgrade, and if your boss is cool he will let you park behind the store and plug in at night.
If you plug in at a resort park as close as you can so the plow doesn't cut your cord, if you know the plow guy slip him a few joints and ask him to wake you before plowing near your car.
Run your van every few days or the battery will die, we have heard you can get a small charger that you can mount under your hood and plug in overnight to prevent dead batteries, ask at an auto parts store.
Find a cool girlfriend/boyfriend and you will have a warm bed, free food, and a safe dry place to keep your stuff, if the parents are real hippies they will sometimes let you stay for a long time and smoke you out too.
Don't try to homebrew in your cold van, it wont work, find a friend who has a heated basement.
Put your laptop in a bag, you don't want to wake up to find it all damp in the morning from condensation.
Invest in a good MP3 player, you need tunes on the slopes or if you are working the lifts.
Stealing peoples gear is a good way to get your ass kicked, people remember what their stuff looks like, even a few years later, and it is just wrong to steal from a brother or sister.
You can live a long time on margarine and toast.
Smoke out the cool lift jockeys if you want to ride for free, find out who the assholes are and go someplace else on their work days.
If you think using a cellphone to surf the net is a good idea remember cellular Internet is expensive unless you have an unlimited plan.
A cellphone is good to call friends or family back home to beg for cash if they want to pay for it, but that means they can also use it to nag you.
A prepaid mobile phone is good if you are running out of cash but costs more per minute, most resorts also have pay phones so have a cheap calling card too.
Make friends at a grocery store or mini-mart then they wont care if you shoplift food in front of them, but find out if the boss checks the tapes.
Park down slope a few miles where there is a town and hitchhike to the slopes, gas is expensive, park someplace safe like by a friend so your van wont get cleaned out.
Start your car early or plug in and use a blow heater to clear your windows of ice.
If your van gets really funky and icy inside from condensation take some friends on a road trip to California or someplace warm for a week or so and it will dry out, get them to chip in on gas.
Let gay guys try to pick you up at the bar, they get to hit on you and you get free booze and food.
Get tight with someone working or managing the hotel part of a resort and you can sometimes get free stay in a hostel room or use the hot tub.
Learn how to scam free tickets and passes especially off season at ski shows and knowing people at TV and radio stations or sports and travel shops.
If you have video or photography skills and can get the right gear print up some letterhead and business cards for your company and get fishing for passes to film yourself, friends, or the locals cutting up the powder.
If you are a writer follow the above advice but introducing yourself as a new magazine or newspaper sports reporter.
At most mountains skilled skiers and boarders with first aid or EMT skills are allowed to join ski patrol and ski free if they take ski patrol radio along, some places allow visiting ski patrol members from other locations free access too.
If you have a gob of extra free passes and need to sell them for food or gas money do it away from the resort property if possible like at the gas station or town near the resort.

Cross Country

Wether you are sneaking across the northern border in winter or seeking solitude in the unpopulated mountains, with the proper gear a snowy landscape can be easier than tramping a wilderness trail for travel. Cross country, randone, telemark skis, and split boards will get you across the land and even up hills on your trek. Snow shoes are mostly for those who can't ski or for walking around a camp after fresh snow, skis on the other hand are like a one speed bike that makes travel over the landscape so much quicker and with downhill slopes as free rides. Always look for used gear on auction sites, thrift stores, or military surplus sales. If you go to a resort shop you could easily spend thousands of dollars on back country or if you are thrifty and willing to give up some performance or durability around $100. Look at a few current books on the subject to stay up to date.

Types of Skis

The cheapest solution we have found is either using regular used cross country skis from a thrift store, or buying long resort skis, pulling off the binding and adding a military cable binding and skins of uphill travel. We have heard of people making the wide back country skis from wood, and bending making a double chamber shape for use with kick wax, bindings are made from cable and old school leather ski boots, mountaineering boots, or Norwegian welt boots are used, older cross country skis must be stored with tips and tails bound and a wooden block holding the shape in the middle.

Skins

All of these types of ski and board can use a one way climbing skin to keep from sliding down hill, almost all climbing skins are synthetic now. keep the skin waxed to prevent ice-up.

Kick Wax

Most cross country and a few kinds of randone skis can use kick wax that sticks to the snow this is also for getting up hills. You need a snow thermometer and several temperatures of wax to use during different parts of the day and from shade to sunlight areas. Be sure your speed wax is in good shape and this way of sticking to the snow lets you take downhills much faster than with skins attached.

Haul Sled

If you will be regularly moving large amounts of gear a ski sled might be wise to buy but we usually suggest getting a large toy plastic sled adding two PVC leads about two meters long and attaching this to a belt so you can control the sled downhill, speed wax the bottom of the sled for better sliding, two full length aluminum strips for runners can be pop-riveted on and fine sanded to give you better control. Towing your camping gear sure beats shouldering the load.

Avalanche

If traveling in avalanche country you should review your training in use of your avalanche beacon, avalanche probe (a tent wand with the string pulled tight is a lame to mediocre substitute) and shovel.

If you want some ava-charges for much cheaper then retail and without a hassle, order fine Potassium Perchlorate to use as 70% and the finest aluminum powder for 30% from a chemistry or pyrotechics shoppe. Put both chemicals in plastic sacks and pack them into a pringles can with a few feet of fuse, be sure there is a few cm of extra space for shaking the mix. When you want to blow the avalanche, mix the powder right there stick a long fuse and chuck it into the open, get to the trees or a safe place before it blows, know how fast the fuse burns. If you blow an avalanche charge without checking if their are people below you are likely killing them, don't set off an avalanche charge unless you are trained in their use. (Police flash-bang stun grenades are basically the same thing as above just smaller)

Winter Nutrition

Stay hydrated, you will not feel very thirsty in the cold, dehydration is a real danger. Don't let yourself get sweaty or exhausted when working or traveling outside in the cold; many have died from hypothermia this way. Have a powerful stove designed for melting snow and a stainless steel kettle (aluminum might melt in the hot spots), add a little liquid water to kick start the melting, a small propane blow torch or alcohol burning gel may be needed to start your liquid fuel stove in extreme cold weather.

Eat around 6000 calories if you will be working or moving hard or 4000 if sedintary, fats and protein should be prominent in the diet, don't forget fiber. Protect your head, armpits and groin to keep your whole body warm. Keep you hydration system or water bottles under your coat so they don't freeze and break.

Field Repairs

Be sure to carry a spare emergency ski tip for your group and binding repair parts and screws.

Snowmobile Towing

If you are traveling with a group and a snowmobile is available many riders can be moved quickly riding behind using water ski tow ropes. Snowmobiles are very loud with two stroke motors which require special mix gas, most waste fuel if used alone.

Snow Caving

If the snow will handle it dig out a snow cave with your mountaineering shovel. Be sure to stake ut the top of your shelter and don't make the interior too large. A snow cave is built by excavating snow such that the entrance tunnel enters below the main space to retain warm air. Construction is simplified by building it on a steep slope and digging slightly upwards and horizontally into the slope. The roof is domed to prevent dripping on the occupants. Adequate snow depth, free of rocks and ice, is needed. Generally at 4 or 5 feet is sufficient. The snow must be consolidated, so it retains its structure. The walls and roof should be at least 12 inches/30,48 cm thick. A small pit may be dug deeper into one part of the cave floor to provide a place for the coldest air to gather, away from the occupant(s), and the entrance may be partially blocked with chunks of snow to block wind and retain heat, although it is vital to prevent drifting snow from completely plugging the rest of the entrance in order to maintain a constant air supply. A narrow entrance tunnel, a little wider than a human leads into the main chamber which consists of a flat area, perhaps with elevated sleeping platform(s), also excavated from snow. Most sources agree that using tools such as a shovel and ice axe are vital; digging by hand is for emergencies only.

If the terrain or snow will not permit a snow cave you might need to make an igloo. An igloo is blocks of snow laid in a spiral upwards fashion with the final block cut to fit the top hole.

10. Free Money

Last updated: 17 June 2011

Abbie's prediction may be coming true. Amerika could be on the slide toward being a poor third world nation. It could be what game theory based economic education leads to, everyone grabbing as big a slice for themselves as they can only weighing the punishment against the potential gains. At this pace, in a few years, the Amerikan dollar might not even be worth the paper it's printed on. In the future, it might as well be used as asswipe or require wheelbarrows full just to get a loaf of bread.

Till then, there are many things that require money. Free Money will only discuss semi-legal ways to get money that does not entail working or stealing. Those are in different sections.

Get a Job has ideas about working for someone else and maybe ways out of wage slavery.

Steal Now Pay Never and it's subpages are an amoral guide on modern techniques and observations where thievery may be necessary.

1 Performing
2 Panhandling
2.1 Asking nicely
2.2 Authority figure
2.3 Pandering to a tribe
3 Windshield Cleaning
4 Gambling
4.1 Online Gambling
4.2 The Lottery
5 Selling Your Body
5.1 Sperm
5.2 Blood
5.3 Plasma
5.4 Kidneys and other Major Organs
5.5 Hair
5.6 Escort Service, Prostitution, and Strip Clubs
6 Online Surveys/polls
7 Lost Money at the Corpgov Treasury
8 Recycle
9 Loose Change

Performing

Many cities like New York and New Orleans have a vibrant artist and performer scene. You can usually find these in major tourist areas. Indeed, there are many who make livings doing this.

Performances can be just about anything that people find entertaining. Performers may do acrobatics, animal tricks, balloon twisting, card tricks and tarot, caricatures, clowning, comedy, contortions and escapes, dance, singing, fire eating, fire breathing, fortune-telling, juggling, magic, mime and a mime variation where the artist performs as a living statue, musical performance, puppeteering, snake charming, storytelling or recite poetry or prose as a bard, street art (sketching and painting, etc.), street theater, sword swallowing, and even putting on a flea circus.

Put out a tip jug, do your entertaining, and watch a bit of cash free of employers flow.

Be sure you know your communities' laws concerning this. Some cities outright ban this as "panhandling", some may require a cheap permit, and others actively encourage it.

Panhandling

Panhandling is easier than your mom. Just get a cardboard sign with a message like "broke and hungry" or "traveling, and need supplies." I find that saying you're hitchhiking across the state really helps. If you aren't broke, hungry, or traveling you could always just be funny. A good line like "I wanna drink", "I'll be honest. I want a beer" or "Support Your Local Bums" will get you enough to get a buzz. One successful panhandler (witnessed by one of our writers) used a two-sided sign that read "Dreaming Of A Cheeseburger". When establishing eye contact with a driver, he flipped it over to read "But Will Settle For A Taco".

People want to give you money if they think you'll use it to get yourself out of a rut, not further in to one. Don't smoke when begging for change, since people will think that you're already wasting their money. Don't smell like alcohol; swish some mouthwash or chew some mints. Try to wear something that's not totally trashed and smell a little. Smile a little, even if you don't want to. Amerikans hate the poor, so try not to act like a piece of shit.

Don't fuck around though because the cops do not really dig bums. The pigs will end your employment! Be polite and do not be aggressive with ANYONE.

Asking nicely

If the bins are picked clean stand outside a supermarket and ask people going in if they can buy you some liquor. At a gated train station; ask a passerby if they can buy you a ticket to the next station (once in, you can go anywhere). Try a line like your following the way of St Francis and you cant touch money.

Authority figure

Psychological tests show that people are more likely to give alms to a guy in a suit than a guy in gutter punk homeless attire if they're both asking for change for a bus.

Pandering to a tribe

Often if wearing a monks robe, people will identify with you, and see a chance to gain religious merit.

Many religious orders encourage begging as it promotes a simple life with humility and gratitude, such as the Catholic mendicant orders, Hindu ascetics, some dervishes of Sufi Islam, and the monastic orders of Buddhism. In the Catholic Church, followers of Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Dominic became known as mendicants, as they would beg for food while they preached to the villages.

Windshield Cleaning

This is a somewhat common scam we have seen in big cities near some high volume gas stations.

First, you must be a dirt yippie. This means long hair, smoking dope and NEVER shower. The last part is very important. Steal a squeegee from a gas station pump and find an empty water bottle. Look for an intersection where traffic lights take a while to change, because you will need at least a minute per windshield. Wait in the meridian of a road for the light to turn red and dump the water on a windshield.

Do not bother with drivers that shake their head or yell at you. They're behind two thousand pounds of metal and will definitely not pay for doing something they told you not to do, no matter how desperate you are. Get out of the road when the light turns green, and be careful! This can be a very dangerous way to make a few dollars.

Remember to watch out for store managers and employees as they can rightfully call the pigs on you for soliciting if you do this actually in the gas station parking lot.

Gambling

What discussion on Free Money would be complete without a short mention of gambling? In theory, you walk in, play a game and maybe leave with someone else's cash. However, it is not that simple. The casinos are in the business of taking people's money by offering the chance of something for nothing. The top people that run the business are legalized crooks. Everyone that enters is profiled and monitored by cameras and plain clothes detectives. They have been known to use CIA level tactics on folks that consistently win by 'fair' tactics such as skill (in what few games have skill as a component), card-counting, and knowledge. If a slot machine tends to pay out too much, they have been known to remove the machine from the floor. Or worse, have security goons come up and tell you a machine is 'malfunctioning' when it hits jackpot on.

While casinos have a tough stance against cheating, even if good tactic, they have no problem with rigging a game for themselves. This includes cameras observing the players hands, 'loosening' and 'tightening' slots, and only operating the games that are greatly rigged in their favor, and maintaining industry blacklists.

If you do try your luck, research and stick to games that require skill or have low odds. Although there are some who make a living of bets, they are rare and play almost exclusively against other gamblers. Decadent casinos and their fountains are not built on paying out to winners. Many gamblers that win in casinos, such as Ken Uston or the MIT gang, eventually end up on blacklists. The tactics once used are mostly obsolete, as casinos constantly research modern play styles to keep ahead of smart gamblers.

A very successful strategy in playing black jack is "loading the table." This is when you, or you and friends, place many bets against the dealer at once. Do not let allow any of your hands to go bust as when the dealer goes bust you all win. Even when the dealer does not bust some hands may still win, or even draw black jack, allowing you a good chance of breaking even. Do not place high bets on single hands.

Casinos have employees called Player Development Coordinators. They keep track of a player's winnings and profile - usually through the use of Club Cards. If it is thought the casino may receive more money, they may give away free meals, hotel rooms, and other perks. They usually reserve the best deals for incredibly wealthy gamblers that spend hundreds, also called "whales". With big whales, the casino may put them in a hotel room days before they even gamble! However, they give comps to the less wealthy as well, if they feel they can get his paycheck in the future. It may pay to ask around and check into Comp programs, but remember to remain skeptical as well as persuasive.

Online Gambling

Online Gambling can be a source of cash, with some risk. Some poker sites may give you up to a 25% bonus in cash simply for depositing some dough when you sign up. The problem is that many sites are located on off-shore servers with even less oversight than the land based casinos. There have been folks make money, but be careful. These sites can be very easy to rig without any proof.

With good research and attentiveness, there are tricks in the card games like Poker. Many sites have low-stakes gambling, where the antes range between a quarter and fifty cents per hand, and the bets and raises are limited. If you learn what cards to play and how to play them, you might could earn about $50 a week or more, with only a few hours in front of the computer. Many of the other players at those low-stakes tables are newbies, who don't know what they're doing, or veteran players looking for some relaxation, and they both can play recklessly. They don't care about losing a buck fifty here, three dollars there. But to revolutionaries, $4.50 is a full meal. As long as you play more carefully than most of the other people at the table, you may come out ahead.

The Lottery

The chance of you and anyone you know sharing a birthday is 1 in 365, or 0.2%. However, the chance of any 40 people sharing a birthday is significantly higher, at 90%! Consider the birthday paradox while playing the lottery. Although somebody who plays the lottery, including scratch tickets, wins, the chance of anybody in particular winning is very slim. The sole excuse in playing the lottery is the fleeting dream you may have of winning. Remember the French proverb; "Lotteries are a tax on people who can't perform mathematics."

Selling Your Body

As an organism, all people have renewable resources which can have cash value. The more popular ones will be discussed.

Sperm

Imagining the sound of a cash jackpot when you masturbate seems almost too good to be true at least for males. Indeed, there has been much talk on this in "free money" discussions. Strict requirements for very little cash limits this as a realistic choice for many. Sperm banks do not advertise, either. You will need to look in the phone book to find them.

Sperm banks have very high standards that eliminate most potential donors. First off, you must be 18 to 35 in great health. They are going to want extensive family history information which includes grandma's schitzo episodes and your dad's TB. You can be disqualified for failing a drug test, having poor eye sight, not being of fashionable body build or race, diabetic, placed poorly on a standardized test, etc.. They will outright reject your sperm if you are adopted.

If approved, they will provide you with a collection cup and 'study aid' porno magazines. You can not use a lubricant as it contaminates sperm. They may pay you between 50 and 100 USD per specimen after you sign a commitment to return two or three times a week. You will also have to agree to abstain from ejaculating outside the office to protect your sperm count.

Blood

There is no cash in blood, except in rare circumstance. Blood bank companies typically visit various sites like school and work places as a 'charity'. Volunteers willingly donate for an advertisement tee-shirt. The blood bank then sells the collection to local hospitals for negligible profit.

Plasma

In most major cities, there are places you can sell blood plasma. Plasma is the liquid portion of your blood. They hook you up to a machine that separates your blood cells from the plasma then returns the blood cells to you. Not everyone qualifies, because they do tests on your blood to make sure iron levels, red blood cell count, etc. are to standards. You can also be disqualified if you are a man who admits having sex with men, admit to previous IV drug use, have donated blood within a certain time frame, or have certain medical conditions. Some facilities frown on selling to folks out of state and will want to see an in-state ID, but this differs depending on the place. They are also going to drug test you for Heroin and also test you for Hepititis and AIDS.

You can sell twice every 7 days and the prices vary from 20 USD to 50 USD a pop or more depending on area and blood type.

Sometimes the centers take walk-ins, other times an appointment must be made. The first time you go, be prepared to be there for about 3 to 4 hours as they are going to give you a physical exam, have you fill out paperwork, and may make you watch a movie. The process of giving plasma itself is about an hour or so procedure. They mark your fingernail with a permanent ink that shows under a black light to make sure you do not go to multiple plasma centers throughout the day.

Doing this long term eventually messes up the veins in your arms and can leave scars. You should always drink plenty of fluids when selling plasma as you can get dizzy and dehydrated easily.

Kidneys and other Major Organs

Even though there are millions looking for life saving transplants, it is illegal in most parts of the world. In the parts of the world where it is legal (like Iran), the price is very low (around 1000 USD) and the surgery can leave you with serious complications.

Hair

High quality wig makers still use real human hair. But, you will have to look around to sell it. Typically, they want virgin (unbleached, not dyed, no perm) hair that is at least 10 inches or longer. The hair of chronic chain smokers is undesirable because the smell lingers in hair for long periods. Nor is hair that is shampooed daily wanted because it strips natural oils.

There are sites like http://www.buyandsellhair.com/ that provide a marketplace. Typical sales range from 100 USD to 400 USD. Some will pay up to 1000 USD for highly fashionable hair with the right color and length.

Escort Service, Prostitution, and Strip Clubs

Since the origin of civilization people have been exchanging sex and companionship for goods, regardless of gender. Now prostitution can be dangerous, degrading, work; and it is not exactly free. The best sex workers are great conversationalists, keep immaculate care of their appearance, and are experts at appearing 'into' someone even if they are not.

Porn is almost prostitution but at least it is legal. Youth and an attractive appearance are prerequisites unless you are interested in fetish pornography. Men will usually not get paid much, even for gay porn scenes, unless they are one of few worldwide male stars, or they are willing to do some unusual stuff. There are a lot of volunteers willing to screw porn stars for free. Women mostly burn out after just few years in the business. Additionally, your acting work is completely public once released. This could be used to discredit activists, organizations, or career professionals.

Phone sex is reasonably safe. You might end up with strange working conditions and coworkers and the pay is often low since there is negligible risk. This can not be considered free as it is a regular hourly job.

Stripping is a safe, well paying job that runs the sole risk of being naked in front of your friends. If that's not something you mind, and you're willing to learn pole dancing, then stripping may make you some decent money. Most clubs have many bouncers to stop guys from getting too close to you. Stripping is a very competitive industry however, and only the most attractive or talented strippers get regular billing.

However, these roles have expiry dates. The sex industry runs on body-fuck drug use with few consequences, and can leave you addicted. Many that run the business actually condone addiction as a method to control labor. Sex workers are used, then spit out with no safe guards. The repeated selling of sex can expose you to many diseases. It will also affect their long term interest in sex and leaves unhealthy attitudes with future relationships.

Online Surveys/polls

Some online survey offers are scams to collect valid e-mail addresses while some are legitimate, paying, survey companies. You may be asked to watch a movie trailer or give an opinion on cell phones, packaging art, etc. Generally the surveys do not take long, but they don't pay much. Some survey websites give 'points' redeemable for entry into lotteries for prizes or money, while others mail checks or add to a paypal accounts after a quota has been completed. A few survey websites mail samples of their products.

Be sure to read the fine print. You may be required to sign you up for a mailing list, or worse, a paid text message subscription. Also, some survey companies keep ad bots and web trackers on your browser, or sell valid email addresses to bots and spammers.

Lost Money at the Corpgov Treasury

Sometimes money owed to you can be lost if they can not find you. Sometimes this is from a paycheck that was never picked up, a dispersment from a 401K, a class action lawsuit, a forgotten bank account, and many other things. Each state keeps a list of all money that they receive that never made it to who it belongs. To check, go to the state treasury website of each state that you have lived in. If you find that you have money owed to you, all you have to do is print out a form and take that and your valid ID to be notarized and mail it in. It takes a few months, but the cash will be mailed to you.

One of our contributors found 130 USD this way from a benefit plan from a long forgotten job years ago. There are cases of folks that have thousands waiting in the treasury department in some state capitol. It may be worth it to check.

Recycle

Aluminum from soda cans, copper from wiring, newspapers, etc. can be sold to recycling centers for a few bucks. Problem is, you may need a ton of it to get any worthwhile amount and it may take more in gas or a paid ride to get to the recycle center than they pay. Some states even make it a bit easier through bottle deposit programs that pay out a set price for used glass, plastic, and aluminum containers. With bottle deposits, all you may have to do is return them to a merchant. The practice of collecting cans and bottles is called 'binning' and can put some spare change in your pocket.

Avid 'binners' and recyclers sometimes keep a route by foot or bike along paths where there are a lot of discarded cans. They carry around plastic garbage bags and crush cans to save space. It helps if you have some place to store these and make one single run to the center to save time and gas.

Check your cities recycling dates. In many cities there are no laws regarding trash once it's put on the curb. You can collect beer and wine bottles for around 20 cents each in most places, and beer cans for 5. Apartment complexes work out great, as there are usually lots of bottles in their bins. Check with the by-laws of your city before you start though, because in some picking through trash is illegal. This doesn't mean you can't do it, just that you have to make sure you dont get caught.

As far as each commodity, each has it's own price. Paper seems to be the worst because the recycle plant usually has deals with the newspaper companies where you would have to have a truckload just for a few bucks. Aluminum is slightly better, but you need several trash bags full of crushed cans. Copper is currently in very high demand. Indeed, many homeless and chronic drug users raid construction sites and abandoned buildings only to pillage anything copper that they can reach. Check with the recycle center to see if selling after paying for the gas to get there is profitable. Prices for these things vary widely over time.

Old computer parts, cell phones, and electronics can also be recycled and do have a slight amount of gold, silver, and copper in them. Indeed, even old 286 and 386 processors have about 10 to 20 cents of gold in them. However, the process to extract the metal from them is expensive and requires elaborate set ups with gallons of toxic chemicals, specialized equipment, and access to tons of e-waste to be profitable. Most companies that recycle these are going to want you to "donate" your old electronics to you and will only pay you if you have something high in demand like a 1 year old I-phone that you could get repaired yourself.

Loose Change

It's common to keep your head up during hard times, but why not keep your eyes down, paying attention to whats before you! As people are generally wasteful and careless with money it is entirely possible to find dollar bills, quarters, pennies, cigarette packs tossed out of cars or strewn on the sidewalk. It probably won't pay the rent, but even pennies are accepted by the public bus system and merchants.

One great place to look is in suburban strip malls and mega malls where there is an outdoor ATM or automatic bank machine. We once made $120 in under an hour scouring the landscaped areas around these places scooping up $20 dollar bills that have apparently blown away and caught under the little bushes. It is important to scour before the landscaping service or litter patrol comes to spruce things grabbing your treasure.

If you drive on a toll road, make a quick look when you stop at the "Exact Change" lane to see if there's any stray change on the ground near the automated toll booth (It's best to do this when traffic is light, since impatient drivers honking their horns can draw attention). People who drop coins usually just toss out another quarter or so if they drop one. You might see enough change to pay for the toll itself!

If you have the time in an urban area, you could make a "route" to search for tossed cash. Any place the public has to fiddle with change is a good target. Check bus stops, convenience stores, fast food drive-thru right next to the window, and bar parking lots. You will typically find more on working class paydays when careless wage slaves have pockets full of money.

Also, do not be that wasteful person that tosses their pennies on the ground. You are never truly broke when you have change.

Even though most of the merchants and banks are happy to give out pennies, they sometimes balk at accepting them in bulk. Even banks may refuse to take pennies unless they are rolled and you have an account there. Cashiers hate being paid with pennies because it holds up the line, making them look inefficient to management, and they have to manually count any change they receive after their shift.

Some banks give rolls to account holders and dollar stores and supermarkets sell rolls in bulk. This defeats the point in us saving change as the rollers can cost 2 USD to 5 USD for packs. However, Coinstar machines will take your pennies, sort them, and give you a receipt you can either cash out or buy items with. While it does charge 8 pennies on a dollar, it can save you time or embarrassment trying to pay with a line behind you. Or, ask a store clerk or bank teller for an empty paper roll, which they often have in the register, and fill it by hand.

The International Yippie Currency Exchange (http://wiki.stealthiswiki.org/wiki/Ripoffs#The-International-Yippie-Currency-Exchange)

Econ

Last updated: 29 June 2011

1 Capitalism
2 Credit
3 Our Current Situation
4 Personal Econ
5 Supply and Demand

Capitalism

What's wrong with our economic system? The system itself. Capitalism is the socio-economic theory that supports the idea of individuals and corporations owning the means of production and distribution to the point of exclusion of other outside entries, thus dividing society up into two main classes, The working class, the proletariat who have limited access to capitol and the Capitalist class, the Bourgeoisie who with their good connections and political access are able to finance and protect their continued existence. With the Capitalists in control of the means of production they gain a monopoly of power and money, over the working class, who have to sell there labor to the capitalists in a rigged market because they own the Means of production. Once the Capitalists have the monopoly or oligopoly they are in a position to influence elections. The legislators and executives are in the hand of the wealthy corporate class without whom they become unelectable in our world of no thinking required news entertainment media. When the corporation has more rights then the individual and can influence lawmaking to protect them at the expense of the real citizenry or competing small businesses without a lobbying arm. At that point we have the beginnings of fascism or as we call it CorpGov. Basically when the capitalist owns the means of production, controls the labor market, and makes the laws, the capitalist owns the means of LIFE.

Every capitalist says to the worker, in effect: "I'll give you a job if you will say that you agree to my terms. The condition is that the wealth that your labor produces belongs entirely to me. Then I will pay you back one-sixth of what your labor produces; which I estimate is enough for you to survive. I will keep the other five-sixths of what you produce, as my reward for being the person who had the idea of starting the company. There shall be no negotiation. Do you freely agree to these terms, or would you prefer that your family be homeless? Choose quickly -- I've got one job opening, and hundreds of people who have applied for it. " Then the capitalist makes sure the laws, police, and courts put up every obstacle to that worker having the option of going into business for himself and overthrowing the established corporate hierarchy.

The armed robbery that is taking place there is rather clear. This system runs on ignorance, greed, profit, and a boring/monotonous consumer fetish society. This system grows when imperialist wars are fought to gain more natural resources and further separate the citizen from their earnings. It grows when a company lays off hundreds of workers so that the heads of the company can still keep there usual profits. When we enslave the third world to live like slobs in order to fulfill our lustful need of the latest consumer brand product, it breeds crime and murder into our streets, creates ghettos and oppressed communities, denies thousands a job and forces families onto the streets, it stumps human creativity and gives the ruling class a monopoly of power and repression using the government, the state, to stomp on workers struggles and support a status quo of a sedate population who are obsessed with products and the media, while supporting a strict division of classes, economically and socially by using religion, race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, a false choice between two nearly identical political parties, even differing radical philosophies to build disunity among the citizenry and to keep the working class divided.

Credit

Our book would be incomplete if we were not to advise and warn you about the banking and credit system. From its humble origins where a goldsmith would hand out more gold repayment receipts than he had gold in his safe to today where national corporations lend the governments every currency unit in existence at taxpayer interest, we have relied on hometown bank loans from thin air to buy us shit. Dig deep on the topic of fractional reserve and realize that our money and credit is truly just an illusion of value ready to collapse upon itself.

This bloodletting attacks you at home, college, in your car, and on your credit card statement, sometimes promising to double the amount you owe every five years! We must free ourselves from the production and finance system that has lead to tech and housing bubbles, sub-prime credit collapses and great depressions.

You cannot be free until you own the fruits of your own labor, and if what you own is under constant threat of repossession you are a slave. It is difficult for many to survive without easy credit. We have known college students and fast food employees alike driving BMW convertibles that were not sweet sixteen gifts from rich daddy. If you are not in debt don't start, and if you are in debt get out.

To get out of long-standing debt, filing for bankruptcy or a financial settlement are both options. Bankruptcy was a radical idea inserted into the constitution by the same guys who wanted you to be well armed to keep the government and any other slave master on its toes. Find a way to preserve your savings in a way that inflation, business bankruptcy, or bank closure will not steal it's value away. No matter what happens food, tools, and real education will always be valuable no matter what the currency looks like. Lastly remember you can not go to jail for any debt except for not paying some court ordered criminal and civil fines and child support.. Research your legal rights to keep yourself free.

Our Current Situation

In early 2008 when this page was first written America as a nation was already bankrupt. The foreclosure had not yet fully hit. The WW-II generation gave themselves generous Social Security retirement. They also introduced Great Society welfare programs like food stamps. They paid for these programs by having enough kids to feed into all of these programs for the whole natural lifetime of that GI-generation and socking the rest away as debts to be be paid by Gen-X and Y. The Boomers being much more selfish as a whole had their one or two kids so they would not be tied down and demanded ever more well financed stuff just like CorpGov wanted, because greedy people will sell freedom for a little comfort. The old debt continued to grow as compounding interest took its toll; Accelerating private, government, and corporate spending just added to the mess, but foreigners continued to dump their savings on us.

By 2009 the recession had finally laid it's claws in to the hearts of people around the world. Business are laying off many employees simply because they are making the profit margin they did at the beginning of an economic boom that started in 2001. They are losing profit compared to last year, but still taking in billions. As a result, every country is following the lead of the united states and offering business "stimulus packages" (tickling their pickles?) of up to $100 billion dollars per business. They are now taking tax payers money and giving welfare to the rich while thousands wander the streets homeless and many more thousands still wander the streets jobless and at risk of losing everything they have. By 2010 economists were beginning to say the boost the trillions of tax payer debt dollars given to to the stock markets was not only not reaching the people, but appeared to be faltering in its welfare rescue for the capitalists.

As a whole the USA went from being the lender of the world in the 1920's to the bloated giant that the whole world brings cash offerings in the trillions of dollars to prevent the beast from pulling them all down.

Those of us that remember the dire warnings from the 1970's will finally get to see them come true. It appears that after thirty years creative corruption in the monetary world is finally toppling on itself. The Ponzi Scheme pyramid that is Western finance is about to collapse.

People will suddenly grow spines and fangs when they have no money for food. Does anyone remember what happened in Germany in the 1920's? Revolution will be in the air. People will want an enemy and won't always care who they are. They will listen to anyone who sounds like they have an answer to their problems (even if it's the wrong answer). Be careful what radical groups you associate yourself with. Be wary of the Glenn Becks and other insincere corpgov sheep dogs from both the left and right who will try to tame and lead fed up grassroots citizen movements, we call that astroturfing.

Personal Econ

So if we are against fat loans how do we suggest that people get a home? First forget your classist and racist notions of what is an acceptable dwelling. Push away that unconscious white radical expectation that they will sometime before thirty grow out of this phase and get a big office job, a McMansion, a surgically enhanced trophy wife, and a SUV.

We seriously counsel you to buy a small patch of land and throw up an alternative construction structure or buy a used mobile home. If you feel the need a bigger house or a better car invest the house payment money into a business. Loan to yourself and take from the profits, enjoy the interest yourself! If you want to live free of job slavery a simple house and old vehicle for long vacations is all you need.

It is OK to be forty or fifty and still riding a bike to work and using the greenhouses, and chicken coops to supplement your diet saving you huge amounts on your food bill. There is no shame in living in a mobile home. You must decide to make a living from your money not to let a bank take your wealth.

If you want to start a business the same thing, start small and build up, don't get greedy for an instant megacorp. If you have an invention get a good lawyer, patent it, and work on self development or sell the patent to a responsible company who respects its workers. Lastly you can with good legal advice sell shares of future profit in order to finance large acquisitions, keep it local and don't get too involved with being a public corporation, overextension and massive risk are the tools of the get rich quick abusive capitalist. Build business to last and benefit the employees and the customers, not to abuse the assets and rob the employees while you make a quick exit. If you are successful enough to take on additional labor do your best to help your employees become independent and mobile, many people will even trade lower cash compensation for a good work environment and the knowledge that they are being trained to take their skill and apply it anywhere.

Supply and Demand

Whether you are a buyer or a seller you must understand how the supply and demand affects almost every decision in our life whether we realize it or not. If we think very hard even our time has a value which must be traded for recreation, fomenting social change, or working at a job in exchange for monetary units or goods. Anyone who has taken an econ 101 class knows about the supply-demand curve graph. When supply drops or demand (D1-D2) increases, both of which cause a shortage, price goes up and people can't buy as much, a new equilibrium is then established at that higher price. Since there is a higher price but plenty of unfulfilled demand for the commodity it makes an opportunity for someone to enter the market and compete pulling down prices. There are times where the supply is inelastic, there is only one Mona Lisa in the world, then demand will determine the price just like in an auction. Inflation is a way of the government and banking cartels to wipe away their debt in diminishing value currency while also destroying the value of those who try to save for the future. Price caps which sound good especially in times of inflation actually create shortages by making no incentive to increase supply, they also encourage corruption to get the available supply. Of course people will always try to find a substitute for the goods that have risen in price or dropped in supply. Substitutes cause an increase in supply on our graph lowering price on the curve.

Our revolution is all about finding a substitute to the corrupted financial systems, irresponsible lending, and a run away government which bribes the citizens with pork projects to distract and buy votes while accepting payoffs and promises of cherry consulting gigs from the ultra-privileged corporate class to keep them on top.

Welfare

Last updated: 30 November 2010

Go back to Free Money

Who has not wished for a check to come in the mail from CorpGov without having to deal with employers? Well, it is possible, but with major catches. The easy money of Hoffman's day are gone, as the middle class taskmasters of the man grew tired of not being able to get the poor to clean thier houses and cook thier meals for a pittance. Used to be, assistance programs paid more than working most wage slave jobs. Not anymore. Still, assistance programs should be discussed.

Welfare / Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

Workfare programs have pretty much eliminated any funds for anyone hoping to lay out for more than one year. CorpGov needs your slave labor. Even if successful, CorpGov will hound you towards working even the most low- paying of jobs to get out from public dole. There has even been a movement towards drug testing of welfare recipients. As of this writing the state of Louisiana has already passed a law mandating a certain percent of recipients be tested, others are considering similar rules.

Eligibility depends on the amount of money made and how many children are under your direct care. If you have any orders for child support against someone, Child Support Services may get involved as well. The amount of earned money for a single person to qualify for welfare is very low, so most folks that get it are single parents with multiple kids. If you have a legit job it is also not possible to lie about such income, or lack thereof, because employer withholding is reported to a national income tax and social security database.

Welfare social workers may also analyze what you are paying for housing and force you into massive, low income housing areas if they feel like you are paying too much. In addition, if kids are marked on the application, you can be sure BigGov's coming to inspect your pad at least a few times to make sure it is up to their standards.

Disability / Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

True and total disability such as being bedridden for life or needing extensive,long-term assistance to even do the simplest of things due to old age or medical conditions will not be discussed. Most of the time in these cases, a hospital or nursing home facility social worker will press this for you so BigMed can take the entire check except around $30 a month to keep you in a facility.

However, you may still be able to pull disability off and live independently if you can prove you have some condition that limits your ability to actually work like chronic pain or depression. Most cities have an office or apply online. The trick is that you may denied for just being an otherwise healthy drunk or addict. But, even if the disability is related to using drugs - you may still be allowed to collect. Expect to spend around two years applying and being rejected. During that time, continue to be seen at free clinics or other medical facilities so you can document your real(or fake) condition. Be sure to have a safe address for mail and a safe place to keep all important documents dealing with this, as you will need them.

Unfortunately, social security at this time only resets once a year for inflation. This could be a problem both for seniors and those on SSI. Depending on the nature of the disability and where you are in the empire, the money received may not even pay living wages. Since employer withholding is also reported to a database, if you make above a certain amount, the money may be cut off. Bear in mind that certain mental disabilities such as retardation, dementia, and other judgment impairing disabilities may require someone or some entity (like a nursing home/ group home) be made payee of the SSI check. These types of diagnoses may also limit your ability to legally purchase firearms and explosives and preclude you from obtaining many types of professional or operator license from medical to driving.

Under-the-table cash only employment is highly recommended if you receive SSI.

Food Stamps / Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Food stamps are still pretty easy to get. However, they are usually only for a short time. To qualify, you will need to have made below a certain amount or be totally unemployed, an official state ID, and have some sort of mailing address. Like SSI and welfare, you can not lie about this income because of shared databases between state employer tax withholding unless your income source is under the table. Although, it is not sure if the Empire checks, you may be automatically disqualified if they find you are a student somewhere. The amount gained depends on where in the Empire you are and if you have any children you currently care for. Be aware that if you have a Child Support order against someone and a claim is filed, Child Support Services may get involved as well to track down unpaid child support from that person.

Some states give out emergency food stamps and you can expect this in about a week or two. Others make you wait 30 days from the application. You do need an address for them to mail you the state debit card.

The old paper food stamp booklets are a thing of the past. Local offices now issue state debit cards. The cards serve two purposes. One is to ensure you only buy storable food items with the funds. A common scam where folks would barter food stamps for cash at a big discount as well as cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, or other items has been hampered by this move. The second purpose is, like any plastic card, to track the location and details of your purchases. (Which may be important if you are concerned about those things) If you are in a situation where access to cooking equipment is not available, you may be limited on quality choices as to being able to use what you can buy because you may not buy ready to eat items or restaurant items. Be sure to check out the section on portable cooking in this book.

Unemployment

Last updated: 20 December 2010

Go back to Free Money

1 Unemployment
2 Cheating Employers
3 Extension
4 Logging
5 Work the System

Unemployment

The Amerikan unemployment system is a federal mandate imposed on the states. Legally employed people and their employers pay into the system and the employees are allowed to collect if they lose their job only after they have been employed for a specific period of time even of you worked for several successive employers. Pay is based on the average of the previous three months recorded income and is capped in most states between $350 and $500 a week.

Cheating Employers

An employer is penalized for releasing employees who enter the unemployment system by increased unemployment fees. This is an incentive, especially for small businesses, to deny unemployment benefits by claiming a justified firing.

Justified firing that leaves you ineligible for unemployment includes:

insubordination (having a hostile attitude towards boss can also be considered being insubordinate)
stealing
absenteeism/ no call-no show
frequent tardiness
willingly walking off the job, voluntary quit, not showing up for 'company investigations' after being sent home.
Not keeping licenses, certificates, industry required continuing eduction, etc. current.
work place violence or threats of violence/bazaar behavior
drinking/drug use on job/ failing a drug test (though some may hire you back after a rehab depending on profession, state, or company policy.)

Unemployment eligible firing includes:

Lack of work
real layoff due to business closing, disaster, etc.
Using Employment-at-will laws to let someone go without needing reason.
Any other reason not mentioned as justifiable.

Notice that this does not include performance issues like missing sales quotas, not being a good fit for the industry, being 'not well liked', etc. Yes, in most states, non-union jobs can just let you go out of the blue - due to employment at will but unemployment is a separate issue.

The preferred method employers use is write-ups to screw wage slaves out of the money Corpgov takes from pay every week. Now, a common myth is that if you simply refuse to sign, they will have no proof to show the unemployment office! There is no law forcing you to sign, BUT - most of the time, though, not signing can be used as an example to prove you had a 'bad attitude' or a 'problem with authority' to unemployment. Better, and a bit lesser known, is that you can counter-document. You have the right to write a comment on the same piece of paper if you feel you have been disciplined unjustly. Be careful with the wording. Make sure you get a copy, and if there is not room on the write-up, be sure to write "comment attached" on it as some greedy places will "lose" it.

Even if your boss tries this dirty trick, you can usually try to sort it out in the telephone hearing or by speaking honestly to the state human services office worker. Sometimes this works, sometimes not as some unemployment workers tend to sympathize with the employers. If it looks like the company is somehow going to win and get you denied, you could think about calling a lawyer and see if you have a case to sue the joint for unfair labor practices. Some employers may drop the "justified termination" act and will sometimes settle for a nice sum of cash (most of which will go to the law firm). However, the courts take long periods of time with multiple appearances needed. If the job was a throw-away job that paid peanuts to begin with, it could be best to forget about it and start looking for more work.

Extension

Benefits run out in most states after six months although during times of high unemployment federally funded extensions could keep you on the gravy train for much longer. In most states enrolling in college will be reported and automatically kick you out of the unemployment payment system.

Logging

You might get audited so keep a job search log as required by law going even if it is fake, in most places you can keep listing the same places you can even show up and be a jerk at the interview once or twice but check the rules in your state, if you travel for fun just log that as a job search, write down the names and phone numbers of a few places you see on the roadside. Two minutes a week logging your "job search" can keep you on the gravy train and out of trouble. One of our contributors backpacked through Europe dutifully logging his visits on the state unemployment website to vineyards and castles as a long out of state job search complete with contact information, his state debit card stayed full of cash as he vacationed for three months.

Another means of logging for job searches is to send faxes to prospective employers. Type up a cover letter with the name and fax number of the company you're contacting, and include your resume on page 2. When the fax machine prints out the "report page" of your fax, it will include a compressed version of the cover letter. Keep that for your files.

Work the System

Lots of bong heads and boarders do the US Forest Service fire fighter, ski lift operator cycle year after year. They build up just enough hours of unemployment credit at these slacker jobs to ride out spring and fall living off of the man while faking their job search records. Remember always apply for jobs making very high salaries during unemployment "job search" the worst case is you are not hired, best case you are hired as a brain surgeon or rocket scientist for two weeks until they discover you are totally unqualified and give you a $50k severance package.

To supplement your unemployment check see Get a Job for ideas on making cash while staying off the radar.

Ripoffs

Last updated: 18 June 2011

Go back to Free Money

1 Ripoffs
1.1 Gun Buy Back
1.2 Donation Boxes
1.3 State Highway Administration
2 The International Yippie Currency Exchange
3 Grifter Tricks
4 Sources
5 DIY Inflation
6 Trying automated in store coin counters with foreign coins
7 Edited 1969 Original The International Yippie Currency Exchange

Ripoffs

Gun Buy Back

We met a guy who had a pretty sweet scam, now several of us have tried it successfully. Many cities have a monthly gun buy back program awarding a $100 gift certificate for every gun turned in, most turn ins have an upper limit so find out. We avoid the free shoes for guns unless our shoes are really falling apart. This fellow visits the hardware store and builds a $5 pipe shotgun and handgun to turn in every month at a different station, he always wears gloves to prevent fingerprints, in the summer bike gloves. This $200 of gift certificates goes a long way to keeping him fed or buy camping gear since he hops between squats. He mentioned that the gun just has to look like it works and he will only go to buy backs with no questions asked, even better if it is city employees instead of cops accepting the trade-ins. He always scopes the site out for cops photographing the crowd and he tries to get a different city worker every time through the line. He has a story ready if he is ever asked that he found the gun in a bush, and he always goes in clean clothes and freshly shaved to not draw attention. If you are lucky you might even find a city who gives out cash. This trick should be done carefully especially for kids and minorities, cops are allowed to lie about the no questions asked policy as they are at all times. Minorities participating even in good faith in a gun buyback should suspect the pigs of arresting them for an illegal weapon as they are approaching the buyback station, even more so when gaming the pigs for prizes in their own station. In the end this is getting a real gun off of the streets so maybe it is not a ripoff, maybe you can sell enough gift certificates to buy a decent gun.

Donation Boxes

If you're all about scams, an easy way to make some small bread is to get a bunch of tupperware containers (about $2.50 for 12 of them), cut coin slots in the lids, and print some labels saying "Donate to the Salvation Army" ,"Donate to Goodwill" or make up some sob story (NOTE: Do a plausible story, a lady was arrested for doing this method with a child who "had cancer", when she actually shaved the child's head). The former is an actively proselytizing religion and the latter a "poverty corporation" who makes big money posing as charities, so it's OK to collect money for yourself on their behalf. Walk around and ask stores if you can put one on their counter for a week or so. Almost all of them will say yes, and if not, give them some bullcrap story. Odds are that if you come back in a week, all of your buckets will either have $3-5 in them, or be stolen. Either way, for roughly $6.00, it's a pretty good change-maker. If you see boxes for known fake charities like Goodwill, the Salvation Army, Sierra Club, or the Make-a-Wish Foundation, you can work this the other way, and rip off their boxes. Just walk in with a clipboard and tell them you're here to collect them. Don't feel too bad though - most of those organizations pocket 85% or so. Don't do this unless you know the charity is fake though, many organizations really need the money and use it to help our cause. Never steal from fellow revolutionaries! Another good scam is to make signs saying you'll help natural disasters, like earthquakes, hurricanes, or poverty in some random country (Africa or Southeast Asia is best at this) If you use the first two methods when an earthquake or hurricane hasn't happened in MONTHS, then you won't get any money, obviously. And if the feeling of guilt plagues your mind, never donate more than 10% to the real charity.

State Highway Administration

Find out when and where they are mowing the lawns or doing road work, and contact them claiming that your vehicle was damaged by flying/loose debris. Oftentimes, they will simply send you a check to cover the cost of "repairs" so they don't have to worry about lawsuits.

The International Yippie Currency Exchange

Every time you drop a coin into a slot, you are losing money needlessly. There is at least one foreign coin that is the same size or close enough that will do the trick for less than a penny. The following are some of the foreign currencies that will get you that Coke, call or subway ride.

Just wanted to help to shed some light on one of the great things from Abbie Hoffman's book. The International Yippie Currency Exchange is still alive and well. Here's a little bit of info that I tried just today 6 October 06. I went to my local coin dealer and took a U.S. quarter with me to use as a sizing guide. Well I spent about $2.00 to buy 24 coins that looked about the same size as the U.S. quarter. I then took these back to my office and tried them in the vending machines at work to see if they would work or not. Well I always say, "If it looks like a quarter, it will spend like a quarter!" Well I'll be God-Damned, it worked just like the original stuff said it would. So here's one way to triple your money in a hurry. Go to your local coin dealer and check and see if they have assorted foreign coins. Another good resource for this is E-Bay as one can buy a bag of several pounds of assorted foreign coins for just a couple of dollars a bag. Not to mention that it is possible to get them at the International Currency Exchange of any major bank. If so buy them and remember, "If it looks like a quarter, it will spend like a quarter." Not all work well but those from Panama, Jamaica, New Zealand and Canada worked wonderfully in the place of U.S. quarters. But the others will work well in hand to hand transactions with the agents of corpgov at places like Walmart, Target and other overstocked corpgov greed monsters. So for those of us of the New Resistance, "Power to the People, and Down with the Greedy Corporate Monsters!" Long live The Yippie International Currency Exchange!

It is a little harder now because of the Euro and the terrible exchange rate of the dollar. However, South American coins should still be a good exchange, and a lot of Asian currencies have low exchange rates, so you could try that too.

All Canadian coins are exactly the same size as their American counterpart but some are attracted by a magnet to help machines reject them so they are easy for you to reject also. The Canadian quarter is the same size as an American quarter, the Canadian nickel as the American nickel, the Canadian dime is just a little smaller than the Amerikan dime. Canadian coins are a little more expensive at coin dealers than other foreign coins. The Canadian dime is a bit lighter and thinner than the American dime, you may have a hard time with pay-phones, vending machines, and soda machines. The Canadian dime will always work in newspaper machines. Canadian coinage is especially common in CHANGE gathered in northern U.S states.

Note: The current exchange rate makes using Canadian coinage a bad idea.

Grifter Tricks

Further information on this Yippie International Currency Exchange. Here's a wonderful little trick that I worked out that will turn $4.00 U.S. into $10 U.S. What you do is this. Most international coins run for $0.08 U.S. a piece. The next thing to do is to get a rolling paper for a roll of quarters. Then the first coin in should be a U.S. quarter and then you fill the tube with the quarter sized coins until you have put 38 of these in. You then put a final U.S. quarter on the end of the roll and close the end tightly. This now creates a situation where you have a $10 quarter roll made of foreign quarters and you've used $0.50 of Amerikan money to create this. Then take this to one of the Corpgov agents like Wal-mart or any other large store. When the line is busy go up with about a $1.00 item and purchase it. Then you'll receive the $9.00 change from giving the cashier the quarter roll. Usually they won't even crack the roll open to give you change back. Plus to insure they don't it's always a good idea to carry a few small coins to cover the taxes on your purchase. And if you should by some unfortunate chance get your roll cracked open and the cashier questions you the simple answer is to play shocked and swear that you had just given somebody else a $10 bill in exchange for the quarter roll and you got scammed. Usually this will work. Keep in mind though that many stores and restaurants will take the difference out of the cashier's pocket if they come up short, so be sure to only perform tricks like this at places that take large amounts of cash daily and therefore won't hold employees responsible. I've tried passing the foreign coins as quarters in smaller amounts and it has worked 100% of the time when I've claimed that I got them back as change from someone. If you're really ballsy and want to fuck the bastards good you might try giving this quarter roll over to a bank or a casino in order to get the full money back. Most small town banks or those within Wal-Marts, etc., will not check the roll before giving you the full amount. And least with most Corpgov agent retailers you're dealing with teenagers who usually don't give a damn or you're dealing with those people who aren't the sharpest tool in the shed if you know what I mean. Go to a local coin shop and buy about 40 quarter sized coins. Unfortunately washers from your local hardware store will not work with machines in the USA, Amerikan coins are non magnetic and the weight is wrong so they will be rejected, although they work for the tube scam. Washers also work in the old school vending machines (the ones you have to crank to get the item). Just another way to stick it to the man plus it's quite fun. I hope you enjoy this as much as I have.

Put a number 14 brass washer in a newspaper vending machine and take out all the papers. Stand around the corner or go into the local bar and sell them. You often get tipped. Don't do this with underground papers. Remember they're your brothers and sisters.

Sources

Just a little further info for you all who might be wondering where to get the coins that I've mentioned above. The best source that I've found is your local coin dealer shop. However if you don't have a coin dealer in your area then

E-Bay has a section where you can find bags of several pounds of these coins being sold for just a few dollars a piece. I have tried this gig personally and know that the quarter roll gambit above works wonderfully and that it has returned for me a 200% or more profit in just a few days.

Many vending machines will give you a different coin than the one you put in when you press the coin return button. I've only used this property to search for coins of interest, not for any scam, but I'd estimate you can feed a couple hundred coins through before you start to get back the ones you put in. Older machines seem not to recycle coins and will sometimes eat your money or reject all coins once their change supply is depleted. Using this technique to exchange foreign coins would require a very close match to the target coin, but it's also much less risky than walking into a store and hoping they don't catch on and call the cops.

DIY Inflation

Just an addition on money when one is in a tight spot. If one has access to a color copier or a scanner that will copy in color then one has access to a quick way of counterfeiting a dollar bill that might be passed in a vending machine. Don't try this with other money as the security features will allow the vending machine to tell a counterfeit from a real thing. But I've done some checking and desktop counterfeiting will work in almost all cases of money but all U.S. bills except for G.W. have security measures to prevent copying as the original work has suggested. But $1 bills lack any security features aside from the paper they are printed on. Look at the type of paper your dollar bills are on and then try to match that paper up with something similar at the office supply store. Although there are similar materials, none will feel exactly like a USD bill, as those are made with a secret formula of which a percentage is cloth. Use that paper to copy the front and back of dollar bills to and you should end up with a crisp new dollar bill that will pass in most vending and change machines. Just remember that counterfeiting is a Federal Felony Offense and will bring you lots of trouble if you're caught. And you will probably get caught -- most color printers/copiers sold since the very early 90's have a "watermarking" feature -- they print a grid of faint yellow dots, nearly invisible to the naked eye, over all their printouts. The EFF has a list (http://www.eff.org/pages/list-printers-which-do- or-do-not-display-tracking-dots) of printers that do not. This grid contains information such as the printer's serial number, batch number, etc -- allowing the FBI to track a counterfeit bill down to the very machine it was made from. At the very least, make sure you purchase your printer (and the paper) in a retail store a good distance from your home, and pay cash! If you are low on cash you may wish to check the free section on craig's list as printers are commonly put up for free if you pick them up. More importantly with watermarking the feds will know every bill and document printed comes from one printer and not waste their time trying to run down multiple counterfeiting rings.

Trying automated in store coin counters with foreign coins

We bet it would work and would give you a credit slip, but how much you wanna bet the machine has a camera that takes a few frames of still pictures or video every time it is used like at the ATM machine? Look at the machine for pinholes or windows (maybe black plastic to us, but IR transparent so it will take an infrared black and white shot) or cameras nearby watching the machine.

Coinstar will not accept Canadian coins because they are of magnetic metal, this is a reject feature in nearly all US coin-op systems, test your coins with a magnet, if your foreign coins attract they will not work an Amerikan coin machines.

Edited 1969 Original The International Yippie Currency Exchange

Quarter Size Coins (in 1969)

URUGUAYAN 10 CENTISIMO PIECE
works in many soda and candy machines, older telephones (3 slot types), toll machines, laundromats, parking meters, stamp machines, and restroom novelty machines. Works also in some electric cancerette machines but not most mechanical machines.
DANISH 5 ORE PIECE
works in 3 slot telephones, toll machines, laundromats, automats, some stamp machines, most novelty machines, and the Boston Subway. Does not work in soda or cancerette machines.
PERUVIAN 20 CENTAVO PIECE
works in new (one slot) telephone and some electric cancerette machines, but does not work as many places in the Uruguay, Danish and Peruvian coins.
NOTE: There have been many issues of the 20-centavo piece over the years, with different specs, so who knows which really work. Plus, these are all old, with a new currency system in place which makes them likely too costly or too uncommon now to be useful. There are new coins, however, which are promising in terms of specs. The 5-nuevos-soles piece, for example, is the exact diameter of an American quarter, and exactly one gram overweight. The 2-nuevos-soles piece is a little smaller in diameter, but almost exactly the same weight as a quarter. Unfortunately, as of August, 2010, the exchange rate is definitely not favorable for usage of these coins as quarters. If there is devaluation in the future, however...
MEXICAN 10 CENTAVO PIECE
works in new (one slot) telephones and some cancerette machines, but does not work as many places as the Uruguay, Danish and Peruvian coins.
NOTE: The new 10-centavo piece of the early 90's would not appear to be a promising candidate for substitution for the old centavo piece originally mentioned here. Its 17mm diameter and 2.08g weight make it too light and small to adequately masquerade as an American quarter. Basically, this means the old centavo piece is likely too costly or too uncommon now to be useful.
ICELANDIC 5 AURAN PIECE
most effective quarter in the world, even works in change machines. Unfortunately, this coin is practically impossible to get outside of Iceland and even there, it is becoming difficult since the government is attempting to remove it from circulation.

Dime Size Coins (in 1969)

MALAYSIAN PENNY
generally works in all dime slots, including old and new telephones, candy machines, soda machines, electric machines, stamp machines, parking meters, photocopy machines, and pay toilets. Does not work in some newer stamp dispensers, and some mechanical cancerette machines.
NOTE: This coin (called the "1 sen") is going bye-bye as of 2008. It will still be around, but it is being aggressively phased out. See://www.adinochang.com/archives/1-sen-coin-myths-and-facts- you-must-know.html)
TRINIDAD PENNY
generally works the same as Malaysian Penny. As of 2010, it seems that this coin is as useful as it was back in '69, with no significant changes since then to alter its usefulness.

All of the coins listed had a currency value of a few cents as of 1969, with most less than one penny. Foreign coins work more regularly than slugs and many, but not all, are non-magnetic, hence cannot be detected by "slug detector machines." Also unlike slugs, although they are illegal to use in machines, they are perfectly legal to possess and exchange.

Large coin dealers and currency exchanges are generally uptight about handling cheap foreign coins in quantity since they don't make much profit and are subject to certain pressures in selling coins that are the same size as Amerikan coins or tokens.

People planning trips to non-Eurozone or South American countries should bring back rolls of coins as souvenirs or for use in "coin jewelry."

Washers were once the most popular types of slugs, and still are for certain applications. You can go to any hardware store and match them up with various coins. Sometimes you might have to put a small piece of scotch tape over one side of the hole to make it more effective. Each washer is identified by its material and number, i.e. No. 14 brass washer with scotch tape on one side is a perfect dime. When you got the ones you want, you could buy thousands at wholesale (especially at industrial supply stores) and pass them out to our friends. Gumball machines and restroom novelty machines will take anything the size and shape of a quarter. All push-in and turnable coin slots will accept coin slugs and quarter-sized foreign coins. Some laundry machines, sticker machines, and gumball machines will work in your favor.

Unfortunately, since '69, metal prices have gone up such that washers (at least the kind that you have to purchase) are not the attractive proposition that they once were.

Xerox copies of both sides of a dollar bill, carefully glued together, work in a few machines that give you change for a dollar.

Excuse us, there is a knock at the door. . .Fancy that! It's the Treasury Department. Wonder what they want?

11. Free Dope

Last updated: 6 June 2011

1 NOT Doing Drugs
2 A Cautionary Note
2.1 A warning to those on the streets:
3 Breaking Free of Propaganda
4 Drugs, Dangerous, Harmless, Everything in between
4.1 Fairly Harmless Drugs
4.2 Moderate Risk Drugs (Use sparingly)
4.3 High Risk Drugs
4.4 Extreme Risk Drugs (Avoid Usage)
5 Making Plans & Not Getting Caught
6 Free Dope
6.1 The Stoner Culture
6.2 Buying
7 Safe Use / Harm Reduction
8 Getting Clean

NOT Doing Drugs

Only a fool can fault a brother or sister who does not choose to partake of a certain drug. It is alright to choose what is put in your body. Going straight-edge is a very smart idea. Avoiding being an easy target for oppression and being with-it when you need to be are good things. Do not be some ill-informed zealot towards drug use, but feel free to set rational limits on what is accepted and not.

But - if that's not your cup of tea, at least be responsible and use moderation. It makes no sense to end up in Pig Hotel or worse because you are fucked out of your mind and stumbling through strange territory. Be mindful of the the safety of places and situations. Just because something can be done at any time does not mean it should. Unfortunately, many folks do not learn this even after repeated lessons. Some do not learn it until it is too late.

A Cautionary Note

Although the revolution is supposed to go hand in hand with the legalization of drugs, when the movement gets tough they only be a wasteful distraction. No revolutionary should be tied down to a substance that could hinder their capacity to fight. If the government comes down on us, food gardens, not pot gardens, will allow us to continue the fight.

If you do choose to take controlled substances, be wary of their effects and health risks. There's nothing easier for a cop to take down than a strung-out hippie who can't even use his own weaponry. Never go into a large-scale protest under the influence, especially if there may be a chance of things getting messy. Pigs have been known to seek out substance charges at rallies, etc. in an attempt to "thin out the numbers," so it's important that you don't roll to a demonstration carrying anything. There's one exception: if you choose to use civil disobedience as part of a drug war protest. In that case, if you're prepared to deal with the consequences of your actions, toke/sniff/drop your way to reform.

Many imported drugs come from countries such as Colombia, where much of the cocaine production is under the control of gangs and drug-lords. These drug lords oppress both the poor and non-corrupt citizens of their respective countries. In recent years (2007), international drug trade has been directly linked to the CIA and other CorpGov organizations.

Drugs can be a tool and a waste of revolutionary effort. Alcohol and tobacco are used by CorpGov to sedate the populace and drain them of their hard-earned money. Every time you think of downing some shrooms or dropping a couple tabs of acid, you should weigh the productivity of doing the drugs against starting an underground newspaper, organizing a protest, attending classes, growing food, helping out at communes, passing out literature, planting trees, writing the next best expatriate novel, or traveling on a freight car. The price of an ounce of weed or hit of acid could have fed the homeless guy down the street for two days, or paid for a second-hand college text book.

The same cost/benefit principle applies just as easily to any fun activity that costs money and takes time without actively helping the revolution or its brothers/sisters. If you consider violation of the law to be a strike back against the Pig Empire in and of itself (as Abbie did), doing drugs may come with the fringe benefit of being illegal and helping recruit new rebel soldiers.

Drug use can also result in chemical addiction, psychological addiction, a hefty fine or jail term, support of multinational conglomerates (by buying pills which were originally purchased by the dealer and not stolen), support of violent foreign drug markets, and inner-city violence (inner city crack and heroin markets tend to be founded upon intimidation and profit at any cost, often resulting in murder to keep the industry secure). Let's work together to decriminalize drugs and then maybe treat the addicts of the world to some human decency.

A warning to those on the streets:

Don't use anything intoxicating. If you're trying to live free and stay alive to fight, this is not the time to mess with your mind. Wait until you're in a truly safe place before using a recreational substance.

Breaking Free of Propaganda

D.A.R.E. and other bullshit anti-drug problems tend to lump all drugs in the same category as "life-ruining". For the 'unholy trinity' of crack, heroin, and crystal meth they are correct. However, some of this information can be misrepresented or omit facts to push an outside agenda. For example, D.A.R.E. is funded by powerful alcohol and tobacco interests. Ultimately, you are the one who should get to choose what risks you're going to take. You are going to decide what substances you want in your body and what substances you will not even want to tolerate in your presence. Some drugs are very dangerous, and others are next to harmless, and it is your responsibility to educate yourself on which ones are which.

When deciding what drugs you would like to try, it is crucial to do as much research as possible, and to distinguish the true information from the propaganda. A good attitude towards drug information is skepticism: doubt everything you hear about drugs (whether it's good or bad) until you see some hard evidence indicating that the information you're getting is good.

Bad Sources of Drug Info:

Authority figures and establishment types with a history of lying or manipulation (this means most parents and teachers)
Drug-worshipers who think a little doobie is the solution to world peace
Pigs and CorpGov officials (especially the FDA, DEA, FBI, CIA, and customs agents)
Free-to-edit online wikis (yeah, you heard us)

Good Sources of Drug Info:

Legit scientists (check their qualifications and methodologies for their studies)
Long-term, responsible, honest users
Erowid (http7/www.erowid.org/)

Try to collect info from a diverse range of sources. Talk to people who have done the drug, and/or read the stories of people who have done it (a google search or a check in the Erowid vaults should turn some up). Read scientific literature detailing the possible harms/dangers of the drug. Look for articles by people pushing against the drug, and figure out why they are so against it. Investigate all possible symptoms and beneficial effects.

Watch for things that sound too good or too bad to be true. Unfortunately, there is no drug that will instantly cause world peace. Likewise, there is no drug (yet) that automatically ruins your life with no help from you (although there's plenty that can kill you or hook you on the first try, so be careful).

Drugs, Dangerous, Harmless, Everything in between

Arguably, ignorance and stupidity are the worst drugs. Combining this with any drug makes it more dangerous.

As a general reference, this is a decent list of the relative health dangers of various drugs. It's listed in approximate order from least likely to kill you to most likely to kill you. Any psychoactive chemical or experience can be addictive especially if it is used as an escape from reality, but a few drugs actually make suddenly quitting dangerous in specific circumstances. Some people may disagree on the specifics, but this should give you somewhat of an idea.

Many of these drugs can fuck up your baby if done while pregnant, especially speedy and IV drugs. Herbs and BigMed prescriptions are not exceptions. Keep alcohol consumption below three cans/glasses of beer or wine a week. Don't ruin an innocent person's life. That baby never did anything to you.

Fairly Harmless Drugs

These have little to no danger of overdose; but avoid activities with weapons, heavy machines, or motor vehicles

Shrooms - low probability of a bad trip. However, to harvest these from the wild the person picking must be knowledgeable about the correct mushrooms as there are a lot of wild mushrooms that are poisonous. Spores can be purchased online legally, however growing them is illegal. Expect a attention from your local three letter agency though. winkwink Makes many incapable dealing with normal society for the duration of the trip, which is many hours. Very awful taste.
Salvia - notorious for causing an informative but potentially uncomfortable short trip. Is best smoked through a bubbler.
Weed - impossible to OD on (you'd pass out first); possible memory loss with many years of heavy use (this effect is reduced by quitting for a period of time); also contains more tar than cigarettes if smoked, but is thought to carry no additional risk of lung cancer. Tar is fairly easily filtered out. Characteristic smell. Avoid if you are diagnosed with schizophrenia, as pot has been proven to bring on episodes in these people. Easiest drug to detect in drug tests. Can decrease motivation in some users with heavy use.
Mescaline - A naturally occurring (in plants, not brain) psychedelic phenethylamine that can be found in cacti such as peyote, san pedro, and peruvian torch. Very similar to LSD, but with a E-like feel. Like all hallucinogens, can leave user incapable of operating in normal society for length of trip, which is many hours.
LSD - apart from the long duration of the trip, there is no risk of overdosing on LSD. You may become disoriented and easily impressionable, and those with a history of mental illness should definitely avoid it. Get an idea of dosage from other trippers and keep them around your first time. Do not combine with other drugs because you will not be as responsible with their dosage.
Nitrous Oxide - non-addictive short acting dissociative, can lead to Vitamin B12 deficiency if used often without supplementation. If inhaled improperly, can cause freezer burn. It is the propellant in whipped cream. Never stick the bag over your head or use oxygen masks to deliver NOS, that will lead to death by suffocation.
Nootropics - Improve alertness and mental function. Most nootropics are perfectly safe, but may be hard to get without feeding corporations money. Watch out for fakes, esp. from internet shops advertised by spam. Take the right dosage of ones with circulatory effects. Don't believe any herbal treatment until the substance in question is checked to really have an effect. Best combined with a proper diet.
Modafinil - great for staying awake for prolonged periods of time. Not designed for really long term use (above a few days) or as a sleep substitute. Hard to get, expensive, far safer than amphetamines. Pigs use it too at times - fight the power with their own tools.
MDMA - Safe when used sparingly, not mixed with other drugs, not mixed with alcohol and you have no heart conditions. Constant use on a tri weekly basis or less has a chance of causing all kinds of fun brain damage. Only buy pills from trusted sources and bring water. Low risk of overdose, but the after a large dosage you can feel awful due to all your endorphins (feel good brain chemicals) being released while you were high. Will you make you excessively chatty and may cause teeth grinding or jaw clenching. Stay hydrated but not so ridiculously much that you give yourself water poisoning. Pills often mixed with a moderate dose of Caffeine.

Moderate Risk Drugs (Use sparingly)

Caffeine (high dose, pure powder)- small risk of heart problems (including heart attacks) if you OD and/or have congenital defects. One cup of good brewed coffee is 150mg, instant is about half as strong for comparison. Past about 3 grams is really risking heart attack and jitteriness and sickness. Caffeine can also be freebased and smoked. Can be habit forming, reduced effects in long term usage, fairly bad crash from chronic overdose. (mostly headaches and depression)
2C-B - Similar to mescaline, purely synthetic. Production is being cracked down upon. (as of 2010) Low dosage means hard to measure.
Ecstacy - A street name for any combination of MDMA with other drugs. Known adulterants include pill filler, ketamine, amphetamine, and meth amphetamine. For this reason, only purchase ecstacy in small amounts from the same chemical "batch." You can also test your pills with chemical reagents (ex. [www.dancesafe.org/testingkits]) which will identify impurities. Can cause tooth chatter and grinding, have a baby chewy to prevent tooth damage. Stay hydrated but not so ridiculously much that you give yourself water poisoning.
Ether - inhalation danger from impure mixtures which can damage the airways and lungs, reduces lung capacity and efficiency. (Ethyl ether, not petroleum ether!)
GHB - AKA gamma-hydroxybutyrate, Sodium Oxybate; Xyrem: Gives a buzz just like alcohol but without hangover, good for personal use, but... due to its low dosage effects is also a common date rape drug. After a few hours it is undetectable by drug testing. It has become difficult to determine safe dosage since it was made illegal in 1999. Addiction is similar to alcohol but less damaging to the body.
Dextromethorphan - AKA DXM, Robotussin, Dissociative, often makes user feel they are having heart problems (although this is almost never the case, it's caused quite a few 911 calls.) Anecdotal reports of heavy repeated use causing significant damage. Slows down reflexes and reduces mental sharpness.
BZP - dehydration possible (drink plenty of water), serious risk when mixed with alcohol, low chance of serious adverse reactions (palpitations, seizures), some report nausea/vomiting
5-MeO-DMT - Similar to DMT, causes muscle twitching and jerking, can lead to very negative feelings (or positive).
DMT - VERY intense hallucinations, difficult on the lungs if smoked. can cause emotional and mental trouble due to overly-intense visuals. Short duration, not detectable by standard and many advanced drug tests.
Alprazolam (Xanax) - Possibly habit-forming, OD possible especially by injection due to filtering and dissolution difficulties. Causes severe memory impairment at higher dosages.
Amphetamines(incl. Ephedrine) - Addictive and can cause a risk of heart problems (including heart attacks) with frequent use. Causes tooth chatter and grinding, have a baby chewy to prevent tooth damage. Causes brain damage with long-term use. Crashing from this is fairly dangerous. Only use when there's utmost need to stay awake for prolonged time and that rarely.

High Risk Drugs

Alcohol - very addictive to some, poisonous in large quantity, can damage your liver over time, may affect growth if consumed when young. Relatively easy to consume a lethal amount when drinking hard liquor, known to cause severe psychological problems. Some brain damage with long-term use. Impairs judgment, which can lead user to inappropriate behavior and/or dangerous situations. Crash from overdose can be lifethreatening, so weaning off or using benzos is advisable for really bad cases. (recognizable as shakes, delirium tremens)
Nicotine - Addictive both physically and socially, may justify irrational behavior to ingest more nicotine. Increases risk of cancer, lung disease, reduces athletic ability and can permanently stain teeth. Can be useful for stopping bad nausea or vomiting, but it's often better to allow the body to purge itself.
Opium - very addictive, over dose is possible but unlikely.
SSRIs (antidepressants) - often fairly addictive and have important adverse effects, usually on circulation and fat storage. Very long half-life! Some others reduce motivation. They can interfere with sleep cycles and cause violent behavior. Avoid if you don't like pulling knives on your loved ones.
MAO inhibitors - interact with many food items (esp. cheese) and drugs. The adverse reaction can be very violent and require call to hospital. Sometimes used to prolong the trip on short acting tryptamine drugs (don't do it if you don't know what you are doing, this is really dangerous!) or enable oral use of tryptamines like 5-Meo-DMT or DMT: you need to combine DMT with MAO inhibitor to feel any effects when taking it orally.
Cocaine (not crack) - Risk of heart problems (including heart attacks, increases with dose) if you have congenital defects; perforates your nasal cavities unless taken IV, which instead damages veins and can cause spread of blood-borne disease; psychological problems include justification of antisocial behavior to obtain more. Slightly brain-damaging.

Extreme Risk Drugs (Avoid Usage)

Ketamine - A highly addictive dissociative, difficult to quit, risk of heart attack. Use for larger surgery instead if no professional help is available.
Crack cocaine/Freebase cocaine - fast acting, short lasting, habit forming, significant risk of serious heart problems and lung damage, regular use use often leads to total disregard of health, added danger due to poor street quality and questionable cutting, causes major psychological problems, esp. with repeated use. Causes tooth chatter and grinding, have a baby chewy to prevent tooth damage. Somewhat neurotoxic.
Methamphetamine - same as amphetamines, but much more euphoric, and therefore, addicting. causes disregard of personal health, habitual use is very weakening, causes paranoia, changes personality, street quality often quite poor. Causes tooth chatter and grinding, have a baby chewy to prevent tooth damage. Causes brain damage with long-term use.
PCP - Incredibly easy to overdose. Long term use leads to severe psychotic episodes and cause violent personality changes. Neurological toxin.
Inhalants (glue, petroleum ether, toluene, gasoline, nail polish, etc.) - can have significant health impact including death. Severe brain damage possible with few uses, especially if air is blocked, the high is caused by neurological toxicity. All solvents are toxic by the virtue of being solvents. You need good ventilation when working with these.

Heroin - Extremely addictive, easy to fatally overdose since real dose is unknown, IV use carries risk of blood-born diseases such as Hepatitis B or HIV (due to unclean needles), as with any inject-able drug. Only surpassed by severe alcohol addiction for harshness of addiction and difficulty to get clean.

Making Plans & Not Getting Caught

Once you're sure you want to do a drug (or multiple drugs), you need to go back to the drawing board and research the safest way to trip. This research can take the form of consulting experienced users and reading up on tips.

When you feel comfortable with what you know, start making plans. These should include scheduling enough time that you can get home sober, spend the night elsewhere, or at least appear sober when you get home. Getting caught with drugs is not fun.

Tips for not getting caught:

If you're smoking a drug, wear a jacket and bring body spray or cologne. That way you can make sure the smell's off you.
If you're smoking pot, bring eyedrops. Red eyes are a dead giveaway.
If you're doing a psychedelic, have a tripsitter on hand to make sure you don't draw too much attention to yourself. Most psychedelics can leave you incapable of judgment for many hours. Do not drop acid or do shrooms if you need to face unsympathetic authority figures for a whole day.
Arrange your excuses ahead of time and make sure everyone with you knows what the story is.
Don't do it around anyone likely to bust you or turn you in.
Don't bring drugs anywhere you're likely to be searched.
Don't drive. Ever. Cars are designed for sober people, not people under the influence of a drug.
If you're in public, don't look like a drug user.
Look WASPy or like a part of the average CorpGov world, and you'll avoid suspicion.

Free Dope

One of the easiest ways to score is by attending the right kind of parties. Many people will give out substances to those willing to experiment, and others believe that drugs enhance the atmosphere, and thus will hand them out. The more people on something at a party, the more solidarity there is, and the more synchronized the various party experiences are. Plus, it's no fun to smoke alone.

Some people give out drugs because they want something, so be careful. If they're handing out X, coke, or anything else that's expensive, easily tampered with, or addictive, they probably want to hook you. You should recognize this as a ploy and stick to your personal drug plan. They may also want to fuck you literally as well as metaphorically, so don't drink anything from a communal bowl, and don't leave any drinks unattended.

The single easiest way to score free dope is to join the drug culture. This is especially true when you're trying new things, and is most applicable weed. It's an accepted practice that your first toke should be free. Don't mooch though: once you become a regular member of a group, people will start to grumble about you not paying.

The Stoner Culture

In almost every circle of drug users, there is an underground ring of fellow drug users. The folks involved in LSD, shrooms, or weed are usually a pretty friendly lot. Avoid the folks that are into chronic heroin and crack use, though, as those drugs tend to turn users into self-centered, thieving bastards and the dealers are scum. As long as you act nice, chances are they will be nice to you. Obviously, you will not make many friends in any drug circle if you act like an idiot when you are high or mention their name to any law enforcement officer.

NEVER approach a person (even if you know they are a dealer) asking for drugs if you have never met them. It is recommended that you meet them through a friend or meet them in person (like a casual run-in). The next time you see them, then you may be able to ask. Better is to smoke out for a bit with some new friends several times. Pot is actually a very social drug, and many folks like to smoke with other folks. Later you could offer to 'go in' or 'throw down' on a purchase with them. Trust and time goes a long way.

Each group of a drug culture has its own jargon it uses to describe the object of their 'hobby'. This can differ widely place to place. A person would have to be very sheltered or young not to know the more common nicknames. Any group specific nicknames can probably be picked up on easily. We are not going to insult intelligence by trying to make a list here. Any workplace or school drug poster, DARE, Google, or common sense will help you if you really are that much in the dark.

Buying

Search out a reputable dealer, or ask your friends who's got what. Many educational institutions, some industries like the service industry, and certain social cliques are thriving drug markets. Ideally you should buy from someone you know well -- but it's your call as to whom to trust for your drugs.

If you're worried about your safety, bring a friend. It might freak out some dealers, but there are some times when it's worth it. Remember to check the quality of the product before you hand over the money. If you're buying from a new source be paranoid and check for impurities and added substances.

Safe Use / Harm Reduction

So now you're using drugs. Maybe only a little, maybe kind of a lot. Either way, it's time to talk about addiction.

Addiction fucking sucks. Life is too sweet to miss out on relationships and activities and radical politics just for drugs, and an addict doesn't do any social movement any good. Besides, drugs are supposed to be a choice, and an addict isn't choosing any more. It's a painful, unhappy lifestyle that you don't want to get yourself into, and once you're in that trap, it's very difficult to get out. Opiates are especially dangerous in this respect. Remember, the only dope worth shooting is George W. Bush.

The first and most important rule of drug use is to stay recreational, and keep in control of your use at all times. Use small quantities, keep an eye on how important your drug use is becoming to you, and strictly monitor yourself for signs of obsession or addiction. It is important to maintain very strict discipline and self control. Try to refrain from drug usage if you feel your control slipping at any time. Remember that you should be the one using the drugs; they shouldn't be using you. Some things to keep an eye out for when is how much you're using, how big of risks you're taking, and whether or not you can have fun without using. Also watch out for upgrading in the strength of the drug.

If someone approaches you with concerns about your drug habits, don't dismiss them as worrying too much. Evaluate yourself to see if there is any grain of truth in what they're saying. If you think they might be right, try taking a break. See how much you miss the drug. See how long you can go without it.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that once the revolution comes, our opposition can use your experience with drugs to discredit you to the public or before a jury. Because of this, unless you don't give a shit about jail terms or your reputation, you'd be well advised to keep your drug habits quiet and only share them with people you absolutely trust. CorpGov propaganda has demonized anyone who uses anything they don't sell (alcohol, tobacco, pharms, etc.), so most citizens won't give two shits what's done to someone who's described as "a drug user". Consequently, drug users are usually the first social group to be oppressed.

Never ever take psychedelic drugs that induce hallucinations such as LSD, salvia and a variety of pills with people you don't trust. Ever. There has been many a time where assholes have decided to torment and play with a person's mind when they're high. A bad trip can come when a person is cautious of the people they're around and then becoming paranoid. Never watch horror movies while on a hallucinogenic drug, as you will scare the shit out of yourself thinking you're being chased by zombies, ghosts, vampires and what have you.

Pay close attention to your appearance and health as a drug user. Brush teeth more often, as smoked drugs can leave permanent stains on teeth and bad breath. Be aware odors can hang on clothes. Some drugs can make you less concerned about grooming, clean clothes, and hair. This can have impacts on social network and can have disastrous consequences when dealing with 'accepted' society.

Getting Clean

Getting off some drugs like heroin is a real pain in the ass, yet others (like acid) you couldn't do day after day even if you wanted to.

First off, you have to WANT to get clean. You have to associate pain with the substance. You must break through all the wiring that your addicted brain has set up to make sure you continue to do the drug. These are usually justifications your brain plays for itself over and over. This can be done with visualization and willpower.

When you want to get clean, TAKE ACTION. Get rid of any drug, drug tools, etc. Get away from folks that do it, even if you consider them 'friends'. While it sounds harsh, many times these relationships are only based on addictive substances. Misery loves company. They can be enemies in disguise, sabotaging your attempts just to have someone to use with.

Do research into what withdrawal symptoms there may be and be prepared for them. Keep a list in your mind of what you have to gain by quitting and do not bend from these. You control your wiring.. humans are creatures of choice. Know what triggers cravings and have plans to deal with it. Know that cravings will get less and less as time goes on but can reappear months or years later. The crazy thing is with some drugs the memory imprint of how good the high was is remembered as better then the actual experience could ever be, so you are forever chasing that dragon.

Depression, loneliness, and boredom can be an enemy. The activities your brain justified when you were a slave and the results it blinded you are now crystal clear. Many people leave a string of broken families, pissed off former friends, lost possessions, and opportunities. Many times the drug took all the waking hours and now you have nothing to do but mope about the drug. Get a great non-drug hobby or activity NOW!

Do not worry too much about history. History is great research, and can be used somewhat to predict the future. But the truth is.. the future must be decided. By not being a slave, you can make those decisions. You can change the future.

Speaking of non-drug hobbies or activities, do not make the mistake of wiring your head making the activity or hobby the SOLE REASON you are straight. If something happens to that activity you may have no other wiring to keep from a relapse. You are free from slavery and supporting Phillip Morris, evil murdering drug cartel bastards, etc. Always remember that and your real reasons. Make this principle and deep in your character.

There are programs out there to help you get clean, check at the hospital, shelter, city clinic, etc. Sometimes you have to go along with someone else's philosophy to stay in the program -- play along if you have to in order to get and stay clean. More on rehabs is in Detox and Rehab Programs

Remember that every time you try to quit and fail, you set yourself back to step one. There is no 'just one' with addictive stuff. Be aware that sometimes cravings can occur months or years later. Be prepared to stick by your principles.

Once you are clean, continue to stay away from those that do or sell drugs; the drug culture itself can be a hard habit to kick. Be careful what drugs you take for medicinal purposes; ask if they're addictive before the doctor hands them out.

The revolution awaits....

Cheap Thrills

Last updated: 30 July 2011

So, you have $12 in your pocket and your stash is depleted. Grabbing a six pack of cheap beer or finding a real pot dealer is not a possibility. You may be bored and absolutely convinced to get a high and no reason will stop you. What to do? Here is a list of stuff that may make life more interesting. Some of these are easily obtained and others take a bit of set up. Many of the things mentioned here are ways to get high that are not common knowledge or are not widely used for one reason or another. We will cover over-the-counter, organic, and even some ways to get high that do not involve ingesting or breathing chemicals.

1 Warnings
2 WARNING! Dangerous Additives in OTC and Prescription Medications
2.1 Cold Water Extraction
3 Dextromethorphan (DM or DXM)
3.1 Warning
4 Benadryl (aka Diphenhydramine)
5 JWH-018 and related chemicals/ "herbal incense"/ Potpourri
6 Morning Glory Seeds
6.1 Cold Water Extraction
7 Hawaiian Baby Woodrose seeds
8 Lactucarium
9 Nutmeg
10 Caffeine
11 Ephedrine and Psuedoephedrine
12 Moonshine
13 Psilicibin Cubensis/ “Shrooms”
14 Fly Agaric Mushrooms (Amanita Muscaria)
15 Poppies
16 Cactus
17 Tobacco
18 Nitrous Oxide
19 Ether
20 Non-Chemical Thrills
20.1 Yogic Breathing
20.2 Stroboscopic Lights
20.3 Binaural Beats
21 Miscellaneous
22 Myths

Warnings

NOTE: IF YOU WANT INFORMATION ON THE SAFETY, DOSAGES, AND EFFECTS OF VARIOUS

DRUGS, CHECK OUT http://www.Erowid.org

Some of these ways to get high in Cheap Thrills are not widely used or often used for good reason. Do research. You are usually better off getting some shwag weed.

As with all all Free Dope articles, our standard warning. DO NOT USE ANY DRUGS IF YOU ARE ON THE STREETS OR IN A VOLITILE OR UNSTABLE SITUATION, EVEN ALCOHOL. While you may be tempted to relieve stress, forget troubles, or get out of your skin for a bit, you need all of your survival skills. At best you can wake up with your stuff missing, at worst you wake up with some stranger raping you. Wait until you are safe and have your shit together. Freeing yourself and others from the system is very hard when you are brain damaged or dead.

Keep in mind that the lower dosages presented are for general usage, in both business and personal use. Higher dosages are recommended only for experienced users. Do not blindly trust us - do some research. The Physicians Desk Reference or The Pill Book that nurses use can be found at libraries, book stores, or sometimes shared on P2P networks. These books are huge references on Corpgov prescription drugs and updated yearly. Survivalists testing a strange plant that might be poison start by small amounts before eating real amounts. This level of caution can save you embarrassment or serious issues by acting like the survivalist. Of course, if it works, you can always gradually up the dose to a desired level. Beware of mixing medications. This includes alcohol and pot! Some drugs will potentate others sometimes making them many times more powerful, the same is true for street drugs. Not all drugs are as safe as cannabis, shrooms, and acid. Also remember that even “safe” drugs can cause problems if not used wisely and responsibly.

There are those that say that what broke the back of the 60's revolution was hippies distracted by screwing and getting high. Most of the hippies we know only remember the drugs and only a little protest or fight. They are mostly retired businessmen now. Discipline is valuable to any movement or agenda - your own or someone else's. Governments in many places have horribly totalitarian “wars on drugs” in place. Maybe with the study of all ways to get high - even the questionable and less known, you may wish to join in to change this situation.

All right. You’re sitting down, ready to learn. You’re a responsible adult. You’re not at work, you’re not driving, and you’re not responsible for any small children or firearms. You’re ready to have a good time. Let’s get started.

A word on Tolerance With most drugs, you will build up a tolerance to it if you use it frequently. What might be a light dose for a heroin addict could very well kill a non-user. The only way to stop this from happening is to abstain for a period of time.

With any drug, if you are unaware of the dosage to take, start small. Check Erowid (a wonderful web resource) and see what a "light" or "moderate" dosage is, then aim for somewhere in between. In most cases, you can always get more goods, but replacement bodies are hard to come by.

WARNING! Dangerous Additives in OTC and Prescription Medications

If you find an over the counter syrup, capsule, or pill which in addition to the desired drug includes Acetaminophen, Paracetamol, Tylenol, Panadol, Acamol, fever reducers, ache reducers, or any other similar or unknown ingredient DO NOT USE IT TO GET HIGH!!! The amount required to get high will sometimes have enough of these acetyl-para-aminophenol chemicals to poison your liver potentially even in one large dose. Liver poisoning of this type can not usually be treated and the death takes several painful days or weeks. Paracetamol toxicity is, by far, the most common cause of acute liver failure in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Fortunately many of these meds can, with some investigation, be found without the additives or in some cases the additives can be removed.

However, moderation, knowledge, and careful readings of labels can help prevent issues like this. You don't need to be scared off just because something is prescription (although you also certainly shouldn't assume something is safe because it's prescribed). If the docs are prescribing it for someone, there has to be a safe way to take it. Just be careful, read everything you can get your hands on, and treat scripts like any other drug.

Cold Water Extraction

Here is the simplest Cold Water Extraction, it is easy and it takes less than 1 minute:

All you need is:

2 glasses (or anything that can hold water)
coffee filter or tissue paper
Spoon (or your finger, anything to stir with)
Water
Medication in Tablet form

This method works for water soluble medications, and is often used to extract narcotics from prescription tablets which usually include Acetaminophen, Paracetamol, or a similar analogue which is apparently intended to destroy the liver of addicts so that abusers will die a painful and early death. As always a unsafe dose of narcotic is still dangerous even if the liver-kill is reduced!

STEP 1. Put pills in the first container. Pour enough COLD water to completely submerge pills (from the sink, no need to cool it in fridge). No need for excessive water. Stir until all pills are completely dissolved.
STEP 2. Take 2 pieces of tissue on top of each other or a coffee filter folded into a cone, hold them on top of the second container like a filter; gently pour contents of container 1 through filter into container 2.
THAT'S IT! Drink the filtered water, discard the stuff caught in the filter.

It is THAT easy. Of course, this is the bare-bones of it, just to show how easy it is so that you have no excuse not to do it! For a more refined process, do a search. But this as-is WORKS. The idea is the small amount of narcotic will dissolve easily in the water while there will be too much Acetaminophen type mixed medication to dissolve easily in the small amount of water. Not only will your liver thank us for reminding you of this and saving its life, but also you will when you find your drugs are hitting you faster and harder! For those book burners who wave their hands in horror, this is called harm reduction, better a living addict who can clean up and go to on to host a talk radio show, or even be President or PM than one who cleans up in order to get a liver transplant or die.

Dextromethorphan (DM or DXM)

For those of you who are unaware, this is cough medicine. A lot of high school students with no access to good stuff used it to get high. Despite the negative rap given to it by the Amerikan Gestapo, this is a somewhat safe drug to use if you find cough medicine with just DXM and no other active ingredients. Avoid anything else, no compromises. Reason being is that most cough syrups also contain acetaminophen, which can be harmful or deadly in large doses. DXM gel caps work well, though cough syrup is faster and a more sedating or "classic" experience. Effects are mostly weight dependent with 2.5mg/kg to 7mg/kg being the usual recreational dose range and 9mg/kg to 15mg/kg being the "spiritual" dose range. Anything above 20mg/kg is considered dangerous. While DXM is perfectly legal in most places, many stores in the US require that you be 18 to purchase it. Also, look for dollar stores that carry it.

Warning

Although it will give you a "high" of sorts, there is no guarantee that the trip will be a pleasant one. It's commonly accepted that one third of people like it, one third of people hate it, and the other one third don't feel strongly about it. One thing's for certain though: you will have a disorienting, strange, and probably memorable (for one reason or another) experience.

It also has some nasty side effects including: Vomiting, Diarrhea, Rashes, and Drowsiness on top of the hallucinations and drunk feeling folks desire. One of the more frightening experiences is that it intensifies the feeling of your heart beating quickly in some people. One user was afraid during the whole trip that she was going into cardiac arrest. Mixing DXM with other drugs is not advisable. Common mixtures, however, are DXM with diphenhydramine or weed (not both, however). Also, if you use it on a daily basis, there is a good chance you could become delusional until it's out of your body.

For more info:http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/dxm/dxm.shtml

Benadryl (aka Diphenhydramine)

Diphenhydramine (DPH) is an over-the-counter antihistamine used for the treatment of allergies and sometimes as a sleep aid. Taken in "recreational" doses, DPH is a powerful deliriant. At any dose DPH users can experience fatigue, dryness, loss of memory, and in most cases, dysphoria. The experience is often considered confusing and uncomfortable. However some people find this kind of altered state to be pleasant.

Dramamine (Dimenhydrinate, or DMH) contains Diphenhydramine and a light stimulant. DMH contains roughly 60% DPH and 40% 8-chlorotheophylline. For this reason it is obviously 60% as potent as average DPH. Unisom (doxylamine) is another related antihistamine which is similar to DPH, but even in large doses merely produces extreme sedation and mild delirium. DPH is a vasoconstrictor.

Diphenhydramine, along with Datura has the reputation of being one of the worst feeling drugs known to man. Imagine all the effects of being on some great quality Ecstasy along with being very clear-headed and fluent in speech. Now take the polar opposite of everything that represents, add translucent insects (common hallucinations include spiders and tacos) all over the place and you've got a full-blown DPH trip. Alternatively, imagine visiting Silent Hill while drunk and you'll have a pretty decent idea of the entire trip. It is not a good-feeling experience at all. If you're looking to have a good time, avoid Diphenhydramine at all costs, unless you are taking a small amount to help sleep/relax a tad, or if you plan on combining it with DXM. The main point any person would take this drug for would be incredibly realistic hallucinations seen under the effects of it.

DPH is not like other drugs in sense of dosage, a light dose does not equal a light trip. Doses under 300mg induce more of a restless feeling body high and muscle relaxation. Doses typically 600mg+ are what make the user enter delirium and see spiders and floating TVs. Oddly enough, anything in between these two extremes is often a disappointing and uncomfortable experience, characterized with twitching and only very minor hallucinations, mostly in the peripheral vision, nothing compared to a full trip. Many heavy users in the 200lb+ range report not tripping off a good 700mg and may have to bump up to as much 1500mg. Everyone reacts differently. Find a safe working dose for yourself. Information from many reports suggest that the average best dosage for diphenhydramine is around 150mg. After that, any feeling of euphoria is likely to go away and if you take enough to trip you are likely to feel either frightened or emotionally empty.

More info: http://www.erowid.org/pharms/diphenhydramine/

JWH-018 and related chemicals/ "herbal incense"/ Potpourri

JWH-018 and related chemicals are contained in "herbal incense" and "potpourri" blends sold in some head shops and quickie marts. It usually comes in a small 1 to 2 gram packet sold locked up in glass behind the counter at some quickie marts, particularly those of Hispanic and Middle Eastern ownership. The package has labels stating that the product "is not for human consumption", but this is a ruse. The JWH series of chemicals is synthetic THC, the same goodness that is in our old friend, marijuana! Brand names include K2, Spice, Serenity, and many others. As these brand names get illegal, the names change to things like Mojo, Vertigo, NOLADiamond, etc. Unlike pot, it can produce headaches, tingling in extremities, lasts shorter, and can cause anxiety. The main selling point is that it does not show up on drug tests and you do not need to know someone who sells pot to get a THC-like high. It is usually more expensive than an equivalent amount of real ganja. It also IS very close to real pot in the effect. Of course the potency and side effects vary according to brand and the variation of JWH-XXX they put in it.

There have also been reports of overdoses and increased tolerance. Some folks report negative mental state, vomiting, abdominal pain, and constipation using these products long term. There have also been no real studies on this relatively new (last 2 - 3 years) product, so take it easy if you come across some.

As of December of 2010, JWH-018 was made illegal. It has been put on an emergency schedule by the DEA, and it is likely that it will receive proper scheduling in the near future. However, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of related synthetic cannibinoids, such as JWH-081, JWH-019, JWH-200, and JWH-250. The spice manufacturers in response, have changed brand names and are now using these different chemicals. They have also changed the classification of the product from "incense" to "potpourri" in some states who are really butthurt about folks getting high but passing drug tests to try to avoid the legal radar. However, we can report that these new round of products still work although some states like Louisiana have moved to block these, as well. Although, frighteningly, no one seems to know what exactly is in these packets. Forum information and research is sparse.

You can also make your own spice for much cheaper than commercial products or ganja. Simply find an online vendor (good luck... most of the manufacturers are in China and there are a lot of rip off sites set up) that will sell you the pure chemical, dissolve said pure chemical in alcohol or acetone, and then spray it on tobacco, mullein, or really anything you can smoke. Wait for the solvent to COMPLETELY evaporate before smoking, otherwise you light your face on fire and/or give yourself cancer. JWH compounds vary a lot in potency, so look it up! NEVER consume the pure chemical - this is begging for an overdose. With JWH-018, we would spray one gram of JWH onto 100 grams of herb, test it, and adjust the potency accordingly.

Of course, we here at STW recommend you leave these things alone and smoke the real thing. It is better for you and proven safer.

Morning Glory Seeds

These seeds contain LSA, LSD's little cousin. Although it's a bit easier just to eat them straight, the LSA can be extracted by leaving the ground seeds in cold water. Make sure that you buy "Heavenly Blues","Flying Saucers" or another psychoactive variety, and also make sure you're not eating ones treated with poison! Note that many commercial packets of Morning Glory seeds are DELIBERATELY treated with poison. When hippies started taking Morning Glory seeds to get high, the government encouraged seed producers to take a biologically harmless drug and add poison to make it harmful. These treated seeds will make you very sick. Usually these seeds have a red powder on them, washing in water will remove some of this poison. Even those seeds that are not so treated can contain mercury compounds added to enhance shelf life, these are also toxic. Buy from a company that sells organic, untreated seeds.

About 200-300 seeds will give you a LSD-like high. Be sure to wash them and grind them up, you'll be sick as hell if you don't (and you may well be sick even if you do.) Extracting the LSA will prevent the nausea, but will also take a fair bit of time and some knowledge of chemistry. Keep in mind that in Amerika, it's illegal to extract LSA (or ergine as it's sometimes called) under the Federal Analogues Act -- so watch out for pigs if you do.

Cold Water Extraction

Ingredients needed:

10 grams of morning glory seeds
400 mL of water
Coffee bean grinder
Coffee filters
Two containers
Funnel

1. Take the morning glory seeds and thoroughly wash them in cold water.

2. Finely grind them in the coffee grinder until they have the consistency of powder.

3. Put the powder and water into a container that can be sealed.

4. Agitate (shake) the seeds for 5 minutes.

5. Pour the mixture into the second container, using a funnel and a coffee filter.

6. Repeat steps 4-5 at least two more times. Ideally, you'll want to filter the mixture 5 times for the best results.

Remember to keep LSA out of the light and keep the water cold, for heat and water both destroy LSA.

This mixture is good for one person. Within 15 - 30 minutes of drinking this, nausea and stomach cramps may occur. Ignore this and ride it out; it'll only get better from here. Within one hour you will start to feel the effects of the LSA, such as euphoria and giddiness. You'll notice that your pupils will dilate and that your eyes may become reddened. The trip peaks at 2 hours. The trip itself will last for 8 hours.

Hawaiian Baby Woodrose seeds

These seeds, like Morning glories, contain LSA (also known as ergine). Hawaiian Baby Woodrose Seeds or HBR seeds give you a mild high. There are no open eye hallucinations, but you can experience mild closed eyed patterns depending on the dose you take. The seeds can cause nausea and vomit depending on the dosage. The seeds do have a very active psychological affect on the user much like LSD's. Like all drugs do not ingest HBR seeds under a time of stress or when you have something to do the next day. The high will last between 4 and 8 hours depending on the dose. These seeds are about 25 times more powerful than morning glories (per seed.)

Remember: one HBW seed contains about 0.25 mg of LSA.

Lactucarium

If you ever run into some Wild Lettuce (Lactuca Virosa), you can extract a substance called "Lactucarium" (Also known as Lettuce Opium), from it, or purchase this online. It's effects are compared to that of Opium, but it doesn't last long and isn't addictive. It is more sedative than euphoric. It is, however, dangerous and at least one fatality has been linked to it, so it isn't suggested you smoke large amounts.

Nutmeg

Yes, the nutmeg in the kitchen cabinet can get you high. However, most users will feel like total crap with headaches, nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, and diarrhea. Nutmeg is also a known MAO inhibitor and can have really bad side effects if you are on some psych medications. Typical dose is about 2 to 3 teaspoons. The "trip" consists of a vaguely marijuana like high with maybe a few visuals and a splitting headache. It stays in your system for quite some time and it's effects last around 24 hours with after effects up to 2 days. It can also take anywhere from 3 to 7 hours to even start hitting you. In vast quantities you can overdose and there have been at least two fatalities linked to it. Probably best to leave this particular cheap thrill to the low quantity cooking flavoring it is meant to be.

Caffeine

No, don't laugh. Did you know you can buy pure caffeine? Yes, some health stores and eBay sellers will sell caffeine powder. About 100g can be found for $10-$20. Some science/chemical supply stores online will sell high purity caffeine "not for human consumption" at about $20 per POUND While the high isn't extraordinary, it's an energy boost. Be forewarned, more than 2 grams in your system and you could be looking at a hospital trip or heart attack. The average lethal dose for an adult human is 10 grams, your chances of heatstroke and similar go up exponentially past 1 gram. Don't try this if you have heart murmur or other heart problems. The median lethal dose (LD50) of caffeine is 192 milligrams per kilogram of body weight in rats.

In both Kanada and Amerika, caffeine can be bought in pill form such as NoDoz, Stacker 2, etc. over the counter at many pharmacies. In some cases, stores will require you to be 18 to purchase.

Caffeine can even be freebased and smoked.

Expect a harsher rush than regular speed - much harsher than coke. Many people get stomachache or cramping. Have a chew toy to relax your jaw in case you get the shudders. Finally, have a friend who can give you a massage after you are done. Your back will be all tight. If using this to help you run or bike somewhere more quickly remember hydration. Caffeine is a known diuretic. Do not attempt this at all unless you are in good cardiac shape with no congenital defects in your heart.

Ephedrine and Psuedoephedrine

Ephedrine products are sold behind the counter at many truck stops and convenience stores. Brand names include Mini-Thins, Ephedra, and many others. Ephedrine based products are meant to be broncho dialaters for those suffering from asthma. Many folks that buy these, however, use them as a sort of legal poor man's speed. Indeed, these are much stronger and immediate than caffeine. Expect to be carded in many places with the stuff locked up behind counters. Bad press came about many years back because of a few stupid preteens getting a hold of them and popping them like candy and ending up in the emergency room. But, taken moderately, they have been used by wage slaves to stay awake due to working doubles or after foolishly partying the night before without sleeping and needing to work in the morning. Along with violently jolting the imbiber awake, it has a very noticeable, sharp energy boost lasting about 3 to 4 hours per dose. Side effects can include shakes, a “hair standing on end” type feeling, difficulty urinating, thirst and dry mouth, and increased heart rate. You definitely do not want to take too many of these if you have any heart problems. You CAN overdose on this. Use these in moderation. Do not take this too much or it can ruin sleep patterns and leave you a wreck on top of just being plain bad for your heart. Be warned that when this wears off and you have had no sleep, you crash hard.

Moonshine

If you want to stay away from harder to obtain substances, don't forget about the solution that has been around since the dawn of civilization. Done correctly, moonshine is safe, cheap, and will taste good. All you need is to find some starchy or sugary substance add some water and yeast and let it sit at room temperature until it stops fermenting, remembering that you must plan a way to valve off the CO2 to prevent pressure explosions. Shine is just the distilled and concentrated alcohol produced form fermentation. See Strange Brewing for more detail.

Psilicibin Cubensis/ “Shrooms”

These grow wild in the southern United States and in many tropical and high humidity climates. They usually poke up out of cow pastures from late May to early August. About two to four days after a good summer rain is the best time to find these in the wild. This is the real deal and can lead users off on shamanistic visions and vivid hallucinations. They taste like shit - in fact often they are found growing out of cow droppings. If you eat them straight, definitely have some large quantities of juice or soda around to chase it. There have been some ways of making a tea with it or Kool-aid drink, but you need a lot more shrooms and it weakens the product.

As we mention in Free Dope, it is possible - though complex and requires much study - to grow your own. Seed companies sell the spores, but that industry is plagued with secret cop set ups and rip off artists.

The psilicibin mushroom is identified by a dark collar around the stalk and the inside of the stem turns blue where it was cut when exposed to air.

As with any mushroom, if you are not sure it is safe, do NOT eat it. There are thousands of varieties of mushrooms which are deadly poisonous - some with vague differences from actual safe kinds.

Fly Agaric Mushrooms (Amanita Muscaria)

These bad boys contain the mind-altering chemical muscinol. These provide can provide a high similar (but not the same) as shrooms (Psilocybin mushrooms), although many folks report awful trips that are a living hell. You can buy them from eBay for about $20/oz (usually 3-6 good doses in an oz)

In some people, these mushrooms cause extreme nausea, so be prepared. Milk thistle can help to counter some of the side effects, especially if you're worried about liver damage (Amanita Muscaria has been known to cause some liver damage, especially in high doses.)

Amanita mushrooms, resin, and extract on Damiana leaf (which can all be purchased online)can be smoked for an earthy-feeling high similar to cannabis.

Although they have not been responsible for any deaths yet, they are poisonous when taken in sufficient quantities. A typical starter dose is only a couple grams, so don't overdo it! Also, the only psychoactive strains are Amanita Muscaria and pantherina -- the rest of the mushrooms in the Amanita family are highly toxic and WILL kill you.

As always with mushrooms, if you're not sure if it's safe, don't take it.

Poppies

Real opium poppies if you can get the seed or find them growing are like happy beautiful red weeds which grow in spring. Score the bulb that is below the flower body before they bloom and collect the resin, this is opium and can be rolled with tobacco and smoked. Poppy seeds are usually cooked killing them but try seeding a few packets of different brands in your backyard and see what turns up. Note that pigs think of Opium poppies as being red, there are many other colors that also contain lots of opium. Think stealth gardening. Note also that opium can be very addictive, if you make a big harvest and keep it all for yourself you will probably be out on the streets getting fucked by strangers to buy your next fix when you run out in a few weeks. Another problem is that slashed pods equal intent to manufacture heroin in many pig's eyes, a BIG bust.

Cactus

Some cacti (Peruvian Torch and San Pedro) contain fairly high amounts of mescaline, the same stuff in the famous peyote. Unlike peyote (which can be hard to acquire and only grow wild in very limited areas), these particular cacti grow wild in accessible areas in southwestern desert areas like Arizona and New Mexico. It takes about a foot of fresh cactus or an oz. of dried cactus to start flying on air mescaline. Dried cactus runs about $20/oz or about $15 for a 12" fresh piece. Or of course, you can run into the desert and grab a piece if you live near any desert areas.

You can grow your own, but the San Pedro and Peruvian Torch can take years to get to a decent size.

Tobacco

While not a great buzz, tobacco is available in every store, with several hundred percent tax markup. Nicotine is a known antidepressant and appetite suppressant at the cost of being very addictive and fortified with chemicals. But, no need to go to a store for packs! You can enjoy years of tobacco slavery, respiratory failure, bad body odor, stained teeth and a number of cancers in a DIY fashion.

One possibility is growing your own like the potheads. While it is legal to grow, the BATF - a national police agency who enforce the federal sales tax on rocket launchers, machine guns, liquor, ammo and cigarettes, will hunt you down for trying to sell the stuff. The tobacco plant also requires a lot of farming skill and most commercial blends take up to a year of curing to be pleasurable to smoke.

Rolling tobacco, or "rollies" come in little packs with cheap cigarette papers. It is smoked mostly by those in jail or those down on their luck. The small packs in the quickie marts contain about as much tobacco as two packs of cigarettes for half the price. However, it is pretty nasty. Regular users have to watch for burn marks and ugly, hard to remove stains on their fingers.

If you are broke and smoke tobacco, quit. It is one of the easiest ways to rise from poverty. If you're really desperate, collect butts. They will always taste awful but can be found in high traffic areas, especially between cars and non-smoking buildings and in smoking designated areas. Even cigarettes that have been smoked to the end still have tobacco left in the filter, which is good if still dry. Break open the tobacco and discard the filters. Roll the tobacco in cigarette papers or use a real or makeshift pipe. If you own a tobacco pipe - even a cheap Dr. Grabow from a drug store, you could technically smoke used tobacco in a (relatively) sanitary manner while broke for free.

Real pipe tobacco is cheaper than cigarettes and fortified with less additives because Corpgov only likes to tax and poison the poor - not the CEO's Dominicans or pipes. Pipe tobacco can go for as little as 2 USD an ounce, enough for a chain smoker to smoke on for a week, while generic cigarettes cost between 4 USD and 10 USD a pack!

Never smoke weed from a tobacco pipe or tobacco from a weed pipe. Not only does it leave you open for paraphernalia charges, it ruins the taste of the herb or tobacco! Not to mention, if you share herb, many nontobacco smokers will detest the taste of a cigar when toking a bud with you. Also, pot pipes need screens and burn at a higher temperature, while tobacco pipes do not.

Nitrous Oxide

Available as whippet cartridges which resemble short BB gun CO2 cartridges these can be popped inside a balloon or plastic sack with a sharpened tool or cartridge popper sold in some head shoppes, many places have caught on and will card whippet buyers. Do not try to pop a whippet directly into your mouth, you will get frostbite on your mouth and tongue. Some car racing stores can sell you a a tank of nitrous - don't ever use these, auto grade can potentially be toxic since most are now spiked with a sulfur gas. Medical grade and food grade nitrous is safe if you follow precautions.

NEVER use a mask, you want to drop your delivery device if you pass out. Don't jet the gas directly into your nose or mouth as sometimes it comes out as a cold mist and could freeze part of your face or tongue. Fill a trash sack if using a big tank, tape a straw or hose to the end and share like a hookah, this will give the gas a chance to warm up.

If you work in a grocery store sneak into the dairy cooler and grab a whipping creme can, discharged upright into your mouth without shaking gives a nice three minute buzz, exhale as far as you can before inhaling the gas.

Ether

Ether now sold in spray cans as starting fluid for cars used to be the surgical anesthetic of choice. Spray some into a large #10 coffee can stick your face in and breathe, you will start to trip in about thirty seconds and have some freaky/cool weird dreams and visions. This stuff is super flammable it is best to try it in a outdoor area far from any fire or electricity. Like all inhaling keep use to a minimum, more than once a month is way too much, having a sober friend close enough to help if things go bad but far enough away to not interfere with the visions and dreams is a good idea. The idea of a #10 coffee can is you can't easily deprive yourself of oxygen and if you fall asleep the can will drop out of your hands and you will wake up in about a minute.

Another way to enjoy ether is to chill it, and drink it. There is a bit of technique involved in this. Before drinking the ether, chill it in a refrigerator, and prepare some icy cold water. About a liter of water will work great. Chug all the water as fast as possible(this will cool off your throat tissues and help prevent evaporation of the ether.), then switch over to your ether. Dose is about the same as alcohol. Finally, make damn sure that your ether is Diethyl Ether. If it's the other kind, that you can get badly poisoned.

Do not try this with other volatiles like gasoline as these can cause chemical burns to the face and airway, and of course, brain damage, and never use a sack over your head for any reason. Make sure it's pure, or if pure is unobtainable, that you know the exact percentages and have a decent chemistry lab set up. There are various rumors floating around the web that the chemicals can be easily separated. This is a myth.

Note that there is ether and there is ether. Car starting (petroleum) ether is NOT the same as diethyl ether, the stuff that gets you more safely high: See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ether, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diethyl_ether, andhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_ether.

You can make diethyl ether from 95% or grain alcohol aka pure drinking ethanol and sulfuric acid catalyst, you will need a copper distillation tube, and a turkey fryer thermometer, a large glass bottle with a real cork drilled for thermometer and tube will work for your distillation vessel. This reaction produces water and ether which will be mixed with the sulfuric acid. Distil the water/ether/acid mixture at no higher than 45C! Collect distillate that comes over in the range of 31-36°C. Ether makes explosive peroxides on contact with air, so throw a few iron nails or copper wire into your storage bottle to head that off. This synthesis must be done outside on pavement using an electrical hot plate, not open flames. Ether is more flammable than gasoline and will catch fire if there is a spark.

Non-Chemical Thrills

Yogic Breathing

Lay down on a comfortable spot in a quiet place and close your eyes. Take a very deep breath through your mouth, drawing it into your guts. Hold it for the count of ten, and slowly let it out through your nose. Repeat. After a few minutes, you will get a buzz!

Don’t undervalue the practice of meditative breathing as a regular practice. Once you become good at it — which means you’re at a point where you can quickly begin meditating without listening to a relaxation or meditation soundtrack — you can enter a stage of consciousness that is extremely pleasing and very healthy.

Stroboscopic Lights

First of all, make certain you don't have photosensitive epilepsy or other nervous disorders. This can trigger a serious seizure!

Get a strobe flasher with adjustable speed (one that can flash at least three times a second) and set in on a shelf, facing you. Sit in front of it and close your eyes. Be certain that the light is flashing directly into your face. The light flashing through your eyelids will hit your optic nerves and the repeated flashes will alter your brain's oscillations, causing you to "see" rapidly changing colors, shapes and geometric patterns. Some have claimed to have gone into hypnotic states and even hallucinations, but all you need to "snap out of it" is to open your eyes. Long pieces of instrumental music (like the spacey "New Age" stuff that was so hot in the 1980's) will help the effect, but music with vocals can often hinder the effect, since your brain is trying to understand the lyrics.

Artist Brion Gysin and scientist Ian Sommerville created a flicker device called a "Dreamachine". It consists of a light bulb hanging inside a large cardboard tube with patterned holes cut through it, which is spun on an old-style phonograph turntable at 78 RPM. Sit in front of it in a dark room, switch the turntable on, close your eyes and enjoy the show. You can make one yourself for a few bucks using a thrift-store record player, a hanging lamp and large sheets of posterboard. If you can't score a turntable that runs at 78 RPM, there are plans for a 45 RPM version. Check the following for the plans and more info:

If you want a free sample, you can try an on-line version here. Remember to turn off all the lights in the room and face the monitor's screen. http://www.netliberty.net/dreamachine.html

Binaural Beats

Binaural beats were a rage for a bit on video and audio streaming sites like Youtube. There are even some online companies that sell tracks containing these. The way it supposedly works is that you have tones that are strategically placed at differing frequencies to bring the brain into a meditative state. In order for it to work, you must listen to it in stereo and you must use headphones. Combined with strobes, it can work decent. The music itself really is not music nor an actual beat but tones that interact in stereo. Do not take seriously some of these Youtube “reaction” videos designed to stir up drama. You will not be shivering, convulsing, nor be able to snap out of it. The real effect resembles deep yogic meditation at best. Some may experience “visions” or whatever, but mostly expect a light trance while listening to the dull tones.

Miscellaneous

Many people dig salvia leaves. Not being extracted, it takes about 2-3 bowlfuls for a high, or a massive amount kept in your mouth like dipping tobacco. Extracts are very good, but expensive, and the high is short lasting.

Using compressed air (keyboard cleaner) gives a stimulant-like high and for about five minutes afterwards, everything is warped and twisted. It's a fun high, but you'll really pay for it one day. Just stick to Mexican swag, and you'll be fine. (HIGHLY NOT RECOMMENDED: The chemical agent in canned air is extremely easy to overdose on even in low doses, do not try this.)

Some prescriptions give really good highs. Some do nothing, and some can kill you. Just check what you're doing before experimenting. The Pill Book is an annually-printed paperback book that you can find at the pharmacy. Look for medication that has a side effect of “euphoria,” and you’re on the way. It’s common for most of these kinds of pills to be given at doses that will make you high, so don’t overdose, or think that you need even twice as much to feel anything.

You’ll remember from high school health class that you should never take anyone else’s prescription medication. In general, this is not really true. Unless you have allergies to a medication, it’s probably safe to take whatever you might run into with your friends. If you are taking other medication, prescribed by a doctor, then, you do need to be more careful about what you’re doing, because when prescription meds really get iffy is when they are mixed with another prescription. Otherwise, most pain pills and psychotropics are commonly prescribed to pretty much everyone.

Some pills can be ingested by chewing them, but this should be done cautiously if at all. Chewing (or crushing them up with the back of a spoon inside another spoon) the pills often brings the high more quickly. The downside, and the danger, is that you take in all of the medicine at once, which can either waste your high or risk your life. So, be careful. Never, ever crush anything that you have not already used, and try to get as much information about the medicine before taking it beyond the normal dose.

Most pills are made with a time-release coating which dissolves in your stomach and releases the medicine inside slowly. If you chew these, you’re going to waste it, because the coating gets all sticky and prevents the real medicine from being properly absorbed. Chewing your pills can be handy if you’re not in a place where you can get away with grinding up pills in front of people, but always try crushing it before you chew it, or you might be in for a yucky surprise.

Of course, if you are too tough to pretend you're eating Flintstones' vitamins, you can grind up a pill and snort it, just as you would with coke or heroin. This generates an even quicker and more intense high than chewing the pills. Be careful, and never, never incorrectly digest any medication until you are well versed with its normal dose and effects.

In general, the big problem with using pills as a regular high is the rate of addiction. In addition to becoming psychologically addicted, which can happen with everything from PlayStation to chocolate, many (most) types of medication that give you a high are also extremely physically addictive. Even taking an opiate like Oxycodone for a couple of days can result in an episode of withdrawal and can take a long time to endure and can range from very uncomfortable to really, really sick. All things being perfect, if you’re going to use pills for a kick, only use them for a night or so. If you use them for any length of time, try very hard to watch your dosage, and keep enough to last about two days to come off the pills, by reducing the dose by about half every other time you take it.

For a night out, if you don’t go nuts with the booze (which you should try to stay away from if you’re taking pills), some medication can provide a very pleasant and non-intrusive buzz, and it can last a while.

Myths

There are a lot of stories about household substances and other common stuff that can get you high. Most of these are, unfortunately, untrue. For instance:

Aspirin and Tylenol - They can kill you with an overdose but they won't get you high.

Baked Banana Peels - This started as a joke that got entirely out of hand. Supposedly the peels contained a psychoactive compound called "bananadine" and if you scraped the insides and let them dry, you could smoke them and get high. It doesn't work, and there's no such thing as "bananadine".

Catnip - Some of our regular contributors have actually smoked a catnip joint in a hopeful attempt to find some hidden pot substitute in our youth, and it doesn't work. It seems that only cats have the ability to actually get high off of this stuff.

Cola-Cola and Aspirin - This is an urban legend dating back to the 1950's. It will not get you high, nor cause instant death, nor is it an aphrodisiac.

Huffing - Might get you high but many of these chemicals will burn your face or bronchial tubes. Benzine, which is found in most glues and paints, is a known carcinogen.

Rope - Real manila hemp has a negligibly low THC concentration. In fact, most countries that allow a hemp industry and have illegalized pot require that the farmers use only low THC strains of cannabis and test random samples on an annual basis.

Rosemary - Yup, you just bought fake weed and it will not get you high.

Selenium - A handful of these will produce a minor buzz, but will damage your kidneys even more. The trade-off isn't worth it.

^,Image:Einstein tongue.jpg

Buying Selling and Giving it Away

Last updated: 18 June 2011

Go back to Free Dope

The United States penal system detains and processes hundreds of thousands of it's own citizens in cages because of dope. Criminal lawyers, judges and entire police departments are funded through your extortion level fees and slave labor if caught. Until CorpGov decides to legalize and stop taking prisoners in a war against the population, risks will be involved.

Don't work with strangers, sell to friends and only buy from a dealer that is recommended. If you can't get a drug hook up it's probably not worth doing

1 The Burn
1.1 Ask Questions
1.2 Fake Dope
2 Weed
2.1 Strains of Weed
2.2 Medical Weed
3 Cocaine
4 Selling
4.1 Giving It Away
4.2 Drug Prices

The Burn

Practice Security Culture and don't get caught. Never buy from strangers, stick with your own circle, network, and shut up around non-sympathizers.

Arrests are not a real concern when buying, unless you happen to be the fall guy on a dealer. However, you can have your money stolen, be sold fake drugs, or be mugged for your cash, and there is no one you can exactly run to about it. This is known as "the burn."

Buy from a friend or a reputable dealer, and if be extra careful if you must deal with a stranger. Never front money for drugs. A burn artist's gimmick will always involve taking your cash, telling you to wait and ditching you. Of course, when done right it's never very obvious what they're doing.

The burn artist asks you to walk with them a few blocks and stops in front of an apartment building. They say the dope is upstairs and ask you to pay now, explaining that their partner has been uptight since they were raided and he won't let anybody in. Of course, they never had an apartment there, they actually just take your cash and disappear. This is the most common example of the burn, and can be done in many different locations and with any product.

Always carry correct change when buying, the dealer doesn't exactly carry a till with them. Buyers and dealers alike have been known to cut the corners off of bills and paste them to lower denominations, which is really hard to catch in a rushed deal.

Ask Questions

Ask questions if you are unsure about how much you’re getting or how good it should be. There are enough regional differences that you won’t sound stupid (even if you really don’t know) as long as you act like you know what you’re talking about. Also, marijuana dealers and users are notoriously easy-going and compassionate.

Fake Dope

As long as drugs are unregulated and illegal, there will be a risk of buying fake product. Oregano, parsley, yard grass, or catnip can look just like pot. Camel shit has been used for hash. Pills and acid are ridiculously easy to fake. Rip offs are even more common in the hard drug scene as many dealers are often addicted to their product. And all dealers are more likely to rip you off if they think they will never see you again.

When you're buying from strangers, make yourself sound like good business and ask for a sample. Check the weight with a small pocket scale. Be somewhere you can actually take a good look at the drug. The more experienced you become with drug culture, the harder it will be for someone to sell you fake product.

Never accept a dealer's sample separate from what you're buying. You should never buy acid from a stranger as it is too easy to fake and near impossible to test. You can buy an ecstasy testing kit from the green party for £21.45 ($40.00). The kit is legal, easy to use, discreet and has approx. 150 tests. http://drugs.greenparty.org.uk/

Weed

Prices for weed vary greatly based on the quality of the weed and where you’re buying it. It is sold in dime bags, eighths (1/8 ounce), quarters, halves, and ounces. It’s also sold in dollar-amount bags, depending on where you are. Example: instead of buying an eighth or a quarter, you might be a $20 bag, a $40 bag, etc. If in a strange place, stick with a dime bag or less. If you get screwed, you do not lose that much. Of course, if everything turns out great, you can always go back for more.

If you know what you’re doing and find a good dealer, stick with him or her as long as you can. Most continue until they get tired of dealing. As with food, you usually save by buying larger amounts. If someone sells an eighth for one price, the cost of a quarter will be a bit better deal.

Strains of Weed

The strains of weed are so numerous and often regional that categorizing every one is almost as tedious as going over the hundreds of different wines. We will leave that for High Times editors at the Cannibus Cup in Amsterdam to review for 'weed snobs'. Forget about all the fancy names of some breeder's ego. All pot comes from three species: Cannibus Sativa - the classic christmas tree bush that grows up to 12 feet tall, Cannibus Indica - a short season plant with sticky buds that grows about 6 to 8 feet tall, and Cannibus Ruderalis - a short statured, wild growing hemp that auto flowers and has low THC. All of the 'brands' and nicknames are various genetic crosses of these three plants.

Schwag is the common name for run of the mill, lower quality weed. It tends to be much cheaper but takes a bit more to do the trick. Since the genetics of the weed are not as closely monitored, it can contain less THC and more of the cannabiniods that cause drowsiness. Improperly bred, harvested, cured, or stored weed can also have a less desirable taste regardless of strain.

True 'ditch weed' or 'lowrider' is actually Cannibus Ruderalis, a wild growing weed in many parts of the midwest left over from the eradication of the hemp industry. It looks like pot with a smaller stature, but has a very low THC content, although a few growers have lately been experimenting with breeding it with Cannibus Indica for the preferable flowering and size of Ruderalis and the stone of indica.

Some pot growers are very meticulous when it comes to the trade and pay close attention to genetics and THC content. As such, these can go for prices above shwag weed. The price is often justifiable. A great strained weed that is grown in a correct manner is superior to amateur efforts. Most good weed comes from varieties of the Cannibus Sativa and Cannibus Indica line of plants. Names like Northern Lights, Skunk, Afghan Hindu Kush, and others all have varying tastes and highs.

Medical Weed

Thanks to the decades long efforts of pot advocacy groups, a few more progressive states have allowed the purchase of medical pot from co-ops and dispensaries.

A common misconception is that you need a prescription from a doctor. That is not true. Because pot is still considered a schedule I drug under federal law, a doctor cannot legally write a prescription. Instead, in most of the medical pot states, they must write a recommendation. The myth comes from the fact that there was actually a movement decades back resulting in about a dozen folks actually getting prescriptions. Pre-rolled joints fresh from the CorpGov pot farm at Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi are mailed to these folks. However, no more are being issued and only 6 or 7 are still alive.

Getting a doctor to write a recommendation differs from state to state. Some states like California is fairly liberal and has a wide variety of ailments that qualify, while other states have a limited list of only 5 really deadly things. To qualify, you are going to need medical records from a private physician detailing any real (or fake - stick to ailments that there is no test for like chronic pain or ADD, if the state allows that) ailment, usually for many months. You will then need to go to another doctor who only specializes in writing recommendations. You also may need to be a resident of that state with a valid picture ID. He will review the documents and, if everything is in order, write the recommendation.

With recommendation in hand, you can then get a state pot card and attempt to get memberships into dispensaries and co-ops. Just be warned that many limit membership and some charge pretty hefty fees.

Enjoy your medicine, but be careful if you travel out of that state. Vast tracts of Amerika are still under Pig Law as far as pot and probably will not respect the right to toke even with documentation.

Cocaine

Bring along a black light when buying cocaine. Some impurities will glow fluorescent, giving you an idea about the purity. You may also boil out impurities, also known as making crack cocaine!

Take a metal spoon and put a quarter gram or more in (remembering to add about twice the amount of baking soda). To recap 1/3 cocaine 2/3 baking soda. Add water till spoon is almost full. Light two lighters under the spoon and let boil. There is a visual difference between the oil and water, You can take a penny or nickel or anything metal and swish it around to collect all the oil as good cocaine has a lot.

Sniffing coke can perforate your nasal passages and sniffing yoo much can kill you. Be careful about chasing it, because it makes you feel so good that you will want more, but you probably can’t afford to use as much as you’d like. In lab tests, rats will do anything for more cocaine, including submitting themselves to otherwise known causes of death. Also, expect post-nasal drip.

Selling

Dealing is tax-free survival, but it is actual work. Start by saving up and buying a large quantity of a common drug. Sell small amounts to your friends at a nominal mark up, and be good business by meeting them on time and having a quality product.

The fewer strangers you deal with, the safer you are. The price of drugs varies between cities, connections, and quality, so if there is a bust expect to charge more and lose business. The price should always decrease depending on the amount you get. Screwing your customers will only lose you business and reputation, so be honest. Never deal from your pad and avoid keeping your stash there.

Get into searching out the best markets which are generally in California, given its close proximity to good ol' Mexico. Kansas is a big distribution center for Mexican grass, too. You can ship the stuff (safer than carrying) via air freight anywhere in the country for about $30 a trunk. Keep the sending and receiving end looking straight. We have one friend who wears a priest's outfit to ship and receive dope. In fact, every time we see nuns or priests on the street, we assume they're outlaws just on their way to the next deal or bombing. For all we know, the church actually is nothing but a huge dope ring in drag. Anybody gotten high off communion wafers lately?

When dealing on the phone, be cool. Make references to theater tickets or subscriptions. Don't keep extensive notes on your activities and contacts. Use code names where you can.

Only you and the buyer should be in the immediate vicinity as the police work in pairs. Dealing is a paradox of unloading a good amount but not trying to move too fast, making new contacts but being careful of strangers, dealing high quality and low prices, and of being simultaneously bold and cautious.

If you get caught find a lawyer who specializes in dope busts. First offenders rarely end up serving time, but it sets a precedent if you get caught again. Know how punitive the courts are and which judges and prosecutors can be bought off. Avoid drug dealing the month before an election. For complete information on how to avoid getting busted and what to do if busted, read The Drug Bust (listed in appendix).

Giving It Away

For good standing, every dealer submits to some voluntary taxation. Giving up some of your stash at special events or to groups of interest can definitely raise your profile. Donate to bust trusts who bail heads unable to pay the ransom money the courts demand for their freedom.

A group in New York mailed 30,000 joints to people in the phone book on Valentine's Day. A group in Los Angeles placed over 2,000 joints in library books and then advised kids to smoke a book during National Library Week. Be cool about giving stuff away since that still counts as dealing in most states.

Drug Prices

If you're selling drugs, you have to be getting them at some cost, which can help you set a reasonable price. You are the supply, they are the demand. If the demand constantly overwhelms your supply, raise the price and the demand will taper. You want money, not an army of dope heads.

You've also probably done the drugs you're selling, and would know how much someone is expecting or willing to pay for a dose.

DIY Paraphernalia

Last updated: 28 June 2011

Some drugs need special equipment. The most famous of the drugs that need such equipment is, of course, pot. No, we are not going to bore you with twenty brain dead blueprints for how to build a pipe or bong (though you might get inspired if you like projects). But, we will go over some of the legal issues concerning paraphernalia, suggestions for smoking in situations where no one has anything to smoke from, and general observations from the veterans!

Once again, our standard Free Dope article warning: Do not do any drugs if you are homeless or in a volatile situation. You need all your wits to survive. Not to mention, you have much less rights about searches while on foot.

LEGAL WARNING: Drug paraphernalia caries just as stiff a fine as possessing small amounts of drugs and possible jail time in many parts of the Empire. Sometimes the residue in the pipe matters, sometimes not. Even cigarette papers can be considered paraphernalia if not accompanied by rolling tobacco in some areas. Know your local laws, keep safe, and practiceSecurity Culture!

1 Makeshift Devices
2 Bongs and Pipes
2.1 Screens
2.2 DIY
2.3 Safe Materials
2.4 Pipe and Bong Legal Considerations
2.5 Residue and Cleaning
2.6 Wine Bong Water Myth
3 Joints and Blunts
3.1 Rolling Papers
3.2 Rolling a Joint
3.3 Blunts
3.4 Blunt and Joint Observations
4 Vaporizers
5 Joint, Pipe, and Bong Etiquette

Makeshift Devices

Do not listen to the myths of using the thin paper found in many bibles, toilet paper, newsprint, and other bullshit that will ruin and possibly waste the weed and your lungs, too!

If a buddy unexpectedly drops over with some smoke, but no one has papers or any kind of pipe, you can still smoke. Simply get an empty aluminum soda or beer can, bend it slightly for a place to put the weed, poke holes in the top, and fire away. Most folks will always have a can somewhere, even if you get one from the trash and wash it out real good. Out of all the far fetched things out there, this is probably the simplest way that actually works pretty well on short notice without going on scavenger hunts.

Be cautious with this, though. Smoking from a soda can has a strong association with crack cocaine. When crack heads can not get non-soaped Brillo and a straight tube of glass or metal, they use this method very often. The crack head usually makes a bed of cigarette ash on the top holes to keep the cocaine from running when a flame is applied. Some of the more experienced pot snobs may attach a stigma because of this and the fact it just is not very classy. Rarely, stupid cops may assume you are smoking crack if they find it and book you for crack cocaine which has stiffer penalties than pot in many places due to racist and classist policies. Yes, a lawyer and a simple test on the can will sort it out, but still, the arrest record will still read cocaine rather than pot on criminal background checks. Future cop stops will show this when the ID is run and may screw you much later for some job. (even if charges are dropped!). Finally, if you use the same can over and over, the aluminum where the holes are gets thinner and degrades and can get in your lungs.

It is also possible if you have aluminum foil to make a quick pipe by rolling it around a pencil and bending up a “bowl” after removing the pencil. Combine two of these with a plastic drink bottle with two holes in it and some way to seal the holes where the tubes go in, you could have a makeshift bong.

If you have no aluminum foil or soda can laying around, get off your ass and get rolling papers, a cigar, or a 60 cent can of soda! Or - make your own if you find yourself in this situation often.. Do not listen to urban myths.

Bongs and Pipes

Getting a good bong or pipe is very easy if you are in a community with a head shop and have some cash. Middle Eastern owned convenience stores are also great places to look into as sometimes they keep pipes and bongs behind the counter if someone asks. Some cities will allow these to be sold as long as they are “FOR TOBACCO USE ONLY”, meaning they have no screens. Paranoia reigns in many of these places, though. It is so bad that in many anti-420 places that they will chase you out of the store if you even mention pot, so be cool.

Screens

If the shop does not sell screens or you are in a place without head shops, fear not. The faucet where the water comes out in the kitchen and bathrooms often have screens can be used if you unscrew them. The home improvement and hardware stores also sell replacement screens for these for a couple of bucks. Get these instead if you are leery of being contaminated from decades of old plumbing deposits getting in your lungs or you live in an apartment and the previous tenant already thought of this.

DIY

Of course you can always make your own bong or pipe. It is not that hard and all of the components are 100 percent legal no matter where you are at. Even if a head shop IS available, it may be a better idea to do this. Some of these commercially available bongs are really tacky with guitars, skulls, aliens, and rock symbols which may not be your style. Many of the store bought options are not cheap either with prices ranging from 10 USD to 30 USD for a small one hitter pipe to 40 USD to 100 USD plus for the bongs. With imagination and a small bit of work, this can be as simple or extravagant as you wish. We have seen examples of old ceramic piggy banks, plumbing parts from Home Depot, coke bottles, and even apples (!) made into something to smoke out of. Particularly skilled craftsmen can even carve pipes out of wood, blow their own glass, and even do really fancy ceramic work. Some of these are true works of art! The creators are so proud of them, they sometimes even name them! Optimus Prime, Gandalf, Captain Picard, and Megatron, are all common names for bongs.

Safe Materials

There has been much debate over what material is safe to smoke out of. If you look to CorpGov propaganda, they will say there is no safe way to smoke pot and try to shut down any serious studies. However, it is generally accepted that glass is the safest to smoke from. Aluminum should be safe, but there are inconclusive links to cooking or smoking from aluminum and Alzheimer’s with life long use. You should definitely avoid tin, copper, and other low melting point metals, as these can release some nasty chemicals that may mess you up.

Pipe and Bong Legal Considerations

Pipes and bongs have the very bad disadvantage of being the most likely to get you busted on charges if you are careless or unlucky. Big bongs can be really hard to hide and just the sight of one can give pigs probable cause to rip your house and car apart looking for a stash, sometimes dogs and all. Pipes are easier to hide, but suffer the same problem of not being that easy to dispose of. Keep these at the house or if you are transporting them, out of view in a trunk of a car. If you have a big party that may get loud, try to confine smoking to a back room to avoid the rare event a cop will see a bong or pipe sitting on the coffee table when you open the door.

Residue and Cleaning

Unlike joints or blunts, bongs and pipes can be a gift that keep on giving. The sticky black residue on the inside of the pipe can still get you stoned if your stash is depleted. Scraping pipes can get messy, though. We recommend you put the metal of the pipe in the freezer for a few to harden the residue before you scrape to make it less sticky. Sometimes after smoking residue, the remains of the residue on the screen turns white and can confuse ignorant cops towards crack use if it is a pipe. Indeed, even if it is not white, residue still counts as possession in most jurisdictions. Not only that, Smoking lots of residue can mess up screens faster than smoking the good stuff. Soak the screen in rubbing alcohol for a bit to reuse screens a bit longer. Use only specific tools to clean your pipe or bong and use these for nothing else. A pair of cuticle scissors that are broken apart is great for this. A pocket knife or tool that you may take around and use for other things will have some residue stick to it and be hard to get off. This could give you away if someone unsympathetic sees black stains all over screwdrivers or blades.

Wine Bong Water Myth

Some folks may be tempted to be classy with their bong and put good wine or liquor in the bong instead of tap water. They claim it it improves the flavor or can somehow make the toke stronger. This is never a good idea. THC is soluble in alcohol and you will be cheating yourself out of a buzz. Wine, if left in the bong for a day or so, can cause bacteria to grow all up in the bong and can be a messy clean up. It is best to enjoy good wine like it is meant to be enjoyed - sipped in a glass as you toke your herb.

Joints and Blunts

Cigarette papers are sold in every corner store in the empire. Those under 18 may be carded, though. Tobacco laws sometimes include things like rolling papers and lighters along with actual tobacco in lists of products to ask ID for.

Rolling Papers

Purists sometimes have discussions over which brand of papers and which size papers roll the best. Mostly between the better brands, there is no real difference but personal preference. The 1.5s tend to be much more forgiving with novice joint rollers, but the pot snobs will scream that the 1.25s give you less paper smoke and more actual smoke. One thing most will be in agreement on is that the cheap papers found in roll-your-own tobacco packs are the worst papers to roll with. They tear and sometimes have horrible glue where they messed up at the factory. We are looking at you, TOPS and Kite rolling papers!

Rolling a Joint

Rolling a good joint is a skill and takes practice. Even a few old hippies with 30 plus years pot smoking experience can still have trouble mastering this art. Many folks that can not get the joint to form right by hand will use a cheat method. They will use a folded dollar bill and roll the joint with that. If using that does not work, there are always cheap rolling machines in tobacco shops that will make even the biggest klutz roll like a pro.

Blunts

Blunts work really well if you have a good dime or nickel bag, intend to smoke the whole thing, or may have a quite a few folks you need to share it with. If you are smoking just by yourself or with just one other, many times you will have some left over the next time. Unlike the cigarette papers, those under 18 WILL be carded for buying an actual product like a cigar. Some stores will sell just cigar rollings, but most of the time an actual cheap cigar is cheaper. Just cut the cigar and discard CorpGov's drug and replace with your drug. Wet the cigar and put it back together and you are ready for lift off. Simple. Even those having trouble rolling joints have trouble messing this up. Careful, as this tends to get folks a lot higher than a joint because you are putting more in. Only issue is that some anti-tobacco folks may turn their noses up at a blunt since the outside of a cigar is a tobacco leaf, so it may not be for everyone.

Blunt and Joint Observations

Blunts and joints have been accused of being very wasteful. Folks who say this do have a valid point because it is true that a good portion of the smoke does go straight in the air and not someone's lungs. If you are smoking most of the time in a secure area like a house and not mobile, a pipe or bong will save tons of money over rolling stuff all the time. BUT- if you are in a mobile situation like outside, in a car, or similar - a joint or blunt is very easily disposed of. Just eat it! Just do not have the rest of your stash in your pocket or nearby, do not use an ashtray (residue and ash is considered possession many places), and do not have papers without rolling tobacco. You MAY get out of charges. Not that we are recommending driving in a car while high. But, just something good to know. Cops need evidence and if the evidence disappears, it makes the job much harder and they will probably have to let you go.

Vaporizers

Developed by tobacco smokers in response to complaints of second hand smoke, vaporizers are the newest development in the world of smoking tools. The vaporizer is actually the cleanest way to smoke. Many smokers swear by it. It does cut down on much of the tell-tale signs of pot smoking. However, these things are pretty steep ranging from 50 USD for a cheap and shoddy one on up to 200 USD for a fancy one with all the bells and whistles.

Some are battery powered and a very few may need to be plugged in.

You can find these in most of the better tobacco shops or online if you want to try this out.

Like bongs and larger pipes, these devices suffer from lack of disposability and stealth if trouble arises and is probably best for home use only.

Joint, Pipe, and Bong Etiquette

Whether it is a blunt or a joint, there is some etiquette involved. You did not think the stoner culture to be all godless criminal barbarians like DARE implies did you? (well, most of the stoner culture, anyways...)

First off: DO NOT slobber all over the joint. No one wants to feel your slobber on their lips as they toke bud. It is called “lipping” and is considered impolite.

Second thing: Puff, Puff, Pass! You may be getting baked, but someone else may be waiting to hit it before it turns to ash. If there are two or more joints being passed in a large group, do not be still holding one joint when the second comes around!

Third point, is debatable. Some say pass counter-clockwise and others say clockwise. It probably does not matter, but some hosts like to enforce this. It may have it's origin from pagan/ earthy movement fads of the late 80s to late 90s and maybe even before then. Or maybe it just sounds cool.

Fourth, the owner of the weed always has the right to take first hit and can gets the leftover roach - even if it skips any rotation. If he/she does not wish to take first hit or take the roach, this honor can be passed to whoever he or she wants.

Fifth, AND most important is EVERYONE including the the owner of the pipe and weed is responsible for safety. They keep their mouth shut about drug use around pigs, the stupid, the loud mouthed, the eternally clueless, children, and the unsympathetic. They take measures to hide paraphernalia, stashes, and odd smells from these people and never do this in the open. They clean up any evidence that may be left around and gently remind their brothers and sisters if they are being careless. They readSecurity Culture and read Legal Advice and avoid smoking regularly with anyone who does not appear respect these things. They choose good times and secure places to smoke, and use common sense. They never do this around children, while working, or while driving. Yeah, maybe we beat dead horses. But the thousands POWs in cages from CorpGov's fascist drug war will agree with us that no amount of safety talk is too much.

Growing Your Own

Last updated: 9 February 2011

Go back to Free Dope

All three varieties (Sativa, Indica, andRuderalis-hybrids) of pot are weeds! As such, can grow in all climates under every kind of soil condition arctic or desert environments. Acres and acres of the low THC commercial hemp strain of the plant grew wild in Kansas, Iowa and New Jersey in the 60's - with some patches still around today. Even if you are not located next door to a large pot field growing in the wild, maybe you can have some success in growing your own. Some may make fun of a sixty year old hippie and his seeded homegrown shwag, but he never has to look for pot dealers and smokes even when everyone else is scraping their pipe for residue because all the dealers have run out.

There are two basic camps as far as pot growing. One is outdoor growing and the other is growing indoors with the aid of grow lights. Each has it's own advantages and disadvantages. We will cover each.

LEGAL NOTE Growing pot is a FELONY in many places, depending on amount. A few of the more liberal states in the Empire may allow you to grow a small number of plants only for personal or medical use or have decriminalized small amounts where all you pay is a steep fine. Most other states will nail you for up to 30 years in prison for only a few plants while child molesters and rapists get out in 5 years! Prison time can be worse if you even have sandwich bags in your house as they can accuse you of trying to distribute even if you have absolutely no intention to. The pigs can confiscate your vehicle or home to sell at "drug lord auctions" so they can buy new cop toys! Social workers can take away kids and put them in foster homes. In some countries outside Amerika, it is worse with possible life in prison and even death sentences!! Know the laws, keepSecurity Culture, be safe, and keep your mouth shut!

1 Obtaining Seeds
2 Sprouting Seeds
3 Outdoor Growing
3.1 Backyard Outdoors
3.2 Guerrilla Farming
3.3 Transplanting Outdoors
3.4 Bugs and other Pests
4 Indoor Gardening
4.1 Special Concerns With Indoor Growing
4.2 Starting Out
4.3 Grow Lights
4.4 Light Timer
4.5 Micro-growing
5 Stages of Growth and Sexing
6 Pinching
7 Harvest
8 Trimming
9 Drying
10 Manicuring
11 Curing
12 Storage

Obtaining Seeds

The first thing is to start with a bunch of good-quality seeds. You can get this from from grass gained from a recent purchase or collected from parties or friends. You may even know someone who grows who is willing to donate some of his or her killer seed stock if you are really fortunate.

While sometimes it can be hard to find seeds if you are currently in a circle of non-smokers or in a drought, do not waste time and money with any of these "seed bank" companies advertised on 420 friendly sites and magazines. That is - unless you happen to live in Canada or Holland and can purchase the seeds in person. Even those magazines and sites know most of these are scams, but tolerate them due to the fact they need ad revenue to stay afloat. These online places have been known to be undercover pig places collecting names and addresses. Even with the legit ones, you could end up paying a non-refundable 20-40 USD for a ripped up packet and a nasty letter from US Customs or they could just simply take the money with no recourse for a refund.

Since it is generally frowned upon by pot consumers to have a bag laden with seeds, most pot growers try to pull males before the females can go to seed (sexing is covered later). As such, if you get your seeds from purchased weed, you are probably going to find a lot of immature seeds or infertile seeds - if any. Fear not, though. Many bags do have usable seeds. Select only the darkest and hardest seeds and discard any white or hollow ones. A great way to see if the seed is fertile is to squeeze it between your thumb and finger, if it does not break it should be good.

The disadvantage to just getting from a random bag is unless you have a trained eye or know much about the weed's origin, it can be hard to know if the strain is a good grow for your climate or will tolerate being grown indoors well. C. Sativa tends to get 10 to 12 feet tall and grows really good in climates with long growing seasons while C. Indica is a bit shorter and is suited for areas with shorter summers. But - this, too can be dealt with.

Sprouting Seeds

Regardless of whether you decide to plant indoors or outdoors, the generally accepted way of getting seeds to sprout is the wet paper towel method. The broadcast method of farming other crops use of just planting tons of seeds and waiting for something to pop up is way too wasteful and unreliable.

Place your seeds in a plate on top of a paper towel then place another paper towel on top of it. Then, wet the paper towels on the plate with the covered seeds with water. Do not let the water dry out or you will have to start over, possibly killing the seeds. Put the towel into a ziplock bag and place this in a warm light place for about a week or until a sprout about a half inch long appears from most of the seeds.
When the seedlings have sprouts it is time to put them in a seedling planter. The small, disposable six pack planters and potting soil that garden shops use are perfect and will give you an easier time transplanting later. Of course, if you have more plants use more planters.
Poke holes in the soil deep enough so that the whole sprout is just covered put them in the soil root down (the white thing). Always water after planting or transplanting any plant. Do not fertilize at this point. The plants are too young and the fertilizer can burn them. The soil already has enough to last the plant quite some time.
The seedlings should remain in their boxes in a sunny window or under a light for about a month or two. They should receive enough water during this period to keep the soil moist (about every two days). It really helps the plant's survival if they are about six to eight inches tall before transplanting in a larger pot or prepared to be transported to a guerrilla grow site.

Outdoor Growing

Arguably, the great outdoors produces the best product with the least amount of experience necessary. But, it can be a bit riskier. Every pot head dreams of stumbling upon a pot patch in the wilderness to pillage. Lazy thieves and even false friends will be more than willing to relieve you of an unattended stash if months of free smoking or rent level money is involved. Likewise, pigs patrol the skies with high tech toys looking for a patch to swoop in and destroy. Even nature itself can take your harvest as all manner of bugs and wildlife can eat your plants and bad storms can snap the stalks!

Before planting outdoors, you need to pick a spot.

No matter where outdoors you plant, use common sense! Keep your plants out of view, away from high pedestrian traffic, and camouflaged. This includes planting around other tall plants, behind areas, and other creative stealth tactics.

Backyard Outdoors

Some folks grow from pots or in a garden in their own backyard. After all, it is very convenient to have the plant right outside to monitor and not have to worry with the hassle and expense of elaborate indoor grow lights or being forced to hike in the bug infested woods in a hot summer to make sure the babies are doing okay.

If you think your backyard is secure, go for it! BUT, be VERY careful to keep this hidden. Crime Stopper Hotlines in anti-420 states pay out up to 500 USD with no court appearance needed for any word of any pot patch and a conviction. Grow busts are prestigious to the cops that bust them and are highly sought after by the average cop. Sometimes a hotline tip is all that is needed for a search warrant in “throw 'em in jail/ tough on drugs” cultured parts of the Empire. Nosy neighbors, landlords, and even power meter readers can all profit from this. (indeed, there was a story published somewhere of a power meter reader who made an extra paycheck like this as he went legally going around snooping while making his rounds) If the plant is growing in your own backyard or balcony, there is no denying the plant is yours in the eyes of a judge.

Guerrilla Farming

A great idea, though quite a bit more logistics and work, is to find some hidden little-used area a bit away from where you live and plant in it. Scouting out a good location is an art and can give you a great excuse to hike/bike and experience the outdoors. An advantage to this is it can be hard to catch who did it (barring open mouths, bad luck, or stupidity) if the “eye in the sky” finds it and leads teams of pigs armed with machetes to destroy it. But, remember - the object of the game is that we do not want anyone or anything to steal the crops!

Wear bug repellant and long, sturdy pants in thick wooded areas spring to late summer. No shorts even though it may be blazing hot and humid. You will be sorry otherwise.
Be mindful of who (if anyone) sees you go into the hidden area and never leave trails. Going at different times and different days along with going out there sparingly can reduce chances of unwanted attention.

Just say NO to flying pigs! While you do need a lot of sunlight, pot is not an extreme sun plant like corn or sugar cane and can cope with some shade. You can make by on half a day's worth of direct sunlight and partial (not complete) shade. The DEA and state agencies use military aircraft and satellites tuned to the infrared reflection of marijuana plants. Computers help analyze satellite photos to direct helicopter squads to the grow site. Any plant or group of plants with wide-open view from the air is in danger from these high tech thieves! Growing few plants scattered and spread in thick areas crowded with other tall-growing plants and with partial shade is the way to go. Flying pigs are in full swing from late July to late October when most variety of plants are budding and about to harvest and are big and easier to see from the air with their toys. Also, big ready to harvest plants by weight look good to the media and the record for “taking X dollars of weed off the streets” to justify continued enforcement and tax dollars to fund entire departments. Be vigilant against this treachery during those months just when your hard work is about to come to fruition.
Leave cell phones at home or take out the battery. Like we discuss in Free Telephones, almost all modern phones send out signals to multiple towers and can be used to triangulate that you were at a place regardless of being equipped with GPS, being turned on, or not. This usually is not a big deal unless they have already busted you and the prosecutors still need some way to place you at the grow site. But a little caution never hurt anyone.
The best places by far to plant are areas that no sane person would want to go up into. We are talking about impenetrable thorn brushes from hell and tall snake and mosquito infested areas. This will keep opportunistic folks, land surveyors, or hunters from running up on plants. Even folks who may know approximately where the plants are will be given pause when faced with a wall of briars!
Try not to go too big! Most of the big pot field busts are from those that tried to go crazy and put out dozens and dozens of plants in the same spot for months of smoke and the big money. Instead, place two to three plants in separate locations located far from each other.
When transporting young plants fresh from the seedling and nursery process, grab a bunch of liter coke bottles and cut out the bottom. You can then place this over the little pots your young plants are in to keep them from damage during transport.
You may want to make sure a water source like a creek or slough is nearby as Cannabis tends to love water. If a dry growing season occurs, carting two liter bottles of water throughout a months long season to your spot can get tedious (and risky).
It can be good idea to carry a fishing pole or hiking gear with you or even walk a dog to give you a veil of an excuse for being out there.
Be extremely careful during the time you place the young plants out AND during harvest as these are the most dangerous times. You can always claim you were out hiking or hunting for future fishing spots in the rare event you are harassed departing a stretch of woods, but there is little you can do if you are searched and found carting young plants or backpacks full of pounds of herb! It is probably also a good idea to leave farm implements like digging tools, buckets, etc. out there hidden under heavy brush and not carry with you.

Transplanting Outdoors

Prepare the land the way you would for any garden vegetable. Dig up the ground with a pitchfork or heavy duty rake, removing rocks. Rake the plot level and dig holes in the soil a little deeper than the soil height of your plants. Three feet apart is okay, but six feet apart is better for plant hole placement. Use judgment as to the placement of holes as far as to keep with good camouflage. Remove the young plants from the other pot, being careful not to damage the roots and keeping as much soil intact as possible. Transplant each plant into one of the holes and fill the hole with dirt. When all the plants are in the ground, water the entire area. Tend them the way you would any other garden. They should reach a height of about five feet to twelve feet (depending on genetics and climate) by the end of the summer and be ready to harvest.

Remember camouflage! Replace natural plants, fauna, and leaves back around and do not disturb large areas around the hole you dug for the plant. Always grow with limited views to the open sky and around other tall plants. The best guerrilla grows can not be spotted even with a trained eye five feet away. One to three plants per spot spreads your losses if one spot is actually found and makes it harder to detect.

Bugs and other Pests

If you have bugs chewing on your plants, go to your local health food store and buy a small bottle of Dr. Bronner's Liquid Baby-Mild Soap (the unscented kind). Dilute it about 1 part soap to 2 parts water, pour it into a spray bottle, then spray the plants with it. Dr. Bronner's is a very mild, vegetable-oil based soap and will not harm the plants. However, it will taste very bad to the bugs and hopefully they will go elsewhere.

If you are doing an outdoor grow and are looking for a more natural solution, you can buy Praying Mantis Castings (they'll eat any bug smaller than them) from your local nursery.

Outdoor growers in stealth locations also may have trouble with wildlife like deer and rabbits nibbling on the herbs. Cannabis has a very unique smell which is attractive for a snack - and do you blame them? A good way to keep these freeloaders at bay is to put out mothballs. Wildlife tends to avoid areas with human smells. We have also heard of putting out old socks and panty hose, but tend to discourage that due to the remote extreme paranoid chance of DNA testing if the helicopter bacon patrol swoops in on your spot looking for bust evidence.

Indoor Gardening

If you don't have access to a backyard, field, or woodsy area, you can grow good stuff right in your own closet, garage, shed, or extra room using artificial lighting. For some living in large, high density population urban areas with no backyard or empty wooded areas for many miles, this may be the only halfway realistic choice. Indoor growing requires a bit more research and money investment to do right, but you will not be at the mercy of what season it is or be worried for months about plants way out in the middle of nowhere being ripped off.

Special Concerns With Indoor Growing

You will need to be fairly stable and not worried with possible eviction, job transfer, or having to leave a volatile situation. If you think you are going to need to move within the time it takes to grow (six to nine months - four months for certain indoor friendly strains), you may want to do outdoors, or just continue to buy and let someone else grow. Most good strains of pot have a strong, unmistakable smell towards the later stages of growth that can sometimes really stink a place up and give your secret away. You MUST be able to limit non-sympathetic visitors to your space. It probably is not a good idea to try this if you are in a college dorm, rooming house, or still living with parents. If you rent, you need to look out for landlords. Some landlords are distant and rarely seen while others are very nosy and hands-on. Only you know your landlord and can make this call. Just remember that the landlord and any staff or any approved contractor CAN legally enter and inspect your pad for needed repairs or for damages with little or no notice - even when you are not at home! All it takes is for someone to bust a water pipe living above you or something along those lines. Changing locks or having someone always home if you can get away with it can give you minor relief. But, they can still get in legally if they really want to or need to - even if they need to bust your lock.

Starting Out

You start out from seed with the wet paper towel method and seedling planters same as you would for outdoor growing. Transplant the plants into larger wooden boxes or flower boxes. Be sure and cover the bottom of each box with a few inches of pebbles or broken pottery before you add the soil. This will ensure proper drainage. Fertilize the soil according to the instructions on the box and punch out holes in much the same way you would do if you were growing outside. After the young plants have been transplanted and watered thoroughly, you will have to rig up a lighting system.

Grow Lights

There are several types of lighting systems one can use.

The cheapest and easiest is to use fluorescent bulbs. Indeed, this is the old standby for many novice indoor growers. They run cooler and more efficiently than most types of lights. You need a lot of light to grow good grass. Try to use about 8000 lumens per square foot of growing space. (You can find the lumen output of a light bulb by looking on the box.)

If you can afford it, HID systems are well worth the money, and will drastically increase the size and potency of your final product. These use much less energy per lumen and output incredible amounts of light. The most efficient type of HID is a High Pressure Sodium setup. You can buy an HPS setup a hardware and home improvement shop for about 70 to 85 USD.

It is also possible to build a large bank of red and blue LED’s (remember, you still need the full brightness). It's common practice to have more red than blue LED’s, but this is just because they tend to be cheaper/more common. This approach can also be used for indoor gardening of other plants. LED’s are not full spectrum which may theoretically stunt growth, but they're 2-3 times more efficient than fluorescent bulbs, give off less heat. UV LED’s are also available if you find that you need UV for your plants to grow as well.

Regardless of which lights you decide on, you will still need to set up rigs and modify it to suit your purposes. Just be careful when playing with wiring and electricity. Some kind of way to change the position and height of the lights will be needed as the plants get taller. If you choose to use fluorescent bulbs, keep the bulb about 2 inches away from the top of the plant. If you go the HID route, you'll need to keep the bulbs about 2 feet away from the plants. As the plant grows you will need to move the lights higher. Be sure to consider this factor when you are setting up your system.

A quick note about specialty Grow Shops and your favorite three letter agency

A few years back, there was a DEA spy operation called "Operation Green Merchant". Pigs would have either trained undercover cops with lots of indoor growing knowledge posing as salesmen and/or parked in an undercover van across from these stores watching folks leaving with purchases. They would then put under surveillance and bust folks 3 or 4 months later at harvest time. Search warrants were then easily obtained from certain sympathetic judges with the blessing of local politicians to justify increased budgets and federal money. Yes, this may be old news. Most of the better remaining grow shops nowadays have now established in store policies where even talking about pot will get you kicked out of the store to save what business they had left after the fiasco. But still, we recommend not buying all your stuff in one place. Do not ask in public about growing anything indoors, especially when it is a fact that it is not cost effective to grow anything indoors except pot for the average person with cheap produce prices. Run from any salesman or staff that implies anything about pot growing activities or even seems sympathetic. Do all research online or from quality pot magazines sold in bookstores. Or better, only buy from a home improvement shop that deals in more than just indoor growing garden equipment and buy from more than one location. As always, use cash and no plastic cards. There are always new scams hatching to put innocent citizens behind bars as long as money is to be made.

Light Timer

Unless you have one of the C. Ruderalis/C. Indica cross auto-flowering strains, you are going to have to invest in a timer to control light cycles as most strains of pot go into budding stages based on shortening light cycles. Advanced set ups sometimes use two grow rooms - one for a nursery with long light cycles and a budding room with much shorter cycles. Be aware extremely large set ups use lots of power and generate heat that can be viewed by flying pigs using military toys. They then have been known to get power bills and then put your house under surveillance to attempt to get enough dirt to convince a judge for a warrant to bust into your place! Just like outdoor growing, if you keep it on a fairly small scale, you should be able to be safe and your power bill will not jump way up.

Micro-growing

If space is at a premium, there has been an emerging fad amongst the 420 growing hobbyists because of increased aerial surveillance and power company spying : The Micro stealth grow. There are some advertised products in High Times and 420 forum sites that offer already constructed solutions or you can build something cool yourself. Regardless if you build yourself or order something ready to go, be aware that micro-grow is not a newbie friendly deal at all. Yields tend to be not very large because the lighting tends to be way underpowered or non-indoor friendly strains of seeds are used. To get it to work, you really have to pay attention and do a bit more research than is in the scope of this article. Optimistic yield can be about a half ounce every 60-90 days if you know what the hell you are doing. In practice most folks will be lucky to get one bud, if anything, at first.

The Aerogarden, Growtron, and other products are small, self contained, hydroponic grow systems. Often, you can find them advertised in High Times and on online sites. They cost 150 USD to 400 USD and can supposedly grow marijuana, tomatoes, and other plants. The companies that make these contraptions are NOT going give technical support with pot for legal reasons, so you are on your own if your harvest turns out to be a dud. Expect them to try to sell you on special, proprietary nutrients that "must be used" to get anything to grow. Most commercial grow machines also use their own special light bulbs that can only be replaced at hiked up price directly from the company if one blows out. Almost all these companies have strict or nonexistent return or refund policies. 420 friendly forums MAY be able to offer advice to help get this to work in a jam. But, expect snickers about you getting screwed by the veterans (especially with one post history) or be asked to do stupid stuff like post pictures of your failed plants online to 'diagnose them' by secret cop members of the forums and/or longtime posters who may genuinely want to help.

More rewarding and a bit cheaper is to convert common household items into micro grow boxes or build a specific set up! The tales of high school students hiding a plant from parents in speaker boxes do have some truth in them. We have seen examples of old computer cases, computer desks, fish aquariums, cupboards, shipping boxes, aluminum garbage cans and even a gutted dishwasher being used. Be sure to keep it watered and use a fluorescent tube or two connected by a power cord that appears to fit the object. Foil on the inside walls will reflect the light and save you energy. Most good set-ups are also going to need a fan to keep the plants from getting burnt. An old computer fan or two is best for this. As the plant matures the resin smell can get strong and will probably give you away. If you are a teenager hiding plants from parents or from resident advisers in a college dorm, keep this in mind before opening yourself up to being thrown in rehab by concerned parents or kicked out of school. Just like the commercial devices we talked about earlier, do not expect to hit weed Valhalla on the first tries. Growing in small, enclosed areas with limited light is an art and a science.

Stages of Growth and Sexing

There are 2 stages of plant growth, and each stage needs a different lighting schedule. The first stage is called the Vegetative stage. This is when the plant is focusing on growing its roots, stem, and leaves. During the vegetative stage, your plants will need 18 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness per day. The big box stores and home improvement depots sell 'vacation' light timers right next to the light bulbs. These timers are just the trick. The vegetative stage lasts for about five months in a plant from seed, depending on your plant. To tell when the plant is moving into the second stage, check the nodes where the leaves grow out of the stem. If your leaves are coming out of the stem directly opposite each other (in a Y shape), your plant is still maturing. Once the nodes start to alternate, change your light schedule to 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark. This will force the plant to move into the second stage, Flowering.

If you are growing outside during the proper season, mother nature takes care of this for you. If you are growing indoors, you need the light timers. Some specially bred hybrids flower regardless of cycle, but most strains still key off how much daylight is around.

Flowering stage is when the magic starts to happen. Like the watermelon crop, marijuana is a sexed plant species with both male and female sexes. When the plants are young it can be hard even for an experienced eye to tell the difference. But, as the plants mature the difference is unmistakable. Your female plants will start to produce the beautiful sticky buds we know and love. The female plants have a larger and heavier flower structure while the males are somewhat skimpy. The female plant produces the stronger grass and the choicest parts are the top leaves (including the flowers). If your plant grows any round ball shaped things anywhere it is a male. Those balls open and release pollen. Females grow hairs then buds instead.

Occasionally, the plant can be both sexes! This is called hermaphrodite. It is caused by genetics and stress from causing from changing the light cycle too soon.

As we mentioned under seeds, heavy seeded weed is frowned upon in pot smoker circles. Most folks pull the male plants at the first sign of sex to prevent the females from producing seed for a stronger high and a more marketable product . Others could care less and let it go to seed so they can have seed for the next year without going through a lot of trouble. Perhaps they take only the seed from the best plant to influence the genetics next season and start reading High Times and forums to become elite growers. We leave this decision to you and what agenda you may have. Seeds kept in this manner are good for about a year.

A note on "worthless" males

Most folks will tell you the males are worthless. Indeed, they are less intense than good females. However, males still do contain THC. Good males can have as much THC as very weak females depending on genetics. So, even if you are pulling the males to get unseeded herb, you still can get some low grade weed to last you till harvest. Try it out, you may be surprised. If you are in a bad area with no dealers and only your harvest to wait on, this can be better than nothing.

Pinching

Pinching is a simple process that involves pinching off terminal bud (where the youngest leaves are forming) to encourage the lateral buds to grow (you get two top buds instead of one). When these form you can pinch them again splitting them into four and so on. This will make your plant thicker as opposed to tall and will increase your harvest. You can start pinching when your plant is on its third or fourth set of leaves, however pinching your plant too often can stunt its growth. Use common sense, pinch, let it grow out a bit then pinch again.

Harvest

Awesome! Your plants have survived bugs, potential thieves, rat outs and sky patrols, malnutrition, dehydration, and all manner of nasty things that could have robbed you of smoke. Now it is time to collect. We bet you will never again gripe about the price of weed. That was a lot of work!

Inside or outside, the plants will be best if allowed to reach maturity. When you want to harvest the crop, you can either wet the soil and pull it out, or just cut it. It is up to you.

Indoor growers and backyard growers have it made if they are this far along in the process since a safe haven is right nearby.

Guerrilla outdoor farmers can have it quite a bit rougher. They may need a car or multiple trips by bike or foot which can be a vulnerable time because laws about police searches in a car (see Legal Advice under Hip Pocket Law about advice when stopped in a vehicle and on cops in general) and almost no recourse exists concerning searches while on on foot. Chop it up into transportable sections. Be sure to bring something inconspicuous to transport it in. Be quick and get it and yourself the hell out of there as soon as possible to a safe location, but NOT like you are intentionally hiding something. Drive/ bike ride/ walk casual. This is the most dangerous time with cops in full swing in the air and a possible felony level amount of pot (in many areas) right out in the open with you right there or on your person. Be sober and of a clear head and wait to imbibe when harvest is over. You need your wits. We are not trying to make you too paranoid and most likely you will be okay. Remember, most busts still remain in the realm of open mouths, bragging, or a “friend” in trouble cutting a deal by ratting in attempt to remain free. We just want to remind you what you are traveling with.

Trimming

This is a labor intensive process and you may want to set aside a whole day depending on how much herb you managed to harvest.

You are going to need some room to move around, too. Full grown pot plants are kind of bushy and the larger varieties can be as large as small trees!

Hang the plant upside down by a string over a plastic garbage bag (to collect the leaves) and start trimming off all the big and medium sized shade leaves. Use a small set of scissors, careful not to cut your buds!

After the big leaves are gone, put down a new bag and cut the smaller leaves. This is called the shake. Save this! Shake is great to cook with and does contain some THC. You could smoke it when you have nothing else, but the leaves tend to have more of the cannabanoids that cause drowsiness and less THC. It can be made into cannibutter or hash! You can also combine the shake with the alcohol making skills you learned inStrange Brewing to make some killer pot liquor if you want to get really creative.

Try not to man handle your buds or the THC will stick to your fingers and they will not be as strong.

Drying

Now you are ready to dry them. Just hang them upside down in a dark dry 60-75 degree room until the outside of the buds are dry and crispy (2-3 weeks depending on your area). This takes a while but patience pays off with a less harsh and cleaner smoke.

Not doing this causes what the old timer hippies used to call “the green dope hacking cough” if it is smoked. Yes, it will still get you very high. But the smoke is ungodly harsh and unpleasant and makes you cough up phlegm.

It is possible to use a microwave for three minutes or so to dry if impatient and are itching to try some after all that hard work , but it dries it poorly and nothing beats naturally dried bud.

Manicuring

Now that your weed is dry, it is time to cut the buds off the stem and make them pretty and easier to store. This may take some time. (estimate a day or two per mature big tree-like plants like sativas, maybe the better part of the day for bushy indicas, and an hour or three for short ruderalis-indica hybrids or indoor grown midgets). To start, simply cut the plant into more manageable sections. Then, carefully cut the buds off the stems over a large tray. Now you are ready to Manicure your buds.

Manicuring is the process of cutting off the little leaves sticking out of your buds to create a better product (the smoke from the leaves is harsher than the smoke from the buds). Cuticle scissors sold in the make-up and cosmetic sections of many stores are beautiful for this task. Trim off the leaves as if you were giving the buds a hair cut, then place them in a large bowl so they don't get mixed up with untrimmed ones.

Save everything you cut off except the worthless stems and stalks! Yes, you get more shake! This scrap contains a lot of THC. Throwing it away is a huge waste. You may notice while you're manicuring that your buds aren't totally dry, this is normal. When you're done put them in a brown paper bag in a cool dry place for about a week. Open the bag once a day to shift the buds around, let them air out for about 20 minutes, then close the bag.

You will also get a special gift while manicuring. The seed husks (not the seeds themselves, but the tiny husk around which the seed grows out of) is called “grower's privilege” by old timers. This and the sticky globules on the hairs of the buds contain the most THC of any part of the plant with the cleanest smoke and the highest high. Most end-user buyers never get to experience smoking nothing but the globules and the seed husks in a smoke bowl since after time, the globules dry out and what husks are there get pressed in with the rest of the bud. Have fun.

Curing

It is not really a requirement, but this really improves the flavor of your buds. You may have been fortunate and have more than you can smoke for quite a bit, so why not have the stuff cure while waiting to be partaken of?

True pot connoisseurs cure their buds, much like tobacco growers cure fine tobaccos or wine makers let their wines age. Fortunately, unlike tobacco which the tobacco companies let cure for up to a year, pot only takes a few weeks at most. Curing makes your bud taste better and helps draw even more moisture out of your buds so they are less likely to mold in storage.

To cure your bud put it in a glass jar and "burp" the jar twice a day for 5 weeks (open it for 20 minutes and stir your buds around).

An alternative method is to only keep them in the jars for 2-3 weeks, then put them in zip-lock bags in the freezer.

Make sure to suck all the air out of the bags (use your mouth). Then put the smaller bags into a large freezer bag and suck the air out (keeps them from getting frost burn). After a week in the freezer, dump the buds into a bowl and let them dry for 24 hours. Then, put them back in the bags and into the freezer for long term storage. The flavor matures over time even in the freezer.

Be careful if you have guests over to your pad that may open your freezer and see a large stockpile of ganja! Most kitchens are considered acceptable guest traveled areas of any house.

Storage

Make sure to store your buds in glass jars or double bagged in the freezer. Fungus and mold can be a real problem with long term storage, so make sure everything is air tight and no moisture can get in.

Keep the buds in a dark place. THC is known to deteriorate in direct sunlight in already harvested plants.

Large stockpiles of pot are an attractive target for thieves. While somewhat rare, the known location of such a stockpile can also be a tempting thing to rat about if some careless person who knows you (and does not read STW articles and know better!) has a habit of serious run-ins with cops and listens to their lies of decreased or no jail time for giving up information. Almost all busts are not the result of good detective work but of some mouth blabbing. RememberSecurity Culture as this is not a game.

We recommend common sense and the practice of double stashing. If you are the type that always has a lot of guests come over and you want to be a good host/hostess and smoke them out, only bring out up to an ounce (preferably less) and NEVER mention you have more. Some growers go a bit further as to keep the main stockpile away from their house using creative techniques in hidden places. We leave this decision up to you, the quality of your inner circle, and your own level of paranoia.

Happy smoking!

See also Farm It for greenhouse ideas and other general farming ideas.

Drug Testing

Last updated: 24 June 2011

One of the latest in CorpGovs thought control has been the implementation of drug tests. In Hoffman's day, primitive Drug Tests were just starting to come on the scene. The total outrage of it made him so concerned, he had to do a follow up book called 'Steal this Urine Test'. That book is long outdated now and BigMed and CorpGov have many, many more tools now. There is also quite alot of bullshit going on in the drug culture about what works, what does not, and when the man can legally test you even amongst veterans. Also, what may have helped a stoner pass a test in the 1990s, may not work today. And remember most of all a drug test is mostly a test for recent marijuana usage, some places never even bother testing for anything else since the reliability and lead time are so short and tests are expensive. Most investigators and employers correctly assume that most drug users also smoke pot.

Know that not passing a drug test or refusing a drug test, with the important exception of when on probation, does not result in jail time. However, if you have a professional license like a Nurse, Doctor, or Truck Driver, this can be reported to the respective board and may make you lose your profession.

As with all drugs and mentioned throughout the Free Dope sections: Do not take the word of friends, "someone who knows someone", or even free-to-edit wikis (you heard it!) Do your own research and believe real scientists, good academic papers, and known experts. Also, realize that the cat and mouse game between the user and the labs is constantly evolving. Information gets outdated quickly.

1 Places and Times to Expect a Drug Test
2 What Drugs Are Tested For?
3 Kinds of Drug Tests
4 Length of Time Drugs Stay in System
5 Beating Urine Drug Tests
6 Beating Hair Tests
7 Common Myths
8 False Positives
9 more reading

Places and Times to Expect a Drug Test

As part of the Employment Process. This is the most common time. Nowadays, even some of the most mundane jobs want a drug test before hiring someone. This is usually done by the cheap, mass produced 5- panel urine tests. However, there are some that want hair. Yes, you can refuse to take it, but the employer does not have to hire you.
Reasonable Suspicion at Work. If you are slurring, stumbling, smell like liquor, or seem high at work, your employer can ask you to take one. Best thing to do is do not show up to work drunk or high. Call in sick. If you are going to work high either you have a REALLY boring job or you have a problem. Asking for rehab when they catch you might save your job and get you a free stay at a rehab clinic for a week or two. But, more likely, they either outright fire you (most non skilled jobs) or have their employee assistance program refer you to an outpatient program where you will not be able to work until you complete it (of course, paid for out of YOUR pocket with no funds coming in) and may be subject to random tests for months. See Detox and Rehab Programs for information and insight.
Work Place Accident. If you are involved in an accident while on the job, you can be tested. Be aware that if you test positive, you will probably NOT be eligible for Workers Compensation if you are hurt. You will probably be fired as well. (depends on area) If you are about to be tested after an accident there is the possibility of admitting and asking for rehab right then, once you are tested you mostly loose this chance, it might save your job and keep you out of trouble for any damage you did plus a free few weeks vacation at a clinic. A quick call to a prepaid lawyer service or free lawyer is smart to do before admitting anything, since an admission will help the employers case suing you in civil court as will a positive drug test, so ask the lawyer about whether to take the drug test or walk away.
Random Testing. Some (depends on area) Cops, Firefighters, Heavy Machinery operators, Military, Offshore workers, and many more can be tested randomly at any time for no reason. Do not worry, this is fairly uncommon and regulated and more importantly,can get expensive. If you are in an industry that allows this, your employer will give you notice in the hiring paperwork.
Hospitalization. When admitted to a hospital, you usually sign a form letting them perform any test necessary for your care. Although it does not mention drug test, one could be ordered if the doctor feels a medical need. Be assured you WILL be tested if you are giving birth, saying you want to kill yourself, come in overdosed, come in acting bizarre or violent, or prescribed a drug with known bad interactions with street drugs. A positive drug test when having a baby can attract the attention of the hospital social worker depending on what drug came up positive.
Probation. If you have run afoul of CorpGov, they may want to drug test you for a period of time depending on how you pissed them off and where you are. Please note YOU CAN go to jail for refusing this test or testing positive! Sometimes they will watch you pee, too to make sure you are not trying to fake the test.
Applying for Life Insurance. Some Life Insurance Policy companies will test you for nicotine to make sure you did not lie to them about smoking.
Certain college programs. Usually programs like Nursing, Dental School, or Medical School. These are given right before clinical portion of the program.
When applying for some professional License or card like Off-shore TWIC cards or Nurse License.
A very few High School Programs in some places, with a parent's consent.
Selling Blood Plasma. However, they are only testing for Heroin due to IV drug users reputation for sharing needles and spreading blood-borne diseases.
High level professional competitions and sports. Most sports from Olympics to the major and even minor leagues to high level amateur competitions get tested for steroids as well as other drugs. Usually, this is right before the start of a professional season for team sports or right before major competition event for individual sports.

What Drugs Are Tested For?

The most common drug tests check for marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines (like meth or speed), opiates like heroin, and PCP. This is what the common 5 panel drug screen looks for and are the five drugs approved to look for by the feds.

Sometimes, the lab can offer extended tests that can detect for prescription drugs or Alcohol.

Many big time sports venues test for steroids and other performance enhancing substances. Usually this is concentrated around individual sports that have cash payouts if you win, but team sports can get tested, too. You will have notice of this if your activity does.

Extremely rarely, they will they check for LSD, Mushrooms, Peyote, or inhalants. But, this is so rare enough not to even worry about. Only one company out of around twenty even offers this service and charge hefty for it.

Kinds of Drug Tests

Now that you know when to be ready, lets talk about what weapons BigMed and CorpGov have available to pry into your private life.

SAMHSA 5 Panel Urine Test. The most common and least expensive test. Usually, they are going to make you go to an off site lab. Some places have the tests there, however. What they do is make you pee into a clear cup. They tell you not to wash your hands or flush when doing this to prevent you from adulterating the sample. Indeed, sometimes they will color the water of the toilet so you can not adulterate it with toilet water. They will then take the temperature to make sure it is fresh and not brought in and check to make sure it is not too clear. The cup will then be sealed in front of you with your initial to certify the collector has not tampered with it then sent off to a lab. It usually takes 24 to 48 hours to get results back.
Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) Urine Test. All professional lab urine tests are divided into two aliquots. If the 5 panel urine screen appears faked, adulterated, inconclusive, or reads positive (and sometimes at an employer with a bit of extra cash's request) with no valid medical reason - the bladder police can bring out the big guns with the second portion of your pee to get verification. The GC-MS machine is a slightly more expensive test only found in drug test labs that can literally find a needle in a haystack. Computers hooked up to this machine have recorded in it's programming the spectrograph of all known drug metabolites and every researched adulteration product on the market. This is the reason in beating urine tests, we suggest against detox products. They may help with cheap home tests or on-sites, but the back-up GC- MS machine will see right through this.
On Site Urine test. These are use by rehab facilities and some other employers and give results immediately. The same routine applies as the 5 Panel, but does not need to be sent off to a lab and can be read on spot. Drug stores also sell cheaper home versions of this test on the store shelves for concerned parents or folks worried sick if they are "clean" enough to pass a drug test.
Hair Drug Test. This is a very expensive test and not used very much except by very nosy employers. It is also one of the most accurate and very hard to fool with the longest detection rate. What they do is take a plug of your hair and take it to the lab. This test can tell what you have done for up to 90 days or longer!
Breathalizer. This is the machine pigs keep in the squad car to test for people driving drunk. The cop places a disposable mouthpiece in the machine and makes you breath into it. It only detects alcohol. There is no known way way to defeat it. Most of the common myths do not work. In fact, mouthwash can make it read higher!
Blood Test. Blood Tests have the least window of detectability. These are used mostly by medical staff or very limited legal situations where it must be known if a certain drug is in the system at that time. They are the most accurate, but very expensive. As such, beating this test will not be discussed.
Sweat, Saliva, and other tests. These are in their infancy and are not approved for use by the Department of Transportation or the Feds. They typically are limited into the drugs they can detect. The only advantage is the ability to give direct results. Tamper resistant sweat patch tests have found use on a limited basis by child welfare social workers and in some prison systems in a very few areas in cases where drug use must be monitored in an ongoing and recent fashion. The wide majority of folks will never encounter these tests, so we will not go in depth about them.

Length of Time Drugs Stay in System

One of the sad facts and greatest atrocity of these tests is that it detects pot for long periods of time while serious mind-fuck and body-fuck drugs like crack and heroin are gone fairly quickly. Below, is a list of the most common drugs and how long it takes to get out compiled from multiple sources. Only the most commonly tested of drugs are covered.

Be aware, length of time staying in also depends on metabolism, body weight, and many other factors.

With pot, body fat comes into play. Higher body fat means THC stays a bit longer.

Approximate values for detection periods (from wikipedia)

Drug Name	Urine Test	Hair Test	Blood Test
Alcohol	6-24 hours	up to 90 days	12-24 hours
Amphetamines (except meth)	1 to 3 days	up to 90 days	12 hours
Methamphetamine	3 to 5 days	up to 90 days	1-3 days
MDMA (Ecstasy)	24 hrs	up to 90 days	25 hours
Barbiturates (except phenobarbital)	1 day	up to 90 days	1 to 2 days
Phenobarbital	2 to 3 weeks	up to 90 days	4 to 7 days
Benzodiazepines	Therapeutic use: up to 7 days. Chronic use (over one year): 4 to 6 weeks	up to 90 days	6 to 48 hours
Cannabis	3 to 7 days, up to >30 days after heavy use and/or in users with high body fat	up to 90 days	12-24 hours generally, up to 2 weeks in heavy users
Cocaine	2 to 5 days with exceptions for certain kidney disorders	up to 90 days	2 to 5 days
Codeine	2 to 3 days
Cotinine (a break-down product of nicotine)	2 to 4 days	up to 90 days	2 to 4 days
Morphine	2 to 4 days	up to	1 - 3 days
		90 days
Heroin	3 to 4 days	up to 90 days	1-2 days
LSD	Tests for LSD are extremely rare.
Methadone	3 days	up to 97 days	24 hours
PCP	3 to 7 days for single use; up to 30 days in chronic users	up to 90 days	1 to 3 days

Beating Urine Drug Tests

Avoid Drug Tests. There are some refuges from drug tests. For what it is worth, elected officials (!), corporate officers (!), actors, freelance writers, musicians, academic professors, lawyers, clergy, the selfemployed, folks working for some smaller employers, and some contractors are hardly ever tested. If you are in one of these fields, you could in theory never have to pee in a cup as long as legal troubles are avoided. Unfortunately, for the rest of us, Drug Free Workplace discounts to corporations or government guidelines mean a drug test is faced at least at some point.
Go Drug-Free. This is a perfectly viable way to pass a drug test. They cannot detect what is not there. (with the exception of a few rare things that generate false positives) Barring that, you probably should at least lay off the stuff if you are unemployed or expecting one. If you lack the willpower or are so addicted to not be able to do that, you may have more serious problems than passing a drug test.
Get Synthetic urine or urine of a non-drug user. This actually CAN WORK. Synthetic urine is based off the same stuff the lab techs need to calibrate the machines. The only thing is, you will have to watch the temperature and make sure you can get this in the facility without it being discovered. They do sell belts with bladders and temperature monitors for this purpose. You will also find at some head shops a system including a fake penis so the tester can actually watch you whip it out and pee in the cup. (The fake penis system - whizzinator being the most popular, unfortunately has stopped manufacture due to federal lawsuit. The feds discovered that Department of Transportation employees and Department of Corrections convicts were using this to get past testing. That particular system may be harder to find.) We wont go into the catheterization and filling your bladder with substituted urine, yuck!
Trusted DeTox Product. This is IFFY. BigMed makes a fortune out of testing and researches anti-test products on the market. What worked last year may not work this year. There are also so many out there, that one cannot be recommended. Use at your own research and mind. Some may offer money-back guarantees with a documented failure, but this is a ruse. They know the documented results are going to the employer and not you. Be cautious. Even then, be aware all of these products only keep you clean for a "window" of around 4 hours. No product can flush completely.
Asprin, four regular asprin tabs a few hours before the test has worked in the past to skew the results favorably. As always there are countermeasures that may currently be employed, but as cheap and safe as asprin is why not give it a try? Be sure to keep your ears open for asprin test being part of newer drug screens and always write the aspirin as a med you had taken that day.
Help your own body clean out faster. This is IFFY, but becomes HIGHLY POSSIBLE with more time. You can, if you have plenty of notice (week or preferably more)get stuff out of your system much quicker. Start drinking lots of water. Not all at once, though, but through the day and evening you should be peeing constantly. Start exercising aerobically. Get out and sweat! Avoid alcohol and fatty foods that THC tends to cling to. A cleansing fast will help, water, vitamins, exercise, avoid sugars, starchy snacks, and fats, you can have eggs or lean meat like chicken breast or pork chop in small amounts if you feel weak the idea is to force your body to burn fat by not eating any fats or carbos just vitamins and protein. And by all means do not take any more of the drug until after this is over with! This will increase your chances of passing greatly. Do not, under any circumstances, give them the first pee when you wake up. This contains the most drug.

Beating Hair Tests

With hair tests, you are in the realm of anti-drug test products. There are many companies that claim that their shampoo will let you pass. Use at your own risk. Do you still want to work for someone willing to spend that kind of money to be that intrusive? You can always go the route of the razor but be aware it often takes over a week for the new hair to advance past the surface, so this stubble will still have drug signs in it. Also be aware that if the lab techs can not get enough sample from your head, they will go for other areas such as underarm or pubic. Full body waxing might be your next idea, just realize that this might be a bit suspicious and if they really want to give you the test so badly your eyebrows are still hair, and if you have to try this hard and experience this much pain, you should probably think very hard about the job or your drug use.

Common Myths

Let's talk about some of the outdated or outrageous bullshit that is out there.

If you shave your head, they cannot give you a hair test! They will just take hair from underarms or other places. The place they take from can be much older hair and a better sample at that!
If you bleach/dye your hair, this will throw off a hair test! No, this does not work.
If you put ammonia/visine/bleach/whatever in the test it will throw off the test! No. That may have worked when testing was a new thing in Hoffman's day, but they can detect that now and it will automatically fail.
If you put X product from the head shop in your sample, it will throw off the test. Back in the 80s, these were the rage. They check for these now and will fail your test. Most adulterants do not work. The labs make lots of money weeding out folks and have teams of researchers analyzing the latest adulterants.
Goldenseal! No. But it probably did a long time ago. It was so in demand as a masking agent in the 90s that nutrition stores had to keep it locked in a case. They are wise to that now. Most pills/herbs that are offered to mask your urine do not work and are tested for. However, goldenseal does have medicinal properties that herbalists claim can remove toxins from your body and make you healthier and may be worth taking. If you do take it, lay off before a drug test to avoid the test automatically failing.
You can dilute it from the toilet/ sink. No. They will not let you flush and will not let you use sink. Sometimes they even put blue color in the toilet. Plus, you can dilute it too much. They check the color, creatinine levels, and temp of the sample and will throw it out as fake.
You can get a non-using buddy to take the test for you. No. They always want to see a picture ID. It may be possible if you know someone who is clean that looks just like you and give them your ID. Possible, but does not apply to almost all folks in this situation.

False Positives

There are some common things that can create a false positive result. Avoid these several days before a drug test.

Poppy Seeds.
Codeine cough syrup or Tylenol-3
Some over-the-counter cold medicines.
Goldenseal. Not actually a false positive because it is now in the tested substances, but sometimes causes the initial test to be inconclusive. A follow up spectrometry test reveals the presence of goldenseal which has an urban reputation for cleansing drug traces and the lab flunks the test because they suspect you are trying to cover up pot use. Still can pass some on-site tests that do not use back-up gas spectrometry tests or test for the actual legal herbal supplement.

It is best to write on the questionnaire that you are taking any of the above, as well as any other legal herbal supplements. It will look suspicious if you are only taking goldenseal, you might memorize a cocktail of other herbs that some people take daily with their vitamins so you don't look like a bong-head trying to clean out.

Again most places will just fire you or not hire based on detecting goldenseal alone unless you are in a state or federal professional position. The tests are mostly just looking for easy to detect pot or goldenseal so you should be fine if you stick to the body fuck hard drugs which don't detect after a day or two and stay away from safe herbs and legal cleansers.

Strange Brewing

Last updated: 5 June 2011

1 Beer Brewing
1.1 Brewing Tips
2 Hard Cider
3 Hooch
4 Distillation
4.1 Ice Shine
4.2 Filtering
5 Hangovers
6 Conclusion
7 Links

Beer Brewing

There is something truly Revolutionary about making your own beer. 'Legal' alcohol contributes to the tax systems which fund police search checkpoints and out of control, police-power lobbying groups like Motherfuckers Against Drunk Driving. Voluntarily paying liquor tax is an attack on all of our freedoms and a corporate victory.

Brewing requires a well sterilized container with a water sealed vent so outside air can't enter, but CO2 gas can escape, preventing a pressure explosion. If you don't have a water bubble valve, a cork or cap drilled for a pen tube hot glued or caulked tight works, but tape a pricked condom or balloon for a the one way CO2 gas valve.

Equipment costs are cheap, often between $100 and nearly free depending on your thriftiness. Supplies cost about $20 for approximately 5 gallons of brew. Along with some instruction, you can very easily brew a batch of [Insert Name Here]'s Pigfuck Ale!

You just need a starch base, such as ground whole wheat, malted barley, cornmeal or other grains. Add mash or unpreserved juice, some good beer brewing yeast for the fermentation, and hops for taste. If you depend on natural air yeast or fail to sterilize properly, it may end up with a basement/wet dog/sock background flavor. A few unwashed grape skins are a natural source of yeast in a pinch.

Wait until after the bubbles stop and pour the brew in clean bottles. Keep an eye on how hard clean, recycled, plastic soft drink bottles are for a week or two after bottling, in case the fermentation is not finished. Release a bit of pressure as needed to prevent bottle explosions.

And remember, there is nothing dangerous about making your own brew. The stories about people going blind or dying were over-embellished prohibition-era stories about moonshiners making hard liquor in their car radiators made with lead solder and contaminated with antifreeze, or crooks spiking the alcohol level with cheap poison wood methanol.

Read Joseph Coppinger's 1815 guide The American Practical Brewer and Tanner for more detailed information.

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20663

Brewing Tips

Fruit wine is easiest, beer more difficult to get right, and distillation is dependent on your fermentation for quality.
Water is important. If you can't get uncontaminated water, buy spring water.
Cleanliness is important, especially with beer. Sterilize everything and work in a clean open area with sunlight. Basements tend to stain a musty flavor to beers.
Hops preserve and adds a bitter beer flavor, but don't over use them. Use the green buds, or some marijuana.
You can get away with using bread yeast if stuck in a Muslim or Mormon area, prison, or 15, but a better result and higher alcohol content are achieved with brewing yeast for your beer or wine.
Get good one-way relief valves. If you don't use a valve or release the pressure you will have a pressure explosion. If air enters your bottle it will begin to convert your alcohol to vinegar and introduce unwanted yeasts, bacteria, or molds.
Your first few batches may go bad, especially when brewing beer, especially when skimming instructions. It's not poison, just tastes funky. Don't give up though, find a friend or brew club that can help you.

Hard Cider

Cider can be brewed with almost no equipment or prior experience because any sugary or starchy fruit, vegetable, or liquid without preservatives can be fermented. Obtain some sweet, overripe, fruit and berries and a cleaned milk jug with pinholes poked into the lid. Bruised or over ripe apples are large, free, and easily pressed so get these or some frozen juice concentrate.

Blend or mash about 1/3rd of a gallon of fruit, add 1/3rd of a gallon of water and a whole packet of bakers yeast, and shake it up. Seal the jug except for the gas vent and store in a cool area for a few weeks in winter or even a week in summer. Filter the pieces out first with a strainer, and then a coffee filter to get rid of the yeast flavor. Ta Da! Home made cider.

Apple jack is where you can get in trouble with the feds. To jack the cider let it freeze outside or in your freezer and keep the liquid. This doubles the alcohol percentage of your cider.

Hooch

You can make an easy to brew kind of improvised liquor (more like a crude form of rum), with no more than water, a cup of sugar, and bread yeast. Pour half a cup of sugar into an average, 710 ml (24 US ounce) pop bottle, fill up to the top of the label, leaving some head room for it to foam, and put in the yeast. Good proportions are 1000 ml (33 fl oz) water, 400 g (14 oz) sugar, 100 g (3.5 oz) yeast. Keep your hooch at least at 10 °C (50 °F) but better temperatures are around 22-30C(70-85F) for at least 2 weeks.

Make sure the yeast is activated first! To activate the yeast, just mix some warm water, yeast and a few teaspoons of sugar in a cup and wait for it to foam up. You could take the chance on the yeast activating once added, but I wouldn't you risk some other culture taking over.

Leave the cap on loosely enough that the gas very slowly escapes, or poke a hole in the lid and cover it with a single layer of clear scotch tape. This is to prevent the bottle from exploding on build up. If the bottle has gone a day or two without any escaping gas give it a final spoonful of sugar and place a regular cap on about 12 hours before chilling if you want to let it carbonate and serve within a few days. If stored unwatched, there is a chance it may ferment further and burst the bottle.

Wait at least 3-5 days even in summer with high alcohol tolerant fast or turbo yeast for fermentation or you will get very little sugar to alcohol conversion. The alcohol content is quite strong after about two weeks when all the sugar has been converted, up to 40 proof content at times.

Allow as much yeast as possible to settle to the bottom then run it through a paper coffee filter if you want to reduce the yeast flavor, as some get upset stomach from the yeast. Other ways to improvise a filter include stuffing a nylon stocking or cheese cloth into a cut off bottle and using it as a filtration funnel. Do not ruin a camp water or Britta filter by trying to use them because the yeast will quickly clog the filtration elements. A used pitcher-type filter element might be opened and stuffed with a new nylon stocking for a stealthy easy to use a cleanable filter.

In Finland they call this drink "kilju" and students, punks, and the poor illegally brew and drink it. It became popular after the early 90's depression there. The ingredients can be commonly found in any kitchen, or bought by a six year old without raising an eyebrow. The end product, when well filtered, is flavorless like watered vodka, but can taste like a cheap, yeasty, boring beer when not. You can always ferment several bottles if you are planning a large gathering. A pocketful of change for sugar and yeast yielding several gallons of alcohol is not a bad deal, even if the hooch has very little flavor.

Distillation

When brewing higher proof you start with a good wine or beer culture in packets. This yeast takes longer, but produces a more alcoholic brew. A fast yeast or even the bread yeast in a packet and fruit juice will make a batch of wine, which will leave a good hangover, in less than a week, even quicker in warm weather.

If this is not concentrated enough drink get a kettle with a narrow spout or a pressure cooker with the jiggle valve on top, food grade tubing, marbles or shiny aquarium pebbles, and a metal 3-4 liter olive oil can(or other food grade container). Connect the tube to the kettle spout or jiggle valve tube and run the tube into the can filled with pebbles. A hole punched into the bottom will drip liquor into your container. Never use non-food grade containers and especially auto radiators, they may be soldered with lead solder and are contaminated with antifreeze. This has been known to kill people. Keep the kettle liquid temp between 78 and 100 Celsius degrees in the kettle. Throw away the first 10-15ml, as this can contain dangerous levels of methanol as it boils at a lower temperature. With practice and mixing other ingredients, very nice liquor can be produced in your own home. People know the first and last bit of the fermentation liquid, or "heads and tails", as the junk and usually this is thrown away.

Ice Shine

Freeze distillation plays off the difference in the freeze point rather than the boiling point of alcohol and water used in steam distillation, taking advantage of alcohol's very low freeze point. Ethanol is sometimes even used as antifreeze for specialized applications because of this property.

It is pretty simple to ice-still if you have a good freezer, or the weather is well below freezing set it outside at night, the colder the better. Just take your plastic bottle of beer, kilju, hooch, or fruit wine and throw it in the freezer. Never use a glass bottle as it can break should you forget and let the stuff freeze solid. You can repeat the freeze distillation process several times to further concentrate your shine, although at some point you will reach the lower temperature limits of your freezer and be unable to get more ice crystals to form. If the alcohol level is low you may end up with a slush, allow this to warm up a bit and pour off the higher alcohol liquid.

Keep the bottle upright and only 3/4 full so an ice plug doesn't block you from pouring off the concentrated alcohol. Check every 30 min to see the progress of ice crystal formation. When about half of the bottle contents are crystallized collect the higher alcohol liquid and discard the ice.

Filtering

If what you produce has a very harsh flavor, try filtering it several times through a brand new "Britta" style carbon filter cartridge, or a carbon refill for an inline home drinking water or aquarium filters. This will also mellow cheap store-bought rotgut liquor too. This method only with spirits like whiskey, gin and tequila, not wine or beer. Some artificially colored spirits, like very cheap whiskeys, may come out clear.

For detailed information on distilling, read Samuel McHarry's 1809 guide The Practical Distiller, available for free download here:

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/21252.

Hangovers

If you are brewing your own we bet you are going to drink some, especially if you are young and in a large group, this is for the morning after.

Most of what is known as a hangover is the effect of organic volatiles and other natural agents that are present especially in cheap distilled alcohol combined with the results of metabolizing the alcohol and sugar plus good old dehydration. The best cure is to chug several liters of water as you imbibe. If you fail to heed the hydration advice drinking large amounts of water the morning after still works to treat a hangover.

The headache is best knocked out with your favorite aspirin or other OTC headache pill although crushing it is easier on your stomach, you can enhance the effect with caffeine. Indeed, even some crushed aspirin powered cocktails are sold in convenience stores under the brand names Goodies and BC powders.. Have a soda ready to chase this stuff as it is are utterly vile tasting. An energy drink to chase this works really good as well to give you an energy boost. While it will not rid you of the general fatigue, at least you will not have a pounding headache.

Conclusion

This page only outlines the simple and easy ways to brew liquor. Buy a book and do some research to make a tasty brew or shine! Don't sweat the disgusting failures we all have, keep trying. More importantly, don't waste your precious time constantly drunk or hung over and useless to the fight!

Detox and Rehab Programs

Last updated: 12 August 2011

Go back to Free Dope

When one is so firmly entrenched in hard drug use or alcoholism, detox and rehabilitation programs can be useful. Just like anything else, there are great ones that really help the patient if the patient follows the program. Unfortunately, a very few border on cult brainwashing and abuse of the down-and-out. One of our regular contributors used to work as an orderly for a variety of these places and can help dispel some of the myths and give a heads up as to what to expect.

1 The BigMed Rehab System
2 Outpatient
3 Inpatient and Behavioral Health Units
3.1 Gulag Inpatient Rehabs
4 Rehab and Behavioral Health Unit Life
5 Half-way Houses
6 Staying away from Future Slavery

The BigMed Rehab System

Rehab is divided into two main models: outpatient and inpatient.

The current school of thought within social services and psychology is that outpatient is preferable to inpatient. The reasons being is that outpatient uses much less staff, allows the patient to still work while getting treatment, and is covered by more insurances. Some of the CorpGov conspiracy nuts can make a claim that it is so the patient is more likely to be picked up and put in jail to do forced labor, but that is another story. Outpatient is often a sentence of choice for judges in some jurisdictions with the "cost" of the meetings being added in with probation and fines (with kickbacks to the judges... We will rant on that later). As such, the number of inpatient facilities has been on the decline in recent years.

Inpatient Rehab is usually the domain of some hospitals, for-profit institutions, religious organizations, and a few state agencies. As CorpGov oppression and general stupidity drives more folks to drug overdoses for a decreasing number of beds, waiting lists can be long. With the exception of the for-profit rehabs or certain VA programs, one does not merely 'walk into' a rehab. Inpatient is typically reserved for folks with either great insurance or a ton of cash, or those who are an immediate danger to themselves in the opinion of a doctor.

While there are some facilities strictly for drug rehab, many inpatient rehabs are also combined with behavioral health. This means that a variety of patients are admitted from schizophrenics, folks with severe anger management issues, suicidal and depression, and delusions as well as folks trying to kick a drug.

Unlike other fields of medicine, psychology and sociology are still in their infancy when it comes to motivation and the human brain. Addiction treatment is widely regarded as not being 100% effective. Unlike fixing a broken bone or removing a cancerous tumor, the patient has to want it to work.

Outpatient

Outpatient treatment can be obtained fairly easily in many areas of the Empire. If you are broke, check around as there may be some that are adjusted to income or act as a charity. Most good social workers have a full list of all outpatient programs in most areas and have hotline numbers where anyone can call 24/7 anonymously. Stuff like free nicotine patches, methadone, trained counselors, and free clubs can be found depending on area. Google can reveal programs, too. Of course, many judges force folks to an outpatient program as part of probation. Some areas that have higher than normal drug conviction rates may very well have a judge sharing kickbacks with social workers who run programs and earn paychecks for a captive audience.

If you have the luxury to choose an outpatient program, be sure to go to those that actually talk to the patients. Some psychologists and psychiatrists are only making folks fill out questionnaires and giving prescriptions based on the answers. If the program is religious and comes on a bit too hard with cult-like bull, either go along if you have no choice or hunt for another one on the list. Many programs only consist of group meetings with rap sessions, like AA. While being around and talking with folks who share a common goal can increase the chances of getting better, there are many who are only faking because they have been FORCED to attend by a court order or risk jail and are merely going through the motions. Indeed, many go to these groups only to come out with better drug connections, so beware! Some groups even keep a a cult atmosphere along with making you keep labels like 'addict' to keep you coming back. Realize YOUR agenda, and keep with it. The unfortunate reality is that free help is rarely without at least some price.

A great addition to any outpatient drug rehab is an exercise regimen. Vigorous work-outs, while not everyone's favorite thing, are scientifically proven to release non-BigMed brain chemicals that can cure depression and many chemical imbalances that got you into addiction in the first place. You do not need money to go for a jog, do push ups, or watch a yoga video on youtube. The BigMed, BigChurch, and Social Work bureaucracy overseers of the rehabs know about this secret, but seldom tell anyone about it. After all, people are generally lazy and it can not be sold in a pill you have to take the rest of your life to be normal or provides a life-long convert to cough up tithes.

Inpatient and Behavioral Health Units

A few have suggested that inpatient rehabs and behavioral health units could be a preferable alternative to jail or the streets. After all, these places do have private beds, food, and prescription meds. However, budget cuts have reduced the number of available beds, and many areas have waiting lists. The places tend to be very structured by necessity and freedoms can be very limited. Many times, a referral from a doctor, social worker, or judge is needed.

If the patient is a minor, parents must sign off on this. Parents can send their kids to a behavioral health unit without the minor's permission. Fortunately, even the for-profit facilities are better than the 'Gulag Schools' talked about in Free High School - but Gulag Rehabs do exist. If the patient is between 18 and 21, there is a black hole in available facilities. Most places specialize in either adults or kids and have cutoff ages. Since 18 to 21 is considered a bit too old for pediatrics and a bit too young for adult, there are sometimes limited choices and long waits.

The quickest way into a inpatient facility is to have a large sum of cash or good insurance. For-profit facilities are always around to 'fix' broken kids and well to do professionals. The waits are shorter for these places because they typically are not forced to take charity or medicaid and are under pressure to sell beds.

As we mention in Free Medicine, the emergency room is required to discharge you in a stable condition or if they can not stabilize your condition arrange long term care. If you come in with a drug overdose, failed suicide attempt, acting bizarre, or saying you want to kill yourself, they must look into further treatment. Doctors can issue emergency orders to detain you (even using physical and chemical restraints) until placement in a mental health unit is made. The hospital social worker will then call many places to look for empty beds. The patient can be stuck in the ER for anywhere from several hours to several days depending on the time of year (suicides and depressions spike during the winter), age, and insurance or lack thereof.

Gulag Inpatient Rehabs

In Free High School, we mentioned that for enough cash, parents can send minors to "tough love" prison camps to be abused. Well guess what? Gulag rehabs exist too. Most of the time these are for profit or religious organizations. Abuse can be common in these places and many times desperate parents will not research abuse allegations.

Remember that any licensed rehab that locks you down must give you a PRIVATE phone call to a state ombudsman if for any allegation of abuse. This includes restraints both physical and chemical if not ordered by a doctor (they CAN if you are agitated or violent). Psych techs and staff can grapple you if you are violent but CANNOT hit you. Of course, ANY sexual touching is COMPLETELY off limits. Be sure to have your facts straight. See Free High School if this concerns you.

Rehab and Behavioral Health Unit Life

Admission stays range from 2 weeks to 30 days and sometimes beyond. If you enter voluntarily, you can usually leave at anytime, but the staff will insist on waiting till the next day to clear with the doctor. If you are under 18 or under a court or doctors order, the time they can keep you varies but usually is not more than 2 weeks to a month.

The wards have a long list of contraband that is not allowed in. Of course, this includes drugs. Not that you would have much privacy to do this anyways with all the staff and cameras. Plus, doing drugs in rehab defeats the purpose of going in the first place. Shoelaces, revealing clothes or clothes that have drug or alcohol symbols or ads, mouthwash, razors, etc are also included.

Most of these places are locked down units. Personal rooms are furnished like jails but a bit nicer. This includes stainless steel unbreakable mirrors, no electrical outlets, and one piece unstoppable toilets. There are usually no TVs in the private rooms to force folks to socialize and not mope in the room during their stay. Showers are usually locked and toiletry use like shaving monitored directly by staff. Most of the time bathing itself is watched by staff of the same sex, as well.

Most facilities are equipped with a seclusion room for patients that get violent. Sometimes this is the classic padded room. Other times, it is a room with one bed where physical restraints can be applied. It is useful because the effect of some drug detox can be violent and irrational behavior. After all, who wants to be knocked upside the head by a frothing, drug-deprived person - medical staff or fellow patient? Restraints (including chemical) are, by law, NEVER to be used as punishment or the convenience of medical staff. If you feel that you have been abused with restraints, all facilities are REQUIRED to let you have a phone call to a state ombudsman. If you talk to an ombudsman, be sure to not talk bullshit, though - ombudsman offices get too many calls from sick folks who merely want to make up stuff to get out and do more drugs. You can be sure that any bad behavior is videotaped and monitored as well as extensive medical documentation made to cover the facility's butt.

Each day is usually extensively scheduled down to every 15 minutes. There are set times everybody wakes up, times for groups (which are many), TV times, meals, and even the amount and when cigarettes are allowed to be smoked (if at all). Failing to follow with the program can be met with sanctions like revoking cigarettes, less phone calls, no visitation, or even restraints and seclusion. If you are a smoker, it may pay to ask the doctor for a nicotine patch or Chantix.

Half-way Houses

Unfortunately, 2 weeks to 30 days in a locked down ward may get you off of drugs, but puts you right back on the street often without a job or housing. Social workers can place some in less restrictive halfway houses though, if there is an open bed in the area. While kind of sexist, more beds available for women as opposed to men. Indeed, many men are kicked right back on the street or a relative's home right after detox.

The conditions in a halfway house range all the way from a hostel type environment in a converted house to a converted nursing home type facility to full-blown rural ranch retreats. Most half-ways are much more permissive than lock-down inpatient detox. However, you will most likely find strict curfews and house rules in place. Bringing drugs or booze into this place will undoubtedly earn an eviction. Failure to meet milestones like actively seeking a job, not attending meetings, and being disruptive can also get you kicked out.

The amount of time you can stay there varies widely. Some places have a hard cap of a month or less, while others have stays available for up to one year.

Some folks may make friends in the ward and attempt to arrange to go to live with that person after discharge. Some coed wards may even have two folks try to hook up afterwords. This is particularly the case with folks with no social network due to pissing off folks with drug use, bad families, or other issue where there may be few places to turn. Maybe it is for a relationship, maybe it is for a more liberal environment than a half-way house. However, this is almost always not a good idea. For one thing, the ward will almost always refuse to give you a ride to another patient's house after discharge. This is not because the facility is being jerks, but to protect you. Hardcore relapse, emotional problems, and hard times can make life a living hell and put you in a real inconvenience. You have no idea what problems a person you have only known for a week or two may REALLY have. We have heard stories of misunderstandings about sex, police being called, domestic violence, both getting back on body fuck drugs, and worse!

Staying away from Future Slavery

Sometimes the battle with addiction may need to be made several times. Addiction can be conquered - and many people from CEO's sons to former bums off the street have successfully quit. Overcoming addiction displays enormous strength of mind and character.

Sometimes years of hard drug use can leave some on criminal record blacklists for jobs, economically crippling folks towards depression and temptations of relapse. Yes, life can suck... but does destroying ones self make this better when there is hope and resistance? We wish you luck.

12. Assorted Freebies

Last updated: 15 March 2011

Free stuff is everywhere you just have to know how to find it.

Electronics

Pets For finding fluffy.

Postage

Ministry For getting paperwork showing you are part of the clergy.

Laundry For how to wash clothes on the cheap.

Vacations

1 Books
2DVDs
3 Security
4 Maps
5 Drinks and Food
6 Burials
7 Diploma
8 Toilets
9 External links

Books

Free books can almost always be found in the paper bins behind Big box Bookstores, such as Borders and Barnes & Nobel. The books are taken from the shelf, their covers are ripped off, then the rest of the intact books are thrown in to their own paper bin separate from all other waste, where they remain dry and clean. Books are thrown out in waves, so one day you might find all suspense and Horror books, and on another day it will be all travel and cooking. Its worth checking the bins before you go in to get the book by some other means.

Libraries also often are getting rid of books that they no longer have room for. Sometimes they are free and sometimes they charge a buck or two for them. This can be a great way to pick up some reading material to keep you occupied. When you are done with the book, consider passing it on to somebody else.

DVDs

Redbox, an electronic DVD rental booth in the USA, (usually seen out side McDonald$, WalGreens, etc.) charges a dollar per movie rental per day. And while just keeping the movie is the old standby, you'd still have to pay that pesky little dollar. But then again, a dollar saved is dollar earned, so its about time I tell you how to start earnin' dollars.

Punch into the machine that you ave a Promo Code, and use either 'BREAKROOM' or 'DVDONME' and, there you go, free DVDs. Or, at least, free RENTED, DVDs

Googling "Red Box codes" returns several such codes, however, there are limitations. You must use a credit card (so they can charge you if you don't return it) and you can only use each code once per card. Prepaid cards might do the trick, but you can still only use the code once per card (prepaid cards cost around $5 plus the amount on them). A much simpler way to get free movies is BitTorrent.

Security

For this trick you need some money to begin with. Buy some Travelers Checks. Wait a week and report your checks lost. They'll give you new ones to replace the missing ones. You spend your new checks and keep the ones you reported lost as security. This security is great for international travel especially at border crossings where you need to convince them you're not planning to work and have enough to sustain yourself. Travelers checks are becoming rare most used by older travelers set in their ways, a canceled but in date credit card will probably serve the same purpose.

Maps

Tourist offices are usually happy to give out loads of free maps and advice. Most nicer hotels have free maps of the city that are often free for the asking at the front desk, also check at big bus terminals and airport information stations for free maps. While in the hotel look for the tourist pamphlets to see what attractions are available. Of course if you have internet, there's always Google.

Drinks and Food

Free Food and the articles under it have all you need to know about the latest scams and methods in the world of food.

Burials

Burial is free for indigent though undignified in potter's fields. If you're lucky enough to be in Tibet when you feel close to death, ask the locals to give you a sky burial so you can live on as gracious birds.

One alternative to burial is to plan in advance and leave your body to science. Outfits like LifeQuest Anatomical (://lifequestanatomical.com/), BioGift (://biogift.org/) and Anatomy Gifts Registry (://www.anatomicgift.com/) will handle all the paperwork at no cost to you or your loved ones.

Diploma

Look online for free editable diplomas to print out. A copy shop will have the nice paper you need to make this look authentic. Be aware, though, that most of the time actual diplomas are worthless, lying on your resume usually works fine. Any place that really wants to know your educational background is going to want to see transcripts or call the school up directly for confirmation.

Toilets

Ask in pubs and cafes. Fast food places are really good for this. However, in some high traffic tourist areas, we have seen shops put token locks on the bathrooms so only paying customers can use them. Just look around. Of course there is the way of the bears. In a rural, behind a dumpster, or wooded area, dig a hole 6 inches deep and have at it, there are even special flexible funnels used by female campers to pee like a boy standing up. In some European countries, McDonalds puts a 4-digit code lock on the bathroom door. Seize a receipt from any table and you'll find the combination, or simply wait by the door until someone else is entering/leaving.

Construction and road work sites often have portable toilets standing nearby, and they're not always locked after hours (What's there to steal?). It's best to bring along some toilet paper just in case there's none inside. If anyone at the work site sees you leaving the portable toilet, just say, "Just checking!" and keep walking.

External links

Freebie How To (http://freebies.about.com/cs/allaboutfreebies/a/freebies101.htm) a good read before delving into the world of freebies.

Freebie List (http7/www.freebielist.com/) lots of links to free stuff, ranging from deodorant to ringtones. check it out. *you need a mailing address for this stuff.

Another More Organized Freebie Site (http://www.idontpay.com/)

Links to Coupon Sites

(http://freebies.about.com/cs/couponsites/index.htm)

Electronics

Last updated: 22 February 2010

1 Where to Find
2 Dumpster Diving
3 Free Samples
4 Repairs

Where to Find

A good place to find electronics is the local thrift store. Many people just donate perfectly good equipment, accessories and cables if they don't need it. You can get expensive older stereos, speakers, computer equipment, monitors, televisions, cables, even old cellphones and appliances, all for cheap. Most good items will be sold quickly, so be sure to check back often. To get a leg up, and a discount, offer to volunteer in the electronics receiving area, testing equipment. Now you can get first pick of all the items donated, and access to some items that won't normally be put out on the floor. Come in once or twice a week and spend an hour testing anything that looks interesting to you. Chances are, you'll also be allowed to set the price of the items you test. Even without a little price gouging, you'll be able to get items that would sell for hundreds of dollars new for five or ten.

Never forget to check trash cans and dumpsters for easily repaired or unwanted electronics.

Dumpster Diving

People often throw away slightly outdated electronics, so an interested party that invests their efforts dumpster diving can get quite a few goodies. For example: old computers will provide you with: power supplies, cases, free hard drives, cd drives, extra ram, cooling fans, heatsinks.

Audio equipment often gets thrown away in mostly working condition. Many people are too lazy to replace a power switch or an obvious damaged component (it's rarely an IC or anything difficult to see with the trained eye). People will throw away full stereos because one speaker is blown. Obviously we can find use for them, just look at Guerilla Audio.

Among other things that are useful to your local radical hackers: radio dishes, wall wart power supplies, light switches, lengths of wire, usb hubs, LED light bars... think: anything that can provide potentially useful parts is good.

Free Samples

Many sites will offer free samples of electronic components. http://www.google.com/search?q=order+samples Look!

Some people can put together audio amps for events, sensors for squats, radios... whatever.

Repairs

An electrical or portable butane soldering iron, a electronic multimeter, and some basic knowledge will allow you to make money and influence people by fixing the often simple issues with their gadgets. Most often there is a breakage in a solder joint either near where a cable connects or there is mechanical stress look for cracks and test using the ohm function on your multimeter. The second most likely culprit is the power supply, this is either a power block or "wall wart" and external which you can easily replace after testing and finding it has failed, just be sure to get a replacement which outputs the right voltage and at least as many amps as the OEM supply. Some power supplies are internal but can usually also be replaced although you will have to guess at the rated amp/voltage output if it is blown.

Pets

Last updated: 9 September 2011

While the elitist folks at the Cat Fancier's Association, American Kennel Club, and your local pet store may imply otherwise - there is no reason to go into debt for a loyal companion animal. Pets are given away for free or limited cost all the time. Hell, there was even a huge flap with the animal rights crowd 40 years back when the Empire was giving away Buffalo!

But, be aware....

That which was small and cute can get big and not-so cute. An untrained animal can be a curse, leaving you with a pad reeking of urine and feces with destroyed carpet and furnishings in short order. You may find your choices of housing being extremely limited or be extorted by greedy landlords for the right to keep Fluffy. Few things in life are as sad as having to give up an animal because of being unable to care for it. Be sure you can actually feed, train, have an appropriate environment for, interact with, and otherwise take care of a pet. If you honestly can not do this, let someone more stable have the opportunity to get the pet. Maybe later on in life when you are more stable, you can consider this again.

But, it is not all bad. A pet can also be a good friend who is happy to see you come home no matter what is going on bad in life. It has been scientifically proven that those with pets are less prone to mental illnesses like depression.

1 Pound Puppies
2 Un-Cut
3 Food and Board
4 Service Animals
4.1 State rules
4.2 Airplanes & Housing
4.3 Free service animal
5 Spaying and Neutering
6 Medical Care
7 Euthanasia

Pound Puppies

Check animal shelters, SPCAs, and Humane Societies. It would be in your (and the pet's) best interest to try the animal shelter first, as they still often put animals to sleep while the latter two avoid doing so. With vaccinations, sterilization, microchips, and ID tags, you can get a pet anywhere for free or reduced cost (almost always under $50). Be forewarned, many of these places do a brief inspection of the animal's future home and owner, so clean the place out, shove your brothers and sisters in the basement, and take the bong off the coffee table.

Un-Cut

Craigslist and local newspapers always have pets for free/reduced cost. Free pets won't be damaged by genital removal or dribble problems from a botched spaying that the In-Humane society requires to avoid the pet death sentence. Un-mutilated pets are often more hyper and spirited, much like un-drugged hormone-charged ADHD teens....

Food and Board

In terms of paying for shelter or food for your pet, check to see what your animal can/cannot eat and in what proportions. You can often make a nutritious meal for your animal using household food stuffs for a fraction of the price of PetsMart's. Most animals can have a comfortable place to sleep using old towels, bedding, and other supplies in the pad or at the thrift store.

Don't chain your dog out; presumably you're getting a dog to have a companion. Nothing says "I love you" like being staked out exposed to the elements all day. Your pet will just become territorial and hostile. If you must keep Fido outside make sure he's got shelter, a soft dry place to lay down and some place to take care of business.

Keep in mind dogs are happy eating things you might be wary of. Dogs are scavengers, carrion eaters, and will happily eat anything. Cooked rice and raw meat will make FIDO happy, you might want to Google "BARF." Keep in mind they will happily eat anything; including things they can't or shouldn't.

Service Animals

Service animals are NOT considered pets by federal law and can go almost anywhere no pets are allowed including apartments, hotels, and restaurants, because they aren't pets. Service animals are trained specifically to do something useful, and in this context here, in someway help a person with a disability with something they would have trouble doing for themselves. Pulling a wheel chair, guiding the blind, alerting the deaf to noises, these are all well established uses of a service animal. The Justice Department explains it pretty clearly. (http://www.ada.gov/qasrvc.htm)

First understand that a service animal is a pig magnet. If you elect to have one (or try to fake it) you will attract all sorts of attention. Every rent a cop will stop you and ask questions. Store clerks will ask you. People shopping in the mall will remember you. If they remember one person who showed up that day, it will be you. Service animals do not help you blend in. Service animals generally don't give you freedom until its the comparative sort of freedom of having help with a disability.

Now Fido's gotta act like a proper service animal; your typical service animal has a year or more "education" and obeys in a way that would bring a tear to the eye of the most hardened marine Sargent. They've gotta be clean and well fed; Fido can be kicked for smelling. Fido can't disrupt the activity you are attending, barking, farting and noisy ball licking again will get fido kicked.

The Federal ADA (http://www.ada.gov/) sets the basic ground rules for the use of service animals. At the federal level there is no certification. Getting Fido into an establishment requires credible evidence that it is a service animal, that may be a harness, a uniform identifying it as such or a verbal assurance that it is in fact a service animal. Generally they can ask:

1. Do you have a disability? You don't need to say what your disability is.

2. Was your animal specifically trained to help you with your disability?

If you can say that with a straight face and fido acts like a robot, you're in, although if you get caught don't expect your judge and jury to be sympathetic.

State rules

The penalties in the Federal ADA are largely civil. If you get shown the door your only resource is to file suit later. Many states however up the ante by making kicking Fido a misdemeanor. Many of these states also have certification requirements, usually available to residents, and will issue you a certificate. In CA you get issued a blue dog tag. The theory if the establishment makes a "trespassing hobo call" to the pigs over Fido they'll happily explain to the establishment they are the ones getting a ticket if they keep it

Now in practice this doesn't always work; local cops generally don't enforce federal rules and many states don't have certification programs for non-residents or folks without permanent addresses. And even if they sort out all out, you'll be free to do just as soon as they do a warrant check on you and double check Fido's tags to make sure his registration and rabies are up to date. Also service animals aren't exempt from leash and popper scooper laws, do you have a bag sir?

Airplanes & Housing

While passing off fido as a service animal because he makes you feel better might not pass muster with the ADA, it does for airplanes and housing. In these two situations however an Emotional Support Animal is a valid way of getting Fido on a plane.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotional_support_animal)

Airplanes are exempt from the ADA, the Air Carrier Access Act (http://www.united.com/ual/asset/AirCarrierAccessAct_030925.pdf) governs instead. This imposes a few minor restrictions on Fido. Size for instance, generally 80 pounds is the point at which airplanes offer to put your service animal in cargo. Expect a bulkhead seat.

Housing is not exempt under the ADA, and the Fair Housing Act (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1968#Types_of_banned_discrimination) provides additional rights.

Generally keeping a pet in a house is regarded as a reasonable accommodation under the ADA and the Fair Housing Act if it aids you with a disability even if it wasn't specifically trained to do so, but you might need a doctor's note.

Free service animal

Anyhow, if you really are disabled and looking for a free service animal there are a couple of options. Most service animals are provided free by charities w/ documentation of disability and a number of people have been known to train their own.

Spaying and Neutering

To avoid creating more unwanted puppies and kittens that will be euthanized, you can get your pet spayed or neutered for free or at reduced cost at the ASPCA or your local Humane Society. There's other programs that also offer spaying and neutering that you can check out at the following links:http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html http://www.friendsofanimals.org/

Medical Care

Probably the cheapest place to get your pet vaccinated is the animal control office of any city. Shop around; some cities have free rabies vaccine clinics.

Most jurisdictions will have a overly self important animal control warden that will demand proof of registration and Rabies vaccination. These tags look just round metal usually with an imprinted town, state, license # and phone #. Depending on your level of transiency and documentation you might be able to claim to be from a town that lacks a license law, print your own at a pet food store, or just register with a fake name and address. Proof of Rabies vaccination (they don't care about the other common ones and rabies is the only one that you can catch from your dog.) is something that always gets checked pretty commonly (Papers please.).

Euthanasia

If the time ever comes to euthanize your animal due to incurable (and check with a vet to make sure) illnesses, check with vets and other pet areas for the costs. Many offer very reasonable services. You can often do this yourself in a humane manner, but it's probably worth paying a few extra bucks for a pro to put down Old Yeller in a safe, foolproof and painless way.

Postage

Last updated: 6 September 2008

1 Media Mail
2 Library Mail
3 Priority Mail - Flat Rate
4 Mail Proxy
5 General Delivery
6 Original Postage

Media Mail

If you need to send a package, and it fits the general weight/size specs of a book or CDs or video tapes, etc., you can use the United States Postal Service's Media Mail rate, which is considerably less expensive than standard shipping rates. Just remember that the USPS is getting wise to people abusing Media Mail (such as sending items that aren't books or recordings, or adding personal correspondence with an item), so they're "inspecting" packages that are sent that way. If the package is in violation, it will either be sent back to you, or will be bumped up to another higher rate, usually First Class, and the addressee (whoever is supposed to get the package) will have to pay the outstanding postage before they can receive it. If you don't know what qualifies as "Media Mail", go to the Post Office and ask, or check their website at http://www.usps.gov. If you need to send a letter with the package, use a clear Packing List/Invoice Envelope. You can get a box of these at an office supply store. Write your letter, fold it up, and write the address where the package is to be delivered on a small piece of paper (or a blank part of the letter) facing out, and slap it on the package. Remember that nearly all Media Mail packages go by ground, which means that anything sent to Hawaii or any outlying islands (Guam, Puerto Rico, etc.) will go by boat, which can take up to TWO MONTHS to get there! So you might want to consider sending things Parcel Post or First Class if it has to go that far.

Library Mail

Library Mail is similar to Media Mail. You can send packages up to 70 lbs at a very low rate (around $8 for a 20 lb. package), but they must be sent either to or from a "school, college, university, public library, museum, herbarium, or a nonprofit religious, educational, scientific, charitable, agricultural, labor, veterans, or fraternal organization or association." It's very useful for shipping your stuff to or from college - or form your own fraternal organization and make everyone you mail stuff to a member. The catch is that you can only send things like books, sound recordings and museum specimens - and ONE sealed envelope or a postcard. Like Media Mail, Library Mail is subject to inspection and general hassling. If you want to send anything other than books, etc, make sure the package is heavy enough to feel like a box of books, and then wrap it up tight enough that the post office won't want to bother trying to open it.

Priority Mail - Flat Rate

The USPS offers Flat Rate envelopes and boxes for their Priority Mail service (Anywhere in the world up to 3 days). If you can fit the item(s) in the envelope or box (provided for free at your local Post Office) and seal the flap shut, you can send it via Priority Mail. There are weight limits (4 pounds for envelopes and 20 pounds for boxes), but if you're sending lots of little items to one address, this is a real money saver. Just remember that shipping overseas will be more expensive than within the USA, but still, it's a good buy. Don't confuse this with Express Mail, an overnight service, which is more expensive.

Mail Proxy

A way to send mail without giving away your location by the postmark is to address a letter or package to the postmaster of the city you want the letter to appear to come from. Inside the envelope have your properly addressed and stamped envelope with the letter. The postmaster is required to open the first letter and remail the one inside untouched. Will the postmaster open it illegally or document the source post office, who knows?

General Delivery

General Delivery is a great choice for you if to the home carrier service or a PO Box is not an option. Your mail will be held at a Main Post Office for up to 30 days and can be picked up at any retail window. This is the easiest starter option if you don’t have a permanent address. In the US the zip+4 code 9999 means General Delivery. The only real pain is if you have a long schlep to a main (full size) post office. Here is an example of how to address General Delivery in the US:

Mr. Abbie Hoffman General Delivery Washington DC 20090-9999

This address format is used in the UK:

Mr. Guy Fawkes Poste Restante Islington Post Office 116 Upper Street Islington London N1 1AE

This address format is used in Canada:

Ms. Pearl Taylor Hart GD STN A Calgary AB T0H 1A0

One of the difficulties with getting social services when homeless is that you have no proper mailbox to use when applying for aid. In 1994, the Postal Service issued a ruling that the homeless are eligible for a PO Box if they can provide a piece of official identification, a way to be reached, or proof that the postmaster knows them. The rule also declared that homeless people are entitled to general delivery service indefinitely, not for just 30 days. Unfortunately in some locations the US Postal Service has done everything it can to deny postal service to the homeless person.

You could try applying at the post office for a PO Box with your pre-eviction address before you get the kicked out, use the address of a homeless advocacy agency with their permission, or the address of a friend. Once you have the PO Box you don't really need to worry about the street address unless the they ask for updated information. An added benefit to having a real PO BOX is that in some offices you receive an after hours code to the heated mailbox room, which is of course locked so the homeless won't sleep there.

If you are going to try to mail cash or packages to general delivery/Poste Restante at a post office, wrap two or three large bills in a layer or two of newspaper, mail from a drop box, split the load into many envelopes over time if possible in case some get intercepted and stolen or confiscated. Other items and packages can also be sent in this way. Check with the local postmaster where you are for specific addressing rules.

Original Postage

When mailing to the same city, address the envelope or package to yourself and put the name of the person you are sending it to where the return address generally goes. Mail it without postage and it will be "returned" to the sender. Because almost all letters are machine processed, any stamp that is the correct size will pass. Easter Seals and a variety of other type stamps usually get by the electronic scanner. If you put the stamp on a spot other than the far upper right corner, it will not be cancelled and can be used again by the person who gets your letter. If you have a friend working in a large corporation, you can run your organization's mail through their postage meter.

Those ridiculous free introductory or subscription type letters that you get in the mail often have a postage- guaranteed return postcard for your convenience. The next one you get, paste it on a brick and drop it in the mailbox. The company is required by law to pay the postage. You can also get rid of all your garbage this way.

Ministry

Last updated: 6 March 2011

Go back toAssorted Freebies

"Sacred cows make the tastiest hamburger. " - Abbie Hoffman (As quoted in The New York Times (20 April 1989))

Want to be a preacher? Want to perform legally binding marriages and officiate over any sort of spiritual/religious function? Or do you just need proof of ordination that some uniform shops require in order to purchase nun's habits and clerical collar robes to use for your next scam?

Easy Clergy Ordination

Bear in mind, these things are not going to make it to where you automatically can apply to preach at a Baptist MegaChurch earning 100K a year. But, you may find some of this useful.

Unquestionably one of the best deals going is becoming a minister in the Universal Life Church. They will send you absolutely free, bona fide ordination papers. These entitle you to all sorts of discounts and tax exemptions (Just make certain you file all the proper paperwork first!). Go to http://www.ulc.net to sign up at their on-line church (or to http://www.ulc.org to go to their on-line monastery), and your ordination papers will come right out of your printer! They also sell lots of other stuff for your ministry, such as ID cards, clip-on badges, and a number of credentials and certificates.

If you go to the official website of their International Headquarters, http://ulchq.com/, they will actually mail you your ordination certificate for free! You know it's genuine; they have actual thick paper!

Other groups that offer free on-line ordination are the Church of Spiritual Humanism (://www.spiritualhumanism.org) and Universal Ministries (http://www.universalministries.com ). Other ministry items are available from them.

The Discordian Church (a close friend to the Yippies) grants free Sainthood, Pope and Messiah status. Just print out cards found at http://www.poee.co.uk -- of course, most people don't respect the holy religion of Eris.

Ohr Somayach, Aish Hatorah, and Neve Yerushalim along with many other yeshivas and seminaries have been known to give free rides to Israel for both college age and above men and women. Once there almost all provide free dorm stay and food in exchange for attending a few classes a week. If you are not a Jew ask your respective mosque, church, temple or comet suicide cult if they have a similar program.

Ministers are also exempt from being drafted in many cases. If you can prove that you are part of an active ministry that relies on your work, more the better. If not, you'll probably be made Chaplin after your basic training.

Real Ministry

Becoming a real preacher is possible if you can stomach it and are willing to go through a years long process. You need good oratory skills, be able to read tons of religious texts, knowledge of common arguments and counters, good people skills, management and organizational skills, and salesmanship. A church is basically a Community Centers, so you may want to read that article as well.

First off, you are going to have to be a member in good standing for a length of time at a denomination of your choice. Try several churches of that denomination. Be sure to get in good with church leadership and volunteer as much as possible to happenings the organization is involved with. Once you have gained trust of the leadership and you at least appear to be a true believer, you can claim to be 'called' to service. Being 'called into service' is very important. Of course, if you have had issues like a divorce or a major criminal record, the leadership may question your calling or you may have to volunteer more or go to other churches. Many religions have as a selling point "forgiveness", so unless the crime was something like rape or child abuse, you will eventually get your recommendation.

With good recommendations in hand, begin attending schools staying involved in church activities to pad your application. Once you have the required degree or prerequisites, you then apply to a seminary college to get your Masters of Divinity. Good thing about this degree is even if you decide the religion industry is not for you, it is a valid masters degree with a decent crossover to other industries. You can be a high school principal, teacher, marriage counselor (with a few more certs), or even write Dungeons and Dragons books like Bruce Cordell.

After seminary, if you kept good with the church leadership, most likely you will be sent to a rural church with low attendance and money issues. Most of the good churches that pay spiritual leaders well with well-heeled wealthy followers will not have openings. Folks only die or retire from those positions (and do you blame them). After you have eeked out a poverty living at a minor church and either increased the membership there or kept the place from closing, you will be considered for a position in a better location when someone moves up or dies. If even the small, troubled churches are unavailable, the leadership may make you travel from church to church in a region to give speeches and give those pastors a day off (of course, out of your own pocket) till one of those comes open.

Once you get into a good church, it is all about keeping and recruiting membership, making sure you have services to keep folks coming, writing and giving sermons twice a week, the occasional visit to folks in a hospital, and keeping the rent and upkeep on the building in the black (just like running a club or restaurant). While only the really large, established ministries will make you rich, you will be set for life. Your only boss will be the occasional church hierarchy and whatever deity the organization worships. Of course, your career can be ended or severely crippled if you are caught doing something against what your sermons rail against. Make sure you are cool with what your cult/church/mosque frowns on and you will be alright.

If you are not able to get in a church, some larger hospitals employ clergy on a part time basis. The job is mind numbingly easy and it does not matter what denomination you are (although it helps if you are around the same as the facility's administrator). All you have to do is pray with those that request and ask troubled folks if they would like to speak to you. If not, you just marked you visited. Simple.

Of course, you could also set up your own cult/church/whatever. This is a really big fad amongst African American communities in particular with folks like T.D. Jakes and others. However, this requires a lot of marketing, dedication, and very hard work.

13. Get a Job

Last updated: 6 September 2011

"Labor is prior to and independent of capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration." - President Abraham Lincoln, Annual speech to Congress, 1861

Do not get us wrong. The authors of this project have nothing against hard work. Nor do we condone laziness of the mind or body. We are, however, opposed to what amounts to legalized slavery that poses as work in many places.

The main problem here is control, and the fact that the people controlling may not have interest of the employee or anyone else in heart. CEOs have been known to lay off thousands or destroy entire towns just to keep an upper class lifestyle and private plane. They ship hundreds of high skilled jobs overseas while the professionals who made them successful end up working at Target.

Fortunately,there are eventual ways out of this scam, but it takes planning and persistence. There are many who went on to start movements, own businesses, or offer services that have high value and satisfaction. Until that time, many of us still have to deal with the work world on some basis. Knowing the work system is very helpful.

1 Where to find Work

2 What you need

3 Scams

4 Quick Employment

5 Legal Considerations

6 Job Ideas

6.1 Union Work
6.2 Mechanic
6.3 Gatherer
6.4 Consulting
6.5 Agricultural and yard labor
6.6 Volunteer
6.7 Seasonal Work
6.8 Blacksmith/Welder
6.9 Micro Farming
6.10 Online Sales
6.11 Selling Crafts and wares
6.12 Courier
6.13 Food Service
6.14 Advertise
6.15 Advertise Yourself
6.15.1 Considerations
6.16 Trade
6.17 Freelance Writing
6.18 Mystery Shopper/ Survey
6.19 Truck Hustling

7 Get a Job Articles

Where to find Work

Finding work takes diligence and can be quite a bit of leg work. If you are looking to work for somebody else, here's where to find it. At first we will be talking strictly about the standard corpgov and regular business jobs. More original ideas will be listed in the final section.

Newspapers. Although some newspapers are putting their classifieds online, many still have it in the paper itself, since the classifieds sells newspapers. Most of the time it is the Sunday edition of the paper with the most ads. If you pay attention week after week, you can spot the ads that merely keep a yearly ad in the paper whether hiring or not versus actual openings. Be aware that many others also look at the paper and the positions get filled quickly.
Union Hall. Getting in with the union will land you a well paying, less-abusive job in the field of your choice, and your friendly local local will generally help you find work. Joining a Union is one of the most revolutionary things the average person can do, as it's putting Socialist principals into action. Just be sure to support your union brothers and sisters.
Phone Book. Another idea that can help is to grab the local phonebook and go to every place in there that may use your skill. You would be surprised that some places never advertise.
Internet. If you can wade through quite a bit of employment scams, spam, and useless ads, there are many sites that offer jobs. Some sites cater only to certain fields, while others are very broad. Larger organizations have now moved solely to online applications - even to the point of having multiple computers set up in their HR department if anyone shows up in person. Always go only to the actual company website to apply. Even legit agencies will never mention the names of client corporations in a ad. ALWAYS follow up an internet application IN PERSON as nowadays folks are spamming applications and bombarding HRs where your application may never be read!
Friends and Relatives. Sometimes a friend can talk to his boss to get you past a lot of red tape. Many, however, may also have reservations against helping a friend for fear of you making them look bad. However, it is always good to check.
Job Fairs. This is hit or miss. Job Fairs do not really advertise that well, either. Career sites, the newspaper, and the unemployment office is the best way to find out about these. Be sure to get a list of the companies who are there as many of these events may not have things you are interested in. While most of the time, this is just a show from employers to collect tons of applications and not hire or get a discount on unemployment insurance, you will probably meet a person who actually makes hiring decisions (not HR), get their name and contact info, and put a 'face' on your application.
Internship/ School Program. If you are in school or have a trade, some programs have work for folks in some fields. Check with the counselor or job placement department. Work Study programs can also be an option, but these have long waiting lists and do not pay much. Only thing bad about internships is that you are not paid. It does count somewhat as experience but many employers want actual paid experience. If you are in a high turnover field, many folks get hired after the internship is over. If you are in a low turnover field with lots of job seekers, the folks you intern for are probably not going to hire you unless you really mesh with them in some way. You can get references, though.
Jobcorps. If you are in certain US cities and between certain ages, Jobcorp helps train foks for careers that pay a bit more and are needed in that community. http://www.jobcorps.com. They also help place you in work after finishing the program.
Join forces with the Government! Yes, you too can have a cushy government job! Federal jobs are at http://usa.gov and has everything from NASA engineers to orderlies at a VA hospital carting patients around to janitors buffing floors . Each state also has websites, and each city at least has one building in it with a bulletin board of jobs. Expect long hiring procedures, background checks, and probably drug tests as well. But, once you are in, you can expect better wages and a decent pension and awesome benefits.
Speaking of which, there is also the Military. But be highly warned and informed. Check out Join the Army of Your Choice

What you need

Obviously, you are going to need some things before even starting. Let's talk about some things that are vital and things that can come up. Most of them are common sense, but all the situtions bear mentioning.

These things are almost always REQUIRED:

Picture ID and Social Security Card or Birth Certificate:. There is a form CorpGov has folks fill out with hiring paperwork in the US called an I-9. INS makes employers have this paper on file in case they are suspected of having illegal immigrants. Even if the job is an under-the-table job that doesn't use I-9s, most folks at least want to see a picture ID. You are also going to need to be above a certain age for many jobs. This is what screws runaway teenagers into bad situations, sometimes leaving them with no option but survival sex(prostitution or traded sex for a place to stay), the inability to be legally employed in many cases.
Clean, not worn out clothes: Dressing for an interview varies widely. Some examples: It is perfectly acceptable for a medical applicant to dress in scrubs for an interview. Professional positions probably want a suit and tie. Construction jobs may be only mostly concerned about what tools you have and you do not reek of booze. Short of suit and tie requirements, you can usually never go wrong with the corpgov approved submissive slavery seeker outfit: the pressed white button up shirt, belt, black pants, and black socks and shoes. Take into account what is acceptable and what probably will not fly. Be also aware that some jobs may have uniform or dress requirements that you may have to purchase after employment. Check Free Clothing for ideas and insights on clothing in general.
Telephone: There are a few that hire on the spot. More often, the employer is going to want to call you. If they have no way to get in touch, they will go to the next application and throw yours in a file of old applications, never to be viewed again.
Some sort of skill: Surely, something you can do, even if just labor. The more skills and more valuable skills you have, the more money you can get and the more options you will have. Always try to pick up new skills.

Not just to be able to help some business owner get rich and get yourself a pittance, but to make yourself more valuable. Those with no skills or just one skill historically get screwed.

Transportation. Preferably a car. Never mind that many throwaway jobs will not pay enough to maintain one. If you do not have a car, at least be on a bus line, bike, or arrange a ride. You can not keep a job you can not get to. If you do not have a car, it is probably best to lie if you can arrange getting there as some employers will shit can the application if you say you do not have a car. Do mind your clothes and appearance if commuting leaves you exposed to weather.
Attitude: If you go in with a shitty attitude, you will not get hired.
Initiative: There is much competition for jobs. Even more so in periods of recession. Make this a goal. Talk to many places and do not wait around for just one to call you back.

These things you may find are extremely HELPFUL, but may not be required, depending on circumstances:

Verifiable experience: This actually trumps any diploma or college out there except possibly those that merely use degrees to weed out applicants. Someone with experience in a skill will beat someone with no experience most of the time.
Pass (or get around) a drug test: More and more employers are in bed with CorpGov to make those that consume certain substances unemployable. In the ads you can look for things like 'Drug Free Workplace' or 'Drug Screen Required'. More and more employers are starting this because of massive discounts on Worker's Compensation Insurance if they do. Even if the job is not a high trust job. Check out 'Drug Testing' under 'Free Dope' if this concerns you.
'Pass' a personality test. Some employers are using personality tests to weed out thieves or those with nonsubservient thoughts. Some of these are computerized and ask the same question over and over to establish a pattern of thought. Of course, academics have conflicting views of these tests actual effectiveness. That does not prevent big companies and large chains from using these.
No major criminal record: This can be a deal breaker depending on where because of background checks. Some places do extensive ones, some places do just quick ones, some places say they do but do not, and some places do not care if you axe murdered 50 people as long as you can do good work. There are local laws that vary widely as to what you have to report and what you do not. Usually anything over 7 years you do not. But this, again depends on profession and area. Check your local laws. Please note, that if you have a felony, that this places you not able to get many jobs. If you are unfortunate enough to have one, check around. It is possible to get employment with a felony, you just have much less to choose from.
Clean driving record (MVR), valid Driver's License, and Car Insurance Card: If you're going to be driving the company van, or your own car to deliver stuff, they'll want to know how good a driver you are and if your license is valid. Some states suspend can suspend your license regardless of number of tickets or DUI/DWI for things like Child Support regardless of your state of residency.
Good credit: Some places, particularly top managerial and banks require a good credit report. This, along with lack of collateral is also one of the things that keep folks from borrowing to go into business themselves as most of the time a huge amount of cash is needed to start out.
Equipment/Tools: Some, but not all jobs may require you to have your own tools. This can be fairly easy to get to downright expensive. Examples: Delivery Driver needs a car (or bike in some places), Home Health Aide needs a blood pressure cuff. Other skills like a Carpenter, Mechanic, or Plumber may need hundreds in special tools.
Resume: This is a judgment call. Most lower-level throw-away jobs are going to take one look at it, throw it away, and ask you to fill out an application. More professional jobs and skilled jobs are probably going to want to see one.
Certificates/License: Some jobs not available to the common public are only available to those with the proper certificate or license.
Degree from real college: Some professions require a 4 year degree to even be considered, with master's degrees becoming more common for fields with a lot of perks and autonomy. If applying for throw-away jobs, try not to list advanced degrees as most of the time you will be 'over-qualified' (which is a term bosses use for being afraid you will take their job!)
Willingness to relocate: Let's face it. Some areas are just not very good for finding work. You may be stuck in a small town or a place where there is a shitty market for your skill. If you find this the case, and it will not screw you too much, you may consider moving. Either that or learn a new skill that has better demand.

Scams

There are many that want to take advantage of job-seekers even in the middle of the worst and best of economic times. Here are some of the more popular scams out there to avoid:

Fee-payed Employment Agency or Service. Many variations exist of this time honored scam. Some try to sell you on having access to some "hidden job market" and will offer you use of a database for a certain amount of time for a fee. Truth is, most will be fake or non-existent and you will be out precious cash in a time where cash is short. Run from these places! Another popular, but a bit more legit practice is to actually find you a job. But, they place a garnishment of half a month (or more) wages for a high turnover job as a fee taken out of your check! Or worse, charging a fee to listen to pre-recorded information on such things like government employment that can be found out merely by some good research or using the internet.
Paid Seminars or Boot Camps for Guaranteed Job Placement. Some scam artists will pose as an agency or actual hiring company to advertise a "for sure" job - if you pay a steep price for a class that may or may not offer actual certifications! Even if they give actual certifications, know that most certifications are worthless without actual experience. Once the classes or over, the artists leave for another area and no jobs are given. At worst, the job seeker is left with nothing and out a huge sum of cash. At best, they are still out a huge sum and now have a certification that could have been gotten from a Community College or through independent research at a fifth the price and better contacts as well.
Affiliate Marketers. These guys plague sites like Craigslist and other job boards. They redirect you to a site that phishes for information. They get your attention by claiming to pay wages quite a bit more than what the going rate in the area is for that particular job. Never give out information to a site unless you are for certain it is a legit business with an actual physical office you can visit. A tip off is if they are using free email like Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail or Live. Most legit businesses at least have their own e-mail servers. A small business that does not will not ask until they see you in person. Also, check to see who owns the URL that they're using. A free WHOIS search at NetworkSolutions.com will tell you who the website domain is registered to. If it is hidden under some service like "Domains By Proxy" or "Silent Register", they don't want anyone to know who they really are.
Work From Home/ Multi-Level Marketing (MLM). All these are quasi-legal pyramid schemes which are grifting with a Corporate face. They market though word of mouth events. They tend to target uneducated, rural, and religious types. However, sometimes physicians and other professionals are seduced by a good salesman. You buy a membership from a distributor allegedly to sell their product. The strangest part of the worst pyramid scams is that the importance of selling product is minimized, it is a veil to provide the appearance of legitimacy, the main urge is to recruit more "employees". The membership usualy requires a minimum product be "sold" every month, many deluded victims will buy their whole monthly quota to stay affiliated while they still have hope in recruiting their downstream sales force. The only ones making any money are the very few people at the top and the corporate distributor while the lower folks get screwed by ending up with overpriced items that can be hard to sell. MLMs have been known to keep a cult-like culture to keep people involved and the money pumping.

Be aware that there are always scammers and new scams are coming all the time. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. While it may be tempting to join in on the scams, remember, it is one thing to get a bit of dignity back from the man and a different thing to screw over some poor stiff looking for work. Fortunate thing is that there are several legit ways to get work. Most are common sense, but there may be some that may have never even been considered.

Quick Employment

If you need work quick to keep CorpGov from throwing you on the streets or to keep from starving, there are some options. This varies area to area.

The main reason employment takes so long is because of Human Resource departments. They stand between you and the person who may actually be in charge. These guys are paper-pushers in the extreme and serve as a kind of guard between you and the person that actually makes decisions.

Lately, to make the HR job even easier, they make you fill out applications online. There are programs in the software that handles the data that makes comparisons between applications and automatically e-mails rejections if set conditions are not met. They also sometimes have the software search for 'keywords' as well (usually industry certs or certain degrees or traits). If those 'keywords' are not present in an application or resume, it never gets read.

Even after that hurdle is passed, you may have to interview with one or two others before even talking to the person who hires. This can take weeks (or months in the case of government employment).

For that reason, if you need quick employment, you need to avoid places with these kind of HR departments. Let's look at some quick options.

Day Labor. This is horrid manual labor type stuff. Stuff like digging, cleaning up after major sporting events, construction clean up, etc. Most major cities have a place like this. It pays very low, but you can get paid daily. All you need is 2 forms of ID, the ability to fill out a simple application, be sober, and able of body. There are definite drawbacks. There is no guarantee they will have work that day. Most of the time you have to show up extremely early in the morning (though there are a very few that send out at night). You have to sit there until work comes. This can be hours, if at all. Having a vehicle does help your chances, though as most folks show up without a car and the work site may be many miles away and want someone who can drive themselves and a few others over there. The staff will often treat you like crap and the employers they send you to probably will too. Mostly only crackheads and the homeless do this, but it is also a first choice amongst the recently unemployed. Labor Ready, Able Body, and many other outfits are in this business. This is CorpGov slavery of the lower classes at its finest!
Staffing Agencies. Along the same lines as day labor agencies, regular staffing agencies differ in that they do not pay daily. You also do not have to hang around there as they will call you with work. If you have a skill or certificates, staffing agencies offer to provide temp staff to events, places that have high turnover, or places that do not want to be bothered with having to put someone on payroll. The agency is the one that signs the check, but they send you to work somewhere else. You can choose when you do want to work. There are agencies for almost every skill from catering to general labor to nursing. These can sometimes get you to work very fast if they are busy. You can also refuse assignments you do not like. Problem is, many times they get slow. Also, when business gets slow, agency is the first to get cut. Work can stop unexpectedly and agencies are well known for favoritism in who they send out. You may also be under contract where you may not be able to be hired by the client if you happen to be sent to a place you like. They are also going to want verifiable experience in the skill you want to do. Outfits in this business include Manpower and Advantage Staffing (Administrative & Clerical, Light Industrial, etc.), Robert Haif (IT), Maxim Health Care

(Nursing and Allied Health), and many others. Beware agencies (particularly those that require high amounts of skills in low turnover fields) asking for work references as there is a scam where the headhunters will contact your previous employers trying to fill contracts rather than put you in a job!

Small Businesses. Smaller places where the manager who makes the hiring decisions actually has to work there is a good choice. Some have been known to hire on spot. Thing is, there needs to be correct timing. For example: do not go to a restaurant during lunch rush. Try to go when business is slow and the manager is relaxed. If that manager does not have any openings, go to the next one. Someone will hire eventually.
Pizza Delivery. If you have a somewhat decent vehicle, an insurance card, and no more than 3 tickets on your MVR, delivering food has always been a fairly easy job to get and offers a great bit of autonomy. The hours are short and this eventually tears up your vehicle, but it can put some quick daily cash in your pocket. The location you decide to work at is very important as far as how much cash you receive. Try to deliver places with upper middle class WASP neighborhoods that tip. Many lower working class delivery areas have such bad tips, the franchise owner has to pay more per hour just to get folks to get the pizzas out.

Legal Considerations

All of this information can be gotten from legal posters that are required to be kept in viewable locations at most jobs. Of course, this section is no substitute for a knowledgeable lawyer. Laws differ widely throughout the CorpGov Empire or even industry.

About the relation of state labor laws to federal labor laws: Labor laws are mostly concerned with the actions of employers (with the exception of some like Taft-Hartley which concern themselves primarily with putting stumbling blocks before unions), though in turn the existence of these laws has a big impact on the life of employees. Like most cases of state law, states may pass laws that add restrictions to those already put in place by the federal government (e.g. if a state passes a minimum wage of $7.75 an hour, an employer who surpasses that is still meeting federal law) but state laws cannot reduce or negate the restrictions imposed by federal laws (a state law establishing the minimum wage of $4 an hour would be meaningless, as would one saying it's okay to discriminate). In other words, states may add extra things employers have to do, but if the federal law says an employer has to do X, Y, Z, it doesn't matter what state the employer is in, they have to do X, Y, and Z.

Legal parts in dark-orange apply only if you are covered by the FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act). The FLSA's benefits do not apply to certain groups of employees and employees under certain employers. If you are an executive, administrative, or professional employees (read: manager or white collar), employed at certain seasonal amusement or recreational establishments, employed as a worker at sea, a companion to the elderly or infirm/a casual babysitter, or a farmworker, you are not covered by the FLSA. Some state's labor laws will have

No matter what the law says you have a human right toOrganize a Labor Union. In the US there are laws which protect employees' right to unionize and unions' right to exist, but there are also many laws written to damage unions and make it difficult to form one. Without a union the employer can hire, fire, and pay you as he pleases, if you don't like it they will pick another employee from the pool of workers on the job market. With a union representing you the whole of the employees can use their ability to slow down or stop work at the workplace to force concessions from the employer and protect individual workers. Your best success is with an industry or job site where a reasonable amount of training is required, hiring scabs, replacement workers will take too much time and money and your employer is better served by negotiating.
Employment At-Will. By default, employees in the United States are at-will. This means that they can fire you at any time without reason or notice. The main exception is that you can take them to court for some backpay if you can provide evidence that you were fired because they are discriminating against you being a member of a federally protected group(any racial group or gender, your age) or for taking family or medical leave (this is covered under the FMLA), but usually it's not financially worth it (the maximum fine is 10,000, but you'll rarely be compensated that much for a variety of reasons). There is usually a passage about this on the application. Fortunately, most savvy employers are not going to just let you go out of nowhere and unemployment is a totally separate issue. They are going to go the standard route of documented verbal warnings and write-ups to have documentation to show the unemployment office. They will still fire on spot for serious issues like theft or no call/ no show. Although at-will employment is the default federal law, state laws which affirm it are usually in place to combat unions spreading into those particular states. Just be aware of this. More on unemployment is under the Unemployment section of Free Money. Of course, any written agreement or union contract supersedes employment at will.
Minumum wage. The Empire sets a paltry sum up that is the least employers can pay hourly employees. In addition, some states can pay tipped employees much less if the tips are substantial. Some states and cities have a higher wage they use instead. From time to time, depending on the politics of the moment, this is raised. This applies to Salaried employees as long as you are covered by the FLSA; the employer is in the green as long as your total payment in any given week (that is, the 168 hour period that begins on one of the seven days of the week, as chosen by the employer) over total hours worked in a week (accounting for overtime) amounts to a per-hour rate that is above minimum wage.

This does not apply to "contract" employees, and employers may purposely misclassify you as a contract employee to take advantage of that and other legal exceptions. This is, for example, why Amazon.com maintains a spin-off "temp staffing agency" (Integrity Staffing) that "hires" temp workers that are assigned exclusively to Amazon.com warehouses. Note that although the federal minimum wage is established in the FLSA, many states have state minimum wage laws (which can only legally apply if they are equal to or higher than the federal minimum wage) which often have different exceptions than the FLSA as to who it applies to.

Overtime. If you work over 40 hours in one of your workweek periods for a single employer, that employer must pay at least Time and a half your normal wage rate for those hours in the paycheck you receive for that week. There is no limit to the hours an employee may work in a workweek, and there is no legal obligation for an employer to pay you a special rate for working on holidays or weekends.
Discrimination. It is illegal to discriminate on hiring based on color. Some states even have laws about age discrimination against older folks. Talk to a lawyer if you believe this to be a case. Even better, get a job away from backwards jerks.
Child Labor. Except for farm-labor, no one under 14 is permitted to work a job. 14 and 15 year olds may work jobs but only when the employer follows certain restrictions laid out in the FLSA. In addition to these, all states have their own labor laws, and many of these place greater restrictions on the age they can begin work and hours worked. Once again, this is what screws underage runaways and forces them into the underground economy.
Sexual Harassment. Many companies got hit with harassment lawsuits many years back. The orientation sexual harassment videos are almost cliche in larger companies.It is quite a bit rarer than in the past in larger companies because of the extreme paranoia. Nowadays many places have regulations against dating. Still, if you are a female around a lecherous boss who does not take no for an answer, talk to a lawyer or get another boss who is more respectful.
Worker's Compensation. Most legit places have state mandated or private insurance if you get hurt on the job that will pay any medical bills and sometimes give you a bit of cash to live off of while you heal. Be aware that anytime you get hurt on the job, a drug test is automatically given. This can affect Worker's Comp in a negative way. Some states even allow illegal, undocumented, or under-the-table employees to claim workers comp if injured at work.
Security Investigations. Company detectives or loss prevention may ask you up to their office at any time, as an employee you are obligated to go. If you wish you can refuse to be interviewed although you will be fired in nearly every case. If you refuse the interview or interrogation ask to leave immediately, as you are quitting, if they have enough evidence they might make an arrest or hold you for the police. The rules with loss prevention are mostly the same as the cops but they can also legally do dirty tricks like search without a warrant within limit, lie, and not inform you of your rights, but they are not allowed to detain you without your consent except to wait for the police to arrive and take you away. It is worth asking why you are being interviewed, perhaps you have a receipt for the item they think you stole or something similar. If they have real suspicion and you no tight alibi remain silent, demand for a union representative, and assume you are being recorded, remain silent until you can speak to a lawyer especially if you are arrested and taken to the police station. Even if the police are not involved your information may be placed in a background investigation database, so anything you say may be recorded to be used against you by future employers.
Even if you are fired demand your last check, without a court order they are required to pay you even if you are accused of theft or causing damage. Employers can legally snail mail your last check, however, if they want to be jerks or do not want you on property. It is usually small business who try to play these revenge games, often the amount owed is small enough to bring a case in small claims court, keep your pay stubs and your record of hours worked just in case.
Your employer is not allowed to deduct from your pay or not pay you for hours you have already worked, even as a punishment. Some employers do make you sign an agreement to pay a certain amount for provided uniforms if you do not turn them back in, however.
Bankruptcy. If the company you are working for goes bankrupt they may not pay you a last check, be cautious if they fail to pay due to bank problems or some other excuse, continued work might go unpaid. Some states will reimburse stiffed hourly workers but this can take weeks or longer to pay off.
Medical & Maternal leave and breastfeeding. Under the FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act), if your parent, your spouse, or your child has a serious medical condition, or you have a serious medical condition that makes you unable to perform your job, or if you are going to give birth in the next few weeks or you have become a parent or guardian or been placed with an adopted child in the last year (and you need to care for the child), you may take up to twelve weeks of unpaid leave within a given twelve month period, and your job is legally protected when you get back. For this to apply you must have worked at least 12 months, at least 1250 hours over the previous 12 months. It is against the law for an employee to fire you because he feels you are going to, or you just did, make use of the FMLA. As well, under the FLSA, all employers are required to allow women breaks as "frequently as needed" from work to breastfeed their child, and a space to do so. This space must not be a bathroom, be shielded from view and safe from intrusion by other employees. It may be a temporary space. Employers with less then 50 employees are not required to do this if it would impose an "undue hardship" on them.
Blacklisting. While the official practice of blacklisting is illegal, nevertheless, it does happen. Legal ways of blacklisting includes professional certificate and license registries like the Board of Nursing, Sex Offender Registries, criminal background checks, and Credit Reporting Agencies. Many large companies are also owned by holding companies which may control many other companies. Human resources can legally put comments on your employee record and share this with other companies under the parent company's umbrella. In small communities and fields where everybody knows everybody, it is very possible that employers will share candid information beyond just work history. There are also at times secret and illegal databases that have appeared from time to time to weed out those suspected of union activity, theft, disrupting business, and even not getting along with the boss. If you are having trouble getting another job, this could be the case. Changing industries or geographic locations can be a solution to this.

Job Ideas

Still stumped? Not everyone can be an astronaut, but here are some ideas submited by folks working on this project that could spark some ideas. They range from somewhere far out there to something that may be pretty useful. Be sure to research the requirements needed for what you want to do.

Union Work

You want a good job that you can do for many years, with good pay, a respectful employer and a safe work environment? Contact your local union of the trade of your choice. They will generally have training and apprentice programs and can hook you up with a good job. Keep in mind that the engines of revolution have almost always been labor unions, so you're not betraying your beliefs. Just be sure to support your union brothers and sisters. Electrician is an easy, high-demand trade these days. Once you get in the field, you'll wonder why you're being paid so much, as the work is simple and safe. Plumbing, HVAC, and Carpentry are also good choices. Plumbers are facing a crisis of having an aging workforce with very few young people wanting to learn the trade. It's not nearly as gross as you'd think, there's always a demand and the pay is excellent.

The IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) offers training for both electricians and power lineworkers through their NJATC program. You're not guaranteed entry, as only so many slots are available, but if you can get in, you are guaranteed work. Union Apprentice electricians make a reasonable wage, whereas apprentice lineworkers make an incredibly high one (As high as $26/hr starting, scaling all the way up to $48 in some areas), however, linework is not for the faint of heart of those with unsteady hands. It is one of the most difficult and dangerous jobs possible. If you are not in good shape or are scared of heights, don't even bother.

Mechanic

Bicycle, appliance, electrical, small engine, and especially auto repair is a very good idea. If you are mechanically inclined, this can be everything from offering to change blown tires for a small sum when hitching to full blown restoration of classic cars to collectors for lots of money. Mechanics are always in demand and paid fairly well with a good schedule. The jump towards going into business for one's self is also easier than many fields (if you have the tools). Everyone needs an honest mechanic at some point.

Gatherer

Gold panning, shell collecting, shed antler collecting, etc; be careful what you are collecting is not ruining an ecosystem.

Consulting

Many small businesses only want a computer or other consultant for a few days or weeks, many small businesses will be happy to pay under the table, take your pay every day or week so they can't burn you at the end of the job. Many jobs are available near a business fiscal year end.

Agricultural and yard labor

Find where the migrant laborers hang out for jobs, many employers will expect more work out of a migrant than a lazy Amerikan until you prove yourself, these are almost always cash jobs.

Volunteer

WWOOF and HelpExchange : volunteer on farmstays, homestays, boatstays and backpacker hostels all over the world. You're not paid, but you don't pay for anything (lodging, food, transportation).

Seasonal Work

Jobs like ski lift operator, banquet waiter in a destination convention city, lifeguard, camp counselor, or forest fire crews fall under this heading. An under the table pay job is usually not what you want since you want to play the unemployment game in spring and fall. See Unemployment

Blacksmith/Welder

After a bit of practice try hiring yourself out for making things like window bars or iron gates from rebar or fabricating needed parts for old machines. Community Colleges and work programs also offer classes in this, if you need a bit more guidance. see Means of Production

Micro Farming

If you can project an earthy hippie vibe and are committed to organic principles many people will buy their organic eggs and produce even without certification. A good idea is to get monthly or yearly subscribers to an egg or greenhouse produce club. See Farm It

Online Sales

Web auction sites are an easy way to make money either selling stuff you find or fix from your dumpster expeditions or even better sell software, multimedia, or support services online, no shipping required! You can collect by either taking checks or e-payments although be careful that you withdraw payments quickly keeping your account balance low, some online payment systems will seize some or all of your money if the customer commits fraud or complains. Some e-payment companies even give you a debit card to spend your earnings. Be careful about taxes since Amerikan e-payment systems report to the IRS.

Selling Crafts and wares

Many make a living selling wares and crafts, going to event to event. You could just lay out a blanket or sell out of the trunk of a car or sell in high traffic areas, but this can lead to police harassment. More legit, however, is to get yourself a decent set-up with several tables and a chair to sale your wares and go to real events. Find out where events are where folks would want to buy what you have. Be it Fantasy Conventions, Open Air Flea Markets, Arts and Craft Shows, or whatever. Be aware that most real events charge for a booth with electricity being extra. Be sure after travel and booth fees you will make enough to make it worth while.

Can not think of what to sell? Here are some ideas: Niche Clothing, Hand-made Furniture, Glass Pipes (check local laws for drug paraphernalia), bootleg DVD/CDs, public domain movies/cartoons/TV shows on DVD, umbrellas at rainy events. The list can be as long as your imagination and the profits as good as your location. If going to an event, always check to see what wares are allowed to be sold.

Courier

If you know a small business that needs things hand delivered offer to be their courier. You will either get to cycle sprint around town with a important document or even better jet around the country or world with their documents or prototypes. Law offices, jewelery dealers, and small high tech or aerospace manufacturers are good places to start. Of course most of these businesses will not send valuable things with some hippie stranger, so start with people you know or work through an agency. A benefit to working with an agency is you often have to work only the days you want to.

If the company wants you to use your own car, you may have to remove any bumper stickers that the company may consider inappropriate (A spraycan of WD-40 can remove sticker adhesive easily). A mom & pop outfit that sells flowers probably wouldn't want someone with "EAT THE RICH" stickers delivering the bouquets.

Food Service

A van or bicycle trailer full of food can set you up to serve small to medium business in suburban and industrial areas. Stealth is important as unlicensed food service is investigated by the health department. Think about home baking delivery pizza with a partner or ice cream trucking with a bike trailer loaded up with cold snacks and dry ice. A fryer and propane grille set up in a van can feed dozens of customers at a job site. It is smart to get permission so the management won't turn you in. Precook as much food as possible and use steamer trays and boxes to keep food warm and keep everything that comes in contact with the food as clean as humanly possible. Remember, food poisoning is nasty and can get your ass in seriously hot water. An easy job is taking written orders and cash up front for coffee, deli, or fast food delivery in big offices; This might even avoid the health department jurisdiction.

Advertise

Everyone hates the wasteful windshield spam in parking lots but it is a lame way to get enough for a few meals in a pinch. You can also offer to dress up in a costume and shake a sign in front of used car lots. Pizza places and Chinese restaurants have also been known to hire out folks to go into neighborhoods to hang coupons on doors.

Advertise Yourself

For the occasional labor jobs, especially if you plan to be in town for a long time, advertise with business cards or refrigerator magnets. Going door to door at businesses is a good way to deliver them, but identify your market and stick to it. Give out your SMS and e-mail addresses so you will be easy to contact, especially in time-sensitive jobs like delivery or food orders.

Considerations

Be sure the size of the job is large enough to justify your time and travel. Depending on the job market you might be forced to do heavy physical labor, that's OK as long as you are able to walk away when you want to. Get to know the workers compensation laws in case you are injured on the job, in some places you might even be eligible if you were working under the table but you will have to narc on your employer.

Trade

Where there is no money, sometimes a trade of services for services or services for goods can be a good deal for all parties. Trade was how folks got things done and ages past and some folks still deal like this to this day.

Freelance Writing

It is difficult, but possible, to earn cash writing articles or translating for web content mill sites. You will need a well written resume and the ability to string together sentences that make sense. Many will ask for published or example material. Results vary and competition is fierce due to globalization and the popular "work from home" work ethos. On some sites it is common to see slave labor offers like 50 500 word articles for less than 50 USD done with a week's time frame and free self editing service.

A good source article that gives a number of places that pay writers for their writing:

http://30queries30days.com/wordpresssite/2009/11/07/places-that-pay-writers-up-front/ Associated Content.com, Constant-Content.com, Textbroker.com, Elance.com, and Demand Studios.com are also more popular sites.

If you are an expert on a subject and can string together a database of content,you could host your own website, but that has more to do with advertising, programming, and luck.

Mystery Shopper/ Survey

We warn to be careful of work-at-home scams. But, sometimes there are legit CorpGov spy services wanting to know if their wage slaves drones are being submissive. It works like this: The survey company gives you a list of businesses that you must shop at that pay for the service. You then write about your shopping experience online and send the reciepts to the owner to get your money back or sometimes extra. You can do anything from an all nights club drinking session, sleeping your way round hostels, to going to a train station with the timetable and standing there all day to see how many trains are late. Be careful to make sure this id an actual survey company and not merely a marketer making you sign for text messages or make you pay for a "list". You may also find that they strictly only want the opinions of certain well-heeeled demographics. By "well-heeled", we mean you must state that you own and do not rent and claim a middle class profession and salary or that you are a housewife of such a person. Do not depend on this to pay your rent, either.

Truck Hustling

If you have a pick up truck and live near a suburban area, you are sitting on a money making machine! As long as you keep your license straight, keep it running, and do not mind being out in the heat and cold a truck opens near limitless options to make money free of employers. With a truck, you can move stuff for people for money. If you load a weed whacker and a lawn mower in the back, you can start your own landscaping business making money off of professionals with a bigger house than time to get out in the heat taking care of the lawn to look good around the other professionals. You can paint, do plumbing, or even basic carpentry all out of your truck with the proper tools, initiative, and marketing. Just cruise upper middle class neighborhoods and go door to door plying your service whether it is landscaping, gutter cleaning, lawn mowing, or whatever. Set up a web site, get a cell phone with unlimited minutes, print some flyers and cards and you may have a calling. We have known people that started doing this stuff in their late teens that ended up building wealth and massive empires like this - all while working for themselves.

Get a Job Articles

Join the Army of Your Choice Often a topic amongst younger folks. Get the straight facts.

Vacations Also covers travel jobs.

Free Money and sub articles may be read through for additional ideas.

Join the Army of Your Choice

Last updated: 18 June 2011

Go back toGet a Job

Willing military service, if that is your thing, most will have no problems with if that is your choice. The movement is all about INFORMED choice and the existence of a choice to begin with. The military has some good things, a lot of bad, and much misinformation. A bit of Yippie history is in order.

Abbie Hoffman was a big opponent towards military enlistment and either led or was in cahoots with many of the anti-draft movements of the day.. Back in his time, the kids of working class families who did not happen to be in school or have some bonafide medical excuse were shipped off to fight in the jungles of Vietnam against their will. There were underground movements dedicated to helping folks avoid the draft and many even left the country to avoid participating in a war they had no interest in. Some even injured themselves on purpose.

Times have changed much since then. There is no draft, though some of the more hard line war hawk politicians have tried in years past. However, the threat always looms as all male kids of a certain age still need to sign for Selective Service. With enlistment of willing folks to head off to the new conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan dwindling, this could happen again at some point. Unlikely, because of the extreme unpopularity of it, but possible.

However, the military recruiters still have promises and tools they use to lure folks into signing up willingly. They hang around malls, high school campuses, and other areas their target group hangs at. Knowing about the enlistment process is very helpful to informed decisions when dealing with recruiters. Some of what they say will be somewhat true, others half-truths, some outright lies. Once you get in, empty promises are just that. Still, this may be tempting for a poor kid with little hope for school and in a place with no jobs - enough to even risk getting blown up! Of course, rest assured the sons of CEOs and politicians are not going to that party! Actual fighting is only for CorpGov slaves, not the masters.

For today's time, a realistic talk on the military is in order.

IMPORTANT UPDATE DECEMBER 2010

Have your paperwork and excuses in order, the USA might be drafting again soon. Two years ago they were busy filling vacancies on volunteer draft boards across the USA. Earlier this year, a Democrat from NY proposed a bill that would institute a mandatory 2 year National Service requirement; either in the Army or in the Peace Corps. It is doubtful it will pass, but keep an eye on war-hawks from both parties preparing to enslave young Amerikans.

People have been known to cause injury to themselves to avoid the draft. One person, according to BoingBoing, had a buddy break his lower leg with a dumbbell in order to avoid deployment to the desert. This is a good idea, normally, as long as your injury is relatively controlled. It's better to live with a slight limp for the rest of your life than live with PTSD and no leg, or worse, especially when you're not fighting for anything except the interests of the CEO of Amerika.

With so many Amerikans diagnosed with "symptoms" like clinical depression, or others sponsored by the Medical Empire, tell a shrink that you're depressed. Research the symptoms, tailor them to your needs, and chances are you'll get an Army ban/deferment and a script you can sell on the black market.

ANOTHER UPDATE! DECEMBER 2010

Barack Obama's GIVE Act has created mandatory civilian national service! All people 18-25 will serve 3 months of basic training! This is no joke. Since "Don't ask, don't tell" is disappearing, what we once supported, has now backstabbed us. We can no longer say we are gay to avoid this. Once you are drafted into the mandatory service, you stay abroad here at home. Basically, you get drafted as a super-cop to help create a police state. Yes, you WILL go to jail if you refuse. Don't be too surprised when they start saying they might need to take a few more brigades to Afghanistan that they don't currently have...

Abbie's advice will still work, aside from the part where you can claim to be gay. If you have a past history of mental illness, even ADD or OCD, then this can work greatly into your favor. If you have ever been institutionalized, you may even get a free ride, even if it was for something minor. They don't want crazies who went to the nuthouse to handle guns.

Search through your medical history and exaggerate EVERYTHING you have. Or better yet, go in there and act crazy. Be totally obscene. Tell them you have AIDs and this tempts you to fuck everyone in the ass the second the chance reveals itself. Make it clear you absolutely don't want to be there. Act depressed. Say suicide is almost a daily thought. Run around screaming like a maniac. If you think you'll be embarrassed, just remember what you're avoiding.

1 Recruiter Promises
2 Enlistment Process
3 Getting out of Delayed Entry Processing
4 Dishonarble Discharge/ Entry Level Separation and Jobs
5 AWOL and Desertion
6 Benefits as a Veteran
7 Draft Dodging

Recruiter Promises

Armed with free T-shirts, pamphlets, and other goodies, you may either meet recruiters at your school or even decide to check it out at thier office. Here are the selling points they make along with the real scoop.

Enlistment promotes character and responsibility. Maybe, but many other things do as well. Truth is, not everyone is suited for military life nor needs to be in it. Just Boot Camp dropout rates range from 7% to 10% depending on branch of service. Most of the rate is from folks who cannot adjust well or lie about injuries - but still earns Entry Level Separation or Bad Conduct Discharge. Make this judgment yourself.
Enlistment can teach you marketable job skills. This is actually somewhat true. But NO recruiter can promise you the jobs that actually teach real skills with civilian value. The real person that places you is called a Classifier. You will not talk to this guy until far into the process, usually at the Entrance Processing Station. For the better jobs (called MOS), there are long waiting lists. Also know that bad ass things like SEAL, HALO, Green Beret, or other you must try out for in basic. If you do want to go the bad ass route, start training now as the physical requirements of those programs are quite hardcore. For things like Nuclear Propulsion you may also need to take an additional test AND have good ASVAB scores. Of course, to fly a plane or be a nurse or doctor you need the appropriate degree beforehand and go in.
Receive free money for school. The Montgomery GI Bill is what they refer to here. Amount covered depends on actual enlistment. Important thing to remember is the money goes upward based on time of enlistment. For someone signing up for 2 years of service plus some time in the reserves, this will be barely enough to pay for even a Community College. For those who sign longer, there will be a bit more.
See the world. You will see the world. You may also be in places of the world you will be shot at, depending on your MOS.
Earn a Paycheck. Enlisted pay is pretty low. True, you do get free medical care and have no housing or food expenses. But pretty low, none the less. However, your salary almost doubles if you are married or have kids. They also automatically send out extra for any child support owed. If you went to college, you may be able to get a higher pay grade to start even if you dropped out depending on number of credits. Certain MOSs also start at higher grades.

Enlistment Process

Unlike Hoffman's day where Amerika would take anyone with a pulse, the military is pretty selective these days.

You cannot be overweight.
Can not have any mental or medical issues. Any previous injuries or illnesses, they are going to get a doctor to clear at their cost.
Air Force wants 20/20 vision and does not take folks with glasses. The other branches do not care as long as the vision is correctable.
Be able to pass a urine drug test.
You must have a GED or High School diploma.
18 or above, 17 with discretion or parent approval. Upper age limits vary greatly by branch. Oldest cut-off is 42 which is the Army's. Youngest is the Air Force at 27.
Have a fairly clean criminal record. No Felonies.
If you have a child, the either other parent must have custody or a grandparent.
Not claim to be a member of a religious organization that is well known to be pacifist Conscientious Objectors (C.O.). The most well known of the CO organizations is the Jehovah's Witnesses.

If you pass all that, they will then make you take the ASVAB which is a standardized test like the ACT or SAT to rule you out of certain jobs.

The recruiters will then make you fill out many volumes of paperwork covering every minute detail of your life. Make sure not to admit to any drug use if you have never been convicted of drug use. It will disqualify you from better jobs.

You will then go to a processing station to take a physical exam and drug test. Here you will meet a Classifier that will give you a deployment date and you will be sworn in. Sometimes the deployment could be months or years down the road depending on where your classifier put you. If you did not choose a MOS, it could be the next week.

On your deployment date when you show up again at the processing station you will be sent on a plane to Basic Training where your ass is theirs. You will be sworn in yet again. This time for real. Did we mention your ass is now theirs? The plane leaves shortly after.

Basic lasts from 8 weeks to 12 weeks depending on branch of service. Expect to be treated like crap, yelled at, and exercised to death. Try to keep a low profile and go with the system and you should be okay.

After Basic, depending on your MOS, you may go to another training facility.

After that, wherever they send you. Prepare to live a life where they can tell you to pick up and leave to go somewhere with little notice.

Getting out of Delayed Entry Processing

One little known fact most recruiters do not advertise is that you can back out at any time before you actually get officially sworn in on the final visit to MEPS. Even if you are in a Delayed Entry Program. You will still be on the Individual Ready Reserve list for 8 years, but it is highly unlikely they will call you up. Just be sure to tell the recruiter. They will want to talk you out of it, but there is little they can actually do.

Dishonarble Discharge/ Entry Level Separation and Jobs

Contrary to popular opinion, it is not life-ending or a permanent mark of unemployability if for some reason you get kicked out or things do not work out. If you mark 'No Military Service' on applications, almost all employers will not check further. In fact, even if you do, the strict ones will ask YOU to bring your discharge papers as the DoD usually does not give out information. Of course, you will probably be disqualified from some Federal (not state) employment.

Depending on how long you were in before being booted out, you may have questions come up with stricter HR departments and more selective interviewers due to a gap in employment on the application. Claiming you were taking some courses, taking care of a sick relative, or similar will get you out of this until the gap was so long ago it does not matter.

Unfortunately, unemployment is not available to those kicked out of the military.

Nor would it be prudent to advertise being kicked out around die hard veterans. Many times, it only brings about unfair assumptions about your character.

AWOL and Desertion

As mentioned above, once you are in, your ass is theirs. But, what if you leave? A distinction is made between AWOL and Desertion. AWOL (Away Without Leave) is defined as absent from unit with some intention to return. Desertion is a far more serious issue where there is no intent to return. AWOL can just be missing your plane to show up for an assignment. The going rate for desertion versus being AWOL is 30 days, but if permanently leaving can be proven the court martial may push for desertion anyways.

Military Law states the maximum punishment for desertion is death, but in reality, no one has been executed for desertion since Civil War times. More typically, it can be up to 18 months in a brig and losing all rank and pay. Sometimes the punishment can be less than that depending on circumstances and the people at the court martial hearing. If you find yourself in this position, a knowledgeable lawyer is highly recommended.

One good thing to know is that Canada, a haven for deserters and draft dodgers in Hoffman's era, is no longer the refuge of choice. All of the deserters and war objectors that went up there during the Empire's current conflicts are facing long deportation procedures as of this writing. Some have voluntarily returned to face whatever punishment awaits.

Benefits as a Veteran

If you make it out with your mind and body in one piece, the benefits can be nonexistent to quite substantial depending on circumstances.

You are hired before non-veterans for federal jobs. There are also many jobs that only hire vets. If you had a security clearance, you can transition over to a private sector job with a security clearance with ease. If you were some trade like mechanic, electrician, internet engineer, etc it does count as work experience. Be sure to work on any certificates or degrees private sector likes as well and you will be way ahead of folks that did not join.
You receive free socialized medicine from the VA system for anything remotely dealing with any injury - mental or physical acquired while in service. The VA process though can be quite obnoxious from reports, though.
You are part of a "club". Ex military tend to favor other ex military when it comes to hiring decisions, respect, socialization, etc. Indeed, there are VFW posts and all manner of stuff to get into only available to veterans.

Draft Dodging

The first rule of our new Nation prohibits any of us from serving in the army of a foreign power with which we do not have an alliance. Since we exist in a state of war with the Pig Empire, we all have a responsibility to beat the draft by any means necessary.

First check out your medical history. Review every chronic or long-term illness you ever had. Be sure to put down all the serious infections like mono or hep. Next, make note of your physical complications. When you have assembled a complete list, get a copy of Physical Deferments or one of the other draft counseling manuals and see if you qualify. If you have a legitimate deferment, document it with a letter from a doctor.

The next best deal is a Conscientious Objection status (C.O.). The laws have been getting progressively broader in defining C.O. status during the past few years. The most recent being, "sincere moral objections to war," without necessarily a belief in a supreme being (but it does help if your part of a peace church). There are general guidelines sent out by the National Office of Selective Service that say it is a matter of conscience. The decision, however, is still pretty much in the hands of the local board. Visit a Draft Counseling Center if you feel you have a chance for this type of story. They will know how your local board tends to rule. There are still some more cases to be heard by the Supreme Court before objection to a particular war is allowed or disallowed. It is not grounds for deferment as of now.The Jehovah's Witnesses are such famous COs that they even outright turn you down on the application in the recruiter office for even mentioning you are one. Bring your Bible and a whole bunch of Watchtower tracts with you and claim Jehovah forbids taking up arms. Most of the time they will let you go rather than press the issue.

Act as effeminately gay as possible if the military in your country excludes homosexuals, turn up in full drag. This no longer applies in Amerika as of December 2010.

Put your name down as the carer of an infant and babysit a friends baby on the day of interview.

Apply for a job in an "essential" civilian occupation.

Become a missionary and get differed under divinity students, Buddhist monk is a good one as you get a free philosophical course and begging credentials.

Psychiatric deferment (psycho) is another possible deal. Psychos are our specialty. Chromosome damage has totally wiped out our minds when it comes to concentrating on killing innocent people in Asia. When you get your invite to join the army, there are lots of ways you can prepare yourself mentally. Begin by staggering up to a cop and telling him you don't know who you are or where you live. He'll arrange for you to be chauffeured to the nearest mental hospital. There you repeat your performance, dropping the clue that you have used LSD in the past, but you aren't sure if you're on it now or not. In due time, they'll put you up for the night. When morning comes, you bounce out of bed, remember who you are, swear you'll never drop acid again and thank everyone who took care of you. Within a few hours, you'll be discharged. Don't be uptight about thinking how they'll lock you up forever cause you really are nuts. The hospitals measure victories by how quickly they can throw you out the door. They are all overcrowded anyway.

In most areas, a one-night stand in a mental hospital is enough to convince the shrink at the induction center that you're capable of eating the flesh of a colonel. Just before you go, see a sympathetic psychiatrist and explain your sad mental shape. He'll get verification that you did time in a hospital and include it in his letter, that you'll take along to the induction center.

When you get to the physical examination, a high point in any young man's life, there are lots of things working in your favor. Here, long hair helps; the army doesn't want to bother with trouble-makers. Remember this even though a tough looking sergeant runs down bullshit about "how they're gonna fix your ass" and "anybody with a trigger finger gets passed." He's just auditioning for the Audie Murphy movies, so don't believe anything he lays down.

Talk to the other guys about how rotten the war in the Middle East is and how if you get forced to go, you'll end up shooting some officers. Tell them you'd like the training so you can come back and make like the Unabomber.

Check off as many items as can't be verified when given the forms. Suicide, dizzy spells, bed-wetting, dope addiction, etc. Be able to drop a few symptoms on the psychiatrist to back up your story of rejection by a cold and brutal society that was indifferent, from a domineering father that beat you, and mother that didn't understand anything. Be able to trace your history of bad family relationships, your taking to the streets at 15 and eventually your getting "hooked." Let him "pry" things out of you if possible. Show him your letter if you had the foresight to get one.

Practice a good story before you go for the physical with someone who has already beat the system. If your local board is fucked up, you can transfer to an area that disqualifies almost everyone who wants out, such as the New York City boards. If you can't think of anything you can always get FUCK ARMY tattooed on the outside of the baby finger of your right hand and give the tough sergeant a snappy salute and a hearty "yes sir!"*

In some countries it is often possible to evade military service by bribing corrupt draft officers, or by finding a doctor who will certify one as medically unfit.

Finally as a last resort moving out of the country, to a country without an extradition policy if your country is really determined in making you serve.

If unfortunately you get hauled in. The Army gives you a life insurance policy. By making Dan Berrigan or Angela Davis the beneficiary you might avoid front-line duty.

Vacations

Last updated: 4 August 2011

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CorpGov loves when you take your week or two of approved vacation then return to drudgery while receiving ever more worthless US dollars and worse benefits. Many times, you go spend your savings paying extortion level daily rent to hotels to some place far away only to stay there a hurried few days while not even experiencing the real place (only the marketed, touristy, high priced areas designed to take money). Screw them all, we are on vacation for life!! Get off the beaten path, hitchhike on an airplane, bike through Asia, hop protests, and live on gifts and bartered craft work!! Maybe you could do some accounting or flip burgers for a vacation.

Here are some scams they you can use during your down time from your down time. Getting a free vacation is tough these days. However, if you want to persist and push, you can get freebies out the wazoo just by looking like a middle-class suburbanite who is not happy (although the wage slaves in that area may start to hate your guts!).

We also go over travel jobs and some real observations on them.

1 Las Vegas
2 Hotels
3 Theme Parks
4 Permanent Vacation/ Drop out
5 Working Vacations/ Travel Jobs and Agencies
5.1 Medical Field Travel
5.2 Teaching Abroad
5.3 The Carnival/ Fair (Not the circus)
5.4 Offshore
5.5 Cruise Ships

Las Vegas

WARNING: Much of what you're heard about Las Vegas isn't valid any more. Nearly all the mid-priced hotels on the Strip have been, or will be, torn down and replaced with luxury set-ups. The cheap buffets are a distant memory (the buffets are there, but they're no longer cheap), the drinks are over-priced and the lounges have been replaced with over-hyped nightclubs. See the entry "Free Las Vegas" (http://wiki.stealthiswiki.org/wiki/Free-Las-Vegas) for more information. However, there are cheaper places to stay Off-Strip, such as on Boulder Highway, or in the nearby city of Henderson, but you'll need a bus schedule to get around if you don't have a car. Get one from the Regional

Transportation Commission's website: http://rtcsnv.com/. Or better still, do what many people who live in Las Vegas do and take their vacations in Laughlin!

Hotels

A word should be put in on hotels: It is still possible to get a hotel for "free" in many cases. Using a canceled (NOT expired) credit card can often work. Be forewarned, the computer system will often lock you out of your room after midnight, so get in and stay until you run out.

You can more frequently get a room at middle-class hotels (Holiday Inns, Comfort Inns etc) by finding out a company that has a direct bill service set up with the hotel. Make a reservation (using your name or a phony ID) the day before, then come in looking like you just got off a plane/out from a meeting and that's it! Usually ID is not taken for these direct-bill type reservations, so you're in the clear.

You can often get a comped room just by complaining! Many chains (Marriott, Hilton, etc) offer 100% guarantees if you find your room is not up to snuff. Perhaps start off by swiping the nice alarm clock by your bed, stuffing it in your duffel bag, then calmly telling the front desk "There isn't an alarm clock in my room". They'll set up a new one. Then, perhaps drop a few roaches or something that looks nasty in the bathroom, call the front desk and demand your free room...claiming there is (insert nasty thing here) in your bathroom. They can't dicker on the price, they are required by corporate to give you a free room. Keep in mind, however, that many hotel staff members are ripe for conversion into the revolutionary movement...so don't give them a hard time unless they are total assholes.

Theme Parks

The same comp idea can be used at theme parks (Anheuser-Busch, Universal, and Disney are the best to do it at). While you may not get a free ticket, items like snacks, dinners, clothing, and more can be had by complaining or simply telling a staff member some BS excuse (my ice cream fell on the ground...waaaaaah!)

If you ever go to Disney/Central Florida, look at the "FREE Tickets to Disney/Universal/Sea World/Armageddon" places. They are a dime a dozen around the tourist traps. Find out what the rules are, but usually its a half-day chat about trying to con you into a shitty timeshare in the boonies. They do pressure you into getting a timeshare (obviously) but just insist you have to talk it over with your S.O. Furthermore, BE SURE you give them phony info so they don't call you constantly.

Permanent Vacation/ Drop out

Of course, you can always go on a permanent vacation or be homeless by choice. It is simple, and it is a valid choice regardless of what CorpGov wants you to believe. All you have to do is arrange storage or give away all your stuff, break down everything you own except for what you can carry, and simply walk or ride away.

Have some cash stored up and grab a light tent and a good bike and you have a recipe for an epic adventure. Of course, family members and close friends who are firmly brainwashed into the wage slave and working drone mentality may view this decision with disdain, think you need your head examined, or may secretly be envious of you.

There are many drifters and hobos who only work temporarily on occasion, live very thrifty, and move wherever their heart's compass tells them and not what Corpgov wants.

BE Mindful and do research, though!! This wiki, while not meant to be a "drop out" bible, has many articles that can be applied directly to dropping out and being free. Dropping out is not just for the young and idealistic or folks on the run from some powerful entity. Do this, if even for the space of a year or two, and you will be a strong revolutionary and be forever resistant to mind control. If you ever look into a real traveler's eyes (not the bored and wealthy), you see a powerful soul.

Peter Jenkins was one such guy that did this. In the 1980s, he set off from a state far up north with only himself, a hiking backpack, and his dog to walk across Amerika. He would only occasionally stop in towns when he ran low on cash to work. Over time, his journey gained the attention of publishers like the National Geographic who paid him to write articles. He even met a wife at the half way point in New Orleans who traveled the rest of the trip with him! But, Jenkins did research, got himself in shape before doing this, and had good equipment.

However, do not be unprepared or know when to stop and cash up. Chris McCandless was famous drifter and survivalist. He adopted the nickname "Alexander Supertramp" and alternated between months of wilderness hermit life and periods of cashing up by working odd jobs. After several successes under his belt, he chose to do an Alaskan survival adventure where he would support himself through onlyHunting and Foraging. He also, stupidly did not bring basic survival items like a good map or a compass which the local rangers say could have very well saved his life. Unfortunately, the area he chose which had an abandoned bus he used for shelter did not have enough food to support him and he died of starvation and plant misidentification, resulting in poisoning, after 113 days in the wilderness.

Working Vacations/ Travel Jobs and Agencies

Not everyone will qualify for this, but it is possible to be paid to travel. Travel agencies typically pay your way out there along with a stipend for either an extended stay hotel or apartment. Pay can be a bit higher as well and some may offer bonuses. There is a catch, however. Legit travel opportunities are limited only to those in certain fields who have very specific degrees, certifications, and verifiable work experience. While travel jobs also appear time to time for ex-military for security or off shore, the most common fields are medical and education.

Avoid these travel scams for fund raising or to cold sell products that occasionally pop up. They have been known to leave folks stranded out in far flung places if quotas are not met and pay horribly if anything at all. Even supposedly eco-radical groups like the Sierra Club have been known to get folks to go to other cities to canvas for donations promising them money then telling them they only get 5 USD for 2 days work because they only brought in 400 USD!

One trick that was popular with Yuppies in the 1980's was to leave resumes at various places on their vacation in order to deduct some of the traveling costs as "job search expenses".

Medical Field Travel

Allied Health has the most travel jobs of any industry. Unfortunately, this is almost exclusively limited to folks with at least two year medical degrees with at least a year or two of verifiable experience and a valid professional license. There are a very few for those without that requirement or with other health certifications, but this is very rare. Be wary of rip off agencies.

Most of these offerings may require NO major criminal record (some states FBI fingerprint check), ability to pass a urine or blood drug screen, negative TB skin test, valid health care provider CPR, valid certificate or license, current vaccinations, and ALL paperwork up to date. Nursing tends to be stricter than therapy on the requirements. Most agencies DO NOT pay unemployment, however, when the assignment ends (and work can end abruptly).

Occupations that can travel and the requirements:

Registered Nurse. Two year degree plus a year of prerequisites. Some are four year programs. No felonies or serious misdemeanors. Must pass a national exam called the NCLEX and get a state issued professional license. Agency may require you transfer the state license to the state you are being sent to.
Nurse Practitioner. Masters Degree (will be a Doctorate in a few years), two years floor experience in a hospital before the Masters degree is gotten, state license, and no serious misdemeanors or felonies.
Respiratory Therapist. Two year degree and a national license.
Physical Therapy Assistant. Two year degree and a national license.
Occupational Therapy Assistant. Two year degree and a national license.
Occupational Therapist. Master's degree and a national license.
Speech Therapist. Master's Degree and a national license.
Physical Therapist. Masters Degree and a national license.

Travel jobs for lower level medical like Licensed Practical Nurse (a year and a half certificate and a state license.), Certified Nursing Assistant (a few weeks or one semester and a state certificate), and EMT - Basic (a few weeks or one semester and a national certificate) do exist but are much, much rarer. However, there are per diem agencies that will take you if you show up and change your license over to that state. Some states are easy to transfer to and some are not. The board of that state is where you need to look. You are also on your own to get out there.

It can be quite an experience if you qualify. We have known folks end up in Hawaii, places in Alaska that are only accessible by plane,and many other exotic places.

Teaching Abroad

Asian countries like China, Thailand, and South Korea often look for native English speakers to teach high level classes. Somewhat ironically, it is viewed as an advantage when you don't know the local tongue. After all, the whole point is that these schools want the students not to be able to function in the class unless they know full English that can pass around a native speaker.

There are definite requirements, though, and you can not just apply off the street. First, you are going to need a Bachelors Degree from a decent (not rip-off like ITT/UoP) college. It does not matter what the degree was in, but degrees in English or Secondary Education will usually get priority. Second, you must be able to get a passport and have no criminal record. Third, you may need a letter of approval from the consulate of that country after an in person interview. Do not worry, you should not have to travel far to speak to a consulate. Consulates often have offices in many regions of the country other than Washington DC. Many times, you just travel to the nearest extremely large city in your region. ONE WARNING THOUGH: We did know someone who got turned down at the Japanese Consulate in New Orleans for not wearing black and white with a tie even though he had a BA in Linguistics! The consulate saw it as an insult! Be sure you know the expectations and culture of the place you want to go to!

Once you get past those hurdles, you usually sign a commitment for a year or less. They pay your way out there and put you in a small apartment. Depending where you get hired you may also get paid quite a bit more than if you were teaching in a school in the United States although places like Seoul and Tokyo can be very expensive even with free room.

The Carnival/ Fair (Not the circus)

Unlike the medical stuff or being flown to an Asian nation to teach, the amusement companies and the companies that cater for them do not care if you have a degree, if you are an ex convict, or even drug test sometimes (but this varies according to job). Most amusement and carnival companies travel all throughout the United States.

If you are in an area and a large state fair or carnival pulls through, you may be able to go with them when they leave. Do not go at night to get the job, go off-peak when hardly anyone is at the fair. The larger the fair, the better the chance. Large fairs like a state fair may have 2 companies that have all the rides and another 4 or 5 that just run food trailers.

”Carnies" as they are known amongst themselves are a pretty rough and tumble crew. The job consists of running rides while the fair is there, taking everything down, then moving to another location. There is also the possibility of doing the rigged games or working in a food booth. Usually, your housing and rides are paid for at least through the season when they are busy.

One warning, though. The work is pretty physical and has long hours. We have known some that have done it for a few years, but most eventually burn out.

Offshore

If you do not mind near fascist drug testing, being away from home, and making money off Amerika's crack petroleum addiction working offshore may be something to consider. During the time you are out on an oil platform or barge, all your food and housing is taken care of. When you come back to shore, you will have a sizable sum of cash. The more skilled job you do, the bigger the wad of cash.

There are several options to choose from. The easiest to get is Galley hand or Stewart where all you do is wash dishes and help at meal times. Stewards wash clothes and make beds. You can also go out as a roustabout or roughneck, but that is very hard work and not for wimps. If you have some certifications like EMT-Basic, Electrician Certs, Welding, or Diving you will be making silly money.

The job comes with definite disadvantages, though. 90 percent of the jobs are for males only, so ladies may be out of luck. Being cooped up on some oil platform way out in the Gulf, away from home, and nothing but work drives folks batty. If you are in a relationship, it tears relationships apart. There is a saying amongst the Cajuns, "If you are not an alcoholic when you leave, you will be one when you come back". It also really helps if you reside in an oil producing state or the Gulf Coast. Having a vehicle really helps. Most of the companies on the Gulf are deep in Cajun Country in Louisiana where no Greyhound bus goes. You must apply there in person. Most companies will not take you from the city where the office is to the port where you have to disembark. Sometimes they will only give you 12 hours notice to be there or be fired. If you have no car, you must either carpool or pay a transportation company (basically a rural cab) up to 150 USD to take you there.

Your paperwork needs to be in order, as well. You need a TWIC (Transportation Workers Identification Card) card at minimum. Most companies will not even talk to you without a TWIC. TWIC is an expensive piece of RFID equipped plastic, costing around 130 USD to get. The card is issued by TSA, the same Nazi bastards that work at airports feeling up crotches and fondling breasts in the name of catching "terrorists". To work on a vessel as crew, you are going to need a Merchant Marine Card (also called Z-card). Merchant Mariner requires the same as TWIC but needs valid Driver's License plus a few stricter guidelines. Certain felonies such as rape, murder, treason, or any felony level crime involving transportation can keep you from getting any of these cards.

Smart offshore workers that did not spend all the money on hotel rooms, booze, and domestic violence fines can leave out with a huge stockpile of cash to set themselves up nicely after only a few years. Just be smart if you go this route.

Cruise Ships

Unfortunately, most cruise lines like Carnival and others are mostly foreign flagged and almost exclusively hire from third world countries for lower wages. Most of the time, they require you to be bilingual as well. Even on the cruises that are strictly US to US (like Alaska cruises), you may find it really hard to get on due to this fact.

Not that you would miss anything. The quarters are horribly cramped, the hours are very long and tedious, and the pay is very low unless you are in a tipped position and luck out with an excursion loaded down with good tippers.

Check out our chapter Sail Away for a short bit onstowing away.

--- Fight ---

Last updated: 26 February 2011

FIGHT LANDING PAGE

"The ground you are standing on is a liberated zone. Defend it." - Abbie Hoffman, "Revolution for the Hell of It"

There are four levels of resistance; however, just because resistance exists, does not always mean the cause is right or just.

How can we who hold the moral high ground even speak of violence or show you how to make a gun? Simple, firstly we hold our lives as special, sacred, and worth saving even if that means that a murderer might be threatened in the process. Secondly if we have a real ability to fight back the rulers of the system will have to think very hard before lightly choosing deadly violence and hopefully keep the conflict civil and less-than-lethal.

Remember, brothers and sisters: One less cop for one less revolutionary is NOT a fair trade. If your tribe is in danger with no beneficial outcomes: get the hell outta there. There's no time to be a hero when you're dead!

Leadership and Problem Solving

These two articles have observations on basic leadership and thinking in a logical manner. If you ever hope to become more than what you are, you may want to browse through the subjects.

Tell it all, Brothers and Sisters

Unlike Free Communications in the Survive section which only goes over basic communication safety and finding ways to communicate in a jam, these article expand greatly on this. How to get an important message across and make even those mildly concerned around you to cause massive change is discussed herein. The underground high school paper, guerrilla broadcasting, making banners and flyers are all covered.

Computers

Is a more in depth look into computers outside of the realm of just booting it up, getting e- mail, and knowing about electronic privacy. You will learn about alternative operating systems like Linux that can turn an old, trashed computer into a usable tool again with some study. We will go over rehabilitating even old Pentiums, alternative productivity software for when paying for Bill and Melinda Gate's next trip to India just is not realistic. We have an extensive list of Free and open sourced software that can make any computer more valuable.

Community Centers

If you find yourself needing to set up your own headquarters, operate a soup kitchen, or merely a compound for your henchmen and cult members, this article may be worth a read.

Demonstrations

If you find yourself involved with groups of folks that like to actively use techniques to hinder opposing groups and philosophies, this large section and several articles are for you.

Trashing

While we seek no harm, fighting means destroying things sometimes. Whether this is someone's face, property, or other is up to the situation.

Peoples Chemistry

The use of explosives and bombs has been used since the discovery of incendiary substances for one purpose or another by groups both benevolent and malevolent. General knowledge of different devices may be helpful in some circles or if shit hits the fan.

Hip Pocket Law

Read through twice for one month's less incarceration.

Steal Now Pay Never

Since the first open market and shop, there has been the petty thief. Most stole because the oppressive lords of the time starved them. Others, for more selfish reasons...

Piece Now

Even a pacifist would do well to be familiar with the most common weapon of those in power and scum alike - the firearm.

S.E.R.E.

For when shit really hits the fan!

The Underground

Musings into the shadow world of identity, papers, and the world beneath the radar.

Creating Web Sites

A short tutorial and introduction to setting up your own site with links to free resources. Make your voice heard.

1. Leadership

Last updated: 26 February 2011

"The key to organizing an alternative society is to organize people around what they can do, and more importantly, what they want to do." - Abbie Hoffman (from "Revolution for the Hell of It")

What guerrilla handbook would be complete without discussing leadership? We include the Cheap Thrills and Shoplifting as introduction for those who are just far enough outside the system that we can reach them. As you grow and realize the depth of the problem in the world and begin to solve problems you will realize that you have to take part in the repair or replacement of our system. We need to get beyond selfish consumption which has lead us to this dire situation. Our progressive predecessors in the 1960's became the 70's "me" generation intent on having lots of meaningless sex and getting as stoned as possible. We are not thieves , playboys/girls, or stoners; we are leaders.

Leaders are not born, they are trained. Some people come to the understanding of these basics through trial and error, but anyone and everyone should be able to learn how to lead people.

Remember who you are and what your beliefs are! This book has been written by anarchists who want nothing to do with formal hierarchy. Lead by your ideas and by the trust of your group, never by force or coercion!

1 Leadership Training
2 Confidence
3 Honesty
4 Problem Solving
5 Punctuality
6 Oration
7 Join In
8 Competence
9 Delegate Authority
10 Diplomacy
11 Know your Troops
12 Discretion
13 Take Responsibility
14 Safety
15 Communication

Leadership Training

Take a job or volunteer in a position where you will be leading or managing people, any experience will begin to hone your skills, even if it is only shift lead at the burger hut. There are many outdoor leadership programs, volunteer firefighter and police programs all help with skill and get you insight on how the other side works.

Military, national guard, and ROTC are excellent training spots for leadership but put a big red flag on your file if you become a prominent activist.

Confidence

For people to want to follow you, you have to believe in yourself. Build your confidence by leading in sports and problem solving exercises. Volunteering gives many opportunities to become comfortable in leadership.

Honesty

A leader at any level must be beyond reproach. If every member of the protest movement were to act as if there was a news camera crew following them there would be less of a chance for blackmail by outsiders or disappointment of your subordinates.

Problem Solving

see Problem Solving

Punctuality

If you are loose with the time of others it indicates that you do not consider their time valuable. Keep appointments and show up on time, or better yet, early. If you show up with time to spare, you'll have a few moments to collect your thoughts and be better prepared for your work.

Oration

see Public Speaking

Join In

Join in and help with the work in a motivated way, those following you will see your real commitment and be motivated themselves. This doesn't mean that you can't delegate, but it does mean you are not lounging in an air conditioned office watching TV while the troops are getting thrashed by pigs.

Competence

You must have at least a basic grasp on the task you are managing. If necessary, find trained assistants who you trust to help with specifics. Your ability to read people will help you assess input from trained assistants.

Delegate Authority

Do not personally manage the tiny details. Designate competent leaders and allow them to build a team and take care of the task. Oversee the efforts just enough to be sure that a competent job is being done your delegate leaders want to feel trusted.

Diplomacy

Conflict management is a major problem in most organizations, and it is especially difficult in groups where individual opinions are highly valued. As a leader, you must learn how to take the aggrieved parties and create solutions. Know when to separate activists onto different teams and when you can work out a compromise.

Know your Troops

Do your best to learn the names and a few personal tidbits about every one of your activists especially in a large organization. If your troops feel that you think they are important they will be willing to go 110% when they are needed.

Discretion

When a subordinate is discovered to be in an embarrassing situation from a mistake or personal history do all you can to keep this problem out of the organization and out of the media. Use common sense to decide if the activist's history or actions could be a blackmail threat from the pigs or a black eye to your organization. see Security Culture

Take Responsibility

Even if a subordinate makes an error, it is your responsibility to let the buck stop with you. When you delegate a job you have the responsibility to choose a competent manager to take care of the problem.

Safety

Think about the effects of your decisions on those working for you. Always have the safety of your troops at the top of your mind.

Communication

Have an open door and encourage your delegates to do the same. If there is a problem or an improvement you must be open to ideas, it is easy for the management circle to become a closed thought loop, outside comments from the troops will inject fresh ideas.

Fight

2. Problem Solving

Last updated: 26 February 2011

1 Problem Solving
1.1 Use a Team
1.2 Define the Problem
1.3 Choose and Implement Interim Options
1.4 Identify and Verify Root Causes
1.5 Choose and verify Permanent Corrective Actions (PCAs)
1.6 Implement and validate PCAs
1.7 Prevent recurrence
1.8 Congratulate your Team

Problem Solving

Whether it is a personal problem or a group emergency we all use some sort of problem solving skills. Ineffective or inefficient problem solving skills can lead to personal stress, group drama, and unfortunate outcomes. Effective Leadership requires problem solving skills just like taught to corpgov managers and military officers, but with more heart. Amerika and the world have many problems so our work is cut out for us.

Use a Team

Establish a team of people with product/process knowledge. If possible some stages of problem solving should have input from anyone who wants to participate, but a recognized leadership or chain of command is important to streamline and prevent over-thinking solutions.

Define the Problem

Specify the problem by identifying in quantifiable terms the who, what, where, when, why, how and how many (5W2H) for the problem. There needs to be a clear goal, this is best established by writing the problem and definition on a large board. Problem solving can easily go off task if the problem is not clearly defined. When defining the problem understand everyone's interests. Interests are the needs that you want satisfied by any given solution. We often ignore our true interests as we become attached to one particular solution. This is the time for active listening. Put down your differences for awhile and listen to each other with the intention to understand. Separate the naming of interests from the listing of solutions.

Choose and Implement Interim Options

Define and implement containment actions to isolate the problem. For example banning use of mobile telephones if this is a suspected way the police are tracking activist groups at an event.

This is the time to do some brainstorming. There may be lots of room for creativity.
Separate the listing of options from the evaluation of the options.
What's the best option, in the balance?
Is there a way to "bundle" a number of options together for a more satisfactory solution?

Identify and Verify Root Causes

Identify all potential causes that could explain why the problem occurred. Also identify why the problem has not been noticed at the time it occurred. All causes shall be verified or proved if time and information permit, preferably not determined by fuzzy brainstorming.

Choose and verify Permanent Corrective Actions (PCAs)

Through using the new plan in the field confirm that the selected corrective actions will resolve the problem for the organization.

Don't rely on memory.
Writing it down will help you think through all the details and implications.

Implement and validate PCAs

Define and Implement the best corrective actions.

Conditions may change. Make contingency agreements about foreseeable future circumstances (If-then!).
How will you monitor compliance and follow-through?

Prevent recurrence

Modify the management systems, operation systems, practices and procedures to prevent recurrence of this and all similar problems.

Create opportunities to evaluate the agreements and their implementation. ("Let's try it this way for three months and then look at it.")
For any but the most simple processes consider a checklist, it is anal but a good way to prevent stupid oversights when working with groups.

Congratulate your Team

Recognize the collective efforts of the team. The team needs to be formally thanked by the organization.

Fight

Starting a Printing Workshop

Last updated: 15 August 2011

Go back toTell it all, Brothers and Sisters

1 Starting a Printing Workshop
1.1 Computers and software
1.2 Computer Printers
1.2.1 Economy Hacks
1.3 Typewriters
1.4 Photocopiers
1.4.1 The free copy route:
2 Binding Books
2.1 Quick Binding Books
2.2 Paperback Binding Books
3 Jellygraph copiers
3.1 Making The Printer
3.2 Making the Master
3.3 Using the Printer
3.4 Cleaning the Printer
3.5 Jellygraph Master Pens
4 Silk Screen Printing
4.1 What you need
4.2 Making your Screen
4.3 Printing
5 Buttons and Badges
6 Bumper Stickers
6.1 Using contact paper
6.2 Using bumper-sticker paper and an inkjet printer
6.3 Get them Printed
7 Original STARTING A PRINTING WORKSHOP
7.1 Paper
7.2 Ink
7.3 Stencils
7.4 Mimeograph Machines
7.5 Duplicators
7.6 Electronic Stencils
7.7 Silk Screening

Starting a Printing Workshop

Put new stuff here.

The wide availability of computer technology, inexpensive layout software, cheap printers and easy access to low cost photocopying have made the generation of printed materials easier than ever.

Computers and software

Any computer you are likely to get your hands on can be used to design printed materials. Google's Docs and Spreadsheets (http7/docs.google.com/) and other web-based applications such as Zoho (http://www.zoho.com/) provide you with the opportunity to create quick, professional-looking documents without any software investment at all. Your material can even be saved on-line to enable other people, who might have better access to printing machines, to get the files themselves. These web tools also enable easy collaboration.

If you're looking for something for your own hard disk, Open Office (http://www.openoffice.org/) is a good open source application that is available for free for many different computer systems.

The Gimp (http://www.gimp.org/) is an open free photo editing and manipulation application with many of the options and abilities of the commercial offerings, it is available for most OS's. GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed piece of software for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. It works on many operating systems, in many languages.

Scribus (http://www.scribus.net/) is a free open source publishing program for creating newsletter and book layouts, it is available for M$ Windows, OS-X, Linux, and OS2. Underneath the modern and user friendly interface, Scribus supports professional publishing features, such as CMYK color, separations, ICC color management and versatile PDF creation.

Inkscape (http://inkscape.net/) is also open source. It is a vector drawing program which is excellent for producing logos fancy headlines and one page flyers which may contain both bitmapped and vector images. You can also use it to produce 'traced' versions of images to get that 'stencilled' look.

Portable Document Files [PDF's] can be sent to printers and are the best way to keep your design intact. Open Office (http://www.openoffice.org/) will output pdf files as will many open souce programs. Windows users looking to publish PDF documents from programs that have no native PDF filter can use PDFcreator (http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfcreator/) an open source Sourceforge project which acts as a virtual printer on all 32bit MSwindows flavors from win95 up.

File sharing sites such asThe Pirate Bay (http://thepiratebay.com/) can sometimes help you find decent versions of pirated or shared software. The more popular desktop publishing applications like Quark and Illustrator can be relatively easy to find. Often, you'll have to download the application separate from its supporting documents (such as Help) and activation keys, but, unlike traditional pirating, you're not very likely to lose an arm in a sword fight.

If you want to go the non pirate route altogether almost any Linux based operating system is available either as a free download or from computer magazine give away disks available from any magazine store. (just peel off the magazine, it says they are free!). Ubuntu (http://ubuntu.net/) is the most accessible distribution of Linux and the Ubuntu foundation will mail you a free disk.

See the Free Software section

Computer Printers

A printer will need to be used to generate the paper version of your materials. A printer can either be purchased, or you can bring your documents (via disk, thumb drive, etc.) to one of the many businesses that provide the service. Big office stores like Office Max and Staples will produce color or B&W copies for you. Kinkos is still around and is often found near college campuses. There are also hundreds of local copy and fax stores in retail plazas who will print in high volume.

Printers for computers come primarily in two types: inkjet and laser. Inkjet printers are generally cheaper and can be more versatile, particularly if you want color printing. Laser printers may provide sharper, more "professional" looking printing, but you should look at samples on different kinds of paper and decide for yourself if a printer gives sufficient quality. Quite decent printers can be found these days in the sub-$500 range, including some for less than $100.

In addition to the initial cost of purchasing a printer, paper and ink/toner costs can be substantial, especially at high volumes.

A single side printer can print double by printing even first flipping the pile and running odd. Be careful that they are in the right direction and order. Even the cheapest printers now very often have the option to print double sided (also called duplex). Have a poke around in the print options. Some laser printers will get dirty and streak toner if you attempt this trick with large print jobs.

Economy Hacks

Here's a trick for printers, especially inkjets. Most printers use a optical sensor to detect low ink, this may happen and disable your printer at ridiculous levels like half a ink cartridge, if your ink cartridges are clear try taping over the sensor or side of the cartridge by the sensor with black tape, then do like in the old days and just watch your printouts for fading ink, this trick works on some laser printer cartridges too.

Typewriters

If you want or need to use a typewriter, remember that most (if not all) electric typewriters use a black film instead of an ink ribbon to type, which leaves a record of everything typed. Also, all typewriters leave a distinctive impression in the type, almost like a fingerprint.

Use small strips of typewriter correction film instead of corrrection fluid (like Liquid Paper) when the paper is still on the roller. The fluid can drip into the gears and mess up the typewriter. Use correction fluid to touch things up after you take the paper out of the typewriter.

Nearly all manual typewriters don't have a number one or an exclamation point. It seems strange but this was a design choice to save money in manufacturing. To type a "1", use a lower case "L". To type an exclamation point (!), type {Apostrophe} {Backspace} {Period}. To type the "Euro" currency symbol, type {Capital C} {Backspace} {Equals sign}.

Photocopiers

The decision of whether or not to do your own photocopying can be a complicated one. While cheap photocopiers are now available, photocopiers are notoriously unreliable, so owning one may not be the best option.

On the other hand, if you are seriously going into the leaflet generating business, and your volume is going to be sufficiently large, it will ultimately be economical to buy one.

A word of warning: Nearly all digital photocopiers will store the image they have scanned onto a hard drive that is rarely if every wiped clean when it is taken out of service or resold. If you have your own digital photocopier, purge the hard drive every so often.

The free copy route:

Get friendly with anyone who works in the Govcorp world. Most people will be happy to run off a few thousand copies of something at work for you over a few days. Photocopy machines are usually easy for anyone to access at work and often not secured. If your cause is just most people will be sympathetic.

If you've got a friend who works at an office, you can usually run late night copies from the office machine. Copier history can be produced, but unless you jam up the machine and are unable to fix it, or if you leave a mess, you're not likely to get caught. Make sure you're not being videotaped, however.

If you work in an office yourself, or you need your friend to do it, just try to make it look like you're doing normal work. This would be a bad time to spray paint the camera lens. It's more risky to use the office printer, which usually has a tighter and more consistent budget in terms of paper use and copies produced.

Binding Books

The best free books are the ones you print and bind yourself. One of the greatest resources to those enslaved in their corpgov jobs is the office laser printer. While we don't suggest killing a tree for every e-book, some, like this tome you are reading, are useful to have in hard copy for when the rebels start knocking over infrastructure and the man starts cracking down on the world revolution by blacking out rebel areas.

Start by reformatting your e-book file to be printed onto something like 5 sheets (one large sheet folds over and makes two double sided pages) groups double sided; i.e. first page would be pages 1 and 10 on one side and 2 and 9 on the other next page 4 and 7 opposite 3 and 8.
Once you format and print them correctly fold the pile of pages in half down the center.
Pierce the sheet 6 times evenly with an awl or nail.
Using strong thread or string tie the three sets of holes tight knot, leave the ends of string about 3cm long.
Stack the packs of pages inspecting for proper order now, after gluing it is hard to successfully fix.
Compress your inspected stack and apply hot glue to the spine, more books or a carpentry vice are better than a friend pushing them down as there will be less shifting of position, try to align page edges as best as possible before compressing as cutting the edges flush is not practical without a large chop machine.
First lightly dampen with the paintbrush then liberally apply gorilla glue to the spine.
Stick a piece of non-stretch cotton cloth cut to cover the whole book and and glue it past the spine by .5cm.
Optional, if you want a stronger spine you could go back and run a second strand of string through the holes of each pack of pages and sew directly through the spine.
Cut two pieces of solid cardboard, like is sometimes used in political campagn or reality signs, about 1cm longer than the size of the book should be cut.
Gorilla glue under the liner/spine cloth, and stick the hard covers to your book again stressing alignment of the cover offset .5cm past the spine to where the inner cover no longer connects this is the place that the book cover will be free to swing open.
Optional, for much greater strength drill the compressed book about .4 cm in from the spine in 6 places, tie with strong nylon or twine, knot and leave about 1cm of string tails past the knots.
Denim or heavy Nylon can either be slip covered onto your book or glued over the heavy cardboard covers. DO NOT glue the rear spine area to the outer cover.

If A4 sized paper is used 14.8x21.0cm book pages will be produced. If you want to make a good quality book that lasts a long time consider expensive higher quality cotton based bond paper which is often used for resumes.

Quick Binding Books

For a quick binding:

Print out your book on whatever size paper you want the pages to be
Add a cardboard cover
Drill and twine about 1cm form the spine

If you messed up the edges just use a table saw with fine teeth to make rough edges.

Paperback Binding Books

Super easy and as tough as a paperback book

Print and carefuly align pages (and cover if you want a bare spine)
Clamp pages tight if possible, leave the clamps on for at least two hours after gluing
Use a paintbrush to lightly wet the spine with water
Paint the spine with a thick coat of regular gorilla glue or similar multipurpose polyurethane adhesive

1. Wait 24 hours for the glue to fully cure but it will be 80% cured in 2 hours

2. If you want a wrap around cover you can use a thin coat of glue to attach it to the spine after curing

No gorilla glue? Almost any other glue will work, clamp one cm from the spine or weight down the book while working, apply the glue to the spine with a putty knife or your fingers using strokes that flip the pages getting a little glue between the pages up to your clamp, allow to dry.

Jellygraph copiers

The jellygraph (also known as a "hectograph" or "gelatin duplicator") is a type of mimeograph that is simple to make and can print around 50 prints from one master application to the gel bed. If you are feeling enterprising a drum type print bed could be devised to speed the production of the prints. This makes a low quality copy but is cheaper than a computer and printer or copier and can be made with common materials. These printers have been used by partisans for the last century when regular printing was impossible.

You will need:

1 aluminum pan (larger than the size of your paper)
quality paper for masters
cheap paper for posters
Mimeograph carbon papers (Ordinary carbon paper will not work)
Impact typewriter, dot matrix or impact printer, or Mimeograph Pen
Gelatin, clear unflavored (Check the supermarket Dessert section)
Water
Sugar
Glycerol, AKA Glycerin (Drug stores will have this)

Making The Printer

Dissolve 100g powdered gelatin in 375ml water with 385g of sugar.
When the sugar and gelatin have dissolved, add 715g glycerin
Bring to a boil and simmer for one minute. CAUTION! This is HOT!
Carefully pour the mixture into your tray (avoiding bubbles) which must be lying perfectly flat on a level surface. As the gel cools you can dab away bubbles and foreign matter with a damp towel or tissue.

You can also use Carrageenan Gel or Agar Agar {seaweed extracts} in place of gelatin, but you will have to experiment with mixtures to get a firm gel. Boiling a large pot of cartilaginous cuts of meat or bones, tendon, and skin will result in gelatin being dissolved into the water, remove the animal products after a few hours, boil down until the gelatin is concentrated. Carefully filter hot broth through a coffee filter to remove meat bits. Cinnamon oil can be added to prevent mold growth with all of the above mixtures, cinnamon oil can be found in nature food stores and pharmacies.

Making the Master

Using an impact typewriter or a dot matrix printer (the ribbon doesn't need to work, impact is all we need) type or print the flyer using your mimeograph carbon paper. Alternatively you can buy or make a mimeograph pen to write out the flyer or draw pictures to add to a typed page, use good quality paper which can survive contact with dampness, the non-shiny side of butcher paper should also work.

Old dot matrix and impact printers may be difficult to support but at least you don't need to find a working ribbon or ink. Buy a printer with current drivers for your operating system. Friction feed is the type of printer you want as long as it doesn't mark up the carbon paper, tractor (holes on the side) feed will be difficult to get to work properly unless you can find mimeograph paper with tractor holes that is not too old to use. Be sure that the print head works before buying.

Using the Printer

Dampen the surface with water and then gently wipe clean so no liquid remains.
Lay the master face down and smooth onto the gel bed, the longer the master remains the more ink transfers to the gel, if the surface was too wet or the master moves the print will get blurry, if the surface was too dry the master will stick on
Gently peel the master off,if you are careful you can reuse it
Press your blank paper to the surface and peel, this is your first copy, repeat 30-50 times
To make more copies wipe clean the gel and reapply the master lined up in the exact same place on the gel

(The print can be sharpened by wetting the back of the master with alcohol and dabbing clean.)

Cleaning the Printer

Fill the pan with warm water and let the ink and a small layer of gel dissolve for just a few seconds
Wipe with a sponge
Run cold water into the pan to reset the gel
Wipe up all liquid
Test the surface with clean paper (It should come back clean)

If you ruin the surface peel up and add the jelly bits into a pan with a little simmering water, repour your copy bed.

Jellygraph Master Pens

You can make the ink for writing a master if the mimeograph paper is unavailable.

2 tsp dye
2 tsp alcohol
1 tsp sugar
4 tsp glycerin
1/3 oz water

Mixing the Ink

Dissolve the dye in the alcohol.
Add the glycerin with the dye mix.
Dissolve the sugar in the water.
Mix both solutions.
Inject ink into a fountain pen cartridge or dip a feather quill and write your master copy.

Additional information on hectographs, including making colored inks, can be had here: http://www.justpeace.org/hecto.htm. Commercially made hectographic inks are available from tattoo supply houses and your local tattoo artist.

Silk Screen Printing

A fast and inexpensive way to make large print posters, protest signs, and printed clothing with simple graphics is to use the silk screen method. This printing method is nearly as fast and accurate as the mechanical systems used by online and local swag shops but for much cheaper, plus you don't have to wait weeks for delivery. See Wall Painting for for applying your posters.

What you need

Roller
Latex or acrylic paint
Letter Stickers or cutouts and graphic cutouts
Lightweight mesh screen (tent screen mesh)
Wood frame
Water base ink or paint (other type paints require a rinse every several minutes)
Wax paper

Fabric paint is available at most clothing and craft shops but is often quite expensive (however a small pot will usually fit in a pocket quite easily and willbe enough for a good number of prints). We have heard that latex house paint and fabric softener mixed make a inexpensive fabric paint substitute, be careful not to clog your stencil with drying paint.

Making your Screen

1-Staple the screen to a lightweight wooden frame
2-Use a straight edge and black marker to draw lines onto the screen so your text will be straight
3-Stick down letters on you marks to make your text, also carefuly lay down cutouts for graphics with tape sticking them down
3.1-If you want several colors in your poster make seperate screens for each color pass
4-Lay down wax paper and gently roll or spray latex paint over your cutouts and letters(make sure the paint is not too thick and that letters are not rolled out of allignment)
5-Wait about ten minutes after painting remove your letters and graphics using tweezers
6-Allow screen to dry overnight
7-remove wax paper in the morning

Printing

1-Place T-Shirt, newsprint, butcher paper, or poster paper under your screen
2-using a roller or squeegie spread your ink or paint onto the screen, it will only transfer through the open areas where the stickers were removed.(Don't use too much ink onto the roller, clean cardboard or newspaper under the first t-shirt layer will prevent bleed through)
3-allow media to dry, a fan or hair dryer might help
4-rinse off print screen before the ink dries when you are finished with your printing run

Cheap water based paints and newsprint will fall apart with the first rain, they also can't be applied using flour paste or powder milk paste without running them, butcher paper, poster paper and water resistant inks will last much longer but will cost more. Be very careful to keep multiple color screens perfectly alligned in a multi color poster. The screen can be mounted onto a piece of plywood frame making allignment and printing much easier and quicker. Large block text and simple graphics are best. Practice makes perfect when making the stencil screens and when rolling ink. Test the ink with the stencil paint to be sure that it will not disolve the stencil paint.

If you need a graphic cutout larger than your printer can produce you can either print in sections and tape together or you can suspend a smaller graphic on glass or screen in front of a light, then trace the shadow. The shadow method can also be used to hand paint a screen, this can be used to make higher quality graphics from slides or overhead projections.

Of course you could always just buy the supplies from the art store, this article is how to survive without expensive specialized photo emulsions and paints.

Buttons and Badges

A good empty gesture of support is to wear a button supporting our cause. Just taking this tiny step gives support to those taking greater risks, and a button can last months or years on a pack or coat.

It is possible to cast all of the parts for a button press using what we learned in Means of Production. Commercial presses are usualy available at hobby, craft, and art stores, components are usualy cheaper when bought in bulk. One way to go DIY is to punch out sheet metal discs and either use a mini silkscreen for paint a printed message taped or glued and clearcoated for water resistance. Before you start painting them a safety pin could be spot welded using a small metal tab and a single car battery, a thick metal plate for a bottom electrode and a nail for the second electrode, a few seconds of connection will fuse the tab to the badge.

With a printer and bulk piles of button components a support crew can crank out dozens of slogan buttons an hour. This type of swag is good to give away as a reward after a hard day of work in support of the cause or to give to street kids as stuff to sell on corners for food and stuff while they spread our messsage. Don't be too eager to hand out the swag for free to strangers lest it end up in the trash. Remember to add a URL for your website at the bottom of your buttons.

Another fast way to make buttons requires a soda can tab, a metal pop cap, and either a baby pin or paper clip.

Place the can tab into the pop cap, use pliers to bend the cap's edges around the tab causing it to stay in place. Don't worry if it moves around a little. Then bend a medium sized paper clip around the inner part of the tab until it's 1/3 the way through. Once through, bend the short side into a hook and tightly wrap the long side into a spring-like bit, then cut the long side to fit into the hook. Now paint the cap with whatever you want and wear it with a smile, you DiY god!

Bumper Stickers

This section has been placed into the public domain by our friends at http://libertarianwiki.org

Using contact paper

Buy some clear, removable "Con-Tact" paper at a hardware store. It is used to line shelves.

Print sticker on paper and cut to size. With typical inkjet printers, yellow and red fade badly in a couple months, while green and blue fade somewhat. Black on white is more durable.

Take the clear "Con-Tact" paper and cut it out 1 inch larger than the bumper sticker so that there is 1/2 inch overlap on all sides. Flatten the Con-Tact paper and place it on a table with the paper side down. Peel the front (clear) side of the Con-Tact paper, but leave a thin strip on the bottom attached. Place the paper sticker in the center of the backing and reattach the Con-Tact paper.

Apply only to a clean surface. Take care to press down the edges well in order to make a watertight seal.

Whenever working with Con-Tact paper, take care not to stretch it.

When properly applied, they have lasted for years in dry climates. Wet climates or frequent car washings may shorten their life.

To remove the bumper sticker, peel it off. Remove any residue with rubbing alcohol, acetone, "Goof-Off", or any edible vegetable oil.

Using bumper-sticker paper and an inkjet printer

McGonigal Paper and Graphics http://www.mcgpaper.com/ has bumper sticker paper. You use an inkjet printer and waterproof it with Jet Coat. I haven't tried it, so if anyone has experience with this, please post your comments.

Get them Printed

The best bumper stickers are vinyl and printed in a shop. Stick to all text as this gets the most message for the space, print a test sticker on your home printer and see how it looks from fifty feet away before sending out to print. Yes this is a cop out so try to find a good radical or union printer to give your money to.

Original STARTING A PRINTING WORKSHOP

Leaflets, posters, newsletters, pamphlets and other printed matter are important to any revolution. A printing workshop is a definite need in all communities, regardless of size. It can vary from a garage with a mimeograph machine to a mammoth operation complete with printing presses and fancy photo equipment. With less than a hundred dollars and some space, you can begin this vital service. It'll take a while before you get into printing greenbacks, phony identification papers and credit cards like the big boys, but to walk a mile you must start with one step as Gutenberg once said.

Paper

The standard size for paper is 8^" x 11". It comes 500 sheets to a "ream" and 10 reams to a case. You want a 16-20 bond weight sheet. The higher weights are better if you are printing on both sides. You can purchase what are termed "odd lots" from most paper companies. This means that the colors will be assorted and some sheets will be frayed at the edges or wrinkled. Odd lots can be purchased at great discounts. Some places sell paper this way for 10% of the original price and for leaflets, different colors help. Check this out with paper suppliers in your area.

Ink

Inks come in pastes and liquids and are available in stationary stores and office supply houses. Each machine requires its own type ink, so learn what works best with the one you have. Colored ink is slightly more expensive but available for most machines.

Stencils

Each machine uses a particular size and style stencil. If you get stuck with the wrong kind and can't get out to correct the mistake, you can punch extra holes in the top, trim them with a scissors if they are too big or add strips of tape to the sides if too narrow.

Be sure and use only the area that will fit on the paper you are using. Most stencils can be used for paper larger than standard size. Stencils will "cut" a lot neater if an electric typewriter is used. If you only have access to e manual machine, remove the ribbon so the keys will strike the stencil directly. A plastic sheet, provided by the supplier, can be inserted between the stencil and its backing to provide sharper cuts by the keys. If you hold the stencil up to a light, you should be able to clearly see the typing. If you can't, you'll have to apply more pressure.

Sketches can be done with a ball point pen or special stylus directly on the stencil. If you're really rushed, or there isn't that much info to get on the leaflet, you can hand-print the text using these instruments. Take care not to tear the stencil.

Mimeograph Machines

The price of a new mimeograph runs from $200 to $1200, depending on how sophisticated a machine you need and can afford. A.B. Dick and Gestetner are the most popular brands. Many supply houses have used machines for sale. Check the classified section for bargains. See if any large corporations are moving, going out of business or have just had a fire. Chances are they'll be unloading printing equipment at cheap prices. Campaign offices of losing candidates often have mimeos to unload in November. Many supply houses have renting and leasing terms that you might be interested in considering. Have an idea of the work load and type of printing you'll be handling before you go hunting. Talk to someone who knows what they're doing before you lay down a lot of cash on a machine.

Duplicators

We prefer duplicators to mimeos even though the price is a little higher. They work faster, are easier to operate and print clearer leaflets. The Gestener Silk Screen Duplicator is the best bet. It turns out stuff almost as good as offset printing. You can do 10 thousand sheets an hour in an assortment of colors.

Electronic Stencils

If you use electronic stencils you can do solid lettering, line drawings, cartoons and black and white pictures with good contrast. To make an electronic stencil, you map out on a sheet of paper everything you want printed. This is a photo process, so make sure only what you want printed shows up on the sheet. You can use a light blue pencil for guide lines as it won't photograph, but be neat anyway. Printing shops will cut a stencil on a special machine for about $3.00.

The Gestefax Electronic Stencil Cutter can be leased or rented in the same way as the duplicator. If you are doing a lot of printing for a number of different groups, this machine will eliminate plenty of hassle. The stencils cost about 200 each and take about fifteen minutes to make.

If you have an electronic stencil cutter, duplicator, electric typewriter and a cheap source of paper, you can do almost any printing job imaginable. Have a dual rate system: one for community groups and another for regular business orders. You can use the profits to go towards the purchasing of more equipment and to build toward the day when you can get your own offset press.

Silk Screening

Posters banners and shirts that are unbelievable can be printed by this exciting method. The process is easy to learn and teach. You'll need a fairly large area to work in since the posters have to be hung up to dry. Pick up any inexpensive paperback book on silk screening. The equipment costs less than $50.00 to begin. Once you get good at it, you can print complicated designs in a number of different colors, including portraits.

3. Tell it all, Brothers and Sisters

Last updated: 26 February 2011

Tell it all, Brothers and Sisters

"Structure is more important than content in the transmission of information. It is the same as saying 'the medium is the message." - Abbie Hoffman, from Revolution for the Hell of It

The most important brick in the foundation of change is information. Sharing information in traditional means is still one of the best ways to get the word out or to recruit other citizens who might otherwise never stumble upon a movement that is largely internet-based.

Information overload on the internet is a real concern. It's one thing to have access to any kind of information that one desires, it's another thing entirely to be able to sift through the immense pile of articles and discussions and opinions that crop up among the millions of internet sources. Transitioning this information to print/traditional formats is key to the success of any movement that wants to include everyone, not just the web savvy.

Starting a Printing Workshop

Underground Newspapers

Underground Newspapers

Last updated: 29 May 2011

Go back toTell it all, Brothers and Sisters

Underground Newspapers are a necessary part of any revolution. They provide novel, accurate information that would have otherwise been censored or ignored by CorpMedia. A journalist's responsibility is to provide the public with viable, accurate information that allows for the people to make informed decisions in their life. Newspapers can help cure political apathy and highlight injustices throughout the community. It is of utmost importance that you provide accurate and timely facts. Otherwise, you undermine the validity of your paper and lose the public's trust. It's best to have a small team of people working on a paper together, however it's entirely possible to run one yourself.

1 Basic Supplies
2 Writing and Formatting
3 Publication
4 Distribution

Basic Supplies

It doesn't take a lot of money to create an underground newspaper or journal. To make a chapbook-sized journal or newsmag, you only need about 10 sheets of paper each (or less). You can liberate copy paper from wherever you work, and if you only take a few dozen sheets at a time, you can liberate an entire ream (500 sheets) in under a month.

Writing and Formatting

While newspapers can be produced by hand, an easier and more efficient way is through programs such as Adobe Indesign (which you can torrent) or if you're a linux user, a stable version of Scribus. Manuals online can teach you how to use these programs and create newspaper templates. These programs can produce neat, visually appealing newspapers. Using the old issue format allows for newer issues to be produced more quickly, without starting from scratch.

Before you can use these programs, you need to understand the different parts of a newspaper. While underground newspapers allow you the freedom to design them however you want, there are basic parts that are necessary.

Headline
Byline (optional)
Margins and gutters

Captions Sources Photographs

Research more about each part so that you fully understand it. If writers request anonymity, then "Anonymous will suffice as a byline. It's important to make sure that text is well aligned and that the gutters between each column is consistent. An amazing newspaper not only supplies good facts, but is visually pleasing. Strong, powerful photographs are important to grab the readers attentions.

Learn how to properly write quotes and cite sources. Always have a variety of people edit your text multiple times before publication. Simple grammar and spelling errors will make you look uneducated.

Publication

You can print your publication on most newish copiers using double-sided settings. Then fold it once, and get it stapled. The problem with normal staplers, here, is that they don't stretch across the width of your folded document (5 1/2 inches). So you need a long-reach stapler or a "saddle stapler" which is a stapler designed to bind folded documents (A "saddle stitcher" is a very large and very expensive piece of machinery you would normally find in a professional printing shop).

Your local Staples or Office Max will usually let you use their long-reach stapler for free, or in exchange for one of the copies of your new underground publication. Check out scrapbooking or other stationery stores for help with binding as well.

If you're putting together a book or manual, remember that GBC "comb" binders can be reused. Check the dumpsters in office complexes for the old business forecasts and training manuals. Carefully remove the pages, and you have a supply of comb binders! These same dumpsters can also be sources of odd colored paper (perhaps left over from another project) that can make an attractive front cover. Many office supply stores & copy shops have hand-operated GBC binder machines, often called a "Docubind", you can use for free. If you don't know how to use one, ask.

Distribution

Think creatively! Remember that your newspaper is probably tailored towards a certain audience. Put your papers in places where your audience could find them. Leave a way for them to contact you and ask you questions. Talk to libraries, shops and other places and see if they would help you distribute it. Bus stops are a good place to leave newspapers

If you need to reach a non-English speaking audience translate your text for free using http://world.altavista.com/. The babelfish translator program will not work to translate slang or figures of speach so only use simple direct language. Even if you have a fluent editor it will make their work easier most of the time. See Common Phrases in Different Languages

Check out the News Services listings for sources if material for your paper.

High School Papers

Last updated: 30 June 2011

Go back toTell it all, Brothers and Sisters

In ages past, underground newspapers were quite the rage. In those days before internet, many times this was the ONLY way anyone ever found out about any alternative views other than word of mouth. Book bans and media censorship made these publications invaluable when they were well written and had good content.

In the age of blogs, facebook, and website content many may discount the plain old fashioned underground paper. For most situations, we would agree with them. Indeed, getting the word out is far more effective through a well made website.

But, do not stop the presses just yet! In many cases, the old school newspaper may be more effective in a high school environment than many of the newer methods. And, unlike the hero publishers of yesterday, access to good free software and home printers means you will not need to hijack mimeograph machines or mess with unforgiving typewriters!

1 Why a Newspaper?
2 Content
3 Distribution
4 First Amendment Legal Help
5 The Killian Nine Story

Why a Newspaper?

As we discuss in Free High School, most newspaper club published papers sponsored by the school itself are pretty worthless. You could go to the school library and pull up papers published from different years. Almost in all cases, there will be no difference year to year except for dates and names. Year after year, it is always the same articles! There is almost NEVER anything controversial, even if the student body itself may have interest in that topic. It is only sports scores, club announcements, prom, and very sanitized “opinion pieces” that is heavily looked over and only meant to be something to put on a scholarship application for the author. A few schools are even starting to do Drug Testing to anyone wanting to join any club or extracurricular activity such as the paper.

Some may ask why go through the trouble of old print media to get information out when there is facebook? Why is something the old folks and dinosaurs did better? Aren't text messages and facebook type sites better? Well.. not necessarily.

Advantages of a printed underground school paper over social media

Most high schools have strict regulations against cell phone use. Many students may be poor and not have phones or phones capable of viewing web content efficiently.
School controlled computers usually have very restrictive web filters and are not in all classes.
Creating a facebook group can be very restrictive as it requires folks actually go and sign up for that group. Also, some folks are facebook friend whores while others could care less about facebook (particularly if they read STW articles on social media and know better!).
A newspaper or flier is right in your audience's face. No online connection needed. Curiosity and boredom will lead folks to read this if they find it laying around! Especially in boring study halls or during activity period! You have a captive audience!

Content

We are not trying to tell you what to put in your paper! But, you may want to listen to some of the old timers and those that know what they are talking about. Your work will be much more effective. An underground journalist is still a journalist! Just because you are not part of the system does not exempt you from at least some guidelines.

a GOOD underground school paper or flier:

Is well written and has topics of interest that apply to most of the student body. Misspellings or retarded content no one cares about ends up as a waste of trees. The Associated Press Style Guide, good editor software, and spell checker does wonders to make you look better than you are.
Uses standard print tactics like attention grabbing headlines in large point type.
Gets to the point and does not ramble. No one reads manifestos or walls of text.
Always backs up statements and opinions with facts.
Is free. No one wants to pay for something they have not seen. Besides, underground news is a public service! Many students are broke, anyway.
Does not make or imply death threats or violence to actual people. While there may be a public sentiment to dislike a principal or teacher, DO NOT THREATEN or ADVOCATE VIOLENCE, even in joking. You give your opponents the moral high ground and they will get cops to round you up and throw you in jail. Yeah, the ACLU may get interested. But still, you could have simply avoided a lot of trouble. See the Killian Nine story further down in this article.
Avoids slander and libel. You may be tempted to go take pictures of the principal cheating on his wife, the hated English teacher getting shitfaced drunk in a gay bar , or something similar. BUT, slander and libel is usually not a good idea. You may destroy the life of the person's kids and family or make it their life mission to screw you and your family and friends up. Be above them and attack their rhetoric with well written and well researched facts instead of personal attacks.
Does NOT describe how to do ILLEGAL activities. This includes making bombs, making pot brownies, or how to hack the computer lab's computers and the like. However, it may be okay to talk about some issues that may be illegal only in an academic and detached sense. Examples: insights into a school shooter's motivations and how the system failed or scientific reasons why pot prohibition is stupid. Plus, if you publicly announce how to exploit the computer lab, they will patch it and no one will be able to! Bummer Leave the “how to” stuff to independent underground websites and projects like STW and type away with us!
Has popular support of the student body. This can really help if you end up in a nasty war with administration!

Distribution

One of the best ways to get the word out to fellow high school students is through the student body itself. Start with your closest friends and branching outwards. If you have started your own underground high school paper, start with giving a handful of copies to a select few of your most trusted friends, and ask them to hand more piles out to the people that they trust. In this way the brown-nosing bastards that would go to the principal about anything against the school's administration can be weeded out. Also, by passing papers out through a chain network of others, it is easier for the source of the papers to remain an anonymous secret, save for the first few people in the initial trust circle.

Teachers will undoubtedly discover the underground paper eventually and when they do many will be determined to find the culprits behind it. Once the word has gone out to enough people, the last students on the chain getting the papers are the likeliest to turn others in. But as long as the revolutionary blood in the students remains aflame through the words of the underground paper, very few are likely to want to give in; the students reading your paper will be the ones most aching for rebellion and revolution. Security measures, like dead drops in certain locations or lockers, should be taken in order to keep from the trust being broken. Another, less risky way to distribute, is to use the bathrooms. Almost all of schools have cameras, presumably to help combat school violence and drug distribution. Bathrooms are in some cases, the ONLY place cameras are not present. Just leave a few copies in every bathroom in the morning and the curious will take them. this method helps keep those involved from being caught, but may not reach as big an audience. see alsoSecurity Culture

If the original source of the paper is eventually caught, the results could vary. Some would be let off with just a slap on the hand, and others might be severely punished based on the level of insult fired off at the administration. When it comes down to it, nobody really wants to be in high school anyways. So keep the paper serious among the students, but if all fails you in the end, then don't worry - your words were spoken, and the majority heard and listened.

Cut your printing costs with tips fromStarting a Printing Workshop or hack the school print server and deliver your hot copy for free to all classrooms and computer labs. Internet Communications#Network Printing

First Amendment Legal Help

Of course, many administration figures do not read the Constitution, even if their teachers teach it. A small possibility exists of getting in trouble or kicked out. Especially, if you did something crazy like advocate violence or give advice on how to do illegal things. However, there are some cases where even if you do not that, you could get trouble. A gay and lesbian publication could attract bad stuff in a Bible Belt area. Atheist commentary can get some attention in a private religious academy. Only you know the political environment in your area.

Fortunately, there is an organization that goes to bat for people called the ACLU. The ACLU is always interested in cases like this, if shit hits the fan and gets too out of hand.

The Killian Nine Story

The Killian Nine were a group of high school students at Miami Killian High School who, on February 23, 1998, made a satirical pamphlet called "First Amendment" and passed it out to fellow students. The pamphlet contained poems, essays, cartoons, and writings, several of which were deemed objectionable by the school administration. Included were a drawing of a dart through the head of the school's principal, Timothy Dawson. The pamphlet also contained the statement, "I often have wondered what would happen if I shot Dawson in the head and other teachers who have pissed me off." Dawson claimed that he feared for his life in response to the pamphlet.

Once school authorities discovered the identities of the Killian Nine, the students were pulled from their classes one by one and threatened with arrest. After the students each gave a written statement, the school security handcuffed them and had them arrested.

In March 1999, the Greater Miami Chapter of the ACLU filed a suit on behalf of Liliana Cuesta (as well as the rest of the "Killian Nine") in the United States District Court in Miami. The complaint alleged that Miami-Dade County violated Cuesta's First Amendment right to free speech and Fourth Amendment freedom from unreasonable search and seizure under the U.S. Constitution.

Wall Painting

Last updated: 13 June 2011

Go back toTell it all, Brothers and Sisters

1 Wall Painting
2 Message
3 Stenciling Design
3.1 QR Codes
3.2 Materials
3.3 Application
4 WheatPasting
4.1 Cycle Pasting
5 Hobo Code
5.1 Using New Hobo Code
6 Culture Hacking
6.1 STOP Signs

Wall Painting

In many locales, you must show ID proving you are over 18 to purchase spray paint. Laws requiring this were passed as an attempt to control both graffiti and the practice of huffing. Most bucket paints and rollers are easy to get by anyone.

Traditional spray tagging, while considered by some to be an art form, is often difficult to read and is mostly ignored by the public at large so it may not the best choice for political messages.

Make a stencil so you can leave a clear readable message, cardboard or vinyl runner both work well for a stencil and roll up easily for transportation, but be aware that it is evidence if you get caught. A team of three: painter, stencil holder, and lookout are best. Wear gloves and a long smock or disposable long sleeve apron so you can ditch them and your gear and be clean if you have to run.

Stenciling, while useful for making props in the theatre or painting walls in less than legal ways, is a simple, easy, and user-friendly way of doing a lot of things that you probably always wanted to! Paint your own clothing, use it as a new art medium, send a message on the barren walls of the cement prison we call civilization, decorate your room, alter advertisements for the better, or just simply make things pretty: you can do a lot with stencils!

Message

It's very important to put serious consideration into the messages you write. They should appeal to your target audience and they must not provide a means to identify you directly.

Furthermore, you must consider that your message may be misinterpreted. Imagine getting media attention, and then having them declare you a dangerous and threatening group, citing your "Fuck The Pigs" graffiti as evidence? If you're working well they wouldn't have much else to look at, after all.

Stenciling Design

Stenciling is quite simply making a mask which is painted over to print out a message, a picture, in graphical form. Of course this is all very simple but to make it effective and sharp some care needs to be taken.

Your pictures/words etc, will be in the space you cut out, here some trouble is caused when you have empty space inside letters or shapes. Since to get a continuous area of paint onto your surface, the inside is hard to support. With many designs, a few small supporting 'arms' placed well can work effectively to hold up your stencil material on the inside. If you're really concerned about this, then when you are finished stencilling touch it up carefully with a bit more of your paint into a solid area. Good design should avoid having these areas as far as possible.

Thin areas of mask also can have problems, with the paint 'bleeding' through underneath if you aren't careful; try and use thick areas as far as possible.

It is a good idea to draw/print out a copy of your design on paper first, then lay it out on top of your mask material and use a pin to prick the vital points, then recreating. Or cut through both with a knife at the same time, this should also work with thicker materials, leaving a score mark to cut along. This should work much better than freehand cutting.

QR Codes

A great high tech way to leave a data message is to stencil out QR codes to paint onto walls or sidewalks, cops and store owners might assume it is something left by the city or the phone company, but younger and tech savvy folk will be quick to scan. Most people read the QR code with their phone camera and a special app but you can also use your computer webcam or even snap a photo and read the image on computer at home later.

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/QR_Code

You can leave a website address, email address, pirate radio channel, wifi key, text, or GPS coordinate; whatever you like. You can download free QR code generators or find websites that generate a QR code and up size the output image for your printer, make two if you are making a stencil. White glue the printout onto cardboard or other good backing and let dry. Use an razor knife or scissors to cut out all of the black spots, put plastic over the uncut printout so you can glue string to hold the stencil together where there is too much black cut out, use the bottom printout to help align the blocks. Use dark paint against a light background. Here you can see a QR code that directs to http://stealthiswiki.org you can print a large version of this to spread this website.

Just beware that this method almost exclusively gets smartphone users, a habit that can be detrimental in certain actions.

Materials

All you really need is some cardstock and an exacto knife. Hell, a sheet of cardboard and a box cutter will do, but only if you're tight on time and don't care much for aesthetics.

The most recommended and, unless proven otherwise, best overall thing to have in your arsenal of supplies is a handy-dandy (no, not notebook, though that might be good for preliminary sketches!): X-acto knife. You'll want plenty of replacement blades. For the best results, blade size/shape 11 is the one you'll want to use.

Next, you'll need to choose your second-most important medium: the stencil material itself. The cheapest way to go is cardstock, which you can get in packs of 250 8.5"x11" sheets for smaller projects. While bigger sheets mean more room to cut, smaller sheets provide portability, easier organization, and somewhat discreet methods of application, all things you'll want to consider. Other mediums include: acetate (overhead projection sheets and beyond), mylar, cardboard, paper (unrecommended), plastic (coroplast election signs!), donut boxes, paper bags... The absolute best method is precision-cut steel or aluminum sheet. It is the easiest to clean, transport, and maintain, our method is an easy process requiring a paint mask with the design scratched into it, a saltwater basin, and electricity. see Means of Production#Precision cutting. Rigid templates are generally much better as they are easier to secure etc.

Finally, you'll need to select your method of putting up the stencil. There are lots of things to consider with this, as well. Some options include: chalk and spray-adhesive, paint and paintbrush/paintroller, spraypaint, dirt, windowetching solution.

Application

If you are applying stencils in public places, think carefully about placement; will you be easily seen placing it? Will it be seen easily by people? Materials to bring with you when placing; The mask Gloves A cloth Masking tape

The application is pretty simple, put on your gloves and tape up your mask on the place where it'll be, then start painting! Try to get even coating, and don't spill over the cardboard too much painting the surrounding area. Leave it for a minute or two if you can to let any drips fall down/onto the template, then take it off your surface, wipe it clean/dry with the cloth, remove the template, and get out!

Of course, we have known some that get so good at this, they get "discovered" by the CorpArt world, taking them out of the revolution. They go on to make a steady paycheck throwing out artwork for commercials, shirts, and other propaganda. But, many more get caught and end up paying huge fines or doing community service. Be careful!

WheatPasting

Wheatpasting is an effective way to stick up posters in a way that is difficult to remove by hand, quick, and inexpensive. Again collect your poster holder, lookout, and glue painter although you could get away doing this as a one person job. Of course vampire hours are best since there will be few pedestrians to witness and call in your activities. Print your poster or flyer like we show inStarting a Printing Workshop, attempting to find the most water resistant print style possible since this will be outdoors. Butcher paper is usually the strongest and cheapest media. On a nice dry week with little rain in the forecast, move out to do your deed. Summer nights are best. Cement and metal walls and poles are best for adhesion. Plastic and wood walls don't stick too well. Bridge supports on highways are great, so think about combining four or more posters for a big well seen billboard here.

You will first need to make your paste:

Take one cup white flour.
Add the flour to two cups of water (add rock salt if deep in winter to slow freezing).
Bring to a boil (boiling can be skipped in a pinch but makes weaker glue).
Reduce to a simmer for half hour (converts the starch to better glue).
Stir and break up lumps while you simmer.

Let cool and place in your bucket.
Refrigerate for up to a week or just use the paste right away. Otherwise, it really starts to stink!!

(In a pinch you can use potato flake, corn starch, watered wood glue, sour milk, and many other ingredients instead of wheat to make your paste)

Now let's paste!

Liberally paint your paste on to the surface with a soft broom, big sponge, wide paintbrush, roller, or mop.
Apply your poster.
Smooth past over either the edges or if possible the whole poster to both secure the edges, seal the ink, and remove bubbles.
Once stuck down well a few razor slashes will make removal more difficult when dry.
Move along in a random direction down streets and alleys while posting to prevent leaving a trail for the cops to follow.

Experience will teach you if making a paste seal over the whole front of the poster will cause excessive ink running. Sealing the whole poster preserves it for much longer so you might adjust your ink to match the paste.

Cycle Pasting

For cyclists the best paster setup we have seen is a hand made oversized pannier on the back filled with posters and the bucket and brush in a handlebar basket. The paste has a chance of spilling when the lid is off but a plastic shopping bag conceals and protects it from the eyes of the cops and catches the spillage. You will have to learn how to balance the handlebars, grab a poster, paste up the wall, and stick it up without making a huge mess, but once you get it down you will be unstoppable!

Hobo Code

This is an 19th and early 20th century form of wall painting updated for our modern needs and can be done in any sort of paint or medium of drawing ranging from chalk to charcoal to paint to spraypaint to scratches in the dirt or tree bark. It is a system of simple characters and pictures that each mean something pertaining to the immediate surroundings/building(s), like a Caduceus symbol means a doctor or someone of medical knowledge lives within, or an upside down triangle means that people are burned out on bums. These symbols may be used one at a time or in sequence to form a sort of sentence. The best time to leave these symbols is when you move on so others can benefit from your discoveries. Use chalk or charcoal for temporary discoveries so the rain and wind will wash it away, paint or scratch marking is good for long term discoveries. The side of the curb, the bottom corner of a building, or lower side of large rocks or sign posts are good places to leave the marks.

There is nothing secret about these marks, just like the cops know better than any stoner where to stash a joint, they will figure out the what and where of these marks again. Use your head when marking something hidden and remember we will still have more time to notice these marks on foot than a piggie in a squad car.

Good stuff for your pack if you plan to take up hobo marking: thick kids sidewalk chalk, a large paint marking pen, and a quality black indelible marker.

Here is a simple code of many of the Hobo Code symbols. Look for them when you're in a bind and you can get by without too much trouble. These are in little use a the time of the printing of this book but we expect you to help fix this. Many of these signs are new for our generation, a good idea is to print and distribute this graphic and key on the back page of your publications for underground users so the new symbols get disseminated. Realize that this is not the 1930's and people are not as generous, but as times get tougher more "normal" people will be displaced or unemployed and sympathy may improve. Interestingly enough while it was not that widely used even in the 1930's the paranoia of that time gave it a solid place in our historical memory.

Using New Hobo Code

^Image:Hobobigist3.png

It is a good idea to print and distribute or paste up this sign list in low rent area bathrooms, homeless shelters, and radical hangouts. You should be able to get four to six copies to a sheet of paper. Here are come clarifications beyond what is on the card (you might include these on the back of your handout)

3-A top-hat in place of a cat was sometimes used for kind old man
8-pirate radio reception here (tower with radiating skull and bones) give broadcast frequency
9-fangs (also sometimes shown as stick with four legs)
14-eyes and X both mean safe, waves for water
17-Rich(top hat and pile of gold)
20-Open wireless Internet (give ESSID)
21-Closed wireless (give ESSID and key code if cracked)
22-International Squatters symbol (ask if there is room for you) and squatter solidarity
24-Talk religion then beg (specify Protestant,Catholic,Mormon, etc,substitute star of David if Jewish, crescent if Muslim, etc)
26-Panhandling success in exchange for music, magic show, juggle, acting (hat for panhandle, horn for entertainment)
33-Undercover cop or informer (roof over cop symbol)
34-Barter accepted (music, repairs, food, problem solving, whatever is needed between two parties, make a deal)
36-Overloaded with tramps (locals are getting burned out) dot differentiates this from gay symbol
37-Dishonest person (may not pay you for work)
41-Homeowner is frightened and gives to us so we will leave, be alert for police activity afterward
42-Locals are minorities and/or are cool with the cause (won't call cops, likely to help us in need)

Culture Hacking

The other way to use spray paint is to hack signs, billboards, advertisements, etc. If done correctly, it's possible to make a sign that looks no different from the original, except that the message has changed.

A good example: nearby there is a sign that says, "Abortion Kills Babies." Black lettering on a white background. A culture hacker takes two cans of paint, one white, one black. Paint over the "Abortion" part in white, using as many coats needed to cover up the black. Second, use the black paint to write your own word, like "Sex," for the finished product of "Sex Kills Babies." Only a few months after the Exxon Valdez oil spill, one of the most devastating man-made environmental disasters ever to occur at sea which occurred in Alaska in 1989, the Billboard Liberation Front turned HITS HAPPEN -- NEW X-100 into SHIT HAPPENS -- NEW EXXON.

It is sometimes possible to kill the lights on a billboard if it has a light sensor, just tape a flashlight down on that sensor or sensors and you will have darkness to hide your work. Printing your work on transparency will let you use an overhead projector to trace you stencils or letters against a wall. If you do recon with a camera and actually climb up with tape and measure the letters on the billboard you can often get a very good match.

STOP Signs

Piss off the man by putting a message of rebellion on a symbol of conformity. Get yourself a can of white spray paint and a piece of cardboard. Use a knife or a razor to cut a stencil out the cardboard to say what it is you want to ”stop". Try to make it the same font as that used on the sign. Some suggestions are: THE THOUGHT POLICE, CENSORSHIP, WAR, THE ARMS RACE, RACISM, BIG BROTHER, GOVERNMENT GREED, THE PIG EMPIRE, or EATING ANIMALS (if you're into animal rights). If you feel like making people laugh, put HAMMERTIME, EATING VEGETABLES, THE INSANITY, DROP AND ROLL, or COLLABORATE AND LISTEN.

News Services

Last updated: 6 March 2011

Go back toTell it all, Brothers and Sisters

1 News Services
1.1 Disinformation
1.2 Guerrilla Underground Network (GUN)
1.3 Independent Media Center (Indymedia)
1.4 Infoshop
1.5 Real News Network
1.6 Want To Know
1.7 Wikileaks
1.8 Wikinews
2 Original NEWS SERVICES

News Services

Put new stuff here.

Disinformation

Not exactly a news service, but an archive of background information on news that may have fallen through the cracks.

http://www.disinfo.com

Guerrilla Underground Network (GUN)

"A co-mutiny of autopoietic insurrection, emergent insurgency, & rhizomatic resistance fighting for total liberation from below." Comprised mostly of former members of the now-closed Guerrilla News Network.

http://guerrillaunderground.ning.com/

Independent Media Center (Indymedia)

Diverse sources of locally reported news, mostly by grass-roots activists, describing itself as "a network of collectively run media outlets for the creation of radical, accurate, and passionate tellings of the truth. We work out of a love and inspiration for people who continue to work for a better world, despite corporate media's distortions and unwillingness to cover the efforts to free humanity."

http://www.indymedia.org/en/index.shtml

Infoshop

While visiting your local anarchist bookstore (aka infoshop) is a great idea; the infoshop news site is pretty good, compiling dozens of news stories relevant to an anarchist perspective daily.

http://news.infoshop.org

Real News Network

Non-commercial, member-supported news service "focused on providing independent and uncompromising journalism", on "the critical issues of our times". Webcasts and contracts with cable and satellite channels.

http://therealnews.com

Want To Know

Quoting the website: "Reliable verifiable information on major cover-ups and a call to work together for the good of all. This website provides a concise, reliable introduction to vital information of which few are aware. We specialize in providing fact-filled news articles and concise summaries of major cover-ups which impact our lives and world.."

http://www.wanttoknow.info

Wikileaks

To quote the website: "Wikileaks is developing an uncensorable Wikipedia for untraceable mass document leaking and analysis. Our primary interest is in exposing oppressive regimes in Asia, the former Soviet bloc, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, but we also expect to be of assistance to people of all regions who wish to reveal unethical behavior in their governments and corporations. We aim for maximum political impact. Our interface is identical to Wikipedia and usable by all types of people. We have received over 1.2 million documents so far from dissident communities and anonymous sources."

If the link below doesn't work, type "Wikileaks" in a search engine and you're bound to find a mirror to the website.

http://www.wikileaks.org

Wikinews

Wikinews is a web-based news service with amateur and professional reporters from all over the world, all presented with an impartial view. Articles in a wide number of themes, formats, regions and languages can be had for free!

http://www.wikinews.org

Original NEWS SERVICES

Aside from UPS, which is the association of papers, there are five news services that we know of that you might be interested in subscribing to for national stories, photos, production ideas, news of other papers and general movement dope. LNS is the best known. It sends out packets once a week that include about thirty pages with original articles, eye-witness reports, reprints from foreign papers and photographs. They tend to be heavily political rather than cultural and view themselves as molders of ideology rather than strictly a service organization of the underground papers. A subscription costs $15.00 per month, but if you're just starting out they are good about slow payments and such.

You should get in the habit of sending special articles, in particular eye-witness accounts of events that other papers might use, to one or more of the news services for distribution. If you hear of an important event that you would like to cover in your newspaper, call the paper in that area for a quick report. They might send you photos if you agree to reciprocate.

LIBERATION NEWS SERVICE-160 Claremont Ave., New York, N.Y. 10027 (212) 749-2200
COLLEGE PRESS SERVICE-1779 Church St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 387-7575
CHICANO PRESS ASSOCIATION-La Raza, Box 31004, Los Angeles, California 90031
G.I. PRESS SERVICE-Rm 907, 1029 Vermont Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20005
FREE RANGER INTERTRIBAL NEWS SERVICE-Box 26, Village Station, N.Y., N.Y 10014 (212) 6916973

A complete and up-to-date list of G.I. underground papers can be obtained by writing to G.I. Press Service, 1029 Vermont Ave., NW, Rm 907, Washington, D.C. 20005. G.I. Alliance provides excellent national newsletters with all sorts of ways to fuck up the Army. Write G.I. Alliance, PO Box 9087, Washington, D.C. 20003. The phone is (202) 544-1654. American Serviceman's Union, 156 5th Avenue, New York, N.Y., 10010 will also help, as well as provide legal and medical aid to G.I.'s.

A complete and up to date list of Chicano underground papers can be obtained by writing to Chicano Press Association, La Raza, Box 31004, Los Angeles, California 90031.

The Young Lords Organization paper Palante can be obtained by writing to Young Lords Party, Ministry of Finance, 1678 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10029. It's $5.75 for 24 issues.

The Black Panther Party paper can be obtained by writing to Black Panther Party, Ministry of Information, Box 2967, Custom House, San Francisco, Calif. 94126. It's $7.50 for 52 issues.

Public Speaking

Last updated: 12 November 2010

Public Speaking

The emphasis of our fight is to let people know that they are being enslaved and how to escape their chains. Speaking in public is how we want to fight our battles, as this is an easy and professional way to appeal to larger audiences. These tips can also be used in conjunction with interviews, if you are ever selected to represent your organization for a mainstream audience.

Here are tips to remember:

Regardless how informal the situation, write out and rehearse your speech beforehand. Improvisation is harder than you think.
Prepare answers for questions you will likely get and rehearse them until you are comfortable. Nothing is worse than appearing to fumble a soft-ball question.
Use grammatically simple sentences. People can't see your semi-colons.
Arrive early and check out the room and AV equipment.
Meet a few members of the audience if possible and schmooze a little.
Understand your topic enough to be able to answer questions.
If you don't know, admit it. Say you will think about it, write it down (even if you don't plan on researching it), and thank the questioner. If you promise to get back to the person or group with an answer then make sure you do so.
Do exercises, like running on a flight of stairs right before the presentation, to burn off any adrenaline overdose. Be careful not to get sweaty.
Chill out, and tell yourself that you are ready.
If you are giving a informational speech, these people want you to speak to them. Make eye contact often, and try to smile
Never mention to the audience that you are nervous or are facing other problems. You may think that you can connect to them better this way, but people will respect you and listen more attentively if you sound like you've done this before and are in control
Concentrate on the topic. Don't worry that there is an audience
Nerves are OK. Adrenaline makes you look excited about the topic at hand and you will be more persuasive if you have passion. Be sure not to let the adrenaline take over, though, but instead use it to your advantage.
Take the opportunity to speak in public when offered, as practice makes perfect.
Never say "um", "ah", or other thinking delay noises, instead say "just a moment" or similar if you need to think, for anything not easily remembered offer to get back to the questioner and move on.

Comedian and actress Carrol Burnett once said that when she gets nervous in front of an audience, she imagines everyone sitting on toilet seats.

If you are speaking you must know what you are talking about, and be ready to answer any and all questions presented. For your audience to remember your speech, you need to be professional, informed, and ready to give as much as you can in order to get the word across.

If you are being interviewed be sure to have planned a short list of your important talking points, make your answers to any question fit into your talking points and take back the interview. Your answers must be planned so studio editing or a cut off live interview will not loose the message you want conveyed.

Look at the way most newspaper articles are written with vital information on top and each sentence of descending importance so it is possible to cut off the article to fit, use this method to fill your allotted time slot while having the contingency of overruns or cutoffs covered.

Persuasive Speaking

Persuasive speaking is different from an informative speech. Here, the attitude may be anything from ignorant to hostile, so remember your public speaking points and add these as well:

Have a specific objective to your speech. Don't wander from your topic.
Know what your audience needs and what they want to hear.
Don't bring up minor differences in opinion that divide you from the audience.
Emphasize the causes or experiences you share that tie you or your cause to the audience.
Present in this order: introduction of the problem, then solution, followed by the specifics on how to achieve the solution.
Tape practice sessions of yourself and listen a few hours later while taking notes.
Practice the presentation first with a single audience member, then with three or four, and let them ask hard questions.
If possible, arrive early and form a rapport with some of the audience or have a few plants arrive separately. Friends like these may support you if things get exciting, or even afterwards, as they talk to other audience members.
Use key words and phrases, and repeat those words or phrases, like "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." If you can find something simple and clever to reiterate your thesis, without making yourself sound proud of your pretty little phrase, you will be able to better tie your arguments together.
Take notes on your speech as soon as possible after every time you present it. Ask close friends who may have attended to find out what you can change
Dress in a manner considered respectful and intelligent by your audience.
Never act desperate, as the audience will respect a speaker with a backbone.
Never engage hecklers or acknowledge counter-protesters.
Arrange a friend or two to watch all stage entrances, the pie-in-face is a popular counter protest tactic.

Group Education

Education is the prime goal of any radical project. There is no nobler profession than being a teacher, and you may find yourself needing to reach out and educate. Be it for your social group, a free university class, or community outreach, take every opportunity you can to educate and liberate. Teaching radical urban farming, radical Linux use, or even bicycle repair are all great uses of your time, and will aid your brothers and sisters in times of hostility.

Above all, gain the respect of your class. If you are too easy on them, they will use you. If you are too strict, they will want to rebel against you. Respect also comes from knowing your facts, using proper grammar and spelling, and letting them see the practicality of what you are teaching them.

Never talk down or act superior to your students
Always prepare your material before class
Preparation should include having an outline of your curriculum, so you do not get lost in your lesson
Presentation software or flip-charts should be an aid in note taking and keeping you on topic, not something to read to the class
Always invite participation from the whole class and encourage questions, find ways to encourage quiet students to participate
Be careful of students who frequently lead the class off topic or monopolize class time. As the teacher, you should set a time limit for off topic discussion, or offer to discuss after class.
Try to include visual aids, models, short plays, and chalkboard drawings help a student build a conceptual model in their mind
Try to know students by name. If this is a problem, name signs or tags can help
Make students repeat concepts to show understanding
Trade feedback. This way, both you and your students will know where they stand and where you need to adjust your teaching to meet the needs of your students
Learn how to properly use a chalk/white board, Audio/Visual equipment, and printed handouts. Used properly, these can be very useful, but used poorly, will bore students or become more waste paper
Assignments are not punishments. Find ways to assign students homework that will give them useful practice without inducing stress and fear
Avoid distracting locations. If possible, find a room or outside area reserved exclusively for your group
Try to keep class location and schedule constant

A flexible guideline for student-teacher ratios and different teaching styles

Less than 7-1: Intimate Conversational Teaching

Small group learning is important for technical or difficult topics which require strong teacher leadership and feedback. After a lecture, or a classroom-sized meeting, the class may be broken up into this type of group with trained leaders assigned for hands-on application of the subject.

Less than 30-1: Interactive Classroom Teaching...

When there are not enough teachers available, or only one expert is available, classroom size groups are a good middle ground between intimate discussions and lectures. Care must be taken so that every student has an opportunity to interact; having students present homework for the class is a good way to encourage interaction, as are rewards for interaction and correct answers(if done without patronizing the student). As the group grows larger, you will need to use more of a lecture format.

More than 50-1: Lecture

The lecture setting is used when there is an expert available with a large group seeking the information he wants to present. Since participation is difficult with this style, this is largely a one way transfer of information; the speaking tips above come fully into play here. Quality visual aids become very important as well. Remember that many students may be taking notes, so plan your visual aides carefully. A good idea, if it is practical pertaining to your situation, is to give a allotment of time for questions after the lecture concludes. Acoustics are very important at a lecture as well. If you are outdoors, look for a location that may feature a small valley for the audience, and situate yourself on the lip of the depression. Otherwise, look for a small hill to situate yourself upon. Quality PA systems are beneficial for any enviroment, either indoors or outdoors. Quality miniature, battery powered amplifiers, like the Crate Taxi Amp, offer mobility, lightness, and versatility for voice amplification. If you cannot amplify your voice in this manner, be sure to speak loudly and deliberately.

Banners

Last updated: 20 February 2008

1 Banners and Signs
2 Banner Drops
3 Banner Hoists
3.1 Modified CrimethInc Hoist
3.2 Hoist and Drop
4 Balloon Suspended Signs
4.1 Balloon Choices
4.2 Sticky Balloons
5 Audio Signs
6 Banner Construction

Banners and Signs

In locations where revelation of the truth will affect public perception bannering is a great way to inform the public. Good examples are signs decrying labor busting, child labor, or unfair trade practices in relation to the products, services, or partners of the business you are protesting. Since this will cost you both money and resources do a little research and decide on an effective message, ineffective or unclear messages might even have a negative effect toward your cause or be considered creative graffiti.

Banner Drops

Banner hangs are a great way to advertise for your cause and gain media publicity when combined with a sit in or civil disobedience, it gives the media something easy to photograph.

On a building you either need to get roof access or window access and a parapet to work from. other good places to banner:

String a line across a major street from streetlights or power poles
Highway overpass
Anywhere you can get access and hang where people will see

Weight the bottom of the banner with pouches of sand or plastic water bottles roll up the sign and firmly attach line to the top corners or every meter or so on larger signs. If you expect a quick take-down just use sandbag weights or tie to a railing, if you want some longevity send a trained climber out to drill and place anchored bolts in the stone or concrete and anchor off where they will need to get special contractors to remove the sign.

Banner Hoists

Use a slingshot or toss a rubber fishing weight over a railing, hanging light or decoration, or even cables across roads meant for city parade banners or holiday lighting. Now just pull the fishing string or dental floss to hoist your banner, wrap the string around the pole and finish up with spinning the weight tight around the top of the pole railing or cable so the banner will be hard to remove. It might be advisable to use a segmented tent pole(pull the shock cord tight so it will not pull apart during the hoist) or wooden dowel to stiffen the top of the banner so it looks nicer. Since there is a danger of electrocution never hoist from a power line, unless you are an Expert on wire identification don't even try to hang even from cable TV or telephone lines.

Modified CrimethInc Hoist

The modified CrimethInc method is a bit more advanced and requires a bit more invested money but is quick and long lasting.

1-Make a banner and staple it to a lightweight board.
2-Cut a five foot section of cable reinforced clothes line
4-Attach hardware store carabieners to both ends of the wood near the cable anchor points (really big eye bolts might work even better if you can find ones big enough to pass your molly bolts easily) it is important that the carabieners don't get twisted and stay perpendicular to the wood so use fiber tape to attach them.
5-Make a loop in the end of the both pieces of clothes line and attach tightly to the wood with cable crimpers.
6-Make a second larger loop on the remaining end of the clothes line and pinch it so the tip is bent.
7-Slide a molly bolt into the cable then fiber tape down the loop(a molly bolt is the kind that has spring back wings that you can force through a hole in a wall)
8-make a stop that forces the molly bolt to near the end of the taped down loop
9-Test pulling the loop and molly bolt through the carabieners, it should pop through easily
10- Cut string a bit more than double the height of the object you plan to hoist over
11- Loop the string though the clothes line loops (you want it to pull freely through the clothesline loops)
12- Attach safe weights (sand filled socks, rubber fishing weights, or plastic bottles) to the ends of the long doubled pieces of string.

Deploy

During a lull in traffic or when friends are safely blocking the road approach the target.

1-Throw or slingshot both of your weighted double strings over the target wire, pipe, or pole
2- Snap the doubled string into the carabieners
3- Hoist, be gentle when it comes time to pull the clothesline loop and molly bolts through the carabieners and snapped tight, it might take some jiggling
4- Cut the string with a scissors and pull through, your banner is safely up
5- Get away

It will take a cherry picker truck or fire engine ladder to remove this sign.

Hoist and Drop

For the best effect you want to do a dramatic banner drop from an already hoisted banner setup. This is a great way to hijack a pep rally especially if you have hacked access to the PA system and have a message to deliver. Combine with activists tossing your leaflets with candy attached so people will want to get their hands on some.

Use the modified CrimethInc hoist to get your banner up but leave the bottom of banner rolled on a dowel or with weights like in banner drops. Use a piece of fishing line taped to the wall with clear dull finish tape to activate your release and deploy the banner. You should test your slip knot or release system under conditions similar to your live deploy several times to be sure there will not be premature deployment or a misdeploy.

Make sure your sign and message is of sufficient quality and size to justify the effort of building and hoisting. Once you try this the staff will be much more vigilant to look for ready to drop banners before assemblies.

Balloon Suspended Signs

Inside stadiums stores or political events nothing advertises for your cause like a balloon lofted sign where the organizers can't take it down. Hang your lightweight easy to read banner from a rod or pole and attach the balloons to the ends of the pole. If you get there early before the event you might think about having kite string loosely looped over the ends of the stick so you can guide the sign up so it is straight and centered in the hall and then pull the guide strings loose. With Balloon bannering always test your design before you deploy it, nothing is more embarrassing than a dangling sign to make your team look bad.

A good way to infiltrate with a bunch of balloons is if you dress like you are with a flower delivery service (dumpster dive a few big bouquets for one arm) and meet your conspirators who have the banner.

Balloon Choices

When choosing balloons you need to decide how long you want your sign stuck to the ceiling. Figure out how many balloons are needed to lift your sign and double the amount to give several days of lifting, since balloons leak helium and loose lifting power.

Latex is the most standard and least expensive, you can often rent a helium tank and get a large package or two of latex balloons as a package deal. Latex has pores small enough for the tiny helium atoms to pass through (helium it the smallest substance around since it does not even pair up into a molecule like hydrogen).
Mylar balloons are also available commercially and last much longer, several weeks life can be expected.
Plastic trash bags look ghetto but if you carefully inspect for holes have a lifetime around a week.
Helium it the choice for lofting gas, even though hydrogen is easy to generate chemically with acid and metal or electrolysis is is explosive and the cops might try charge you with planting a flammable or explosive device, just so you know hydrogen is about double the lofting power as helium.

Sticky Balloons

Placing glues or even syrup or honey on your balloon can make your banner hang stick to the ceiling even after much of the the helium goes out.

Audio Signs

An easy long long life repeating PA system can be made from the electronic recorder now found in some greeting cards which allow a personalized voice message, even better is one modified with a small amplifier transistor and better speaker if more loudness is needed. Be sure to test the life of the battery you plan to use before employing. Best lifetime is obtained by using the voice of a woman with a high pitched voice(or computer generated higher female voice to prevent voice-printing by the police), this will also carry best from a small speaker. Lithium AA batteries are the lightest and have the longest lifetime for their weight, they are often found at photography shops.

You can epoxy the whole package inside of an aluminum can with the top cut off, a big gob of warm bubble gum makes a good stickum if the ceiling is clean, shoot the package onto the ceiling with a slingshot, it should continue to broadcast for as long as the batteries last. If you find a low enough power recorder circuit which will save the recording in non-volatile memory(doesn't need batteries) you might be able to power the whole thing with a solar cell. The cool thing about this is it will only talk while the lights are on and will last until they spend the money to rent a cherry picker.

Banner Construction

The easiest way to get a long lifetime outdoor sign is to have it printed at a sign shop preferably by someone cool with the cause. Go with a large easy to read font and use a short clear message, an easy to remember website address is good too so people can get more information. Remember, the north side of the building (in the northern hemisphere) gets the least sun and will not cause as much UV degradation of the sign.

For guerrilla hangs where you expect the sign to be removed in a few hours it is best to go DIY. Bedsheets and table cloths work as does plastic sheet if it can be painted. Corporate signs or banners made out of vinyl can often be grabbed from the outside of stores or constructions sites, you can use the blank back side. Bed sheets can be grabbed from fancy hotels, just walk around until you find the maid's cart, wait until he or she is inside a room, and load up on sheets. If noticed, just say you need them in your room. Use stencils or a projector and make outlines with marker that you can fill in with house paint. Again make it easy to read and understand, include a web address.

Include slits or upside down tombstone shaped flaps that will allow the sign to unroll and not flap too much in the wind.

Almost all banners are better with a stiffener in both the top and bottom. If wood is too heavy or impossible to infiltrate use a cheap tent wand with the shock cord pulled tight and tied when you assemble it. If it's common in your bio-region, bamboo works beautifully as well. Weight at the bottom prevents breezes from flipping or tearing your sign down, better yet is four point or more anchoring.

Indoor signs might gain from the addition of a LED flasher or two to help gain attention, many of these flashers will last weeks or months.

Guerrilla Audio

Last updated: 14 March 2011

1 The basics
1.1 Speakers
1.2 Enclosures
1.3 Amplifiers and Power Supplies
1.4 Sample ideas
2 Advanced
2.1 Effect of wire type and diameter
2.2 Mobile PA vs. stationary event PA
2.3 Full-spectrum music system
2.4 Frequency Filters
2.5 Speaker placement
3 Troubleshooting a sound system
3.1 Why is there no sound playing?
3.2 low input voltage?
3.3 line noise
3.4 audio feedback
3.5 Overloaded aka Bottomed-out Amplifiers
4 Concert Systems
4.1 Power supply
4.2 Amplifiers
4.3 Speakers
4.4 Speaker placement

The basics

Sometimes as radicals we need to play sounds, and there are times when the ability to rig up a speaker system is incredibly useful. Some setups are smaller than others, but all accomplish essentially the same purpose: make a lot of people hear you.

Generally, the components that go into a system are a set of speakers, enclosures, an amplifier, a power supply, and a source of audio.

Speakers

Depending on your luck, speakers can often be dumpstered. Best places to look are stores that upgrade car audio equipment, as they'll throw out the original speakers when replacing a system. One can come across anything from

12" subwoofers to car sirens with ease.

Other speakers can sometimes be found in old electronics, or may already be on hand. Guitar speakers are great for our purposes as they're high efficiency. If one can gain access to PA horn speakers, they're also quite efficient. Car subwoofers tend to be the least efficient of speakers, but sometimes they're easy to come by. Car sirens are great for playing higher frequencies, although they require some dissassembly to get rid of the siren circuit, leaving you with just a speaker.

Enclosures

The majority of speakers need enclosures to sound decent and loud. The exceptions are horn loaded speakers like Pa horns, speakers that already come in enclosures, or have a sealed back.

Generally one can simply build a sealed box out of heavy cardboard or wood, and cut circular holes in it for the speakers. Medium density fiberboard (MDF) is used in building more professional speakers, and is likely to sound better, but most materials will still do well. If one wishes to get more volume and possibly some extra bass, one can add a hole and a pipe into the box, to function as a port tube. Do note that some materials (MDF in particular) are vulnerable to moisture and should be protected from rain.

Amplifiers and Power Supplies

Amplifiers take several forms, each with their own power requirements, thus they must be discussed simultaneously. Generally, for a 12v power supply. one can use either a car battery, a smaller SLA battery, or a computer power supply when needing to drive a 12v device off of wall power. Wall power can be gotten from a car battery or similar source via a power inverter, although this step is generally best avoided.

To use a computer powersupply for these purposes, one needs to know that the 12v + is any yellow wire on it, and that the ground (- for our purposes) is any black line. Also, to turn it on, there is a green wire in the 20 or 24 pin cable that runs to the motherboard, it needs to be connected to a black ground wire.

Car amplifiers are wonderful devices, running portably off of 12v, some with thousands of watts of power rating. These can easily drive massive speaker setups, great for when you need a LOT of sound. Car radios are quite useful as well, due to the fact that they are compact, run off of 12v, and contain an audio source. Simply inserting a CD or tape with your audio will get the job done.

Home theater amps are generally meant to be stationary, quite heavy, and run off of wall power. But there are times when you need the power and sound quality, and portability isn't as much of a factor. Otherwise, they are not to useful to a radical. Having to carry a battery, a power inverter, and a amplifier which is bulky because it was meant to be stationary, well, it's not a fun task.

Guitar amps. suck. They run off wall power, have poor audio quality, and low power output. exactly things we don't need. yes, the do exist up to a couple hundred watts, but those are expensive as hell. As already mentioned though, the speakers are great, very high efficiency, because they need to run off of the crap output of these things.

If one is more skilled with electronics, they can build their own amplifier. Simply the ability to solder well is enough to make an alright sounding amp using a transformer, a $2 IC, some capacitors, four diodes, and a headphone wire for input.

Sample ideas

The combination of a car radio, car battery, and a couple of PA horn speakers can deliver a great amount of sound from a compact package. Not at all bassy, so it's no good for music, but for playing a message to a crowd of people, this is a great setup. And with the car radio, there is the added simplicity of simply recording the message to a cd.

A 14" MDF cube can be used to hold 4 12" woofers or subwoofers, and have a 3" hole cut in the top to function both as a port and to run the wires through. While it takes some effort and is important to assure that all of the speakers move in the same direction from the same signal, this setup will be heard far away, an produces very impressive bass for music. This is best driven with a 300+ watt car amplifier.

Some people have cut out holes in the bottoms of 55 gallon drums, and put 15" subwoofers in. The drum functions as a sort of enclosure, and also resonates to help with high frequency response. There are claims that at a couple hundred watts a pair of such speakers can be heard at 10 blocks away. 55 gallon drums are heavy though, so this isn't very portable. this is an example of where a high power home theater amp would work well. Although a car amplifier will do just as well.

One recent experiment involved using 14 volt laptop lithium-ion batteries (WARNING: these things WILL explode if charged improperly or if shorted) and the amplifier circuit taken out of a pair of computer speakers to drive a pair of coaxial sealed-back (they don't need an enclosure) car speakers. This whole assembly was designed to be compact enough to be mounted in a bike frame and to run off a cheapie mp3 player. Loud enough for enjoying music at a critical mass for example, although no good for serious public listening or PA.

Advanced

Effect of wire type and diameter

To begin, one should know that higher frequencies transmit only in the outer layer of a wire, so using braided wire is generally a good idea. Also, it's more flexible and thus durable than solid core wire. A smaller diameter wire will generally handle less current, although in the writer's experiences, some 20 gauge can handle the output from a 340 watt amplifier without any particular heating. If your system produces mostly high frequencies and the lower frequency sound is weak first check to be sure you are using an adequate diameter speaker wire, since bass requires more power to drive the cones it is the first range to be lost.

Mobile PA vs. stationary event PA

The biggest difference here is in frequency response. a typical mobile PA system can get very loud, but it will sound "tinny", meaning it will lack lower frequencies. this is alright for transmitting voice at a demonstration, but no good for say music at a public event. A proper address system will have many woofers, and a full range of response, unfortunately speakers that produce bass are large, and hence unportable. The larger speakers can also get very expensive, hence the earlier recommendation of dumpster diving. It should also be mentioned here that many smaller speakers can be driven beyond their power ratings when high-pass filtered.

Full-spectrum music system

Generally, a music system needs at least two channels of audio: the woofer and the tweeter. The woofer reproduces lower frequencies (< 3khz) and the tweeter plays those above it. Due to the mass of the speaker cone (large moving portion) of a woofer, it generally won't play high frequency sounds. A tweeter needs to be high passed to prevent it "bottoming out" (hitting the limits of it's movement). Better systems go on to seperate the sound into 3-4 channels (subwoofer, woofer, midrange, tweeter, and sometimes supertweeter) each playing a respectively higher frequency. These systems will almost always use MDF speaker enclosures, so keep that in consideration when designing a box.

Frequency Filters

As mentioned before, some speakers need to be high passed, and others will sound better and save energy when low passed. In building a quality system you may even need to bandpass midrange speakers. For the sake of simplicity we will discuss only first-order filters.

The high-pass, as it's name implies, passes only high frequencies. This is accomplished by means of placing a capacitor in series with the speaker. If one is experimenting, 10 uF (microFarads) is a good value to start, as it high passes an 8 ohm (most tweeters are either 4 or 8) speaker at about 2khz. If at your power level, there is no distortion caused by the speaker bottoming out, your high pass is high enough, if not, reduce the capacitance. Also, if the speaker is playing to quietly, you may need to increase the capacitance.

The low-pass filter is generally an inductor. For those who are unaware, an inductor is merely a coil of wire, sometimes with a metal core. Inductors can be as easy as insulated solid core wire wound on a pencil, adding a steel bolt allows it to be adjusted by sliding it into the coils, as does adjusting the number and spacing of the coils. It functions by resisting a change in current level, thus reducing the ability of high frequencies to play. These can also be selected by experimentation

The band pass filter is essentially a low pass filter in series with a high pass, with the low pass filter cutting off at a lower frequency than the high pass. This allows only a certain band of frequencies to be played.

Speaker placement

PA speakers should be placed in high places so they can be heard further away. Places that echo will cause louder sound, but they also understandably distort the sound, use common sense with this.

Casual music speakers should be placed at ear level. if the speakers cannot entirely be fit at ear level, then having the higher frequency speakers at ear level is best. This is why tweeters are generally at the top of floor standing speaker towers. The purpose of this is to improve imaging (the effect that the sound is directional) and therefore this is most important with surround sound systems, and still significant with stereo (two speaker) systems. Don't bother if you have mono sound.

Troubleshooting a sound system

Why is there no sound playing?

Make sure everything is plugged in thoroughly. I've seen people fumbling around with their speakers wondering why the damn things won't work, only to find that they accidentally yanked the line-in cable.

low input voltage?

Generally leads to low output voltage, and thus low output power. If you know that the amp can go louder, and just can't seem to get the volume out of it despite maxing out the volume settings, you might reasonably consider that this is the problem. If you're driving the sound system off of a media player, set the volume on it louder. If that doesn't work, or if you're using a microphone or similar low power input, consider getting a preamplifier (these can be rather pricey, so it is advisable to build one using an op-amp).

line noise

This is most commonly either the amplifier mysteriously starting to play radio stations, or getting a "wall-power" 60hz buzz (this is low pitched). They're caused by induction in the lines going to your amplifier. The wall power buzz may be occurring because of a poorly plugged in cable, or a because you have run your input lines near a transformer or high power line. If correcting this does not help, or if you are hearing radio stations, it is advisable to replace the wire. If you are in a situation where you cannot replace the wire, you should try to somehow isolate it from outside electromagnetic waves, something as simple as wrapping the wire in aluminium foil, or even a fine metal mesh, can have a significant effect.

Please note that these effects are more pronounced with longer wires, so keeping your input lines to less than 3 metres (10 feet) in length. Coaxial cable helps reduce this effect, but still, keep the length of cable as short as possible. Also try to avoid having to spool up your wire.

audio feedback

Audio feedback is most commonly high frequency. When a sound system screeches, that's audio feedback. Essentially, your microphone picks up the sound from the speakers and plays it again a little bit louder, this goes into a loop and gets quite loud. You can try reducing your microphone gain, or isolating it from the rest of the sound system somehow. Microphones should not be near any of the speakers!

You will also get a similar effect if you have too many wires coiled up, and the line out starts inducing current in the line in. Avoid coiling wires if possible, and if necessary keep the coils separated. Also note that coils will low pass your sound, which may not be a good thing!

Overloaded aka Bottomed-out Amplifiers

If your gain is set too high, or if the amplifier's or power supply's current limits are exceeded (a speaker load with an impedance too low will cause this), you will get a very distinctive distortion, as your waves will essentially turn into square waves. Another symptom is heavily accented "s" and "f sounds in speech (these are around 10khz, while most speech is in the 500-3000 hz range). The solution is quite reflective of the problem: get a more powerful amplifier or power supply. That or turn the gain down. If this occurs after wiring up some speakers in parrallel, consider rewiring them to series. this will reduce the power usage four times, and still give you the advantage of moving more air, making more sound.

Concert Systems

Well, maybe you're intent on having a damn punk rock show, right? These systems tend to be expensive, so be warned.

Power supply

When you pull this much power over a sustained period of time, car batteries won't cut it, they're only batteries after all. You need wall power. Unfortunately, most outlets are limited at 1800 watts (120v*15A), sometimes you need to find outlets on different breakers and run them in parallel (the power rating adds). Outlets with one of the prongs being "T" shaped, are rated for 20 amperes rather than 15, meaning you can draw 2.4 kW (2400 Watts, but you should know metric conversion anyway). There are also some outlets that air conditioners and such run off of, they look distinctly different, and often have ridiculous power ratings. Unfortunately they require a special amp to plug into them, as they generally supply a different voltage (240). Thankfully, they exist with breakers set at up to 50 amperes, so if you are building a system geared towards them, you can draw 12kw, well beyond most sound requirements.

Amplifiers

Use a DJ amplifier (they cost around $60 for 1kw) or a high power car amplifier. There really is little else with enough power output for a large crowd. If you choose to go with a car amplifier, you need to supply it 12 volts, which as mentioned before can be accomplished with a computer power supply. Here it is advisable to wire the computer psu in parallel with a car battery, because the power supply is protected against too much current draw and generally shuts itself off.

Speakers

Concert speakers are where it really gets expensive. 15" woofers in MDF enclosures. I don't see how you'd need any less than four such woofers for even a small public event. Note that large subwoofers allow you to band pass your woofers above about 100hz and push them to greater power ratings. For concert purposes, having your subwoofer play 40-100 hz is acceptable, whereas in a personal music system, its nice to have response down to about 20hz. You were warned that this is expensive: a good deal for some 15" poly cone woofers (poly cones are tougher than paper, and thus much more usable, and these are at the bottom of the price bracket anyway) is $30 each. Thankfully, tweeters are much less expensive. A pair of horn loaded high power tweeters can be bought anywhere from $5-20 and sound good enough for your purposes. You do want to use horn loaded tweeters however, as their efficiency is very good. Mid-range drivers have mid-range pricing. Of course, it's ideal to be able to just find/dumpster/liberate speakers for your purposes, but it's understood that this isn't always an option.

Speaker placement

Put your speakers at appropriate angles to get stereo sound, but also remember that they will be better heard at a longer distance if they're placed higher up. They should at least be above human head level, as having the sound blocked by a crowd is no good.

Guerrilla Broadcasting

Last updated: 26 July 2011

Go back to Guerrilla Broadcasting

"Lights out! Guerrilla radio! Turn that shit up!" - Zack de la Rocha (Rage Against the Machine)

"We want the airwaves!" - The Ramones

Pirate radio can be one of the most effective tools we have in our arsenal beyond a good web presence, we can own that media and even reach people who are too poor to afford a computer or MP3 player. Now use the skills we teach elsewhere to fill the waves with content entertaining and informative enough to warrant the effort of tweaking the FCC's nose.

Money or time properly invested in building or buying quality transmitting hardware and antenna is not wasted, there is less chance of complaints against a station that stays on frequency and does not bleed over. Most propaganda against low power radio brings examples of small stations using low quality transmitters which interfere with other nearby stations. Once you get some listeners you will want dump the junk to upgrade a quality stable VFO that will not drift frequencies or have distorted sound. With our instructions you should be able to make a really good pirate station in under a week for between $50 and $100 for everything except the hospital bill from falling off of your tower.

1 Transmitter Kits
2 Homebrew Transmitters
3 Equipment
3.1 Power Supply
3.2 Tools
3.3 Playback Equipment
3.4 Amp it Up!
3.5 Tuning
3.6 Antenna
3.7 Antenna Feed Line
3.7.1 Coax
3.7.2 Twin Lead
3.8 Balun
3.9 Putting it All Together
3.10 Coverage Survey and Publicity
4 Radio Station Rebrodcast Override
5 Shortwave Broadcast
6 "Legal" Unlicensed Broadcasting
7 Guerrilla Television
7.1 Microwave Override
7.2 Experiences of TV Signal Override
7.3 Free-To-Air Satellite TV

Transmitter Kits

Don't be afraid of making the simple radios and amps now available. All the electronic parts you need are either in your kit, at Radio Slack or online at places like Digikey. An electronics course or a radio frequency physics college course will help immensely, but with the easy kits out now all you really need is a soldering iron and the ability to read.

Free Radio Berkeley (http://www.freeradio.org/) has somewhat expensive but well designed and tested quality gear that if you make an initial investment will serve well for years producing quality sound. RFB also has radio camps aimed at teaching the techniques of building your own transmitter with help building your kit along side experts. Beyond RFB there is also lots of information at the Amateur Radio Relay League website (http://www.arrl.org/) and posted by many amateur radio operators on their personal websites.

There are many sources on the net to order good quality transmitter kits that require some basic soldering ability and some basic test gear. Consider building a few spare low power kits for situations where the cops will be expected to confiscate the gear. Learning to build kits will likely be much cheaper than ordering from an international mail supplier and also since you will learn how to repair and tweak performance it will likely outperform something ready made purchased from a questionable gray market source.

If you really feel like stepping out after trying your hand with kits, design your own or follow a schematic even more fun is to try to keep with recycled components from junked electronics.

Homebrew Transmitters

Making your own starter transmitting gear has gotten much easier since the advent of mp3 FM transmitters to designed to send your tunes to car or home audio systems. If you find an MP3 player FM transmitter that uses a crystal or and you know the exact open frequency you want go with this type, order and install a quality stable crystal, otherwise go with one that has a digital variable frequency ocillator so you can tune any FM channel. Most of these tiny FM transmitters can have their 3v power input doubled and add a proper antenna (most of them are attenuated to reduce range to around half a meter) about a meter long wire will work or a feed line installed to feed a lineral amplifier like below. Run a wire from your computer's sound card, mp3 player, or tape deck to the input lines, and hit it! A decent small city pirate radio station is easily within the budget of almost anyone in the world now but watch for frequency drift and sound quality issues.

Equipment

Power Supply

A noise free power supply for your transmitter and amp are very important. It is possible to build this yourself but you will have to check it with an oscilloscope to verify a really clean output. To smooth noise on a dc power supply, connect capacitors in parallel with it.

Tools

Keep both a quality butane (for field repairs when electricity is unavailable) and electric soldering iron, side cutters, desoldering tool, and multimeter in your kit to make repairs. It might be a good idea to search the internet for a cheap frequency counter kit (even a quality radio receiver with a digital frequency display will work but costs more) and pack this too so you can keep watch on frequency drift.

Playback Equipment

Be sure to use quality playback equipment, the best transmitter and amp won't fix crappy sound from a junk sound card or CD changer. Properly ground your mixer board, computer, and anything else electrical that is connected to your radio station. If operating mobile try shutting off the car engine and running from battery if noise is an issue.

Use quality shielded cables especially since you are near an active radio transmitter try to keep the cable runs as short as possible.

A speech compressor, available at ham radio shops and some truck stops with a CB radio area, is a circuit that eliminates all but the signal required for clear voice, these will kill music quality so have a bypass switch, but a speech compressor really squeezes the most range out of your available transmitter wattage. You can also probably improvise one by bandpassing an op-amp using an rc chain in a negative feedback.

Buy a low RF noise power supply for any computer you are using for playback.

Amp it Up!

^Image:10w amp.gif

If your are a soldering iron amature you can build a small linear amp based on the schematic above. There are many ways to either home print a circuit board, cut circuit pathways in scrap copper clad board, perforated hobbyist board, or use a reusable test "bread board". Follow the schematics above.

Once you get advanced enough to figure out band pass filtering and how to keep the impedance right why not rip apart a high power car stereo amp with finals that will respond on your chosen frequency and use the big transistors and heat sinks to build a really juiced up pirate station.

Tuning

If you visit the radio shack of most every ham operator you will see a tuner somewhere in line between the radio and antenna. Tuning is required to match imbalances in impedance between the radio, feed line, and antenna. What most radio operators with transmitter power only limited to their amplifier budget don't worry about is the radio energy that is converted into waste heat when an unmatched antenna is used. You will need to get a SWR (Standing Wave Ratio, or reflected lost energy that surges back into your finals) meter that is designed to work on your transmitter frequency band. A bad mismatch in impedance and resulting SWR can fry your radio finals.

When you need to set up your station quickly and have no time to make a perfect antenna

1-Just find a nice high spot with a good view of your audience area
2-Shoot a wire antenna into a tree with a slingshot and fishing weight on the end
3-Repeat #2 in the opposite direction making a nice Vee
4-Tune until you get a SWR reading around 1.5
5-Get back on the air.

OK, so you waste some precious power but you can be on air in around three minutes which is great if you are operating in some park from a bicycle trailer during a protest. Gotta run? Cut your antenna wires and pedal hard!!

Antenna

The antenna can be both the least expensive and also one of the most effective ways to maximize the potential of your transmitter. Unless you have an unlimited budget there is no reason to buy an antenna just make one.

For a good wire antenna divide 234 by the frequency in megahertz with the sum being length of antenna in feet, this gives you your half wave length, the theoretical best antenna length although fractions like 1/4 and 1/8 are effective too.

Don't forget to use a good ground(unless you use some variation of dipole antenna), a copper cold water pipe works well. Hide antenna wires inside plastic gutter pipes or other creative long places (metallic paint can adversely affect antenna operation), the FCC radio pigs will be looking for unusual wires or towers in the area that a pirate station transmits. HOWEVER, note that a tower with guy wires which have insulators in them can be used as improvised antennas, just connect the feed wire to the end of the wire at an insulator, and use the insulated section with an antenna tuner and you're on the air. AGAIN, the ground is required, but the anchor block for the guy wire is a ground, a big metal (and concrete in some cases) thing in intimate contact with the earth.

One wire cut to the calculated length is called a monopole the other end is fed to a ground.

A dipole is two wires of the same calculated length strung out in opposing directions from a center feed line. (both of these have 50 Ohm impedance) and matches most transmitters and 50 ohm feed line.

A bent dipole or monopole is just a di/mono pole antenna where the antenna wire doubles back on itself at half its length, this antenna matches 300 ohm feed line but is a mismatch to most transmitters (it will require the use of a balun to fix this mismatch) You can use twin lead to make the folded dipole.

If you need to have a shorter antenna you can cut multiples of half from the size of the antenna but each halfing will reduce performance while still keeping antenna SWR tune. You can use the metal frame of you vehicle as a ground plane for monopole antennas.

While most commercial and amateur operators just tweak and tune the impedance to a match with a tuner not caring about wasted watts, careful use of an antenna analyzer (which can be built from an inexpensive kit) and careful trimming of the antenna gives the best results by far.

Antenna Feed Line

Coax

It is reasonably easy to find 50 Ohm coaxial (coax) cable with a center conductor and braided copper inner sheath at electronics supply stores. Be sure to read the Ohm rating printed on the side of your cable since coax for TV and old computer networking is 75 ohm, a mismatch!! Coax is wasteful in that it converts radio signal to heat more quickly than most other feed lines due to the sheath/core design but the up side to the sheath/core construction is there is very little signal leakage and it is possible to be pretty indifferent about running your coax past other radio frequency interferance, wires, and metallic objects. Use some sort of sealer putty or caulk to keep water out of your coax ends as moisture can cause problems at higher frequencies. Keep coax runs as short as possible. Most transmitters you will be using have an output impedence of 50 Ohms the same impedance as a normal dipole and monopole antenna which makes your life easy if this is all you have in your system.

Twin Lead

Twin lead feed line is still easily available as it is used to feed the TV antennas on the roofs of millions of Amerikans. It can be recognized usually as the brown plastic ribbon insulated wires on the edges, some are perforated in the center, some are flat oval shaped. Twin lead line almost always has a 300 ohm impedance and will need the use of a balun to match 50 ohm antennas and transmitters. Twin lead is low loss and will waste little radio energy even with a longer cable run, the tradeoff is that it leaks energy like crazy if there is any kind of parallel wire or metal object like pipe, appliances, or even rebar in the cement. You need to use non-conductive offsets (wood, plastic, glass, rubber) to keep it at least a foot away from metallic items, walls, or wires.

Balun

Here is an easy transformer type balun (BALance-UNbalance) designed to give you a five to one conversion which will let you get close to the 50 to 300 ratio with enough play to allow minimal use of your tuner. If you really plan to stick to one frequency you can go for a closer balun match for your feed line. For our five to one balun wrap 25 turns of one color (red) magnet wire (take this out of an old electric motor) around a ferrite torid (donut magnets work good if you cant afford to buy radio torroids) and five turns of the other color (green or more red colored with a sharpie pen). A full turn is considered when the magnet wire crosses its starting position.

The five turn side is connected to your 50 ohm antenna or transmitter and the 25 turn side connects to your 300 ohm twin lead feed line.

Putting it All Together

0- Audio signal comes from your computer, live microphone, hard disc MP3 player, or CD changer and feeds to
1- Your transmitter (can be as simple as the MP3 hack to a deluxe kit) likely 50 ohm output
2- Use your 50 ohm coax to connect it to your amplifier (if you are using one)(this is likely 50 ohm too) with as short a cable run as possible
3- Next comes your tuner (if you will be using one) again keep the cable runs short.
4- After this is the feed line, which could be just a short run of 50 ohm coax to your antenna if you have everything in a mobile van or on a rooftop.
5- If you are going with 50 ohm everything else just make a grounded monopole (use a good ground) or dipole antenna

Alternately if you need to run a long line to an apartment roof from a lower floor

4a- If you will be using twin lead for a longer feed line you need to use coax to the outside to prevent leakage to the metal objects in your house
4b- then place a four or five to one balun between the coax and the twin lead to the antenna location

Choose your antenna type, realize that there is some loss every time you use a balun

4c- either add another balun to go from 300 to 50 ohm,
5 a- and use a dipole or grounded monopole
5b- or use a folded dipole or grounded folded monopole which is already 300 ohms and takes up less space, since it is folded in half and has nearly the performance of a dipole.

Don't forget to test the SWR with your meter at low power setting between every stage of your radio station, bad SWR mismatch can burn out your transmitter and amplifier!!!

Ground the case of every electrical component from your mixer board, to your transmitter, to your antenna mast for safety and to prevent noise

Coverage Survey and Publicity

Now you have your station set up, tested, and transmitting. You should take a radio some headphones and cycle around your area finding where the signal is available, if not good enough for you move your antenna or boost your power. You can chalk out a tower hobo sign and frequency where available, don't forget AM or FM. Wheatpaste posters and hand out fliers to cool neighbors. Don't be too clear what you are doing that it will show up on the cops radar.

Radio Station Rebrodcast Override

Quick communication can often be sent through small FM rebroadcasters licensed by the Federal Candy Commission. In many cases, these licensed stations simply use a high-grade radio and antenna to rebroadcast a weak signal. Their range is generally about 1-10 miles, meaning a good portion of a city or an entire small town can be covered. The first thing to do is check and see if the station rebroadcasts using an FM receiver. If so, all you do is find the broadcast location, transmit a powerful enough signal to override the station intended to be rebroadcast, and that's it!

Shortwave Broadcast

Even better than listening to shortwave is having your own regular show, even considering the low price to potential audience ratio of commercial shortwave stations an even cheaper alternative is possible. Most proper HAM radio sets are able to be modified for out of band transmission. Look for a radio set that is recommended for digital mode as this has a long duty cycle, in other words, you can transmit for a long time without overheating the set. A linear amp set and a well tuned antenna and you are ready to get the word out across the globe, at least to those that have a quality receiver. Otherwise use the information we give above and build a dedicated shortwave broadcast set from a kit.

In the USA, legal low-power unlicensed broadcasting on shortwave can be done on the 22 meter band. According to an article on the Low Power Radio blog (://lowpowerradio.blogspot.com/2009/09/low-power-on- shortwave.html), you can transmit "from 13.553 MHz to 13.567 MHz, with a field strength limit of 10,000 uV (microvolts) per meter at 30 meters from the antenna" without a license. The article continues, "About 1.8 mW to 3 mW would be needed, depending on the antenna. Unlike low power AM medium wave, however, there is no limitation on the size or type of antenna, feedline or ground for shortwave low power stations." This will require very good receiving stations and excellent radio propagation for this to work beyond a mile or so under normal conditions, but if ionospheric conditions are good a receiver with very sensitive front end and a great antenna setup might pick up the signal thousands of miles away. Morse code instead of voice will increase the effective range but few listeners will bother to listen to code.

"Legal" Unlicensed Broadcasting

One unlicensed station, Pirate Cat Radio (http7/www.piratecatradio.com/) in San Francisco, CA, kept the Federal Communications Commission at bay with a unique strategy. When the FCC sent them a letter threatening legal action for broadcasting without a license, they sent back a passage from the United States Code of Federal Regulations; Title 47, Section 73.3542, Paragraph (a):

"Authority is granted, on a temporary basis, in extraordinary circumstances requiring emergency operation to serve the public interest. Such situations include: emergencies involving danger to life and property; a national emergency proclaimed by the President or the Congress of the USA; and any continuance of any war in which the United States is engaged and where such action is necessary for the national defense or security or otherwise in furtherance of the war effort."

While the FCC has not challenged the assertion that Dubya's War On Terror makes it legal to broadcast without a license, the station went off the FM air after it was fined $10,000 in August 2009. According to Wikipedia: "The fine occurred after a broadcast on a frequency higher than legal limits was found in April 2009. According to Monkey (nickname of Daniel Roberts, the station's founder) the broadcast was from an apartment rooftop two blocks from the station by a listener using the station's internet stream." While PCR no longer broadcasts on FM, there have apparently been a number of FM broadcasts of PCR's web feed from other locations. To quote Monkey in the January 2010 edition of Monitoring Times magazine, "The FCC can't come to you if someone else decides to start broadcasting your Internet radio station. Nothing shows that I broadcast all those transmitters."

Another station, Power Hits 103.3 (http7/www.myspace.com/powerhits1033) in Bettendorf, Iowa, also used Title 14 to keep the FCC at bay, except it was shut down by the landlord over a rent disagreement. A low- power television station, W10BM (http7/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W10BM) in Moorehead, Kentucky, is using the same claim while it argues with the FCC over its apparently canceled license.

If you're going to start a permanent radio station and want to keep in the good side of the law in the USA, consider "Part 15" broadcasting on AM. Under the FCC regulations, an unlicensed AM transmitter can put out as much as 100 milliwatts (that's 1/10th of a watt), as long as you're not interfering with a licensed broadcaster. Part 15 transmitters are available in both pre-assembled and kit forms. Some pre-assembled transmitters are FCC certified to meet the requirements of Part 15 regulations, which may be highly valuable should you be visited by a field agent of the Federal Communication Commission. Kit transmitter are also available, such as the AMT-3000 offered by SSTran (SSTran.com (http://www.sstran.com/) ). While kits offer a lower cost alternative, they are not FCC certified and a field agent may be more likely to shut down your station when using a non-certified transmitter. The two currently certified Part 15 transmitters are the Rangemaster AM1000 offered by Hamilton (AM1000Rangemaster.com (http://www.am1000rangemaster.com/) ) and the Procaster manufactured by ChezRadio (ChezRadio.com (http://www.chezradio.com/) ). Both transmitters offer excellent performance. While the Procaster offers built-in audio processing and automatic power regulation, the Rangemaster offers full 125% asymmetrical modulation and multiple transmitter clustering (synchronization) ability. Both Rangemaster and Procaster transmitters operate under Part 15.219 in which is not a radiation limitation but is a power and antenna length limitation. These can kick out a signal for about 2 miles at best if the antenna is at least 20 feet off the ground. You can also increase your range by running several transmitters spread in a pattern through your target areas.

Radio Systems, Inc. (iamradio.net (http://www.talkinghouse.com/) ) sells the "i A.M. Radio" Part 15 certified AM transmitters. Radio Systems purchased the assets of the former Talking House transmitter manufacturer and now offers both the Talking House transmitter and their improved i A.M. Radio version to individuals, churches, schools, businesses and real estate agents. They sell a variety of packages for talking signage applications, educational stations for school campus broadcasting and more.. Their website says their units can carry signals "up to and beyond 1 mile".

Excellent resources for both experienced and newcomers to Part 15 broadcasting are:

HobbyBroadcaster.net (http7/www.hobbybroadcaster.net/) - Online technical resource and reference for AM and FM broadcasting under Part 15 regulations
Low Power Radio Blog (http://lowpowerradio.blogspot.com/) - Popular blog regarding how to set up and operate a low power radio station.

Part15.us (http://www.part15.us/) - a popular discussion board for Part 15 broadcasting hobbyists
Federal Communications Commission (http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/lowpwr.html) - Government agency which oversees radio spectrum usage in the United States

Guerrilla Television

"A modern revolutionary group heads for the television station, not the factory. It concentrates its energy on infiltrating and changing the image system." - Abbie Hoffman (from "Soon To Be A Major Motion Picture")

While most people who have reached the revolutionary mindset have killed their TV's the majority of the impressionable majority consider it a vital service like water or heat, a television transmission is practically a direct cable into the viewers mind. Think about your audience, consider what they want to hear and bend that in the direction of your message. Talk to members of your demographic and see how different messages play out with them, exploit existing prejudices against big business, corruption, and government but do not stoop to exploiting prejudices that are against our cause. This is the approach that most low brow media outlets take and it can also be used by our media. It is very important that no matter how hard you spin a story NEVER LIE, people can forgive you for reporting from your radical point of view. But outright dishonesty is a broad weapon to attack the alternative media. Most importantly make your media interesting, entertaining, and maybe even a little sexy so the viewers will not just switch to another channel.

Microwave Override

Many large television and radio stations can be hacked by sending a high enough microwave transmission (using that station's microwave frequency) directed towards the station's broadcast antenna. While most microwave broadcasting equipment is expensive (at least $1,000 used) and many stations have switched to hack-resistant encoded signals, the potential to broadcast messages to thousands of people makes the cost worthwhile. It is also possible to home-brew a microwave transverter for the simpler analog systems for digital you still have to figure out the encoding. A transverter just frequency shifts from the VHF output of a VCR or computer video card up to microwave frequencies. Be aware that cable and circuit loss at microwave frequencies can be very high if you crush or kink your cable or use a badly planned DIY design.

Experiences of TV Signal Override

Before the downfall of the Soviet Union, there were a number of reported pirate TV operations scattered around Eastern Europe. Many were guerrilla style hit-and-run operations that would rig up a low-tech transmitter with a junked VCR, set to go on the air during the official government newscast, overriding the signal for several blocks. When the authorities found the transmitter, often on the roof of an apartment house or in an vacant building, they would find home-built equipment that had been abandoned, rigged to a timer switch. Much of the programming was very short (since the authorities would be searching for the source within minutes) and usually consisted of recordings from foreign broadcasters like Voice of America and Radio Free Europe, with still photos for visuals. One brave pirate in Moscow would show a tape of the official government news broadcast, with someone else's voice dubbed onto the soundtrack, reading uncensored news peppered with dirty jokes.

In 1977, back when the UK used analogue television, someone identified as "Vrillion" of the "Ashtar Galactic Command" over-rode the audio channel of England's Southern Television for 6 minutes.

In 1984, "Telstar TV" aired movies and music videos for eight weeks by broadcasting a signal into the vacant feed to BBC2's transmitter for the Northfield and Rubery areas of Birmingham, England, after the BBC's signal feed was turned off for the weekends (much to the BBC's embarrassment).

In 1985, some very brave astronomers from Poland's University of Torun used home-made equipment to superimpose pro-Solidarity slogans over the images of the state-run TV network. You can imagine how the viewing public (as well as the authorities) must have felt when, during the official government news broadcast, the words "SOLIDARITY TORUN: ENOUGH OF PRICE HIKES, LIES AND REPRESSION" flashed on the screen. The activists were later arrested and fined.

For 4 minutes in 1986, the East coast satellite feed for Home Box Office was overridden by a color bar test pattern with the words "GOOD EVENING HBO FROM CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT, $12.95/MONTH?, NO WAY! (SHOWTIME/MOVIE CHANNEL BEWARE!)". Investigation finally led to the arrest of John R. MacDougall, a satellite dish dealer in Florida who was pissed at HBO for scrambling their once free signals and charging people for descramblers.

In 1987, some talented TV pirates overrode the signals for TV stations WGN and WTTW in Chicago, Illinois, showing someone in a Mad Headroom mask. The WGN signal was overriden for only 30 seconds with only electronic buzzing, but the WTTW signal was overriden for 90 seconds with "Max Headroom" babbling jokes and making comments about a sportscaster on WGN. The persons responsible were never caught and (wisely) never took credit.

In 2007, members of the Czech artist collective Ztohoven (slang for "insane" or literally "a hundred shits") managed to hack into a weather forecast and splice fake footage of a nuclear blast. Charges were dismissed but they could have faced six year sentences.

Free-To-Air Satellite TV

In many rural parts of the USA, a big thing is "Free-To-Air" (FTA) TV dishes. These are common in the UK and parts of Europe, but are only starting to pick up in the USA. You'll need an unobstructed view of the sky (South in the Northern Hemisphere, North in the South), room for a dish (with a directional motor so you can watch more than one satellite) and a receiver box. A decent set-up will set you back about $200-300 plus installation, but there's no monthly fees. You won't get Dish Network or DirectTV (and if you do without subscribing, they'll sue you for Theft of Services), but there's lots of TV and radio channels to be had, as well as some network feeds. Depending on where you are, you can also watch foreign broadcasts. Also, there are two types of dishes: The Ku Band (like the little home subscription service types) and the C Band (those big five-foot dishes). The following are good places to start (Some may require free subscriptions to post onto the forums):

If you can get an old C-band dish, the big backyard dish about six feet in diameter, you can save some money when setting up a free-to-air station. Unless the dish is made of sheet metal you will probably need to apply glue with a paintbrush and add a layer of aluminum foil, the metal mesh embeded in earlier fiberglass dishes allows Ku band microwaves to pass without reflecting them. Be sure to paint with flat color over the foil or you will have a solar cooker which might fry your LNB at some point. You will also need to update your LNB or Low Noise Block the electronic receiver at focus point of the dish. The LNB is a microwave down-converter which moves the signal to a frequency which will have less loss along the transmission cable. For receiving FTA signals the replacement should be capable of dual C/Ku reception with linear polarization, for pay service DBS it will need a high band Ku LNB using circular polarization. If you want to upstream programming you will need a special LNB with a signal frequency multiplier high power and probably a larger dish, you will also have to somehow acquire space on a satellite transponder

A "peoples network" consisting of a Free-To-Air satellite channel feeding low-power stations and FTA dishes may be pricey, but can be done. There are a number of religious and ethnic services, as well as a few "family entertainment" services, already on satellite. There are also a number of FTA services that are run by expatriate citizens of other countries, such as "Tapesh TV" and "Simay Azadi" which are based in the USA but serve viewers in Iran, often broadcasting news and information that may be censored by the viewer's government. To contradict Gil Scott-Heron; The revolution might very well be televised, but it probably won't be on cable.

4. Computers

Last updated: 18 July 2011

Computers are an important tool and a part of everyday life. With a computer, a revolutionary can gain research volumes of useful information, write books and articles, keep a database, and even kill time with games.

In this article, we will discuss how to obtain a computer and how to resuscitate a dead one you may find. We will assume that you already know the basic parts and components of a modern computer.

1 Obtaining a Computer
2 Older Computers
2.1 Most Common Problems with older Computers and the Solution
3 Window$
4 Linux Thoughts
5 Linux Love
5.1 Live CDs
6 Software
7 Security
7.1 Shred
7.2 Recovering Files Off of Hard Disk
7.3 Recovering Windows Passwords
7.4 Ophcrack
7.5 Computer Information recovery tools
7.6 ddrescue
8 Notebook Computers
8.1 Power
8.2 Old Laptop Converted to Fast Linux
8.3 Laptop Protection
8.4 Laptop Security, Locks
8.5 Netbooks
9 Smart Phones and Pocket Computers
9.1 Closed Phones and Pocket Computers
9.2 Wired Ethernet and Wi-Fi
9.3 Mobile Power
9.4 Portable Device Security
10 USB Key
10.1 OS boot
10.2 File Security
10.2.1 Wiping Flash Memory
10.3 Portable Versions of your Most Used Software
11 Hacked Linux Routers
12 Radio
12.1 Packet Radio
12.2 PSK31
12.3 Other sound card modes of digital communication
12.4 OSCARS Satellite communication

Obtaining a Computer

Big Box Store. Of course, Best Buy and big box stores always have a modern computer. But, they typically mark up prices astronomically. Even the expensive models typically are short on video memory or RAM. For most everyday web surfing, somewhat reasonable games, and word processing, most, even the cheapest netbook, should be fine. If you are going to be trying to build some monster gaming rig to play current stuff at 80+ FPS, you are going to need more parts than what DELL or HP usually give you on stock models, but that is another story.
Flea Markets, Thrift stores, and Yard Sales. Serviceable elderly computers are available at flea markets and yard sales for under a hundred bucks. We have even seen some for twenty bucks at flea markets that are recyclable simply by putting a new operating system on. Be careful not to get anything too old, though and make sure it has nothing major wrong with it. Make them boot it right there.
Check out the want ads in your local paper. Folks often try to sell their old computer through want ads and thrift papers. Also, schools and government offices upgrade huge batches at once and hold semi-regular auctions. Sometimes computer desks are included with this deal, as well. Be careful on price as some folks may think because they paid 1400 USD for what was a killer rig 6 years ago, 800 USD is a fair price now.
Freecycle or the free section of Craigslist. People are giving away computers all the time. It may be worth your time to check.
Pawn Shop. Some areas may be different, but most of the time, this is the absolute worst place to buy a used computer. We have seen ancient 486DX notebooks running Windows 98 running for 200 USD (and sometimes much more) firm. Much better to get a small netbook for around 200 to 300 USD that will have much better components that spend that kind of money. Even fairly new stuff, they tend to price at only a 10 percent markdown over full retail. Of course, there is the possibility of bringing this up and haggling. Many pawn shops are starting not to even take any towers and only taking notebooks.
Curbside Trash. If all you need is a machine capable of email/web/word processing, check curbside the night before trash pickup, preferably in clueless yuppie neighborhoods. It is absolutely appalling how many perfectly serviceable machines end up chucked out simply because they aren't top of the line anymore, or stopped working because the previous owner picked up some kind of malware while looking for porn. Nothing a formatting and a Linux distro won't fix....
Computer repair shop. Even better is to find a computer shop that going under and go trashing and see what you can find, or even ask them if they have stuff they want to get rid of for cheap. Sometimes this is only for the cost of labor and parts for when the shop fixed it and no one picked up. Unfortunately, with shop labor prices, sometimes this can be more than the machine is worth.
Build your own! Of course, you can always go to a online site and build your own computer for up to half the price of retail, if you are willing to study a bit and have knowledge of common parts and processor lines. We will cover a bit of that later in the article. Places like tigerdirect.com and newegg.com have everything from barebones kits with the case, motherboard, and power supply and nothing else to individual components. The only drawback where Micro$oft gets you is to purchase a copy of Window$ 7, they want more than processor and motherboard (100 USD for crappy OEM to 300 USD for Window$ 7 Professional). You can save money by putting Linux at the expense of not being able to play modern store bought games easily and having to scrounge for music and DVD codecs. Or, you could try your hand at pirated Window$. We leave that to you.

Older Computers

In general, the newer the computer, always the better with one exception: computer manufacturers often have a high end model and a crippled budget model although there are sometimes hacks to restore disabled function but these often require microscopic surface mount soldering. Notebooks and netbooks with the exception of very high end (and expensive) gamer gear will usually have slower processors and less memory and upgrade slots than a desktop of the same age.

When we talk about modern computers, we mean a computer capable of web, video and music playback, word processing, and maybe a DVD/CD player or can at least run a program like Daemon Tools which can emulate one of these.. In technical terms, this means having a wireless internet adapter installed (or able to be installed), or PCI Ethernet card, has a minimum of at least one PCI slot, and at least has a Pentium 2 chip (or Celeron/ AMD equivalent) and 64 MB of RAM and 32 MB of Video Ram. That is the absolute minimum extreme poverty scenario for any usefulness. Even then, you will not be pleased with such a set-up. Such an elderly set up will probably have an ancient operating system like Window$ 95 or Window$ 98SE and will have to move to a small version of Linux to be made more useful and secure because Micro$oft discontinues support on old operating systems regularly. (We cover that later)

In general, you want the best processor, most amount of RAM you can find, and if you ever hope to game the best graphics card you can find. Everything else is gravy.. Older computers use older sticks of RAM that can be harder (if not near impossible) to find. Processors only can be upgraded if a better chip exists that fits the motherboard's slot. Hard Drives, CD/DVD drives, etc. are easily found and replaceable. Video Cards need the appropriate slot with budget cards available for older PCI slots and monster gamer rig cards wanting PCI-express slots. Always consider the cost of a new computer before sinking money into upgrades.

Anything older than mentioned above is a museum piece and worthless paperweight. Avoid these. Yes, we have heard stories of people getting mid 1980s Commodore 64s online and even seen some pretty impressive stuff on decades old hardware coming out of the demo scene. But, most of those folks are hobbyists and Computer Science experts with tons of time and have advanced skills developed through years of study which is out of scope of a basic survival piece like STW.

Try to get the original OS restore disk that came with the computer from the factory. This is a OEM copy of Windows with required drivers, it can save you issues!

Most Common Problems with older Computers and the Solution

Know what you got! System Information in control panel of Windows or by going to "RUN" and typing "DXDIAG" can tell you a lot.
Virus ridden, "It's too slow and has pop-ups", etc.

No matter how badly virus-ridden a machine gets, you can almost always bring one back to life by inserting the Operating System disk that came with the machine from the factory and reinstalling, unfortunately in the last ten years many companies have been cutting back on giving the reinstall disk unless you request it near the time of purchase. If this disk is missing or damaged, you can give your favorite version of Linux, Unix, or other free/libre/open OS a try. Go to another working computer and download and burn a Linux LiveCD. Be aware, though that sometimes the variant of Linux you have chosen may not have all the closed drivers for some of your components there on the install disk. A web search of your computer model number and the Linux/Unix distro you want to install should give you a few reviews on if there are weird drivers required. Some versions of Linux particularly older releases require manual download or config of some dial-up modems, sound systems, network cards, and wireless drivers; recent versions of Ubuntu and other distros solve most of these problems automatically by downloading the special drivers. Alternatively pirate a copy of Windows or Mac OS appropriate for your system and burn/install that; realize that getting working drivers for a given computer component is as bad or worse between Windows releases unless the whole system including peripherals, add on cards, and OS version are less than two years behind the current release.

The computer powers up, but Windows/ Linux does not start.

The hard drive is the most fragile component of older computers and many thrown out computers will have this problem. Computers from about 3 years ago all use IDE hard drives which manufacturers are trying to move away from. The modern replacement drives are all SATA drives, and may not work with some older motherboards. Fear not, solid state and SATA drives can be connected by USB. However, you will have to press F12 when starting the computer(or other key depending on motherboard) to bring up a boot order setup screen. Dead drives may play musical tones after trying to spin up or click loudly about once a second, recovery will require clean room disassembly and installation of drive platters into a working identical drive, not simple at all.

No power to computer.

Oh boy, you have a 50-50 shot here. Hopefully, it is the power supply. If that is the case, you are looking at 20 USD to 60 USD to fix it. If a power supply does not help, then you are looking at a motherboard - which usually means having to build another computer since the memory and processor probably will not go over to a new motherboard.

The computer has power but does not start. Instead, it beeps series of beeps!

Each motherboard manufacturer uses short series of beeps to indicate certain problems with the hardware. The list of what these codes mean can be found online. Sometimes this is something simple like dust getting in memory slots or some card not seated properly. Other times, it can be a bad component all together. Unseat memory and all cards and take a compressed can of air to clean dirt out. Most of the time, unless the beep is CMOS battery related or a fried processor, this will do wonders.

Window$

Microsoft dominates the world, and many folks claim your personal information and your soul, with the most common operating system in the world. We will cover and give thoughts on some of the more common versions of Bill Gates' handy work.

Windows 3.0/ early DOS. Any computer with this is a dinosaur and is probably not useful for modern work.
Windows 95, Windows 98SE, and Windows ME. You will run into these on older computers that may barely pass for modern work. However, all these operating systems are no longer supported by Microsoft and have glaring vulnerabilities and crippled capabilities. We suggest putting on a lightweight Linux Distro instead.
Windows XP. You should be okay as long as you lock down security, do not use Internet Explorer and put on Firefox. Be sure to keep the original disk as copies of XP are no longer available except on the secondary market. If you wish to upgrade to Windows 7, you must get a full copy, not an upgrade copy which is VERY expensive depending on what version.
Windows Vista. A memory hogging, bloated crap fest. This operating system was universally rejected by computer enthusiasts as it required more computer power than the manufacturers at the time were putting in computers. However, Vista is much more secure versus viruses than XP was due to the fact of an improved (and some say annoying) user access control features. Only good thing is if you have something with Vista on it, Microsoft has special disks of Windows 7 you can get that are a bit cheaper (but still around 90 USD).
Windows 7. Bill Gates' latest offering. It corrects some of the issues that Vista had.

Bear in mind, most releases of windows have multiple versions. Typically, you will have a "Home version" which is crippled. You will also have a "professional" version which can actually join a domain and is a bit more robust for much more expensive price, of course! A copy of Windows 7 Professional currently runs around 300 USD!

Windows also has server editions. However, these operating systems are priced in the high hundreds to over 1000 USD. They are typically strictly in the domain of IT professionals. For this reason, most of the servers on the web are Linux based due to the extreme cost or from a OEM windows server.

If you are in a community college, if you take any IT course, you can join the Microsoft Developers Network. You can get free copies of any Windows product for as long as you are enrolled in the class... even ungodly expensive stuff like Server 2008!

Linux Thoughts

As we are fighting to break free from corpgov, we should be freeing our computer systems from huge corporate giants like Microsoft and Adobe as well. Linux and BSD are free as in, "Take one; you can have it for no price," but much more importantly it is free as in liberty do with it as you see fit. The fact that the code is open to review makes it more secure as anyone catching a security bug can update or notify the project. This makes for our favorite operating systems and accompanying software to be capable of being very secure against hacking, viruses, and exploitation remotely or locally.

Rebels and progressives of all sorts should learn how to use some version of Linux or other at least for the big three: surfing, email, and word processing. Try and be aware of the Free Software and Open Source movement that is causing such a stir in the intellectual underground scene these days.

N.B.: Federal Instigators and other ex-COINTELPRO types have deeply infiltrated the American radical community, often in semi-leadership positions, so if you try and turn people on to Linux or anything technical and useful they'll often try to kick you to the curb. No kidding, the CIA will call you the CIA, and say "we don't want to learn all that technocratic fascist computer stuff, man. Linux or whatever you call it." The Man wants radicals to "yin out" and all be hippies, and learn massage therapy and messed-up hallucinatory mystical nutritional theories, not how to run a web-server, firearm safety, plumbing (you might make money!), electronics, chemistry, international business, or how to file a lawsuit. Get Yang in your head and Stay Yang, y'all. You know I'll always love ya!

Linux Love

Understand that there is no realistic way of fully tamper or snoop proofing a MS Windows system, the whole thing is secret and we have no idea how many of these security holes were ordered by Uncle Sam. MacOS has a reasonable claim to being a secure platform due to its deep OS code being open source. Linux and BSD have real claims at being as close to bomb proof as possible. Known exploits are quickly published and fixes are available often in a few hours.

Jumping on to a Linux system and expecting to be instantly as good at it as you are on Windows is not gonna happen, but you can get on one and start knocking around, it's not that hard. It is a very empowering tool, though, and you generally meet a better class of people in the Linux/Unix communities. You will be a lot happier if you read a book on Linux, even a "For Dummies" book, after you get the stuff installed. Yes: after! It's that easy to get done, and get going.

Many different distributions, or "distros," of Linux exist. You can think of these as different versions or flavors of Linux. Some distros are geared more toward the beginner, while others are specially crafted for unique purposes, such as networking. Linux provides for a nearly infinite amount of customization, which is helpful once familiar with the system. A few different distros of Linux are described below.

Ubuntu (http://www.ubuntu.com/) is a popular Linux distro, and for good reason; it is probably the best compromise between being easy to use for a former Windows user, while still retaining most of the robust features and abilities that Linux can offer a user. Ubuntu is an African word that basically means "treating people right."

Backtrack is designed specifically for penetration testers and hackers. With over 300 tools designed for offensive security, this distro is any hacker's dream come true. The only downside is the lack of easily accessible live CD's. Remote-Exploit, the makers of Backtrack, offer both a CD and USB version of their distro, but there are no endorsed distributors. It is most useful in case your forget your admin password to someone else's computer.

Knoppix Linux (http://www.knoppix.org/) is also quite nice; it is the distro that kicked off the whole "boot and install directly from a CD-ROM" family of Linux distros (CDs from which Linux distros can be booted directly are often known as "Linux Live CDs," and several distros now offer this quick and convenient option). Not for a beginner unless your either considerably computer savvy, or you are very dedicated to cutting loose from software that takes your rights away and gives them to Hollywood, music, and software companies while pretending to support the artists that it is also shafting horribly. This distro allows you to boot into memory and have a safe diskless system which wipes after power off.

Phantomix Live CD (http://phantomix.ytternhagen.de/) Phantomix is a Linux Live CD distro that is configured specifically for the goal of anonymous Internet communication. It is described as, "a Knoppix based Operating System running on a CD drive without using the hard drive. It is configured to use the Tor and Privoxy software for anonymous internet communication. Using Tor can help you anonymize web browsing and publishing, instant messaging, IRC, SSH, and other applications for your safety and security."

Puppy Linux (://www.puppylinux.org/) is an example of a Linux Live CD which is geared more toward the beginner. It provides the convenience of direct from CD booting (while allowing for regular hard drive install), however the distro itself it a simplified and streamlined form of Linux. While it lacks the more advanced features and capabilities offered by many Linux distros, it does possess everything most user will require for basic computing tasks.

Debian(http://www.debian.org/) is the only software I have ever heard of that comes with its own constitution. These days it is called a "Social Contract with the Free Software Community," and essentially it involves treating people right; it is the base for Knoppix, Ubuntu, Damn Small Linux and many other Linux distros. If you want a bomb proof server run the latest available stable build of Debian.

Linux Mint (http://www.linuxmint.com) is a streamlined version of Linux geared mainly for inexperienced users. It includes some proprietary software and codecs such as out-of-the-box MP3 support.

RastaSoft (http://rastasoft.org) makes a Linux version called Dynebolix. It is especially designed to put the tools for media production into the hands of people that have no money and plenty to say. In other words it's made for activists. Includes graphics tools that are free and nearly as good as PhotoShop, as well as video editors, Open Office (a suite of office applications), and No Games at all, how radical is that ?

Note, a lot of old machines that won't run Windows or the general Ubuntu or kubuntu window managers fast would better be made to run fluxbox, the best lightweight window manager out there. Damn Small Linux was designed for exactly this purpose and has fluxbox window manager it uses many older kernel modules so it will detect and run on old hardware. Try Damn Small Linux for these older machines. {http://damnsmalllinux.org)

Volunteer at http://www.freegeek.org Freegeek or similar computer recycling places (links should be on the website) and they'll give you a free functional computer, for as little as 24 hours of service.

If you have to use Windows use free and open source software as much as possible. If you WANT to use other OS's, go for it! If you like Windows, then there is no shame in using it, just remember the limitations, especially the security and police intrusion weaknesses. Don't be bullied into Linux just because... you are free to use whatever OS you want to use.

Live CDs

Damn Small Linux

Damn Small Linux is a quickly growing CD booting Linux distro that is designed to be burned to a business card sized CD. It is a super light build and is excellent to install onto the hard disk of an old 486 or Pentium computer to bring it up to date. Slip your DSL disk into a school, netcafe, or office machine and you get your favorite operating system, possibly network access, and usually the ability to browse most of the contents of the hard disk. Also, you can usually stick it on a flashdrive and boot from that.

Knoppix

Knoppix is currently the primary CD bootable Linux distro, it has almost every option and program from office to hacking all on one bootable CD, a must have in any hackers toolkit. It leaves no evidence on the host system if you reboot.

Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a Linux operating system good for those who are not entirely computer-tech savvy and still need to use their own or other's computers, comes in an installable live cd (minimum of Pentium 2 recommended by me) otherwise very similar to Knoppix, and it leaves no evidence on host system if not installed.

Software

Do some web research when looking for open source or free software for your machine. Even if you are running Windows much of the software your Linux user friends enjoy is compiled for you too. We discuss the many free programs in Free Software, office productivity inStarting a Printing Workshop, and audio editing software is in Making Music.

Security

One of the first places the cops go for evidence against us is our computers. If you are using Linux/Unix install and use "wipe" to overwrite the files you use, there will still be evidence that you had that "bad" file if you are using a journaling file system but it will destroy almost all of the data, M$windows has several of these secure overwrite delete programs as well. If you have one of the media or multifunction buttons above your keyboard remap it to run a delete script to "wipe" a secure directory or series of files, of course this is only useful if you are at the computer when the cops move in. Another option is to set the computer to wipe certain directories if the password is not entered properly but remember that smart investigators know tricks leaving no possibility of sneaky delete programs. A good idea is to keep your disks clean of questionable material, keep that stuff in your head.

Shred

In Linux, there is a command that can be used to completely wipe a file off the hard drive, though this is not always enough. It is "shred", and to use it, you have to be able to use a terminal. The command is "shred -z [filename]" without the quotes.

Recovering Files Off of Hard Disk

On an unencrypted drive just booting into Linux from a CD will allow you to mount and browse the files on a system. If your CD will not boot try checking the boot options in the BIOS. If you have access to the inside there is usually a pin you can jumper to clear the BIOS or you can take a drive home over the weekend and hack it at home.

Recovering Windows Passwords

It is often nice to have management passwords to your work or school machine here are the hacks you need.

http://www.petri.co.il/forgot_administrator_password.htm

Also try this, Start the machine and hit Ctrl-Alt-Del twice at login time, you will see a "Log On to Windows" menu where you can type a User Name and Password. for User type “Administrator” (don't type the "quotes"), in Password leave it blank. Hit Enter key. If nobody changed the admin login from it's default, you will have full administrative privileges as Administrator.

Ophcrack

A Linux Live CD , just burn it and then start it up like a normal live CD , select the passwords you want to crack in the program that opens as soon as it finishes starting and press go (will take about 15 minutes a password so just crack the admin if that is all you need)

Computer Information recovery tools

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/iecookies.html A simple cookie viewer for IE.

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/pspv.html Displays all passwords and AutoComplete strings stored in your Protected Storage.

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/mspass.html Recover the passwords of instant messenger programs

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/iehv.html IE history viewer

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html Recover Office/Windows CD-Key

http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptcookie.asp#Download automatically scans for cookies by IE, Netscape and FireFox

http://www.lostpassword.com/ Great for password recovery

http://downloads.sourceforge.net/ophcrack/ophcrack-livecd-1.1.4.iso?modtime=1171919289&big_mirror=0 the .iso file for the Ophcrack Live CD

http://ophcrack.sourceforge.net/faq.php FAQ for Ophcrack

http://depositfiles.com/files/395964 Custom software for hacking windows passwords

Note: most live cds save nothing (a few let you burn changes to free space), to carry documents with you; get a flash drive, one gig should suit all your needs.

ddrescue

This Linux program available in your package manager which will help you rescue deleted files or snoop a hard disk.

Notebook Computers

Power

Almost every laptop ever made has a 100/220 power supply, which will work anywhere in the world . Many creative power sources can be imagined to use with an auto/air 12v laptop adapter if the power loss is low enough, a cheap 12v to 110v converter may be more practical and thrifty if used only in a car. A solar charger is sold for around $300 and is commonly seen at Mt. Everest base camp, we are looking for a cheaper source of quality solar cells to to build a packable charger which can provide reliable 20-24 volt power and 2-4 amps.

Old Laptop Converted to Fast Linux

An old freebie laptop can be loaded with a scaled down OS like Damn Small Linux which will give you modern applications like the Fluxbox window manager and runs fast on even 486 and Pentium machines. A word to those who would try to buy these at a thrift/junk store, we have seen ancient 386 laptops priced at $200, it is better to squeeze out the cash for a new or barely used laptop than pay good money for one that is very old.

Laptop Protection

The LCD screen is most vulnerable, a hard object in your pack can easily break the glass inside it. Pad the corners from impact obviously you must avoid dirt, dust, and moisture. You can make a laptop carry protector from several layers of cardboard and duct tape or if you are feeling fancy cut up a closed cell foam camping pad and sew it together with a tough canvas or nylon covering. Do some value camo to reduce theft, make the outside of any laptop look like complete shit, scratch the outside to hell, duct tape it a little, and cover with fun stickers, be creative and careful not to actually damage any ports or buttons.

Laptop Security, Locks

Use your head when getting online, laptop openly used in many places says "I am rich and have more cool stuff, follow me and rob me!" Hostels are also a really bad place to let anyone see anything valuable. A cable lock will stop the less brazen person in a posh Seattle coffee shop from walking with your laptop when your back is turned, be sure to secure the cable loop around something heavy or secured to the wall or floor. There are several open source projects which have a phone home feature that will let you track a lost or stolen laptop when used. This could also be accomplished by writing a chron job to wget a special file from your web server and then looking in the server logs to see if the laptop, phone, or PDA is grabbing that file noting the IP address of the request. Since we seem to be under more surveilance than most people a phone home function if always in operation just gives da-man another way to see where we are if he can figure it out, so consider the risks carefully.

Netbooks

The initial popularity of the low power OLPC, first meant for third world students and powered by solar cell or an ingenious yo-yo mechanical charger lead to several similar designs for first world nations. While the at first pure and progressive international education focused OLPC or $100 laptop project appears to have been messed up by the facists at microslop, we are very excited with the proliferation of inexpensive linux laptops it has spawned. The eeePc, Cloudbook, and several other offerings have similar capabilities and also run Linux but are intended for an Amerikan and Asian market who shop at discount department stores. MS Slaves can still find most models with windoze installed for around $50 extra.

Smart Phones and Pocket Computers

Modern smart phones, multifunction music players, PDA's, or pocket PC's have many of the powers of a computer although they lag behind in raw number crunching required for games, code cracking, and processor intensive tasks. These pocked devices are suited to portability and stealth.

Closed Phones and Pocket Computers

These are corpgov controlled OSes but useful if you find the right applications, especially hackable are the Unix based Apple gadgets and Linux based Android phones and computers although all are closed systems and require possibly unrealible root hacks. Windows CE or mobile machines can often to varying degrees of difficulty be converted to Linux but this often is more effort than it is worth.

Wired Ethernet and Wi-Fi

If you are really into hacking then be sure to have both 10baseT and Wi-Fi devices for your pocket computing device or smart phone, while it might be impossible to get into a secure office with a laptop rarely will anyone question a PDA or phone with the same hacking programs as on your Linux laptop. With Wi-Fi, after sampling WEP/WMA packets use your phone to send them to a more powerful server and crack them with real processor power. Phones such as the Nokia N900 now support USB host so you can connect to a wired network.

Mobile Power

Some smart phones and pocket computing devices have after market solar, crank, cigarette lighter jack, or AA battery powered boosters which are good for where you have been denied access to power mains they are especially easy to find since mini or micro USB has become charging standard, also available are converters for your bicycle dynamo to charge devices.

Portable Device Security

A sparkling little gem like a new computer or smart phone draws attention, sadly many radical hangers on have no morals and are just angry punks, just like a fancy MP3 player they also attract street thugs. Best to keep a shiny new gadget hidden, stickered up, or gunked up to reduce apparent value.

USB Key

OS boot

Most free OS's can be installed on newer high capacity USB flash drives, there are even hacks to stuff windows onto one. Have all of your favorite files and a familiar desktop on almost any modern computer. A good free tool for installing various linux distros to a thumbdrive is YUMI (Your Multiboot USB Creator) which can setup more than one Live CD to the drive; it can be found at: YUMI (http://www.pendrivelinux.com/yumi-multiboot-usb-creator/)

File Security

If the cops catch you, you can bet they will sniff around your USB key. Don't entrust vital info to a keychain drive; memorize it. Lower value info can be encrypted or stenographed into a picture or song, and most piggies can't figure something like that out, but again, don't ever underestimate them.

Wiping Flash Memory

Unless you have access to a low level debug program for your USB key, assume that even if you have deleted and overwritten a file, it still resides on the cells of your flash memory device (flash MP3 player, memory card, USB drive, etc). The only 100% way to destroy all data on a Flash device is to grind all of the chips inside into powder with a hammer. Even microwaving the device until it burns isn't good enough for the truly paranoid. For most usages, though, deleting all data and then filling the drive with random data files until there is no room once or twice will usually overwrite all previous data. Be careful, though, as doing an empty-fill-empty cycle shortens the life of the flash chip if done on a regular basis

Portable Versions of your Most Used Software

Several sites like http://portableapps.com/ will provide you with trusted open source applications that you can safely run from your USB drive: word processors, instant messengers, e-mail, SSH, FTP, and web browsers like Firefox and its more secure upgrade TORpark. For more secure usage, or if you fear a keyboard logger has been installed, you can use virtual keyboard and notepad portable. Ereser portable to help clean up the machine you have been using. These programs will run from the key drive, usually never leaving any trace on most host machines.

Hacked Linux Routers

A fun hack is to get a cheap Linux router add kismet wifi access point auditing tool and connect a GPS to the internal serial port. With battery power you can scan large areas of town for open access points and record their location.

With the appropriate mass-storage hardware or a drive on a USB port available as a hack on many models, a wireless router that has been re-flashed to be a normal command-line Linux system can be secreted inside a wall, panel, ceiling, or even off-site, and accessed wirelessly. Off-site secure stores can be very difficult to locate, if they are known of at all, and require additional search warrants.

Most Linux based routers can have other linux programs added for at least the time it is powered up by adding compiled programs to the /bin folder, don't forget to add the required libraries. Openwrt goes so far as letting you add packages and treating the flash area as a disk instead of a firmware storage area.

DD-wrt has a easy interface to allow internet users to access your network by auto updating your IP address with a dynamic DNS service. DD-wrt basically takes a $25-$100 router and turns it into a $500-$1000 class router. For example with the DDwrt firmware upgrade you can have your router establish a VPN to a server far away obscuring all internet traffic on this encrypted tunnel, you can keep a dynamic DNS service updated of your current IP address for serving a website from a DSL line, and you can adjust your Wi-Fi transmit power. Using the Input/Output lines for several LED's and buttons a SD card can be added to most broadcom based routers, DDWRT will then allow installation of applications form the OpenWRT repositories.

Radio

Ham radio operators have invented several amazing ways to get information to another place without easily being detected unlike cellular or direct internet. Of course a guerrilla will have no qualms failing to identify herself with a call sign. Don't expect super straight hams to help you once they know what you are planning, you will have to set up your own network and hope that the bunny hunter (armature radio ops who track illegal operators and turn them in to the FCC) can't follow your changes in location.

Packet Radio

Higher possible bits per second using higher frequencies VHF/UHF/Microwave but easy to pinpoint if used from a fixed location mostly line of sight only.

PSK31

Slower data transmission usually used with HF bands, difficult to pinpoint these low frequencies but easily will allow digital intercontinental communication by bouncing off of the ionosphere.

Other sound card modes of digital communication

There are many other digital modes and a visit to http://arrl.org will get you started.

OSCARS Satellite communication

Free open amature radio satellite uplink with no hacking required, you need just a few hundred dollars in gear (or the ability to build your own). Some OSCARS satellites can even be commanded to retransmit from memory over a different continent your voice or email message.

Fight

Free Software

Last updated: 5 May 2009

1 Introduction
2 Linux
2.1 Live CD
2.2 Ubuntu
2.3 Backtrack
2.4 ParanoidLinux
3 Office Suites
3.1 Bean
3.2 Mozilla
3.3 OpenOffice.org/NeoOffice
4 Instant Messaging
4.1 Pidgin
5 Graphics
5.1 Inkscape
5.2 The GIMP
5.3 Scribus
6 Audio-Video
6.1 Ardour
6.2 Audacity
6.3 MPEG Streamclip
6.4 SUPER
6.5 VLC
6.6 Linux Audio Software
7 Games
7.1 Frets On Fire
7.2 Liberal Crime Squad
7.3 Tremulous
7.4 Wikipedia list of Open Source Games
8 Kracking/Serials
9 Bittorrent
9.1 FrostWire
9.2 uTorrent
9.3 Vuze
10 Related Websites
10.1 Open Clip Art Library
10.2 TinyApps
10.3 Other Software Download Points

Introduction

Today in the computer world much of the software industry is controlled by large businesses like Adobe Systems and Microsoft, that hold virtual monopolies over their products. This allows them to charge ludicrous prices for their products. For example: a copy of Adobe Photoshop CS3 costs around $650 and the Home & Student version of Microsoft Office starts at $149.95 (the Professional version costs $500!). These prices make it so regular people have to pay through the nose just to buy basic software. Fortunately there exists a lot of open source software that you can get for free and is just as good as the overpriced mainstream software. From Linux to Frets on Fire there exist many free (or at least very cheap) alternatives to expensive software.

Linux

Live CD

A good way to start off is to play around with a Live CD, where you boot straight from the disk instead of the hard drive. Once you get used to it and can tell that your computer parts all work with the distro and version you want, and after you've backed up the things you need on your hard drive, install it. It feels very liberating to wipe Microsoft off of your disk but it might be useful to have for some programs. You can either keep it on a different partition on your hard drive, or use a program like QEMU or VirtualBox to emulate Windows within Linux.

QEMU -http://bellard.org/qemu/
VirtualBox -http://www.virtualbox.org/

Ubuntu

Ubuntu is considered by many to be the easiest Linux distribution to use, with lots of tutorials available to get anything working like it should. You can download the CD and burn it yourself or have them sent to you for free, usually within a month. (://www.ubuntu.com/)

Ubuntu now has a very excellent windows installer which does away with the need to burn a installation disk and will create an Ubuntu install alongside your windows installation until such time as you want to wipe windows for good.

As far as preparing yourself; try going down the open source software and Firefox/online document/email route as far as you feel comfortable then when you swap you will hardly notice the difference!

Backtrack

Test your knowledge of networks and systems with this Linux distribution designed specifically for penetration testers and hackers. With over 300 tools designed for offensive security, this distro is any hacker's dream come true. The only downside is the lack of easily accessible live CD's. Remote-Exploit, the makers of Backtrack, offer both a CD and USB version of their distro, but there are no endorsed distributors. It is most useful in case your forget your admin password to someone else's computer. (http://www.remote-exploit.org/backtrack.html)

ParanoidLinux

ParanoidLinux- an idea originally fictional in Little Brother- (a book itself partly inspired by the Steal This Wiki project) is an extremely secure OS that works under the assumption that the government is tracking you and your privacy is at stake. Although it is a long way off from a stable beta there is one release right now, a suped up and buggy version of Ubuntu. http://paranoidlinux.org/

Office Suites

Bean

A Macintosh word processor program (more of a Rich Text editor) but not an all-in-one suite. To quote the website, "Bean is not a replacement for MS Word. It doesn't do footnotes or pre-defmed styles and is only partially compatible with Word's file formats.", Still, it's free and open source. Runs on OS X 10.4+ Tiger or OS X 10.5+ Leopard.

http://www.bean-osx.com/Bean.html

Mozilla

Mozilla, the creators of the original Mozilla web browser produce excellent (and free!) open source programs. The following is a list of most of their creations, which can be downloaded at http://www.mozilla.org/ .

Firefox - Arguably the most well known open source program around, Firefox is one of the fastest, most lightweight web browsers available. It is almost infinitely extensible with over thousands of plug-ins and themes.

Minimo - A web browser for mobile devices such as cell phones and PDA's.

SeaMonkey - An "All-In-One" internet application suite with Web-browser, advanced e-mail and newsgroup client, IRC chat client, web development tools and an HTML editor.

Sunbird - The Mozilla calendar application. It lets you easily manage upcoming events and obligations. Thunderbird - An easy to use e-mail application, rss reader, and Usenet newsgroup reader. It has a huge number of plug-ins, like all Mozilla apps, one of which adds on calendar abilities to Thunderbird.

OpenOffice.org/NeoOffice

OpenOffice.org is a full function, multi-platform office suite that is basically the open source alternative to Microsoft Office. It includes a word processor and desktop publisher ("Writer") , a calculator ("Calc"), a presentation program ("Impress"), a database ("Base"), a vector graphics editor ("Draw") and a mathematical formula editor ("Math"). In short, it does pretty much what Microsoft Word, Publisher, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Equation Editor all do, but it's free to download and use, supports the OpenDocument standard for data interchange and has no licensing hassles (PDL and LGPL). To quote the website, "the software looks and feels familiar and is instantly usable by anyone who has used a competitive product". It is available for Windows (98 through Vista), Mac OS, Linux, Solaris, BSD, OpenVMS, OS/2 and IRIX platforms. You can even burn copies onto CD-ROM and give them away.

OpenOffice.org Homepage: http://www.openoffice.org/
Wikipedia article on OpenOffice.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenOffice.org

NeoOffice is an offshoot of OpenOffice.org designed exclusively for Mac OS X.

NeoOffice Homepage: http://www.neooffice.org/neojava/en/index.php
Wikipedia article on NeoOffice: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NeoOffice

Instant Messaging

Pidgin

Originally called Gaim, Pidgin is an instant messaging client that is compatible with many of the mainstream clients (AIM, MSN, etc.). This allows you to have all of your messaging accounts available in one program. Pidgin is easy to use, and open-source as well.

http://www.pidgin.im/

Graphics

Inkscape

An Open Source vector graphics editor, with capabilities similar to Illustrator, CorelDraw, or Xara X, using the W3C standard Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) file format. Available in Windows, Mac and Linux.

Inkscape Homepage: http://inkscape.org/
Inkscape Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inkscape

The GIMP

GIMP or GNU Image Manipulation Program is basically the open source version of Adobe Photoshop. It has many of the same features as Photoshop and other popular image editing tools. These features include: Color support, selection and masking tools, paths, effects, scripts, and filters. One of the advantages over Photoshop is that GIMP does not take up the whole computer screen while you use it, all its windows can be shrunk down to make them more manageable. Also there are many communities and forums for GIMP users. These communities give tutorials and allow artists to communicate and display their art on the internet.

http://www.gimp.org

Scribus

Scribus is a document creating software similar to Adobe PageMaker and Adobe InDesign. It allows you to create PDF files and allows you to manipulate your documents much better than in Microsoft Word. It features many different fonts and allows you to insert images and text. Full tutorials are available online for free.

http://www.scribus.net/

Audio-Video

Ardour

Ardour is a digital audio workstation. Its capabilities include: multichannel recording, non-linear, non-destructive region based editing with unlimited undo/redo, full automation support, a mixer whose capabilities rival high end hardware consoles, lots of plugins to warp, shift and shape your music, and controllable from hardware control surfaces at the same time as it syncs to timecode.

http://ardour.org/

Audacity

Audacity is a free-to-download software that allows you to record sound on your computer. You are able to choose between your computer's direct input, microphone input, phoneline, and stereo mix. Not only is Audacity good for recording your own music (as it allows an unlimited number of tracks per file [however, adding too many tracks slows down the program and makes it glitch-y]), the stereo-mix record function allows you to record whatever is playing through your speakers. This means that you can easily rip music from live-stream web-radio, music players, Purevolume, MySpace, etc.

It comes with some basic built in studio effects, like a hard-to-control reverb and delay patch, a quality fader function, phaser, flange, tempo/pitch controls, right v. left pan control, and volume control.

The interface is very basic and easy to use, and allows you to manually affect and change any bit of any track you're working with.

http://audacity.sourceforge.net

MPEG Streamclip

A free video converter, player and editor. It can also download videos from YouTube and Google by entering the page URL. Available for both Windows and Mac.

Homepage: http://www.squared5.com/
Wikipedia article:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPEG_Streamclip

SUPER

SUPER (Simplified Universal Player Encoder & Renderer) is a Windows freeware program that can convert almost any audio or video format into any other, including I-pod format, mp3, mobile phone video, DVD format, and many more. It's free for unlimited use, and very simple to use.

http://www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html

VLC

VLC is a media player that supports almost all multimedia formats. It also allows you to easily create a music stream, which offers a great way to start up a Pirate Radio station!

http://www.videolan.org

Linux Audio Software

Shareware Music Machine - http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/linux/
Sound and Midi software for Lunix -http://sound.condorow.net/

Games

Frets On Fire

Frets on Fire is an open source clone of the Guitar Hero games for the computer. To play you hold your keyboard like it is a Keytar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keytar) , using keys F1-F5 as the frets and pressing enter to strum. The game features three songs by Finnish guitarist Tommi Inkila, a tutorial, three levels of difficulty, a song editor which allows you to create tracks for other songs, and competition against other users online. Another feature is the ability to download different themes and songs for Frets on Fire off of fan communities and forums.

http://fretsonfire.sourceforge.net/

Liberal Crime Squad

A text-based role playing simulation based on the story of the Symbianese Liberation Army You control a single revolutionary determined to change America in to a liberal state. Recruit, kidnap, infiltrate, and coerce your way into the nations eye and work against the stream to create your own country. Do not try at home.

Download the latest version here: http://www.jonathansfox.com/lcs/lcs_win32_3.18.0.zip
Explanation of gameplay here: http://lcs.wikidot.com/

Tremulous

Tremulous is a free and open source first person shooter game. It is multiplayer and can run on almost any halfway decent computer. The game has two teams, humans, using traditional weapons, and the much more original aliens. It is a 100mb download, and installed takes up exactly 99mb. Therefore it is portable. It runs on Window$ or Linux, and an unofficial Mac version exists.

Home: http://tremulous.net
Mac Version: http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/games/action_adventure/tremulous.html

Wikipedia list of Open Source Games

For some of these games, only the game engine is open-source software, and the game content is not open content, and is under a different license.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphabetical_list_of_open_source_games

Kracking/Serials

Warning: If you search the web there are plenty of keygens and software cracks. But be aware that a high percentage of these programs or cracks include some form of nasty malware. We still recommend trying to get a free open source piece of software that meets your needs and won't require a hard disk format or worst case even a reflash of the bios for the worst malware.

Bittorrent

The bittorrent protocol allows for easy downloading of large files as well as aiding you with the dissemination of your own stuff. Using torrents, you can find anything (free!) from the latest movies and games to applications and operating systems. The bittorrent protocol uses your upstream bandwith to reshare as you are downloading.

Warning: Be sure to use PeerGuardian 2 or similar block lists if you download unlicensed content through P2P networks. This may protect you from being contacted by known copyright license collection organizations that are known to use questionable legal intimidation tactics.

PeerGuardian2:http://phoenixlabs.org/pg2

FrostWire

Frostwire is a free, open-source alternative (it's essentially a clone) of Limewire, a popular P2P client. It's on this list because it supports torrent files as well as allowing you to access a large P2P network. It supports encryption, which is very important when using a torrent client, and even more important for P2P clients.

http://www.frostwire.com/

uTorrent

One of the best torrent clients available, this torrent manager is extremely lightweight and easy to use. It makes torrent creation very easy and torrent downloading even easier. It supports encryption (which is always a good thing!) and also lets you pick and choose which files in a torrent you want to download.

http://www.utorrent.com/

Vuze

One of the most popular torrent clients, Vuze, formerly called Azureus, lives up to its reputation. It's full-fledged, fun to use, and has a very refined look and feel. While many of its features are included in other torrent clients, Vuze has taken things and optimized their performance while maintaining an ease-of-use that works for anybody.

http://azureus.sourceforge.net/

Related Websites

Open Clip Art Library

Open Clip Art Library is described thusly: "This project aims to create an archive of user contributed clip art that can be freely used. All graphics submitted to the project should be placed into the Public Domain according to the statement by the Creative Commons."

http://www.openclipart.org/

TinyApps

TinyApps is a site where very small application software can be found (Mostly for Windows, but there's Mac and Palm available). Nearly everything is free and nothing listed on the site is larger than 1.44 Meg. "IDEA", a symmetric key block cypher, is a mere 448 BYTES!

http://tinyapps.org/

Other Software Download Points

Freeware Files - http://www.freewarefiles.com/
Freeware Home _ http://www.freewarehome.com/
FreeWareWeb - http://www.freewareweb.com/
Download.com - http://www.download.com/mac/
NoNags - http://www.nonags.com/
Only Freeware - http://freeware.intrastar.net/
Internet Archive - http://www.archive.org/details/software
Shareware Music Machine - http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/ (Music Software)
SnapFiles -http://www.snapfiles.com/
Tucows -http://www.tucows.com/

Information Warfare

Last updated: 28 June 2011

Communications rely heavily on electronic methods. There are numerous techniques and tool for preventing unauthorized intercepting of electronic communications. There are also ways to electronically prevent others from communicating, whether by telephone, cell phone, or the internet. This article will discuss some of these methods.

1 Jamming
1.1 Physical Jamming
1.2 Computer network jamming
2 EMP bursts
3 Viruses

Jamming

Jamming is the use of electronic methods to interfere with or prevent the electronic communications of others. This can be useful in a variety of situations, including confrontations with police. However, legal risks can be quite severe.

General Radio Jamming The idea of jamming is to create a signal that overpowers the target transmission. Somewhat similar to trying to talk at a death metal concert. To jam, a high powered transmitter is used on the appropriate frequency, it usually just sends out noise.

Cell phone jamming

A cell phone jammer can be used to prevent cell phones from receiving or transmitting calls. These devices transmit radio frequency signals, and are illegal in the UK and US, among other places. In the US, it is illegal to operate, manufacture, import, or offer them for sale (BUT- they are doing it in some prison systems! A prisoner has no rights.). There is widespread evidence of their use by police, so in actions don't plan on being able to communicate with cell phones.

In some prison systems, due to widespread sneaking in of cheap cell phones, they are now jamming cell phones.

There are physical schematics for a cellphone jammer available in an issue of 2600, as well as methods such as continuous streams of SMS messages.

Physical Jamming

This means actually going to the location to sever a connection. Most US cell-phone towers are in the middle of nowhere with merely a fence to guard them. Electrical power sub-stations can also be attacked because of their similar unguarded nature, preventing access to plugged-in TVs and Radios. Obviously, this is not an electronic form of jamming, but serves the same purpose.

Computer network jamming

This is useful on large centres such as schools etc, and involves attacks on the system. It can include simple attacks on connections; one way is to wire all the wires of an ethernet cable together and plug it into a network outlet, thus causing havoc with the whole system. It can include much larger or complicated attacks on central management systems such as servers. See "Infiltration" for ways to sneak your way into server rooms to cause mischief.

EMP bursts

There exists multiple devices developed by the US military that fall under the category of an Electro-Magnetic Pulse device. These devices create a large amount of electromagnetic energy in a very small amount of time. Any conductive objects that are within the affected area absorb this energy via induction and, if the power is large enough, it overloads the circuits. There are two classes of these. Nuclear weapons, and Explosively pumped flux compression generators. Some of the implementations of these are as follows:

Hollow tube generators
Helical generators
Disc generators

These devices are only effective for a few meters so try to get into a room or parking space next to the equipment you want to zap. Be aware that most companies have taken useful measures to eliminate the risk of both power surges and EMP from their system by grounding and isolating their hardware.

A high powered microwave device directed at the electronics will induce currents, cause arcing, and in general have the effect of an "emp". You will need to build a Marx generator [1] (http7/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marx_generator) , hook it up to a magnetron (remember that microwave you saw in that corporate dumpster...), and get a parabolic or approximately parabolic dish which will prevent any signal being misdirected. You could probably just use an aluminium mixing bowl if you have no better resources. Such a device is incredibly useful if it can be persuaded to run off of a car battery:

Obliterate computer centers.
Stop nondiesel cars entirely (diesel engines will keep running, but they won't be able to restart after shutting down)
Potentially cripple security cameras
Damage low power radio transmitters

This will not work against:

military/(most) police aircraft (not only is murder a bad idea, they also shield their electronics against nuclear EMPs) It is however, likely to cripple their radio. Regardless, if you need to take down aircraft, there are better ways to do it.
High power radio transmitters that are meant to handle mega- or even gigawatts.
Anything in a faraday cage. Hell, build your own to protect your stuff.

Viruses

You want to play hardball? Then don't just Jam th Man's broadcasts, destroy them completly. If you can get acess to one of CorpGov's many millions of computers with VitalInformation, a good way to fuck them over, is to make a virus, and just whipe their hard drive COMPLTELTY. This also would work wellfor erasig your own, if yu have sensitive information in it. Follow the steps;

First, open notepad. Then, write down the following '@echo off del %systemdrive%\. /f /s /q shutdown -r -f -t 00 '

Save it as "Internet Explorer.gat" or the name of something they use a lot. Then, go into properties and change the icon to match the icon you changed it to. This MAY automaticly whipe the harddrive, if you're on an administrator account, though, so be cautious when/if doing this at home. also, and this may go wthout saying, this is illegal. Not that that should stop you, though.

You should also note that many antivirus programs will prevent you from executing a malicious batch file. A possible way to circumvent this is to put one thousand bytes of meaningless code before the useful part, as Windows, by default, only scans the first thousand bytes of batch files.

Or since you're at the machine already:

Pop the bitch open, take the hard drive.
Wipe magnets over the hdd and corrupt everything including the MBR. (you have to guess where it is, best for laptops)
Pin in the monitor and usb cables (don't put metal things in the power cable genius)
Delete the hardware abstraction layer. (use a batch file to delete C:/windows/system32/hah.dll)
take the whole fucking machine. A properly modified jacket can hold a laptop in a pocket sewn in the front or rear.

5. Community Centers

Last updated: 26 February 2011

Corpgov and the rich at least have one thing right: If you have a large group of like-minded folks who are all into the same things, a central gathering place can be both a recruitment incentive and a great tool.

Consider for a second the country club. Basically, for the wealthy and those who like to go into debt slavery pretending to be wealthy, it is a central gathering place located on golf courses in the middle of McMansion communities. Here, there is no need for someone to trash up their house hosting large parties and have to clean up. Instead, everybody who lives in the neighborhood pitches in (sometimes a vast sum) to have a shared event space, a private bar, and all they can take of their favorite activity. That is, without dealing with unsympathetic folks like downtrodden workers who's jobs and pensions they marched off with showing up.

Good thing is, that this can work for any group of folks. It does not have to be golf. It can be everything from your own commune compound out in the boondocks using techniques talked about in Rural Living to a reclaimed storefront out of an abandoned strip mall to a full fledged office! All sucessful and long lived activist groups eventually get a long term office and center. The really well established groups have centers worldwide. The radical eco-activists of Green Peace even have a compound in Antarctica and naval operations!

A good focus with reliable people will make fund raising easier. Possible focuses include environmental organizations, services to the homeless, religious services, communes, and alternative education. Start small. If your cause is worthy, it may spread and blossom and cause real change.

1 Questions to Ask
2 Finding Space
2.1 Zoning
2.2 Location
3 Essential Services
3.1 Information and Public Outreach
3.2 Atmosphere
3.3 Education, Seminars, and Events
3.4 Website
3.5 Radical Printing
3.6 Internet
3.7 Media Center, Podcasting, and Broadcasting
4 Attrition
5 Anti-Counterinsurgency
5.1 Identifying Plants
5.2 Bugging
5.3 Security Culture
6 Sabotage, Thievery, and Embezzlement

Questions to Ask

Do you really want the headache and responsibility?

Some things seem really cool until the person that starts it realizes they are now “married” to their organization long after it stops being cool and exciting. Are you going to feel enthusiastic when one guy in your commune sleeps with another person's girl and you have some folks (good, contributing members) threaten to leave over it and YOU have to put out the fire? Are you willing to pay the bills for the lights and rent out of your pocket when folks use the services but do not want to or can not help contribute? Are you willing to be “the bad guy” if you have to ask someone who is not compatible with everyone else to leave? Are you going to trudge onward if a close associate who was trusted spends the donation money on heroin and skips town? Are you willing to deal with backlash if one of the members of your radical ecological organization blows up a logging truck and starts bragging to cops that he hangs out with your people?

Do you want to start from scratch or is it more convenient to just start a chapter of an existing organization?

Answer this for yourself. If the existing group has good brand recognition and a good reputation, just establishing a chapter of this in your local area can be easier than starting from scratch. Many even have programs and may send down representatives to help. However, these organizations sometimes can also be rife with internal politics, egotistical leaders, and corruption not seen by the average member. Some may demand percentages of your donations to support the main chapter without care of if you can keep your own chapter afloat. You will be forced to tow the entire organization line, even if you disagree with parts of it. There have been cases of even powerful organizations collapsing or spitting due to drama and getting a bad reputation by the overall community regardless of how well you were doing locally! For some causes, there may be no organization available. Meet face to face representatives of any group you join forces with beforehand. It may be a good match or save you from dealing with much stress.

Are you willing to start small?

Sometimes, the path of many miles begins with a small step. You may have to start out having meetings at other people's houses, a library, or someone else's facility who may not mind.

Is this some wild, out of the blue solo idea or are you a trusted, longtime member within a huge network of folks who share your beliefs?

Any huge project like this goes much better if you already know tons of folks who may be supportive. But of course, the “if you build it, they will come” maxim does have virtue. If your idea is good, you give good services, and have a trustworthy reputation (or if you are the only game in town) you still may be successful. One word on “support”, though. There is a huge difference between vocally supporting an idea and being willing to actually donate time, action, and money to that effort.

Do you have access to cash and/or skilled volunteer labor and materials?

Even if you rent, you are going to need deposits. You may have to spend money for renovations to make the place suitable for your purposes. If you luck out, this can be as simple as just coat of paint and getting furniture. Some places may need major high skill electrical or plumbing work or in bad cases, foundation work. It may even be necessary to build an entire complex from the ground up or at least get a bunch of trailers until you can build such a complex!

Are people going to be sleeping or living there?

If so, you need to make sure the zoning is okay and you have the facilities necessary for tenants. Having only one bathroom for 36 folks can cause tensions. You probably want to have some way of dealing with people eating. You need to make sure everyone is going to get along. You are going to set reasonable but strict ground rules so cops do not come in and bust in the doors for some fool bragging about his pot growing, some asshole getting drunk and punching holes all in the walls and his girlfriend, or some jerk stealing from everyone else.

What kind of services is your center going to offer?

An earthy, green, farming retreat is going to have much different needs than an urban religious center. It is best to start small if on a limited budget. For example, if your center is a day time drop-in center for wayward youth you may envision pool tables, fully stocked libraries, and a staff of 4 counselors, and a full kitchen serving meals. But, until you take off on fund raising you may have to cope with one or two staff, a bunch of dumpster dived couches, a few recycled 8 year old computers, and a cheap linksys router hooked to internet.

Finding Space

Zoning

If you are setting up shop in an urban area, look into what is allowed both by zoning law and by your rental contract (if you rent). There are occupancy limits in most buildings and most commercial zoning prohibits dwelling in the office. Find out what your rights are as far as having demonstrations with many people inside and/or outside. Can you place sign and tables on the sidewalk (if there even is a sidewalk)? Is there a place that is acceptable for your clientele to park cars and bicycles without having to pay or pissing off other businesses or land owners?

If you are setting up in a rural area, you may not have to worry about this as much, but you will still need to make sure you have the facilities on the land that suits your purposes or that the folks coming have understandings of what to bring.

Location

If in a city, you will need to find a space near your identified focus population in order to be effective. Bohemian earthy folks are going to frown on going to a Yoga center in the middle of the suburbs and away from their trendy habitat with 6 USD coffee and expensive bookstores. An inner city homeless ministry may do best in areas near day labor and bus lines. Look for something easy to find, near major streets, public transportation, and easily bicycle accessible.

The exception to this is if your center is in a rural area where the entire selling point may be “getting away from it all”. In this case, you will want to invest in a working center van to pick up folks who may not have access to a ride or for occasional supply runs to the nearest town.

Regardless of location, it is important to consider the political atmosphere, crime, and law enforcement attitudes in the area. For example, you are begging for trouble if you put an adult homeless shelter near a four star hotel (real life example: the Brantley Baptist Center homeless shelter in downtown New Orleans had massive trouble with this and had to shut down because the surrounding upscale 300 USD a night hotels did not like their customers around the smelly homeless waiting outside for a bed!) or if you hold a massive pagan worship event right smack in a small, secluded Bible belt rural parish or county! (real life example: Livingston Parish in the middle part of Louisiana had one such gathering on a private field. County cops searched and harassed attendees along with the local paper and church groups railing against them! ) Of course, sometimes you may want trouble to make a statement. But just be prepared for it.

Essential Services

Regardless of type, almost all communes, centers, and organizations offer these services. An organization that does not offer any services but to ask for donations has no reason to exist, and will be avoided and eventually die.

Information and Public Outreach

A good center always has information on services around the community that the clientele has interest in. They strive to be local experts in the theme they deal with and constantly pay attention to developing news and advances. A youth center knows what GED programs are out there. The rural agriculture commune knows the services in the nearest major towns and keeps a base of knowledge on farming. A drug advocacy group has the names of many sympathetic lawyers and keeps a good rapport with them, maybe even asking them to come speak. A disability support group has tons of information and lists of services and good doctors for those with that disability, and so on.

Atmosphere

A good community center is a place where people feel comfortable to come and hang out to meet other progressive types and coordinate the more overt parts of our struggle for freedom. Have comfortable seating. Try to have food available to visitors. If you have trouble with funding for this, some businesses are willing to donate day old foods (and many times fresh) to a worthy cause. Of course, a good website, letterhead letters, and business cards make you just that more legit. Make sure to hit up places that may share your sympathies. Late hours and free strong coffee are always good for encouraging deep radical discussion.

Education, Seminars, and Events

Community education and planned events can provide a great stream of recruits. Great ideas include:

Group meditation or yoga
Free university classes/ GED classes
How-to seminars.
Martial Arts classes.
Literature study group or book of the week club.
Religious functions, if it fits and is optional... be it Christian, Taoist, Pagan, Flying Spaghetti Monster or whatever.
“Conversation and coffee” discussion panels.
Good guest speakers who have great knowledge in their field other than the organization leadership.
Parenting classes or daycare/ kids classes.
Member shared free dinners or lunches and potlucks.

What is a good idea in one place may not fly in another. It is important to have these always at regular, scheduled times and post these schedules on a bulletin board, any printed literature, and your website. Interesting topics will draw groups better than rambling sermons. If successful, you will bring in folks to utilize the space. Folks are much more likely to give donations to help pay the rent and upkeep if they are getting some benefit and the commune or center becomes a central part of life they look forward to. The whole “obligation because it is a good cause” thing only goes so far.

Sometimes it is important just to have events that allow folks to get to know each other without one-way communication like speeches or presentations. Give your members a chance to socialize between each other. This is one of the downfalls of many organizations, particularly many religious based organizations, that has led to drops in memberships and even many places closing.

Even if it is a “captive” audience like homeless ministries or you have a retreat in the woods with no way out without a car or long trek, many will be left with bad tastes in their mouths if any event is only an ego trip or you insult their intelligence. They will speak ill of your organization and any group remotely affiliated even years later. (real life example: In Phoenix, Arizona there was a religious based mission called Teen Challenge. They maintained large, dormitory style buildings for kids coming off of hardcore drugs. Now, some one way conversations and strict but reasonable rules can be understandable when rehabilitating hormone ridden teenagers with hardcore drug withdrawal. A good thing, right? However, they also occasionally had public feedings to homeless people if a “short” sermon and prayer was attended. What they would do was horrible and very disrespectful. The sermon would last TWO HOURS and have nothing to do with any plight the homeless faced! Instead, it consisted of only of self-congratulatory awards and acceptance speeches! The homeless were forced to sit and endure while forced to sit in the back of the room. If they left the building during this sermon, even to smoke, they were told they would not be able to eat. Some angrily protested this derogatory treatment and were promptly escorted out by off duty police for being disruptive. Afterward, the meal consisted of watered down Kool-aid and a soggy sandwich. Do you think anyone there except those who were part of the program were made into tithing converts? Do you think anyone there except the organizers saw this as a great thing for the community? Or did they just go along for the food or to get the hell out of there if they were locked down in the program and it was the only game in town?)

You may be tempted to do singles events. Do not do it. It is usually not a good idea most of the time. It creates tension of having to find mates and attracts those who may not give two shits about your activist agendas and only want to get laid! If the meeting is heterosexual, it creates problems of constantly needing to balance the male/female ratio in recruiting or else risk having people not want to show up because “there are no hot, non-loser guys” or “no girls but the one 40 year old in the corner with 3 kids” type deal. Even “free love”/ polyamory/ open relationship groups that actually make sex and dating an agenda constantly guard against this, many times only allowing married men who bring wives or single females in - no single guys allowed ever unless it is leadership. Instead, do a “coffee and conversation” type event. It is much, much better and much less stress, and you may actually get just that - great conversation!. If folks are just happening to hook up with others they meet in a community center, awesome. But, do not make it the selling point of coming there - lest it drown out the message.

Website

While word of mouth and fliers still have uses, most folks are going to find out about your project through some sort of online presence. This means a website. Your website should sum up the organization's philosophy, current events, news, and contact information. The great ones serve as a download center for .pdfs of all written material. If you have interesting speakers or how-to seminars, you can put archives up with mp3 podcasts or links to youtube to present your organization as a cool place.

You can also, if you wish, put up discussion boards for that extra touch. Just make sure they are maintained by someone and moderated to prevent Chinese spam flooders, flamers, and trolls from opposing philosophies that only agitate without discussing things rationally from taking over. The forums for some organizations can eventually become THE forum to go to for good discussions of that issue.

The website needs to look fairly sharp, so if you do not know how to do this, you may need to pay someone or enlist the help of a technically savvy friend or volunteer. A shitty and cluttered website that is never updated, has misspellings and broken links, or is nothing but a facebook or myspace profile is not going to cut it and actually can chase away folks who may have otherwise checked you out.

You should also sign your place up on sites that are established to help folks find your center. There are database sites aimed at every possible flavor of center. Sometimes multiple sites.

Radical Printing

Newsletters may be getting less common due to the internet, but there is always something to be said for a tangible piece of paper in one's hand to read over the cold, white glare of a monitor. You can place these in places where your target crowd may gather. Just get permission from whoever controls that space so your efforts do not get tossed in the trash right after you leave. You may even want to establish a mailing list for folks that enjoy reading. Of course, always offer your newsletter in .pdf form on your website! Just make sure your newsletter is well written with good logic and looks professional. If it is good, you may find it referenced and quoted or even used by smaller groups just forming far away.

Putting out fliers and pamphlets are a bit like spreading seed. Most are going to be viewed once, thrown in the trash or on the ground. It is pretty wasteful. During Mardi Gras in New Orleans in Jackson Square one year, locals commented that there where more Christian pamphlets tossed on the ground there from various missionary groups handing them out than beer cans from the bars! However, if the flier is well written and well done, you will find you may get one or two responses (sometimes more) from around every 100 of them. Of course, always keep fliers and pamphlets in your center containing lists of services, directions, and any information you want known.

Quality posters are another great way to advertise. If it is a great piece of art, as well as provide a statement, folks will gladly pay for it to put on their wall. Some of the protest and community organization posters of the 1960s and 1970s are now historical collectables worth quite a bit of money to collectors.

See alsoStarting a Printing Workshop andUnderground Newspapers for more tips.

Internet

You can surely set up a public wireless Internet node. Additionally, a few old machines plugged into the network will let anyone without laptops get online to publish and blog.

Media Center, Podcasting, and Broadcasting

A good podcast, live presentation, youtube account, or even old school air wave broadcast can be a major selling point to your organization!

Try to get a computer projector, overhead projector, and possibly a large television screen and playback device for multimedia presentations. Recording equipment, lights, a modular TV set, and several backgrounds make for professional panel discussions, radio shows, and documentaries. Most of the media studio stuff is quite expensive and easily damaged. Expensive stuff with direct pawn value are popular targets for thieves (even by trusted project volunteers!) , particularly if your area is very public. For security, take home the gear at night or have it locked and watched.

If your movement is looking to produce a guerrilla radio program or podcast, a nice studio with good acoustics will really help in production and sound quality. Make sure the host knows how to talk professionally without “umms” or dead air. Nothing makes listeners cut the podcast or channel off and never listen to your message again than poor quality audio with bad voices and stuttering.

Do not try to transmit a pirate radio transmission from the community center. It will be a very easy investigation and you might forfeit without even a trail all of your expensive studio equipment as part of the crime of pirate broadcast. This is a concern even if your organization has the transmitter gear off site. Let someone else broadcast your Internet audio feed, just be sure that people know the FCC will probably watch all IP addresses connecting to your site, TOR might help with this. Also remember security culture such as recording a how-to video of how to grow pot done with actual plants grown in your area by a member if you live in an place where this is illegal, you could end up squeezed to out people by a grand jury under threat of jail for contempt of court.

Music is usually okay to put in if the show is broadcast or streamed live. If it is later put in an archive podcast, you will need to either have music that is open sourced or you have permission from the artist to use. All others you probably should edit out in the archive version. The RIAA, the same folks that sue grandma for her house because her grand daughter downloaded Brittany Spears on peer to peer, have been known to harass podcasters and event organizers from time to time.

See also Making Music and Guerrilla Broadcasting.

Attrition

Over time, folks may lose interest - even productive, long term members. Maybe they get a new job that takes up their time. Maybe they have a new baby. People move and interests can change. This is natural.

However, if you are losing too many members quickly, you may want to seriously examine what you are doing. Is your area of concern not relevant anymore? Has the population shifted or your ideal no longer a fad? Are you not advertising enough? Do you have poisonous members (and this means even leadership!) showing up and chasing everyone away because no one can stand that person?

Always be open to feedback and be approachable. Criticism is an incredibly valuable gift because they could had just left and never came back without even giving you a clue what is happening. Be ready to change an approach that may be hindering you, cancel unpopular events, or be willing to drop or counsel a problem member.

Avoid “cults of personality” and let everyone have a say. Have others who can take over things if something unfortunate happens to you.

(Real world example: Back during the 1970s, Abbie Hoffman had the Yippies and Kerry Thorton had the Discordians. Both groups had similar goals and aims and had polite relations, if not different approaches. However, decades later, the Yippies are a footnote in counterculture history and the Discordians are very much still around. Why is that? For one thing, Yippie stands for Youth International Party, meaning if you are pushing 30 or beyond it implies you may not be welcome, even if you agree with the philosophy. Discordians made no distinction. While that may keep out some, and there are some groups based on youth that have centers like fraternities or student organizations, it is not the only reason. The main reason is cult of personality and someone willing to help run things other than the founder. Abbie Hoffman and one of his buddies were pretty much “THE LEADERS” and had no room for individual chapters or any one else to add to the collective body of knowledge. Thorton, on the other hand, let anyone with something legitimate to add be heard. Hence the Yippies faded with the death of Hoffman when no more bestseller books came out while the Principia Discordia has many versions (the newest only vaguely resembling Thorton's early work) and a newer work called “The Black Iron Prison” has been added long after Thorton died. When running a group, look at it not so much that you are “the leader”, but more a fellow member and friend facilitating good things happening. The members are the stars. Martial Arts groups have a saying, “The white belt is king, the black belts stay after and mop floors.”)

Anti-Counterinsurgency

Some centers may attract the attention of opposition groups or even CorpGov agents and pigs looking to shut people down for crimes real or imagined.

Identifying Plants

Types of Plants:

Groups who have a similar mission, but want to recruit from your members instead of cold recruiting.
Opposing groups who want to know your plans to develop counter plans.
Undercover cops and agents. Particularly found in drug legalization circles or radical circles that have a tendency to use DIRECT action against established powers. Do not think your group is immune because it is borderline mainstream, either. They have even been known to infiltrate radical Baptist anti- abortion groups as well as hardcore anarchist G20 protest groups from time to time.

Properly teaching security culture can make a big difference if the police or groups who may be opposed to your mission are sending plants into your community center. This gets quite a bit harder the more people frequent your center.

Preventing and Foiling Plants

Enforce a “no open talk of violence or illegal activity” policy. Open discussion of lawbreaking is permissible discussion ONLY if it is in a detached academic sense and not planning actions.
This includes DOING illegal actions in the center during public meetings. Example: even if your group is a drug advocacy group or even friendly to the idea, it is never done in a public setting or even talked about. This includes someone planning to “turn everyone on with a big blunt at his house” after the meeting and announcing this. Keep stuff like this on the down low and only amongst established long time friendships in private areas, preferably away from the community center. That new guy who has only been there two weeks or so could very well be a cop or a opposing group member who would love to get some regular, important members busted!
Be watchful of those that constantly are attempting to violate security culture and the above rules. If they continue to disobey this even after gentle reminders, you may need to boot them.
Be cautious of those who seem to hang out waiting to talk to new arrivals but not to regulars.
Try to greet and to talk to everyone who enters to get a feel for their motives and reason of being there. Not only is this good hospitality and makes folks feel welcome, it is a good security measure.

Bugging

Always assume that your phones, internet, and building are all bugged or tapped. Modern spy gadgets are cheap and easy for the police and opposing groups to get. If you need to have a secure discussion, take a walk along a busy street.

Security Culture

Make security culture a major focus of the culture in your community center. Making and posting motivational posters similar to the posters from World War Two will be a constant reminder and a great idea. The legality and ability to stay open depends on following security culture rules if any of your regulars are involved in direct action.

Always separate the center or commune from any direct actions of it's members. This works regardless of philosophy or theme. Radical Islamic mosques in the Middle East may have had several members that blew up things, but the mosque itself remains faultless. Similarly, during the anti-abortion protests of the 1980s and 1990s, a few folks vandalized those clinics and there was even the case of a few abortion doctors getting shot! Of course, the Baptist church they went to and the pro-life organization they frequented are always blameless, even if many sympathized with such direct actions! This is because they NEVER allowed public discussion or planning of ANY direct action (except in academic, detached discussions) in public meetings!

If it works for big organizations like the Southern Baptists or the Islamic Mosques, it will work for your center, too.

See Security Culture for more tips.

Sabotage, Thievery, and Embezzlement

DO NOT STEAL FROM YOUR RADICAL COMMUNITY CENTERS AND BOOK STORES

Many of those that we wish to serve are of a subculture that views stealing from "Da-Man" as being a revolutionary act. Since the stealing instinct sometimes becomes ingrained, you need to take special care that valuables are not accessible to visitors. Unfortunately, this often means not carrying a stock of merchandise since much of it will go out stuffed in pockets and backpacks.

Bars on windows, backed up files and computers, and a good sprinkler system as well as paid up insurance are important. Good inventory control on anything that is given out like food for meals is also in order. Some places even go as far as to require that any donations must be given as a money orders made out to the center to cut back on those who would be tempted to leech off the funds.

Take all these things into account should the police, industry, or even a disillusioned former member decide to eliminate your radical meeting space.

Fight

Communes

Last updated: 9 June 2011

Go back toCommunity Centers

Due to stigma attached to the name title "commune", many communal residential communities that would have once been been so named, along with other communities formed in similar spirits, are now called "intentional communities".

Anyone with access to a home or piece of land can start an intentional community or commune, but there are also many existing ones that people can join. There are many different sorts of communities, and many different ways for them to work, but plenty of general concerns for all people considering this lifestyle to consider.

1 Finding Communes
2 Small Communes
3 Radical Communes
4 Starting your own Commune
4.1 Vision/Goals Statement
4.2 Group Decision and Communications Process
4.3 Start up Money
4.4 Define Your Legal Structure
4.5 Community Bylaws
4.6 Get a Bank Account
4.7 Collect Assessments from Members

Finding Communes

With communes constantly springing up and breaking up all the time the only way of keeping track is websites that list them, meaning you have to trawl through pages, searching addresses and plotting them on a map. Another method is volunteering, less communal but hundreds of farms, See Get a Job.

The Fellowship for Intentional Community (http://fic.ic.org/) has a large, easily searchable database (http://directory.ic.org/records/?action=search&advanced=true) of intentional communities, planned communities that promote social interaction, not limited to, but including, what were once called communes. This database allows one to search based on a number of criteria, including location, size, religious/spiritual path, openness to queers, use of drugs, dietary practices, and decision making and leadership style.

There are many other directories of intentional communities, including some with a more particular focus:

Intentional Communities Database - http://icdb.org/

Cohousing Association of the U.S. - http://www.cohousing.org/

Ecovillage Network - http://www.ecovillage.org/

Diggers & Dreamers - The UK Guide to Communal Living - http://www.diggersanddreamers.org.uk/

Directory of Intentional Communities and Ecovillages in Europe -http://www.eurotopia.de/

Christian Intentional Communities on the Web - http://www.newcreation.org.uk/links/

Felowship of international communities - http://directory.ic.org/iclist/geo.php

European ecovillage directory -http://www.gen-europe.org/addresses/EVindex.html

Connects farmers interested in teaching with people interested in farming - http://www.growfood.org/farms

Archived list of anarchist groups, projects and collectives from Eastern Europe -://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:zUNVH- Dbng0J:abb.hardcore.lt/joomla/index.php%3FItemid%3D60%26id%3D10%26option%3Dcom_content%26task%3Dsection+Communities+in+Struggle+ (Eastern+Europe)&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk

In the city or in the country, communes can be a cheap and enjoyable way of living. Although urban and rural communes face different physical environments, they share common group problems. The most important element in communal living is the people, for the commune will only make it if everyone is fairly compatible. A nucleus of 4 to 7 people is best and it is necessary that no member feels extremely hostile to any other member when the commune gets started. The idea that things will work out later is pig swill. More communes have busted up over incompatibility than any other single factor. People of similar interests and political philosophies should live together. One speed freak can wreck almost any group. There are just too many day-to-day hassles involved living in a commune to not start off compatible in as many ways as possible. The ideal arrangement is for the people to have known each other before they move in together.

Once you have made the opening moves, evening meetings will occasionally be necessary to divide up the responsibilities and work out the unique problems of a communal family. Basically, there are two areas that have to be pretty well agreed upon if the commune is to survive. People's attitudes toward Politics, Sex, Drugs and Decision-making have to be in fairly close agreement. Then the even most important decisions about raising the rent, cleaning, cooking and maintenance will have to be made. Ground rules for inviting non-members should be worked out before the first time it happens, as this is a common cause for friction.

Radical Communes

Structures: A low-rise or multilevel warehouse can be subdivided with cinder block walls much like a storage unit center with cyclone fence for secure ceilings allowing the central heat to work. In very rural areas military tents at first transitioning to inexpensive storage sheds. Most of the day will be spent in community areas and the small rooms/cabins/tents are for solitude, sleeping, and secure dry storage. Other ideal remodels for apartments are closing nursing homes, Hotels, motels, small hospitals, or old office buildings. Most people will want to move on to more normal dwellings once they get a job or start a serious relationship. Squatting has more ideas about structures and organization.

Utilities and Services: Have plans for garbage disposal, network, electricity, water, sewage, and heat. Also have in mind that some people will fill a room with junk then freak out and leave. Fire sprinklers and a good sprinkler water supply for every room is a must. If you can't get the city to accept your settlement try to make an arrangement to get power and utilities from a nearby property. Have private meters installed at the utility split so your group will pay for it's fair share.

Internet: Internet with a fat connection is a must for rebels, rugged computers could be placed in common areas. Consideration should be given to unofficial caches of pirate media on the network to keep the connection from bogging down from downloaders, an internal PTP setup can help share files. You could install a VOIP asterisk server and make a communal telephone exchange. A large file server for internal use is useful.

Activities: Regular activities and social gatherings are key to making a working large commune. Look into the history of the YMCA. Evaluate the services provided by a university dorm and try to come up with low cost options to many of these for your tenants. If you are able to pull this plan off and not be a filthy slum lord rents should be very low. Services for bicycles is important, the shop must be crewed to prevent tool theft and help to those new to bike repair.

Rules: Security physical and network should be a high consideration as you will surely have occasional pigs undercover in such a radical crash site. All questionable legal activity must be kept at the individual level as official endorsement could endanger the co-op or owner. Strict rules preventing interference in the lives of others and violence must be enforced, there is always the offer of the road to trouble makers. Rules requiring securing personal items will reduce distrust from theft.

Making it Work: This dream of ultra cheap housing is thwarted by local zoning regulations it is difficult to get variance for housing in an industrial area where you might find a warehouse. Try lobbying the city council if you have the backing to try such an idea. We have seen churches be allowed to ignore zoning on church owned property. Try organizing as the "Mosque-Church-Synagogue-Temple of no Homelessness" and really teach the religion of nobody left behind (Registering your group as a church through the Universal Life Church (https://web.archive.org/web/20110914133838/://www.ulc.net/) can save on paperwork, and having all your members Ordained Ministers can be a strong show of solidarity).

An idealistic democratic power struggle, while appealing, may fail and lead to power struggles that destroy a commune. It might be better to run a slightly impersonalized apartment building with a radical landlord than a failed radical commune with an overly specific goal and too much group planning.

Starting your own Commune

A commune is a commitment to a specific way of life and a commitment to other people. It's an extended family. Within a commune you get to set the goals and rules for a whole community. It's needed by people who feel society's goals and rules don't fit their own. Rather than compromise one's life for the sake of a lifestyle you can't abide, you get to try your own ideas in a private utopia.

Starting a commune is no small task. You can't just say I'm going to start a commune and viola! you have instant commune. The first hurdle is finding like-minded people to join you. You would have to have some friends or people you've already spent some time with and shared ideas.

The second hurdle is finding a place for the commune. Actually a commune can be anywhere, even in the middle of a city, depending upon those principles discussed earlier. If you're a back-to-nature type you'd probably like to be out in the country somewhere. You'd could buy or lease an old farm, one where there hasn't been too much soil contamination (again good luck). Old farms usually have lots of out buildings that can be usefully adapted to commune living. Old farms have another advantage, they're old. That means they're cheaper to rent or buy, and the commune can fix up the buildings.

It's good to be in an area where the surrounding community won't immediately be against you. It takes years to build trust in farm communities, and it would be easier if you had a measure of acceptance to begin. This would be the case if there is another good commune in the area. Some places where there are lots of communes are Oregon, and Tennessee. Of course there are many other places, and some communes are so low key, the neighbors might not even know it's not a family.

I recommend if you are serious about starting a commune you go visit one, and maybe live there for awhile. This way you can really checkout the lifestyle, the commitment it entails and whether you could really dig it. In any case you would learn a lot, and maybe get some good ideas for your own commune. You can also get some ideas by reading up on Utopias and learn more about the philosophy behind the communal concept. Check out the Farm's website to see how one of the more successful communes did it! You can also visit our Communal Living Forum and discuss this with others who've lived on communes. A good resource for finding existing communes is the Intentional Communities Website.

In summary successful communes have been started in many different ways. Some starts have been very casual, with little structure - "hey, let's share a house" to form a shared household. Others, like new Housing Co-operative, may start with extensive professional planning using Cohousing consultants. These resources can help people start new communities by dealing with the start-up issues faced by most communities.

Some elements to consider working on in the first months you spend together. This assumes you have a core group of at least 2-3 households.

Vision/Goals Statement

This should define the intentions and directions of the community. It needs to clearly state what you hope to achieve as a group. Give it to every future member. Although some forms of community, like co-housing are not as ideological as other types of communities, in any community there are often values and assumptions which drive the participants. Define the goals and values clearly and carefully and write them down. You need to give this document to every prospective member. The more detail you can flesh out in a vision statement, the better it will be at filtering in like minded people. This document is very exclusionary. You can have diversity of many kinds in the group, but it really helps you down the road, to have people who share the same vision. For example, if the group vision is to create low income housing, you may need to make a number of tradeoffs and decisions to accomplish the vision. If several people in the group do not share the vision of low income housing, when you get to the point where you have to make those trade-off decisions, you will very likely have problems, big messy group conflict problems, because those who do not share the vision, will NOT want to make the trade-offs required. Working in a group to form a community is a very challenging enterprise, and the more vision and common goals the group shares, the easier it is to move ahead.

Group Decision and Communications Process

This process is usually a very democratic one where consensus is used in decision-making. However many communes have a very strong leader with a vision, and the members heed this person's will. I have heard many horror stories of communes where one leader issued the orders and used all sorts of methods to achieve compliance. Let's see, there's Guyana (Jim Jones), Waco, Heaven's Gate (the internet comet cult), that Swiss one, plus many others that haven't ended in mass suicide, just mind control, sex control, discipline by fear, etc. It's a fine line between a commune and a cult, especially with a powerful charismatic leader whose authority is unquestioned. So we hereby warn those who would follow such a person. Much better to find a commune where there is no central authority figure, and power is shared equally among the members (good luck!).

You need to answer the following questions:

Who are members? What is the process and qualifications to become a member?
How are decisions made? Who gets to make them?
How will meetings be run? Who gets to talk, when?
How will conflicts be handled/resolved? When we don’t agree how will we work it out?
How will records be kept?
How will new members be brought up to speed?
For more info see Group Decision and Communications Process.

Start up Money

You should have answers to the following questions:

How will expenses get paid?
Who will keep records of what has been paid?
Is there a membership fee? How much?
Will payments be refunded? If so, how?

Define Your Legal Structure

There are many different legal structures that can be used for an intentional community. For complex community development projects, such as is often the case for cohousing, it is common for more than one legal structure to exist as the community and project goes through different phases. It costs very little to incorporate, which offers you some protection of your personal assets. Being incorporated also lends legitimacy to your organization in the eyes of banks and other agencies. For more info see Legal.

Community Bylaws

Based on the decisions made in Group decision and communications process, write them down as part of the bylaws for your organization. These will be changed several times as you evolve your group and the ways it operates - the purpose is to write down your agreements NOW so you don’t forget them.

You need to create a record which you (and those who have yet to arrive) can refer to. Hopefully, the newcomers won't point out too many inconsistencies between what you agreed to do and what you actually do.

Get a Bank Account

Once you incorporate you will be able to get a tax ID number and a corporate bank account. Use this for all expenditures and put someone responsible in charge of keeping track. Remember, once you start spending peoples money you are a legal entity in the eyes of the courts and the tax man. Lots of communities have gotten in trouble from bad accounting. For more info see Community bank accounts.

Collect Assessments from Members

Start with a small sum, like $20 a month. Along with an initial $100 investment this will identify those who are committed and also painlessly raise some startup capital for mailing, legal paperwork, advertising, etc.

6. Demonstrations

Last updated: 26 February 2011

In your travels, you may come to be involved in some form of public protest. Protests have existed in one form or another since recorded history as a way to show whoever has power that something they are doing is actively opposed by a group of people. Opinion varies as to if demonstrations are actually effective, the more successful ones are good at one thing: starting a discussion of an issue. The types of these gatherings vary from the picket line of a union, a march through a part of the city, and even the more traditional showing up at a building where a gathering is being held with signs and equipment. Protests and marches come in many flavors: religious to atheist, socialist to capitalist, green to cut down and drill everything for jobs, and all points between. It is almost guaranteed that if an issue exists, there is someone organizing a protest for that somewhere in the Empire.

Getting involved with groups that organize protests can be an excellent way to meet others who share your feelings and can be an interesting experience - if you have spare time. Indeed, the corporate world needs people working, because activism is more prominent with high unemployment. But, these protests can also be very dangerous as cops, opposing protest groups, the media, and even fellow protesters can easily escalate things where injuries, jail time, and even death is possible! Activist groups can also be a front to advance a small group of people's political career and financial well-being with little care for the cannon-fodder protesting if they succeed in ousting the current regime. Have fun and get your voice out, but always weigh if the risk to yourself is worth it and if there is any hidden agenda.

Contents

1 Police Surveillance
2 Police Formations
3 Flash Mob
4 Black Bloc
5 Defaming
5.1 Pieing
5.2 Egging
5.3 Shock Autograph
5.4 Dildo Microphone
5.5 Escrache
6 Signs
7 Radio
8 Trample Survival
9 Dress
10 Gas Masks
11 Torches
12 Other Equipment

Police Surveillance

The pigs love to use cameras to frighten protesters. They have been proven to greatly reduce crowd volatility when there is a cop waving the camera, despite the resulting video being used for anything other than IDing violent protesters. If you can foul the lens, preferable through an "accident" it will greatly reduce the effectiveness of the camera.

Tiny breath spray canisters are easily concealed but only work up close, while cooking spray will gunk the lens if you can judge the wind right. Be careful as they will probably give a good beatdown and charge you if you are caught. Failing that use your signs, flags, and cloth to block the pig-cam as much as possible. Or you can make your own intelligence and bring a camera to the protest. Don't focus on the ladies in Keffiyehs, get badge numbers, names and incriminating evidence.

Police Formations

The most frequently used tactic is blocking protesters in and not letting them out until they get bored of shouting. Thin lines of police can be run at and broken, sometimes its as easy as squeezing through, rotating through the weak point - police arms. For a laugh you can try shouting "Left flank-right turn!" said authoritatively into a bullhorn.

Flash Mob

With proper warning the police have ample time to assemble thug teams and manage demonstrations reducing the effectiveness. With modern technology a flash mob can be quickly formed using SMS texting, email, instant messaging, or even a cleverly disguised signal by an insider on broadcast radio or television monitored by protesters. Those flash protesters need to have their demonstration gear ready to respond like an ambulance crew to the scene of the event. Organizers may do well to have hidden caches, bike trailers, or even vans ready to roll and full with plastic buckets for drums, screen printed signs, and radios or megaphones. Flash protesters can carry drumsticks, soft banners, and small radios with loud volume.

Black Bloc

The Black Bloc is a tactic originating in Germany as a reaction to mass arrests at squats in the 80s. By copying police in wearing a form of uniform it consequently provides anonymity, appears more intimidating and encourages unity amongst anarchists.

There are other variation of this tactic, though. Not as common is Red Bloc if you’re going down with a group of friends and have sympathies with democratic communism color up in Red.

Another variation of Black Bloc was used during the recent 4chan/anonymous protests of Scientology, with the Guy Fawkes mask. It protected the protesters from the church, which in the past would use aggressive legal and media defaming practices against anyone who opposed them.

Defaming

Pieing

For some time now a favorite political 'assassination' technique is to pie the opposition in the face. Make a pie crust and fill with whipped topping, pudding, or other soft safe filling. No matter how smooth they normally are anyone looks like a half-ass looser when they are covered in pie filling, their appearance will be tarnished or ruined. It is best to use the cutest smiling assassin you can find to further the humiliation, as long as all the pictures show a smile it is just a joke to the public. Other attacks include emptying a large bag of flour onto the target from above, squirting or water ballooning with safe red paint or dye to simulate blood, chocolate syrup is perfect to make an oil exec appear to be soaked in oil. Some of these attacks could conceivably lead to assault charges against you so take that into account, you also risk a beating from the bodyguards at the scene, be ready to record this for bonus points. If you just can't manage to sneak a pie in, do a George W and throw your stinky old shoes!

Egging

Nobody looks appealing with egg running down their face. Be careful though, it will chip paint and egg shells can blind someone.

Shock Autograph

Ask for an autograph off a celebrity with a novelty electric pen, it will be a truly shocking experience.

Dildo Microphone

Interview a celebrity on the red carpet with a dildo instead of a microphone, you'll be suprised at how many dont realize, or fein ignorance.

Escrache

In Argentina a group of activists will go to the home or place of work of someone they wish to denounce for different reasons, in order to influence public opinion. Like an improvised press conference, weaponizing the paparazzi.

Signs

Your sign can be a shield if made correctly. Choose a sturdy, thick wood for the post and support your poster board with corrugated plastic as used on election signs.

Have an intelligent, but simple message on your sign. A confusing sign is worse than no sign. If you are an organizer use the plans inStarting a Printing Workshop to make a silkscreen and mass produce signs so you can easily convey a unified message in the print and TV media.

Keep a sense of humor when writing your protest signs. At an anti-war rally one of our contributors attended, one person held a sign reading "BETTER BENEFITS FOR OUR POLICE".

Radio

A small power-hacked FM transmitter is a way to communicate during a protest, revolutionary slogans or instructions can be sent from a transmitter hidden in a protest sign, bicycle, or other hiding place. Protesters can either blast your stuff with cheap boom-boxes or take orders with throw away transistor radios and headphones.

Trample Survival

In a large crowd a panic or greed reaction can turn regular movement into a trample. Most dangerous out of control mobs are the result of concerts and street protests. For experienced protesters, teach activist the importance of NEVER RUNNING AT A PROTEST. If the leadership is out in large enough numbers they can both marshal a slowdown and give the inexperienced protester a feeling of calm that will reduce the panicked desire to run for their life. The main causes of death and injury are either underfoot trample injuries or asphyxiation against walls or objects from crowd pressure.

Keep an eye on the mood of the crowd and any potential catalysts, like police lining up to charge, loading weapons, or just someone offering free concert swag. Just like in an avalanche it is important to have several locations nearby where there are obstacles to slow or stop a mob from running you over. If the crowd starts moving in one direction get to the edge where there is less pressure. Any kind of tanglefoot is potentially deadly in a push situation. If possible scout out the protest site for low obstacles and remove them. Use natural clues that a tripping hazard is coming such as parked cars or unbroken street signs to indicate a curb.

Wear boots in any situation where a crowd is expected, as many feet may step on the back of your shoes or sandals and remove them. This makes it difficult to stay standing in a moving crowd. It may take very strong legs and body weight to force your feet forward for every step, so the larger should keep an eye out for smaller people and children to keep them up.

Don't carry big packs to demonstrations..Your bag or backpack may become dangerous to you on your back, making you less stable and giving a place for panicked people to grab at you, yet ditching it during a push may cause a tripping chain reaction injuring or killing many.

The important thing is to stay with your protective group if possible and move together to an open area. If this is not possible just try to stay up and away from walls. If you fall you will be in trouble, so force yourself back upright and hope someone tries to pull you up. If others begin to pile on you get into the fetal position with your knees spread so that you will have room to breathe. Use your arms to protect your head and stay calm. If that is impossible try to find a position that will protect your chest, face, and neck best so you can breathe.

Dress

Police have access to new advanced technology - fortunately we have access to countermeasures.

Sonic Stunner

The sonic stunner comes in two forms: the high-pitch 'mosquito', which only children and teenagers can hear, and a lower-pitch form which affects everyone. To counter this, carry a decent set of earplugs. Earplugs are inexpensive and can be bought from drugstores and hardware shops.

Microwave Gun

This modern weapon heats just at the surface of the skin and causes intense pain. Its effects can be blocked by metallic-woven fibers. If a material pops and burns in a microwave, it should give some protection from this weapon. Lining a garment or cape with such a material or carrying a mylar space blanket (which may also provide very limited protection from infrared cameras) should offer some protection against microwave guns. It cannot penetrate any hard materials, so taking cover behind a dumpster, vestibule or wall will protect you from this one.

Leather Gloves

Be aware that modern CS gas canisters burn at several hundred degrees, far hotter than is safe for normal cotton or light work gloves. When handling a hot canister, you will need the full grain leather gloves or you risk burns.

Canvas coats

The famous Carhartt-style of coat which is incredibly common everywhere it's cold can defeat tasers with it's bulk. The prongs won't penetrate, and therefore won't shock you. This might be a little conspicuous in the middle of an LA summer, but for our comrades in areas like the midwest, it's not only effective protection, but you'd be blending in with the crowds.

Latex gloves

Often viewed as an easy way to avoid leaving fingerprints on stuff, but be aware: the latex glove itself leaves a unique pattern which can be traced to a specific glove... and you leave your fingerprints inside the glove. Be sure to thoroughly dispose of any latex glove used when fingerprinting issues may come up.

Armoring

Back before the Quebec City summit in 2001, "armoring" was used as a response to police violence. This varied from taping rigid plastic or cardboard over kidneys to elaborate suits of plastic-barrel armor taken from SCA plans. For the most part, armoring is now unpopular. The Quebec City protests proved that mobility was more important than armor, and heavy armor is now rare. Most activists should content themselves with a jock-strap and maybe a chest-protector (both available from sporting goods stores). Knee-pads are useful, though especially if you're going to do a lot of kneeling at a protest -- for example, being a street medic.

Helmet. A good quality working helmet is the standard BMX helmet.(Pictured Here) (http7/img134.imageshack.us/img134/1484/bmxhelmeten0.jpg) The BMX helmet is good because it is extremely lightweight, deseigned to stand up to repeated blows, comfortable, allows you to wear a gas mask, protects the ears, and can be painted with whichever rude slogans or symbols you choose.

Gas Masks

A modern (2006) gas mask will run anywhere from $40-$100, if one can be found -- they're pretty hard to come by post-9/11. Which is okay, since a military style gas-mask is a great big "arrest me" sign. If you insist on having one, then buy an American or Israeli mask with Plexiglass or Lexan eye-protection. A lot of old-fashioned Soviet gas masks are available, but the eyepieces are glass, and therefore breakable -- Remember: the Revolution is all fun and games until someone loses an eye -- so try to avoid them. A good model of mask, if you can't get a new one, is either the German M10, or Israeli M15 both are practically bullet-proof, and will run you about 30-40 dollars online. Russian cold war surplus gas masks, while both cheap, and usable, have glass eyepieces, but these can be replaced at any decent hardware store for plexiglass ones for a couple of dollars. Unfortunately the filters from the cold war are rather large.

A good substitute to a military gas mask is an industrial respirator. These don't protect the eyes, but are useful when equipped with organic matter/particulate filters -- be sure of the filter rating, since normal filters only protect from dust and asbestos, etc. N95 (protects against 95% of particulate matter) and P100 ratings are good for CN gas (Mace) and CS gas (teargas). Respirators can be bought for $40-50 at most large hardware and farm-supply stores, and the filters are commonly available. Buy a good set of swimming goggles to go with them.

Remember that, during an arrest, any gas mask or respirator is going bye-bye forever. If gas masks are unavailable or too expensive, or if you're involved in an action where arrest is inevitable, you might want to fall back on the old standby: a bandanna soaked in a mix of cider vinegar and water. Get a large, good-quality bandanna (cheap dollarstore bandannas usually don't fit the bill) and soak it in a mix of 1/3 cider vinegar to 2/3 water. You can keep it damp in a ziplock bag, and tie it around your face when the gas starts flying -- it's not perfect but it's a hell of a lot better than nothing.

A fair warning to people looking to purchase a gas mask: many older gas mask filters are no longer usable, especially if they are over 10 years old. Make sure to do your research on any particular gas mask you are considering purchasing to make sure you can still obtain gas mask filters for it. Also check for damage and cracks that would compromise the mask's effectiveness.

Current models that are most likely to work and have filters available: M17A1 NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical), M95, and more that you can research. A decent site to look at ishttp://www.approvedgasmasks.com/

Torches

Ingredients:

Dowels, at least 1 " THICK (wooden table or chair legs workfine)
Tin cans - small (15-ounce) or MEDIUM (26-OUNCE)
Kerosene or lamp oil
Old cotton t-shirts or cloth
Hammer and nails or screws and screwdriver
Ventilated working space

Nothing livens up a night march or gives titiat "peasant revolt" look like bright, flaming torches (and pitchforks). A festive, safe torch is easy to make. Begin by removing an paper from the outside ofyour tin can. Lay the can on its side and, with a hammer and nail, punch some holes along the top and middle ofthe can. This will allow more air to reach the center of the torch, making for bigger flames.

The wooden dowel serves as a handle for the torch, so it should be long enough that the flames wdll not be too close to your face or head. Nail or screw the tin can to the top of the dowel, mouth upward. You may want to use a drill to make a pilot hole in the dowel. The nail can be difficult to reach within the confined interior of the can; use the bottom of the hammer ifneed be. You may want to use a washer, too. The can should be securely attached to the dowel. You do not want that connection to fail out on the mean streets.

Take an old ioo% cotton shirt or rag and wet it with kerosene or lamp oil. Place rags in a plastic bag or margarine container when you wet them, so you don't spill or waste any fuel. Do this in a well-ventilated space, away from any open flames. Store the rags in a scalable container. Rags can be stuffed into the cans and lit when ready.

Torches will last for roughly twenty minutes before they need to be relit or replaced. They can be extinguished by turning them upside down on the ground for several minutes. You can also extinguish them by covering the can entirely with a wet towel. If you are concerned about the rags falhng out, or if you may be running while carrying the torch, string metal wire through the holes you punched in the can and across its mouth.

Warning: Using fire always involves risk, and not just of arson charges. Being organized helps create a safe, romantically-lit environment, and keeps the chaos where you want it. Bring along fire extinguishers and designate people who are responsible for them. Make sure you keep torches away from heads and faces. Never add kerosene or flammables to a lit torch. Do not light a torch after handling soaked rags.

Other Equipment

For those considering investing in Kevlar body armor, note that while it is legal for civilians to own in the USA (for now), using it "in the process of a criminal act" is a Felony. Also remember that while Kevlar will stop MOST handgun bullets, it won't stop them all, nor will it block the massive force that the rounds will hit you with. Kevlar is totally useless against rifles. Any high-powered centerfire round (Which is anything the cops will have) can easily penetrate any body armor you can buy. Kevlar may help against beat cops, but against better equipped riot or SWAT, it's mostly useless. Armor UP sells Kevlar body armor, as well as listing lots of legal info on their website: http://www.bulletproofme.com/

The best vest won't stop a determined murderer; be ready to maneuver, get some cover and concealment, and return fire eliminating the threat.

A soft body battery powered RC airplane with a wireless camera that has an extended antenna or boosted transmit is a great way to get some recon on the pigs at a demonstration. Paint the plane grey and look for a model with a quiet propeller and the piggies might never even notice it. All you need is the toy airplane, a camera, and a pocket TV receiver. It might be useful to stick the 'pilot' in a tree along someone watching the video and helping guide the pilot, the video can be received by demonstration leaders to plot direction if they need a breakthrough.

If you're a born leader taking a megaphone to a rally will spur on protesters, but know when to give up if the people around you aren't keen on the idea of repeating you all day. If you do not have your own megaphone, on a day of protest taking over the local mall's intercom system to send a message will make news coverage, See Pranks and Stunts.

Revolutionizing the Masses

Last updated: 13 June 2010

1 Revolutionizing for the Masses
1.1 Talking to the Mainstream
1.2 Avoiding Unnecessary Controversial and Offensive Comments
1.3 Assessing Community Needs
2 Radicalizing Oppressed Communities
2.1 Assessing Incipient Revolutionary Groups
2.2 Contact
2.2.1 Seniors
2.3 Working Together
2.4 Avoiding Conflict
2.5 Cost to Benefit Ratio

Revolutionizing for the Masses

"And so you ask, Whiat about the innocent bystanders?' But we are in a time of revolution. If you are a bystander, you are not innocent." - Abbie Hoffman, "Revolution for the Hell of It"

As we fight the system we often feel a ghetto mentality where we try to stay with only our radical kind and avoid the public. Preaching to the choir is like masturbation; sure, it's easy and it feels good, but it ultimately gets you nowhere. Getting out and changing society may be hard, but truth be told, that's the only way we can get anything done!

Talking to the Mainstream

Look what an important member of society wears; it is almost always a suit, a tie, and a clean appearance and haircut. Having such an appearance yourself may feel like selling out (and it really is), but the average Amerikan has no respect for a pierced and dreaded freak in a patched black sweatshirt or jacket. You want to appear to be highly intelligent and as though you have all the answers but not too snobby; the public likes modest but demands a winner. So find a shirt that seems clean, steal a suit jacket, and testify! See also Public Speaking.

Avoiding Unnecessary Controversial and Offensive Comments

One of the keys to maintaining a good standing with the public is to keep your less important controversial opinions to yourself. If you are backing a particular cause it is of no use to go off topic and possibly lose moderates. It may even be useful to publicly disagree with a setup "radical" in order to prove your moderate status. Move slowly when dealing with the public, another spokesperson can advocate more radical positions in a few years, or maybe even you.

Assessing Community Needs

Look for what the general public is complaining about and try to find a way to explain your goals through that lens. For example, people concerned about the closing of a local factory are prime targets for anti-globalization efforts. They can be the white middle class families that will hit Amerikans in the heart. Helping locals by organizing a labor union will get you good exposure to ordinary Americans who are in trouble and have an open mind to alternatives to our current corrupted system.

Radicalizing Oppressed Communities

Oppressed minorities and subcultures are often more easily radicalized than the mainstream worker class. Having a much clearer picture of the inherent injustice of our modern CorpGov system, they also provide us with an undeniable reality that middle and upper class college age radicals lack.

Assessing Incipient Revolutionary Groups

Look for groups that are being adversely affected by the same or similar circumstances that your group is opposing. It is important to investigate for possible conflicts of interest before perusing a relationship.

Contact

All social groups have those that stand out as leaders. It is important to know that in nearly all cases these leaders do not speak for the whole population, but they are a good starting point to muster as much support as possible. Places of worship, prominent families, and union leadership are good places to start. If you happen to meet a hip minister or preacher, they are often excellent public speakers as well.

Seniors

A group often overlooked are seniors, often thrown away by therest of society they often would love to trade some light effort for a bit more of the limelight. If you can recruit a sharp committed retirement age person to your leadership council it will go a long way to making a mostly youth based movement appear respectable enough for those who want to believe. Recruiting a retired cadre means you have people not so worried about making a living who can work on your groups outreach projects while sharing a lifetime worth of experience and history.

Working Together

It is important that you provide support to your partner organization or group if you expect to get help when you need it. It is worth keeping track of the support you receive when deciding how much you should be sharing in financial and time resources, make sure you are both sharing resources fairly. Publicizing social and activist ties strengthens both of your organizations. As the old saying goes, there is much strength in numbers.

Avoiding Conflict

There will almost always be points of conflict or at least disagreement between your groups. It is important to make an agreement possibly even in writing to avoid divisive questions and topics especialy at press confrences and public addresses. Instead of emphasizing the points of disagreement stress where you are in harmony.

Cost to Benefit Ratio

It is important to consider the costs of partnering with a very controversial, violent, unpopular group, or even an aimless group, even if they do have similar aims and grievances. Bad coalitions may actually hurt your message with the general WASP public. For example, Martin Luther King's Civil Rights movement was considered more acceptable when compared to the frightening armed blacks following Malcom X, a clear and present danger in the minds of many white Amerikans, giving them an less of an excuse to just ignore the whole civil rights movement. Likewise, publicly allying with the ELF (for example) is probably not a good idea, since they've been branded "terrorists" by CorpGov, but use them as the radical fringe that you can be the acceptable moderate for. We can't please everyone, nor do we want to, it is our job to change them, but remember to look toward your future when forming a coalition.

Tree sitting

Last updated: 2 April 2011

Born out of frustration at the failure of road blockades to defend ancient forests for more than an hour or two, tree sitting became an essential part of the Green Anarchist's toolbox. Possibly the hardest form of civil disobedience to break up, relying entirely on the support of a group of well co-ordinated brothers and sisters. If the site is already set up, you will have no problem getting any information you need, there are usually always experienced climbers willing to give workshops and sometimes lend visitors safety harnesses & ropes, but if they put a lot of time into helping you don't just dash on the second day because they also need your help to defend the trees. If you want to save your own old growth forest get some friends together and read on.

1 Where to Set up
2 Setting up Camp
2.1 Cooking fires
2.2 Communal beds
2.3 Kitchen bender
2.3.1 Hygiene
2.4 Nutters
2.5 Wood bender
2.6 Toilet
2.7 Post Box
3 Climbing the tree
3.1 Trees without branches
4 Building your home in the tree
5 Living in the tree
6 Preventing Extraction
6.1 Preparation For An Eviction
6.2 During an Eviction
6.3 Stashes
6.4 Nets
6.5 Lock Down
6.6 Suspended Platform Cable Lock-Ons
6.7 Walkways
6.7.1 Walkway Seats
6.8 Act dangerously
6.9 Keeping away climbers
6.9.1 Climber-Proof Platforms
6.10 Keeping away the cherry pickers
6.10.1 Supporters on the ground
6.10.2 Ladders and Poles
6.10.3 Dams
6.10.4 Roadblocks
6.10.4.1 Scrap Cars
6.10.4.2 Tire Punctures
6.10.4.3 Bridges
6.10.4.4 Railway tracks
6.10.4.5 Tripods
6.10.4.6 Bipods
6.10.4.7 Monopoles
6.10.5 Tunneling
6.10.5.1 Starting Off
6.10.5.2 Tunnelling Basics
6.10.5.3 Shoring
6.10.5.4 Light
6.10.5.5 Digging Further
6.10.5.6 Air
6.10.5.7 Tunnel Doors
6.10.5.8 Lock-ons
6.10.5.9 Concrete
6.10.5.10 Fortifying The Entrance
6.10.5.11 Living underground
6.10.5.12 Eviction!
6.10.5.13 Tools and Equipment
6.10.5.14 Eviction Stashes
6.10.5.15 Imperial/Metric conversion
7 Publicize
7.1 Positive Defensive Tactics
7.2 Banner Drop
7.3 Build a Website
7.4 Write an Article
7.5 Call the local newspaper
7.6 Witness Camp
8 Other Tactics
8.1 Sky Raft
8.2 Tower
9 List of current tree sits

Where to Set up

Walk the threatened area, with accurate route maps, until you are familiar with the terrain. Don't waste valuable time and resources by setting up in the wrong place! There are many things to look for when choosing your site.

Trees: It's obviously better to be out of reach of the bailiffs. At 90 to 100 ft most cherry-picker hydraulic platforms become redundant. Therefore trees above this height gain strategic importance.
Water features: Camps surrounded by water are difficult to get eviction vehicles into. Existing access, such as bridges, are easy to blockade or remove. Water makes flooding the site possible, either before or, more spectacularly, during an eviction!
Boggy land & marsh: Has similar advantages to water features and may be even better as you can't bridge a marsh.
Steep slopes: These are good for digging tunnels into, and make their cherry-picking difficult as bulldozers will need first to flatten out a work space.
Footpaths & rights of way: Makes your access easier. They should need a closure order during eviction.
Good access: Good for spreading the word, gaining support and getting donations.
Resources: A site with drinking water and firewood nearby will make life easier.
Areas most threatened: If you know contractors want to move onto a specific strategic area, for example to set up a compound, get in there first! Priority should be given to occupying ecologically and symbolically important areas. However, don't trash them!

So the best you could hope for would be a tall office block next to a well-loved nature reserve, surrounded by tall trees, on a hill criss-crossed with footpaths, on an island in a bog surrounded by rivers, in an old minefield!

The more camps you set up, the greater the demands for support, supplies and staff. Be realistic about how many camps are set up, and discuss the best strategic approach for the campaign as a whole.

Setting up Camp

Make sure that you don't trash the area you are protecting. Plan ahead to avoid recurring problems and think of all the elements needed for an outdoor existence. Decide where you will put the fire pit, sleeping space, kitchen area, firewood, storage areas and toilets. Mark out paths and stick to them. If it gets really muddy, lay down sawdust, brash or planks.

Cooking fires

The fire pit is the natural centre of the camp. Don't cook on fires made from treated wood, i.e. pallets, fence posts or furniture. Never burn elder, laburnum, rhododedron or laurel on open fires the smoke from these is poisonous only use them in efficient, unsmoky wood burners. Seasoned hard woods give off more heat than crappy pine, also, ash and hazel burn green - useful to know if you're living in the middle of a chainsaw massacre.

A billhook or machete is essential for splitting wet kindling very finely, so it will burn. However don't be caught with it in your hand when police storm the camp.

Communal beds

Sleeping space positioned away from the core of the camp will assist peaceful sleep. Warm communal benders with clean bedding, and separate areas for men and women, are essential if you expect people to stay. Benders are cheap, low impact, semi-permanent dwellings. They are made by bending long coppiced hazel poles and tying them together to form a dome or cylinder. Then pull a tarpaulin or plastic sheet over the top. A bender with bed raised from the floor on pallets and a small wood burner can make a comfy and warm home.

Kitchen bender

Kitchens should be covered and food preparation areas raised well off the ground out of reach of dogs. Kitchens must be kept hygienic; it is a good idea to boil up all utensils several times a week, to reduce bug biomass! Store food in old filing cabinets or strong metal boxes to prevent rodents eating the lot. Store clean, dry bedding and spare clothes somewhere off the ground, covered and dry. Make sure you have a comprehensive first aid kit and a small fire extinguisher, and that everyone knows where they are.

Strangely enough, all protest kitchens always contain the same six items:

half a sack of green potatoes
some carrots, a cabbage
some rice
some tinned tomatoes
some red kidney beans which no-one willever be bothered to cook.

So if you are going to visit a protest camp, don't bring these things. Bring exciting things like vegan cake, pickles, cheese, hummus or filter coffee (essential for night shift).

Hygiene

When you cut yourself, wash the wound in water with a few drops of tea tree or lavender essential oils or commercial disinfectant in and put a bandage on it. A rag boiled for 20 minutes and dried makes a sterile dressing. Cobwebs are good, with natural coagulent and antiseptic properties, but don't get dusty ones with dead bluebottles in. Blackhorn scratches rapidly turn septic so be extra careful with them. Try to discourage people from washing their hands in the washing up water to prevent the spread of impetigo. For nits, get plentiful supplies of chemical death nit lotion or try boiled quassia chips, although they don't work for everyone. Cider vinegar helps loosen the eggs if you can get a Napp comb through your locks; a swift haircut works very well if you can't.

Bergamot, lavender, rosemary, geranium and eucalyptus essential oils all repel further head lice invasions once you have got rid of them, but what with the cider vinegar you do end up smelling like a salad dressing.

Scabies looks like an intensely itchy rash of small red pinprick spots. Most doctors can't diagnose it and it's hell to get rid of. What to do? Immerse yourself in lindane or other nerve poisons? Try alternative therapies, and risk infecting others? I dunno: that's your choice. In the meantime, tell everybody, machine wash all your clothes and bedding and leave in disgrace.

Try Corsodol mouthwash or a few drops of tincture of myrrh for gingivitis, and be careful who you snog.

Nutters

You will eventually find a few of these around the camp fire. I don't know how they get there, but they do. Protest camps don't really function well as the last post of care-in-the-community. While some nutters are gentle and lovely, if anyone is being genuinely disruptive, threatening or violent then its a very good idea to get together and put them on a train to somewhere else before the pressures they put on the community forces others to leave. This is a particular problem in urban camps or community squats. You may have to refuse to operate an open door policy, otherwise nutters and gangsters end up in the majority, and then you're fucked.

Plenty of meetings and decision making structures ensure that all decisions are communal and camps are non hierarchical. While it is good to get together to hear what everyone has to say, it's also important to stay spontaneous, unstructured and free of rigid bureaucracy.

Wood bender

For keeping cut wood out of the wet to be seasoned. Firewood should always be dead and preferably seasoned for about two years. Elder releases poisonous fumes when burnt. Dead wood in woodlands is full of insects, fungi, mosses and loads of other creatures and is ecologically rich. Always leave rotten wood and some vertically standing dead wood. To avoid damaging the woodland around the camp, ask for donations of untreated firewood (i.e. not painted or varnished).

Toilet

A shit pit will work temporarily, Compost toilet's are better for enticing guests. Build well away from the kitchen area and water sources. Have a bowl with water and soap for hand washing.

Post Box

When you've set up your camp, build a post-box near a road, send the camp a letter, and inform the post office in writing that you are there. Use the postcode of the nearest house. A letter to the camp may come in useful in court when fighting eviction orders. The camp should have air horns and whistles to use as an emergency signal if attacked.

Climbing the tree

BE SURE TO READClimbing in the SERE section to safely negotiate heights! Training, gear, and an experienced patner is invaluable and can avoid nasty broken bones, permanent paralysis, or death from a bad fall!

You have to climb the tree monkey style first to attach a line.

Watch out for dead branches; they won't take your weight. If you have to tread on one then put your foot jammed up right next to the trunk and you should be ok. Then go and get a saw and cut the rest of the limb off to prevent someone else from falling their death. It's also seasoned firewood.

You can tie a load of alpine butterfly knots in a climbing rope and run it down the tree to provide safe clip-on points for clambering about.

Use your feet, not your knees because it gives you more control, and also that way you don't mash your knee joints up and get osteoarthritis.

Once up find a strong, accessible branch. Tie half a figure of eight a few metres from one end of your climbing rope. (If the rope is going to be up for a while, you may want to tape some carpet tightly around the branch to protect the tree).

Wrap the rope once around the tree, then feed it back through the knot. Finish off with a line a half hitches or if you want to be flash, use a fisherman's knot. Tape the ends of the rope together.

Your climbing rope must reach all the way to the ground. If it's too long, tie the excess up in a knot so it doesn't trail in the mud.

Trees without branches

You can shimmy up tree trunks if you hold onto them tightly enough, but this is a cheat method. (These methods only work for trunks which are narrow enough for a person to reach around.)

1. Wrap a long tape around the trunk of the tree and back through itself, then attach it to a small carabiner and clip this onto your main carabiner. 2. Wrap another long tape around and put your foot in it. 3. Stand up. Move the waist loop up. Sit down. Move the foot loop up. 4. If you come to a branch sticking out, wrap a third tape with a carabiner on around the trunk above the branch and clip this onto your main carabiner. Unclip your other waist tape and carry on up.

Building your home in the tree

You will need:

Hammer
Nails
Saw
Knife
Lighter
Polypropylene rope for lashing, at least 4mm thick
Joists, Pallets or Planks for flooring
A canvas tarpaulin for a house that will be lived in, or plastic sheeting for a temporary, summer affair.
Carpet and underlay or flattened carboard boxes for insulation
Bender poles, that is, coppiced hazel or willow shoots (or any wood that bends) best cut in autumn to avoid damaging the tree.
Wide gauge bit + brace or sharp chisel.
Also for winter, a burner (can be welded from a gas bottle) with a lenght of pipe for chimmney and some aluminium or steel sheeting
You will also need a long rope for hauling things up, someone on thee ground to help, and a tree.

Method:

1.Climb the tree. (You cannot see the structure from the ground)
2. Find a place where your joists can be tied that is approximately level. Joists may also be suspended using strong 8mm rope to the trunk. Build your treehouse on thick sturdy branches as high as you practically can but not so high you're in the birds nests.
3. Lash more joists across. The number needed depends upon the strenght of your flooring. Dont forget to melt the ends of the rope with a lighter to prevent fraying.
4. Split the pallets and nail the boards across the joists. It is a good idea to tie a length if rope to your saw and hammer then tie them to the tree.
5. Drill or chisel hales in the edge of the platform, trim the fat ends of the bender poles to fit the holes
6. Now nail in the benderpoles and skillfully weave them into an organic whole or cheat and use string and gaffa tape.
7. Drape the tarpaulin over and tie it on.
8. Fit underlay, carpet and the burner. Cut a hole where the stack pipe comes out and fix a piece of aluminium sheeting around the flue. Light the burner regularly to drive out damp. You can put a window in too if you like, funky. Move in.

Tie a large safety net below the platform so you can move around without your harness on, but try to stay tied in when possible.

Finally prepare a cargo line for receiving supplies.

Living in the tree

rfImage:Tree-sit.jpg

Remember to tie everything down, there's nothing worse than your dinner of tinned soup rolling off the edge to be collected by loggers below.

Make it homely; lay carpet down, hang up your pots and pans.

Being in the tree and sticking it to the Freddies should be enough of a high for anyone, don't drink, smoke, trip, or get high.

It never hurts to wear a climbing emergency rescue belt with a well anchored safety line attached using a carabiner, especially at night.

Many people use mobile phones to stay in touch and transmit photos, sometimes you will need a nerd friend to solder on a special external antenna to boost the reception, a solar cell or crank generator should power your phone just fine. Have a backup SIM if your first is disconnected for some reason. Have a mission control person who checks in on your condition several times a day and keeps the phone bill paid up. A radio can be useful as a backup to the phone and communication between sits, know that both the phone and radio are probably tapped.

Keep all fire and fuel away from ropes and climbing equipment. Take a fire extinguisher up if you can: one tree sitter learned this after stamping out 3 fires in a day. You're living in a very fire hazardous environment.

Store all of your waste including toilet and lower it to your supporters to dispose of, there is no reason to nasty up the forest under one or two trees with concentrated human waste and trash.

Remember that your tarp cover can be used to collect both rain and dew, having this alternate way to stay hydrated can extend a sit once the freddies put you under siege.

Have plans to ease boredom, books are OK but have a plastic bag for them, musical instruments are better as they can cause despair in the hearts of the loggers, electronic gadgets are prone to excessive wear and require batteries.

Keep a lookout, in federal and state forests you are on public land and you will probably be warned of superfreddie climbers unless it is nighttime. On private land they can close the roads and get away with more so be careful.

Drink enough to pee frequently and avoid bladder infection, especially women. Vegan is a good idea even if you don't keep that way at home, food poisoning from shared meals tainted with bad meat or eggs can wipe out a whole sit, also always wash your hands especially after toilet.

Recycled plastic buckets with good lids protect food and your stuff from rain, bugs, and furry forest friends.

Remember to enjoy it, don't let the politics get in the way of you having an amazing time, this could be the best time of your life.

Preventing Extraction

Protest evictions are a huge experience, the like of which many people never see in the whole of their lives. If the atmosphere is kept as light as possible, it can be an empowering experience. In reality the actions of bailiffs and police, and sometimes fellow protesters, can cause huge amounts of stress and grief. To minimise this, prepare yourselves physically and mentally. Learn from past evictions as we have to be more innovative and inventive each time if we are to successfully resist an eviction.

Preparation For An Eviction

Communication in a siege situation is difficult. Prepare CBs, mobile phones or even learn / devise a system of sign language or semaphore. •A place for evicted people to regroup is important for mutual support, licking wounds and planning the next course of action. •Prepare legal support for arrested people, and arrange Action Observers. •Observe local roads and newspapers for road closure notices. •Activities like checking out local tree surgeons, aerial platform hire depots, and Sheriff's offices, could give a tip- off. •Stash supplies of food, water, bedding, clothes, paper clips, a first aid kit, spare rope, tools and climbing gear. •Hold trainings, briefings and meetings to share useful past experiences and fears. It may help confidence to discuss and decide your personal limits, before the eviction. •Consider finding someone prepared to liaise with police and bailiffs over safety issues during the eviction. •Organise office support and media liaison. •Have a 24 hour look-out and ensure good route monitoring (see 'route monitoring' in Chapter 8). •Be especially vigilant at times the Sheriff might expect the camp to be low on numbers (e.g. big actions elsewhere). •Store valuable personal gear (like musical instruments) somewhere safe. •Prepare bags and transport for possessions on the big day. •Double-check your defences. Make sure that you leave prominent warning signs on any obstacle you build.

The first view of an eviction is likely to be a sea of police and bailiffs in uniform, wearing headgear. Once in riot gear, people seem to be de-humanised, they can't hear you clearly, their vision is impaired and some seem to think they are "Robo-cop".

During an Eviction

During long periods of eviction, actions to prevent their key players (e.g. the undersheriff and specialist climbers) from arriving are well worth considering. Observation of known meeting points, tailing of plant, climbers and tree surgeons each day could provide valuable information. People not at the site of the eviction could do simultaneous solidarity actions, such as occupying the roof of the undersheriffs house, and picketing the bailiffs' hotel all night.

Work out who is going to defend what and make sure that all the defences are occupied. Positioning during evictions is key. Rather than scattering, support each other and work in teams.

Your personal manner may determine how you are treated. Relating to bailiffs is difficult. The nature of their job is despicable. Protesters have dealt with them in different ways, ranging from hostile contempt to friendly conscience challenging (if you can find their conscience). The more friendly your demeanour, the better you are likely to be treated.

Locking on in pairs with some sort of sound recording equipment can be wise. Look out for one another and record relevant incidents. Record as much as you can, on film, and paper.

Stashes

Bumbag or rucksack
Warm waterproof clothes (if everyone wears similar ones, it makes the police evidence gatherers' job harder).
Face paints / balaclavas / hoods
Folding knife (for cutting rope and walkways)
Food and water
Spare climbing rope (for escape or to abseil onto a digger / cherry-picker)
Harness (worn under your clothing) and wrist clip
Torch or head torch
Hammock
Camera
Handcuffs,
thumb cuffs,
D-locks,
chains
Lighters for fags and stoves
Bog roll and plastic bags/buckets (you may need to shit whilst up the trees).

Nets

Strong cargo nets can be strung between several trees to allow you to move around easily and sit in them during evictions, defending several trees at once. The best form of access is a walkway you can cut during an eviction. However, nets are a sitting target for cherry-pickers. Alternatively, climbers can lower the whole net down.

Lock Down

When the Freddies are ascending and you're stuck feeling nervous and helpless, not wanting to fight and give forest defenders a bad name. Make their evil job that much more difficult and give the tree that extra few hours of life by putting your arms round the tree and into a lockbox. This will also appeal to the public by showing that you are dedicated enough to put your bodies on the line; Lock Boxes are descended from a long heritage of non-violent civil disobedience that many civilians find less threatening than other brands of direct action. See Lock Boxes

Build lock-ons in chimney pots, hollowed out tree stumps, holes in the ground (with buried scaff poles anchoring them in place), in trees, in tunnels, EVERYWHERE. THen try and find people who will commit themselves to being drilled out of them.

THe idea is that the evicting baliffs have to angle grind through the metal, kango hammer through the concrete and then pick out all the other little bits by hand to get to the tube to cut the strap that's attached to your wrist.

Of course, the other way they can get you out is to torture you until you unclip (pepper spray directly to the eyes). They have been known to send a little camera down the tube to check whether you really are handcuffed, and then apply extreme pressure if you are not. Foil this by smearing grease around the inside of the tube and shoving some rags or newspaper down to obscure their view.

Lock-ons should be made weeks ahead of time, as the concrete needs time to go off. Ingredients vary but usually 1 part cement, 6 parts fine, clean sand, and one part clean gravel - 10ml chipping. Get the sand and stone from builder's merchants and wash any other lumps of metal, ceramic, glass or quartz that you chuck in. Mix the dry ingredients for the concrete, then add clean water and keep stirring all the time. Washing up liquid strengthens the mix.

Alternatively you could get some money together and get Readymix to deliver some extra together and get Readymix to deliver some extra tough stuff, why not make all the lock-ons first in someone's garage, using power tools and then turn up, install them and fill with concrete.

Check that the lock-on is comfortable for you, pad the top of the tube. Sort out your stash and keep the tube covered so it doesn't collect water.

Don't lock on until the very last minute and try to go to the loo first. Use your left arm, if you are right handed, and since you are in a vulnerable position, wear a silly outfit and keep it fluffy.

Suspended Platform Cable Lock-Ons

This involves locking onto the thing which is supporting you so you can't be cut free without falling. It consists of a lock-on on a platform suspended by steel cable from a number of trees. To build, pass a long length of steel cable around the back of two groups of trees, crossing it over to form a figure-of-eight, and tension it off tightly enough to support the platform and lock-on. Protect the trees with carpet. The cable is not attached to the trees and is held up by the tension and by the branches it passes over. Have the cable make contact with as few trees as possible.

Build walkways (to be cut before the eviction) to give you good access for working on the platform and the cross formed by the figure of eight. Lash a long and sturdy wooden cross, on which to build your platform later, to the cable cross. Form another figure-of-eight around different trees or round the same trees in a different way. Tension this one off too.

The basic principle is to lock-on, via an arm tube to or near the cable cross. The lock-on can be as well protected as you want it to be. The key to the success of this platform lies in its construction, which prevents bailiffs getting good enough access to it to work on the lock-on. For stability, to reduce their access by cherry-picker, and to confuse them, build more figure-of-eight loops and pass them through the lock-on as well.

In the past, bailiffs have built a scaffolding tower up to the platform. Building the platform as high as possible, or over water, would make this more difficult. Prepare for a long stay.

Walkways

Build a circular course of high ropes between trees where you are connected to an upper wire and belay cable with ropes and carabineers. Lumber companies or CorpGov will usually only employ one climber or crane to get you down keep moving from tree to tree and you can play cat and mouse with them all night. You can even build a hidden zip line for a quick escape once you've caused the logging company ultimate annoyance.

Image:High-rope-course.jpg

They will want to cut walkways to isolate you. This can be done from the ground using a scythe-on-a-pole, except with steel cable. They may give up if you try to pinch the top section! Alternatively they may use a weighted wire saw on a rope, which they throw over the walkway and pull. Otherwise, they may cut them from up the trees or in a cherry-picker.

It is essential to occupy walkways to stop them from being cut. You will also be defending two trees at once. If you clip onto the top line, they are likely to cut the bottom one leaving you hanging. The climber may then come for you on a pulley. If you can't escape, tie a prussik loop to the walkway so they have problems pulling you away. If you aren't clipped on, they hopefully won't cut the ropes but just chase you along the walkway. If they catch you, they will either attach a lanyard to your harness (so wear it under your clothing), or around your body and lower you to the ground. Alternatively, they may try to grab you from a cherry-picker.

Many protesters carry knives when living out doors: for cutting rope, carving wood or chopping vegetables. On a few occasions at Newbury in 1996, when protesters used them during evictions to cut ropes being tied around them, the courts misinterpreted this as cutting bailiffs' safety ropes. This led to several people getting unusually harsh sentences - prison - for Obstructing a Sheriff. The knives were visible in police video evidence.

The most effective walkway defence technique we know of is also the most dangerous. It should be practised at ground level. It involves lying on top of a single rope, facing the climbers and unclipping your safety line. When they get close to you, let go of the rope and put your hands behind your back. This requires good balance.

Any approach they make will seriously endanger your life. Make this extremely clear to them. If you consider this tactic, pad your chest, stomach and groin, as it hurts! If they have cherry-pickers, they will just pull you into the bucket.

Walkway Seats

These should be very effective on cherry-picker proof sites. Start by building two walkways with two parallel top lines, the tree trunk's width apart.

In the eviction you can balance a wooden seat across the top two lines and sit on it. If the climbers interfere with the top two lines, you will fall off.

Act dangerously

By acting reckless you creat a situation in which the police risk serious injury to themselves or to you in attempting to remove you.

Take off your harness and climb to the top and wave it at them.

Create a board of death by tieing 2 pieces of long rope high up in the tree and place a board on a steardy branch and ease out with you and a freind maintaining balance by keeping the rope taught creating a long seesaw, from which no single occupant can be removed without dropping the other.

Suspended yourself in strutcures hanging from the tree on frames and even bathtubs can be used.

Keeping away climbers

Look for pinch points, (e.g. forks in trees, defendable platforms) and hold them off there for as long as possible. Push their hands away and prevent them from throwing ropes higher up the tree. Place your feet on their shoulders and state that you will push down if they push up. *Stay mobile, and flee if they are about to capture you. Aim to end up at your most defendable spot (i.e. lock-on, monopole etc).
Put up barbed and wired fencing, apply grease to be extra safe, if they try to clip it put your body in the way
Nail greased up coragated metal sheets to stop climbers with spiked boots
A collar of barbed wire directly below the tree sit, again greased up. The main thing with collars is to make sure that they’re really thoroughly nailed on, you need to put a lot of nails in, which isn't good for the tree, unfortunately. But if you'd rather set up 1 inpenetrable tree that might die and saving the forest eco-system than not do it and just inevitably lose go for it.
Hanging a gas bottle amongst the coils of barbed wire will freak out a climber but might not look too good in a potential court hearing.

Climber-Proof Platforms

These are designed with a platform surrounding the trunk of the tree. The only access is a lockable trap-door. The tree needs to be the tallest tree possible to prevent climber access from other nearby trees. If there are no branches immediately below the platform, climber access becomes even more difficult.

However, these platforms are vulnerable to cherry-pickers. Scaffold poles sticking out from the platform would hinder cherry-picker access; grease them to prevent climbers using them.

Incorporate lock-ons into all defensive structures. Well-placed lock-ons can block machine access and prevent tree felling. The physical obstacles you create need an aspect of novelty and humour to help to lighten the atmosphere.

Keeping away the cherry pickers

A steep bank will work short term but the greater you show your dedication the more chance of you reaching an agreement with the "owners".

Supporters on the ground

Lock onto it before it gets to you. You could also capture it by chaining it to the tree by using tough chain or cable. You could try overloading the bucket with people. The arm may then freeze or just lower slowly. This hasn't been done successfully yet. We estimate you'll need at least 6 people, all committed to going for it. There is a fear that it may topple over... Perhaps do some research.

Ladders and Poles

A ladder or a single pole can be placed to protrude above the tree canopy. This will cause problems for climbers and may even put you out of reach of cherry-pickers. This works best with straight-trunked trees such as conifers.

Haul the pole or ladder up the tree and fix it to the highest part of the tree that you think will be safe. If using a single pole, attaching several scaffolding clips to its base will give you something to lash to.

Use a plank and a rope to establish a seat at the top. Use at least four 6 inch nails, bent into an 'S' shape, as hooks to hang your seat from the end of the scaffold pole. You can lock onto a ladder.

Eviction Access Points When building, plan for where the security cordon is likely to be during the eviction and have several hidden access routes outside it. For instance, you could have two lengths of fishing line running between two trees, one tree within the camp, the other outside of where any cordon might be. Both fishing lines are attached, at their camp end, to a long length of polyprop, the other end of which is already tied to a tree within the camp. The two lengths of rope should be tied, some 1.5m (vertically) apart. The length of rope will be less obvious if stored coiled, perhaps in a plastic bag. During the eviction, activists can climb the tree outside the cordon and pull the (invisible) fishing line until they reach the lengths of polyprop. By tying these off and tensioning them to their tree, they can form walkways to get across into the camp.

Dams

Flooding a camp makes it somewhat machinery-proof. Beware of flooding your own ground lock-ons. Also make sure that you don't cause damage to sensitive habitat or de-stabilise the trees. How to build: 1.Secure a long beam or scaffold pole across the river. Tie it to trees or stakes on either bank of the river. 2.Attach beams from this to the river bed, pointing upstream, at an angle of about 45 degrees. 3.Cover it in tarpaulin, soaked wet and weighted at the bottom. 4.If necessary, dig channels to help the river flood.

Roadblocks

Only short-term but could give someone enough time who is hanging around on the forest floor to head up into the trees. On the other hand once in, they attempt to isolate the camp themselves by cutting off all access routes you may not want to do their job for them.

Obstructing a road or gateway without the need for people is a good delaying tactic. It is particularly useful for a first line of defence; whilst the enemy dismantle your barricades, you have time to get into lock-ons and set off phone trees, etc. Remember that most barricades will only delay people on foot by seconds, however.

A simple trench can achieve a lot. Dig it as wide as possible, and about as deep as wide. Wheeled vehicles will be stopped, but tracked vehicles will bridge all but the widest trench. The spoil can be used to build a bank, but move it well behind the trench, or bulldozers will just use it to fill it in again!

Barricades can be made with anything - logs, scaffold poles, metal sheets, masonry, barrels and old cars for example. Metal poles pointing outwards at an angle of 45 degrees will mean that only bulldozers will risk pushing against the structure. Intertwine everything so it holds together, using rope or wire. Burying or concreting the foundations into the ground will massively increase the strength of the barricade.

Tank-traps were used to great effect in the defence of Claremont Road from eviction in December 1994. Make one by clipping and welding together three or more scaffold poles into a 3-dimensional star, and concreting the structure almost half way into the ground.

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Scrap Cars

You can buy these very cheaply, and register them with a false name and address. Be aware that driving an unroadworthy, uninsured, untaxed car will get you arrested if you're stopped. You can use scrap cars to quickly blockade a gate, road, motorway, or just about anything. Lock- ons can be built into the car to make them an even more potent tool, or you can just lock onto the chassis. To start the blockade, quickly immobilise the car by slashing tyres, removing wheels, or turning it over.

See Lock Boxes for locking yourself inside one.

Tire Punctures

Anything can be used from simply nails hammered through an upside down board to caltrops. Caltrops are nasty, small, multi-spiked metal objects, designed so that they always lie with a point upwards. They puncture the tyres of any vehicle which drives over them, and so can be placed on access roads or tossed under the wheels. They should only be used on a slow-moving or stationary vehicle. There are many problems with caltrops. They are dangerous to drivers if used on a fast-moving vehicle, and to people and animals if trodden on. If you are caught using or even carrying them, you are likely to be arrested for possession of an offensive weapon, or perhaps something more serious. Because they look menacing, the police will happily use them to discredit your campaign by calling them "weapons". They are not even a particularly reliable vehicle-stopper, as a tyre can miss them. Therefore, we advise thinking very carefully before using caltrops at all.

Bridges

Lower 2 people off either side of the bridge, in harnesses connected to one long rope. Make sure you stop traffic before and alert everyone of the situation.

Railway tracks

Warning this is inherently dangerous. Only do this on private railway, make your presence known to staff and security at site and wait for police before locking down.

Having ensured your presence around the tracks is known and no trains will be leaving until your removed, you can proceeded to lock yourself to the train track using chains, super glue, and/or lockboxes, leave no room for them to get their boltcutters in. It is a good idea to have a legal observer watching from a distance. Once removed, tell the officers there are others locked on down the tracks, even if it isn't true, but if you can keep holding up the track by having 1 person every 100m getting police attention then putting their arms round the tracks and into lockboxes. Remember to give a Risk Assessment of the cutting operation required to the police and take ample safety measures to ensure there will be no danger to the train, the train driver, the police or the protesters. See Ffos-y-fran railway protest for refrence.

Tripods

Tripods have successfully been used as a mobile, easily-erected blockade. They are made from easily obtainable materials - scaffold poles from building sites, or long, straight tree trunks (use their work against them!). Sustained tripod sits in conspicuous places near major roads are a good campaign advert and focal point.

If you have rope or short scaffold poles fixed about 5 foot from the top of the tripod, they won't be able to lower the tripod by pulling it's legs apart. At Newbury in 1996, security guards used a LandRover with a roof rack, which they reversed in under the tripod apex. They stood on the roof and pulled down the sitter, after cutting any handcuffs or locks. It may be worth working on LandRover-proofing; for instance, positioning the tripod so they can't drive under it, or overlapping the legs of several tripods for mutual protection. Cherry-pickers have also been used.

For your basic tripod, acquire: 3 scaff-poles, about 25 feet long; 2 swivelling scaff-clips; and some rope - cheap, blue polypro is fine and a spanner for the nuts on the clips. You also need a fairly large space for fixing them, experimenting + practising.

It is tricky to get the clips fitted on so that the poles can be parallel as well as erect into tripods.

See the assembly as 2 main poles in an ‘A’ shape, plus a 3rd pole to prop them up.

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The clip for the 3rd pole has to be about a foot below the main poles clip, to allow the main poles to close over it, and the central swivel of the clip should be at roughly 120 degrees round the pole from that of the main clip.

Experiment until you get the clips placed so that the poles can lie parallel and open into a tripod.

With iron poles you will probably need at least 5 people to erect it - which is done after first spreading the feet of the ‘A’, while simultaneously raising the 3rd foot:

At least one strong person to lift each of the 2 main legs by walking down beneath it from apex to base; one person to pull the 3rd leg out to prop up the ‘A’; and one person with their foot braced against the base of each main pole to stop it skidding forward. These bracers must concentrate. If a foot slips the whole thing can crash down on someone’s head.

With lighter aluminium poles you might manage with 3 poles

Once it's erected, at least one person must shin up a pole at the speed of light, to be out of reach at the top.

A simple circumference rope tying the 3 poles together about 3 feet from the top can be fixed in advance and then stood on by up to 3 people.

A hammock sling is more comfortable and rather stylish. Make it out of a length of strong, light material, such as tip-stop nylon, knotted at either end, with the 2 ends of a short rope tied securely just inside these knots. The rope can be strung over your shoulders as you shin up, and slipped over the poles at the top.

For extra stability and a convivial number at the top, you can install 3 short horizontal poles - with clips. Leave each short pole dangling from one clip until the tripod is up, and then do up the 2nd clip. Don’t forget the spanner. A climbing harness and slings make the job easier. You may need more people to lift it as it will be heavy.

A tripod lacking these extra bars can be stabilised against accidental slippage, though not against attack, with a circumference rope linking the legs 2 or 3 feet above the ground. Exhaust or big jubilee-clips are useful to stop this rope riding up.

Practice putting it up, shambles develops into lightening expertise. When sorted out, paint ‘L’, 'R' + 'M' (left, right, middle) on the foot ends of the poles, the sides facing up as they lie ready to be raised. The ‘M’ pole should lie uppermost.

When the moment comes, rush the poles into the rode and erect them fast fast fast behind a traffic stopping banner.

Bipods

These haven't been used in Britain, but have successfully blocked logging roads in the US and Australia. They generally need careful assembly in advance.

A bipod can be incorporated between two tripods, linked with a rope or further poles via the apex of each structure. The stability of the bipod depends entirely on its link to the two tripods. This method defends a larger area than separate tripods.

Monopoles

These haven't been used much. They can be dug vertically into the ground and shinned up to create an obstacle. Alternatively, you could perch them at bizarre angles, fixing one end, to form a cantilever, and dangle from the free end! There are lots of variations on this basic technique. All look fairly dangerous.

Tunneling

If you're willing to devote the time to digging a system of tunnels strategically surrounding the trees it will make the ground unstable for heavy machinery, an underground camp can be effective at blocking heavy machinery and excavation work. Tunnels are also very difficult for police to clear out. Be sure to have proper air circulation set up, and have your resources in there with you before you hole up.

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Starting Off

Gather your tools together - at first all you need is a spade or shovel (trenching tools can be quite effective) - and find a place to start. Pick a spot close to the main area of the camp, or fire pit: firstly; this is where other potential tunnellers will be (and you'll be after bucketeers before long!), but more importantly it minimises the danger of the tunnel being pigged with no-one in it when the eviction starts. Bear in mind that eviction could come any time, and therefore you need to get inside quickly.

If you have a bank (or cliff) to tunnel into this means you can get quite deep quickly. This gives flexibility as, when sufficiently deep, there is nothing to stop you tunnelling up as well as down! - the more complex the tunnel, the more difficult it is to evict, and the more opportunity there is for cunning defences. One big problem that is worth considering at this stage is that of water, of the unwanted kind. Wet tunnels are unpleasant; flooded tunnels can be a write-off.

A shelter over the shaft will keep out rainwater and run-off; and drainage channels may be required to remove groundwater; (though if you dig into a hill-side, the slope will probably be efficient enough at removing water). More importantly you may strike water underground. Dramatic gushings-in of water are unheard of; but slow leaks are a common problem. Woodland tunnels tend to be dry; whereas those underground fields tend to be wet: trees soak up groundwater; and fields are quoggy morasses. So you've picked your spot? Then onto...

Tunnelling Basics

Unless you are digging into a near-vertical face, you will have to dig a vertical shaft first. This is because there needs to be a sufficient thickness of earth above a tunnel for it to be self-supporting. Imagine a 2’ high tunnel, with only 6" of earth above -and what would happen if someone walked over it (if not before)! A good rule of thumb to avoid collapse is to ensure there is a thickness of earth on top (i.e. between the surface and the tunnel roof) that is twice the height of the tunnel you intend to dig.

Another rule of thumb is to have a tunnel width of just over 2’ and a height of 2’ to 2’6", as this gives you a good amount of room to work in quickly, but is not so large as to be unstable. Narrower tunnels can and have been dug but the cramped working area means that it actually takes longer to dig (shovels particularly will be impossible to use effectively), longer to make defences, and longer to spoil out (a very tedious job in the best of conditions). People who dig narrow tunnels often say that it means that those getting you out will have to dig it wider. This is true, but it takes very little time to widen a tunnel when you are digging you will find that once a narrow hole is made, it takes comparatively little time to dig out the earth around it. It is also more feasible to concrete the walls and roof of wide tunnels and it is a lot more work for them to remove concrete than dig out earth. You will find that after concreting the tunnel becomes quite narrow anyway. Narrow tunnels are also less pleasant to live and work in (you can’t move along them easily or quickly, can’t turn around can’t pass other people), and the psychological aspects of being underground continuously for long periods of time in a confined space cannot be underestimated. Basically, narrow tunnels cause you much more hassle than it does them - unfortunately the term ‘wormhole’ has achieved undeserved status in some circles.

So you need a 6’ deep shaft (minimum). It is worth though giving yourself a bit more flexibility and safety with the height; and go to at least 7’6". How much further you go beyond that depends a lot on how much of a rush you are in - if possible go to 10’, or even further. Make the shaft a comfortable width for getting materials (and yourselves!) in and out - about 3’ square is fine.

When digging the shaft buckets will start coming in useful, and hence bucketeers (not to mention people for digging, concreting, etc). You could do it yourself but a one person tunnel team will be tiring, tedious and is unrealistic. Be careful though of entrusting knowledge of a tunnel to people you don’t know well - while there is no point in being paranoid, better to be safe, and genuine people will not be offended by being turned away, or not being allowed further than the entrance shaft, as long as you explain your reasons. In fact it is worthwhile to not allow anyone in the tunnel without the permission of the core group of tunnellers. Some may regard this as too authoritarian or elitist, but it is wise from the point of view of safety, security and simply to stop people, especially ‘tourists’, from getting in the way!

Eventually you will want to start digging inwards. At first there may not be enough room to use the shovel, in which case a lump hammer and chisel/ bolster/trowel will come in useful. Normal trowels tend to disintegrate after being bashed for a few days with a lump hammer, so it is useful finding a friendly blacksmith who will make one out of 1/4" steel. The type of ground you are going through is also relevant - it may be too stony to kick a spade or shovel farm, in which case pick may be more efficient. After awhile you’ll be ready for...

Shoring

Shoring makes things safer, and provides something to fix tunnel doors onto. To what extent you will shore up, and to what degree of elaboration depends on the size of the space you are digging and what you are digging through.

If you are confident enough in the ground you are digging through, you may even want to leave some sections unshored, as those evicting you will probably spend time (and hence money) shoring it themselves. Unshored tunnels are best dug to an arched cross section for safety. This also means they will have to square it off before shoring.

Don’t assume that in an eviction they will spend time shoring it all up themselves unless you have a really long unshored section or it is near the entrance (where it looks good to both the Health & Safety folks and the media). Conversely, they may take out (and replace) anything you do put in, so that they can dig the tunnel wider. Also, shoring with doors attached is likely to be removed with the doors anyway.

So put basic shoring in most of the tunnel. Short bits that are awkward to shore due to their shape may be left out providing you are digging through very solid material. Apart from the safety issue, you need something to fix doors to. Psychologically, people will feel better with tunnels shored.

You will need joists of at least 2" x 3" timber, preferably 2" x 4" or 3" x 3". Pine is easier to work with than hardwoods, and hardwoods are difficult to force (hammer) into place if a tight fit, so you have to cut them to precisely the right length to avoid them being loose. This is easier said than done, as tunnels are never perfectly square or level, so are difficult to measure precisely.

Boards should be 3/4" plywood (or similar). In the UK, boards tends to come in 8’ x 4’ standard sizes, so if you dig to a width of just over 2’, boards can be cut from this by cutting it in two lengthways. Shore in 2’to3’ long sections, with the boards supported at each end by joists.

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The diagram shows how to shore up the roof only, with the upright joists recessed (optionally) into the side walls. To assemble, hold the board up (this is a job best done with two people), and hold up the cross beam at one end (a lump hammer maybe needed if it is a tight fit). Drop the two uprights into pits dug into the floor to a depth of around 4" and hammer (assuming they are a tight fit) them in place at the top. This should be enough to hold up the board while you do likewise with the cross beam and uprights at the other end.

This is fine for the main tunnel, providing the ground is reasonably solid, e.g. most dry clays. If you are going to fix doors to this shoring, it may be better not to recess the joists, hit to surround them in concrete instead to make it more difficult for them to be removed.

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The previous diagram shows full shoring for the roof and sides. Use this for chambers and when tunelling through crumbly ground. Note the spreader (which can be thinner than the other joists) along the bottom which avoids the uprights sinking under pressure, and the extra set of cross beams to avoid the side boards and uprights collapsing inwards. Assemble as for the last method, but put the spreaders in first, and the extra cross beams at the very end. Note that the spreaders and bottom cross beams are recessed into channels dug into the floor. Combine these methods, if you so wish.

You should not have to nail in the shoring; it must be such a tight fit that it needs the lump hammer to get everything in place. However, if you nail the shoring in ‘cosmetically’ after it is done, it makes it more difficult to remove in the eviction. Particularly good are 5" or 6" nails put through the cross beams, through the roofing boards, and into the earth above.

Shoring noticeably makes your tunnel smaller, so you may feel it worthwhile never shoring closer than 2’ to the end of your tunnel, ensuring there is plenty of room to dig. The tunnel roof needs to be level to ensure close contact between the shoring and the tunnel. The larger the gaps, the greater the distance earth will have to fall before it hits the shoring. therefore the greater the forces involved, and the greater the chance of the shoring breaking. A lump hammer plus chisel/bolster/trowel will come in quite useful for levelling the roof and sides, as well as for cutting recesses for the joists. Unfortunately all this can double the time required for digging the tunnel (and that is before you start adding doors etc).

A problem often encountered when fixing doors to shoring is that the shoring is not square, so you either have to make a door to an awkward shape, or have big gaps around the sides. An easy way to avoid this problem is to shore up as follows.

_L^Image:Tunnelling3.jpg

The trick is to dig out the pits in the floor for the uprights with their inside edges (i.e. those nearest the walls) a measured distance apart, say 2’. Then, nail two brackets (scrap wood will suffice) to the cross beam with their outside edges the same distance apart. Put the cross beams in first (you will need to dig recesses in the walls for the cross beams as shown in the diagram, but these will hold them up loosely while you pit the board and uprights in). Now slide the board in. Then, get some tightly fitting uprights and hammer them in till they stop against the brackets. The tops of the uprights will now be the same distance apart as the bottoms. The only other measurement to check is that the diagonals of the aperture are the same - this is to avoid ending up with a parallelogram shape fur the aperture. The aperture, and hence door required for a good fit, will now be square.

The uprights in this instance are a few inches in from the tunnel sides - so you may want to dig it a few inches wider. The reason for this is that they can be concreted in so that the shoring is harder to remove, and it is best if the concrete completely surrounds the uprights. If adjacent sections of shoring are concreted, form the concrete in one continuous block - this makes it much harder to remove than if there are lots of short sections.

These concrete walls can also act as side shoring if an extra cross beam is pit just below the main one at the top (as shown) to prevent collapses from the sides.

Light

You’ll need a source of light, head torches being ideal - with rechargeable batteries if practical. Petzl Zooms are ideal - Megas and Micros are OK, but Megas are more awkward in small spaces due to the bigger battery pack (they are not any brighter than Zooms), while Micros are a bit dim unless you are digging wormholes (in which case they are ideal because there is no large battery pack to get in the way). A Zoom or Mega with halogen bulb, and diffuser if possible, is ideal if you decide to take video footage of the tunnel, although be aware that halogen bulbs reduce battery life by around 7O%. Candles are feasible (don’t listen to anyone who says they eat all your oxygen - candles will go out before you do!), but if you have long hair like me, then using candles in confined spaces tends to result in setting your hair on fire, something I have now done six times.

You will also need candles for the eviction, as they provide the cheapest form of light for reading by, but don’t risk falling asleep with one burning. A tunnel fire could be disastrous - burns, smoke, lack of oxygen - and sleeping bags are highly flammable. For the same reason, don’t do what some people did in Devon and try out lock-ons by candlelight.

[N.B. This information conflicts with other sources who advise minimising candle use by stringing up fairy lights from car batteries. Fire is a very real risk.]

Digging Further

A twisted tunnel, with a variation (doesn’t have to be big) in width and height may be more difficult to evict as it will be more difficult to shore. It will also be more difficult for anyone to predict where it actually goes! Corners and shafts, particularly up-shafts, are going to be more difficult for people to work in, so are good places for doors or lock-ons. You’ll also need to think about chambers, doors and or lock-ons. A lot depends on how much time you have if you have only a week or so until eviction, and little resources to construct doors, then it may be more worthwhile having a succession of lock-ons, arranged so that people have to be dug out one at a time. If you have a bit more time then doors are more effective, providing they are done properly -more of that later. If the eviction is likely to be more than one day, as it hopefully will, you will need a chamber to sleep in, as well as storage areas. If you are going to be there some time and have plenty of time to prepare, a 3’ high and 3’ wide chamber is fine (but make sure its is deep enough to be safe from collapse). This means you can sit up and also curl up when you go to bed (this latter point sounds mundane, but it’s damn annoying kipping in a chamber that stops you doing this!). If you are not going to be there long (which probably means you are in rush to dig the tunnel) a 2’ wide and 2’6" chamber is fine - which is the same as the suggested size of the main tunnel. Storage areas need to branch off the sides, and either alcoves or shelves cut in the wall are fine. The important thing is that once the eviction order is made, you are able to have everything necessary for the eviction down with you all the time without getting in the way of you working. Bucketing becomes a major problem after a while -you’ll find that at some point sacks tied with rope nooses are easier to haul out than buckets. Make sure you have a reasonably long bit of rope, then it’s just a matter of crawling along; pulling the sack up to you, crawling along pulling the sack up to you. At the end of Cake Hole one hour of digging gave rise to five or six hours of bucketing!

Air

Another necessary piece of equipment is an air pipe. A number of things can prevent good circulation (lots of people in the tunnel, up-shafts, narrow tunnels) and this affects different people to different extents. It is also needed in the event of collapse - it may be the only source of fresh air in that case. Pick flexible piping that is at least 25mm in diameter, but if it is larger. e.g. 50mm. it will be more efficient. Don’t hacksaw it but cut it with a knife to avoid plastic shavings, and make sure you always have a knife with you in the tunnel as you may not be able to get to the other end of the pipe in a collapse. Do not to bend the pipe too sharply as kinks will reduce the airflow. Whether it is best to run it along the floor, or the sides, is debatable - in a collapse it may be less likely to break on the floor, but it is more likely to be accessible quickly if it is along the sides. At the entrance of the tunnel, the pipe should have a fan on the end which can be powered from a 12V car battery (a computer fan is sufficient, and won’t use much battery power). Make sure that those on the surface know if there is a collapse, the fan must be switched on! This is why the fan is safest on the surface as opposed to inside the tunnel. Bear in mind that without a fan, the pipe will be pretty inefficient in moving air.

Make sure that rainwater and mud cannot get down the pipes, ie. the ends should be raised off the ground at the tunnel entrance. If water/mud does get in then it will form pockets that stop the airflow. To remove it, get someone to blow down the pipe at the top, and catch it in a bucket at the tunnel end. If it’s been in there some days, it will be stagnant and stinks, so make sure you do this before the eviction, otherwise when the eviction air supply (which tends to have a very high flow rate) gets turned on, it will probably get pushed out then, making things very wet and very smelly.

Stale air also needs to get out. If your doors are tight fits and with no gaps around the shoring (which is good from a defensive point of view), make sure short sections of air pipe go around/through the door frame. It is also a good idea to have an extra pipe going the full length of the tunnel to remove stale air in case of collapse.

Whatever your arrangement, though, in the interests of safety try to ensure that appropriate people have samples of your air pipe so that those evicting you can bring along something to connect to it. At the very least they will have an air compressor, and it has been known for bottled air to be pumped down tunnels!

Tunnel Doors

Doors are best constructed out of more than one material - a ply/sheet metal/ply sandwich for example. This is because blades to cut through wood will not cut metal, and to a significant extent, the reverse also applies. A rubber sheet somewhere would probably not go amiss, it would be such a shame if the heat from a saw blade or drill bit melted the rubber and knackered the tool in question. Make the door pretty thick - in the example mentioned, the ply would beat least 3/4". The one exception to a laminated tunnel door is having a very thick (e.g. 10mm steel) door made by a friendly blacksmith, that cannot easily fall victim to an angle grinder.

Door frames should be made solid - assuming you are fixing them to shoring, the joists in question should be strong - ideally 3" x 3" or thicker. This also gives a good thickness of wood to drive screws into. To avoid the frames being lifted out; concrete them in on both sides. It is worth spiking doorframes with nails, and nails only partly concreted in will ‘key’ concrete onto the frame. More nails fixing the joists together will make the door more resistant to eviction.

The hinges and bolts used should be heavy duty; T-hinges are the strongest, and you may want to use as many the size of the door allows! Screws should be at least 08. A potential weak point if entry is attempted using brute force and ignorance, is where the bolts go into the door frame - the small brackets supplied with most bolts provide holes for only two screws. You may get away with it if the screws are 08, but from experience I can say that 06 screws are not good enough. It is probably better to fabricate your own solution to the problem, possibly involving metal or wood screwed to the frame and maybe backed by concrete. One idea that has been tried with some success is having an extra set of T-hinges attached to this side of the frame, which then get attached to the door at the last minute with nails.

Another weakness is the gap between door and door frame - it is worthwhile trying to get the frame as square/rectangular as possible, and to make the door fit this precisely (though be careful when installing tight fitting doors that you don’t shut yourself in behind a door that won’t open!). There will still be a gap though, however small, that a crowbar or sawblade (to cut the hinges/bolts) could get through. Assuming it is a metal blade for cutting hinges or bolts, put some wood in the way. A better way to avoid this problem is to cover the gap in the first place by putting an extra set of joists in front of the door (concreted in if possible!). Don’t just cover by the hinges and bolts to stop the saw - remember that a crowbar can get in at any of the four sides if there is a gap.

Don’t forget that last minute modifications such as nailing on extra hinges stop you getting out in a hurry - so should be just that - last minute! As they are last minute they also need to be quick so make sure any screws already have decent pilot holes so you can drive them in all the way quickly. You may feel that nails are better on balance because of this, or a combination of nails and screws, with the nails hammered in first, the screws last. Probably the most effective quick addition are long nails through the door into the surrounding frame.

Lock-ons

You may not require any lock-on at all - if there are lots of doors that are definitely going to take a while to get through, you may not feel it worthwhile. If you are not sure of that though, a lock-on at the end of the tunnel can be a good insurance policy if the doors don’t turn out to be as good as you thought. Also lock-ons can be put in quickly - so are good if you have not the time to get good doors in. Lock-ons in tunnels can be made much more awkward to remove than surface or even tree lock-ons, and probably the best advice here is to let your imagination run riot!

A good tactic is to have someone in front of a door locked behind it. This hinders them working on the door which needs to be removed before the person can be unlocked. The actual ‘lock’ in this case can be as simple as a chain around the wrist, attached to a rope that is tied to some sturdy shoring. Obviously you need a gap either in the door or next to it, for an arm to fit through - but the good thing about this type of lock-on is that if they enlarge this hole, someone else inside the tunnel can pull the locked-on arm further in, and re-attach it!

Protest sites are usually full of people who know how to make lock-ons, but I’ll briefly go over it anyway for the benefit of others. You need a tube, about 2 long that is arm-sized. Metal is best, but drainpipe is sufficient and easier to work with. Put a rod perpendicularly through the tube near one end - this is so someone can slip onto it using a karabiner (climbing ‘clip’) attached to their wrist via rope, tape, or preferably chain. Be careful that this wrist clip isn’t a self-tightening noose that could constrict circulation to the hand. This is surrounded in concrete, maybe in a metal barrel, maybe buried in the ground, or maybe a combination of both (some cooking oil barrels are handily tunnel sized).

Concrete

I’ll assume you know, or know someone who can show you how to mix basic concrete. A mix of aggregate, sand and cement in the ratio3:2:1 is a good general purpose mix though 4:2:1 is fine if you need more bulk. Use small aggregate; around 5mm, otherwise as small as possible. Granite chippings are hard, as is gravel; limestone is soft, and therefore a last resort.

It is best to reinforce any concrete with metal as they will need to keep swapping tools to get through the concrete and metal. Put the metal in place first -chicken wire is surprisingly effective and relatively easy to get hold of. The worst thing in concrete is air holes, and this is quite a problem if chicken wire is stopping the wet mix flowing into the lock-on (you could try adding bits of chicken wire as you pour the mix in, rather than beforehand). Either use a stick to press it down, or hit the sides of any barrel with a hammer, and it should minimise the problem. Making the mix quite wet also helps it flow down.

For various reasons some people recommend glass and/or rubber in the mix. The reasoning is that glass is hard to cut through (though it does shatter rather easily!), and rubber will hold up a kango hammer by causing it to rebound (though they are less likely to use a kango in a tunnel, especially as it will be difficult to hold and work with in a confined space). Personally, I would not bother with either rubber or glass, as they both weaken the mix; and shattering glass stands a fair chance of damaging someone’s eyes - most likely yours!

When concreting walls you’ll need to put shuttering in. These are wooden boards that hold the wet mix in place while it sets. Apart from the confined space, the main problem I have found with concrete in tunnels, is that you cannot put shuttering in completely to the top (you need a hole to pour it through!). Unfortunately there is no way that I know of to get round this.

You may like to run the air pipes through the concrete, so that they are more cautious while chipping it away - this also means that the gaps the pipes run through do not serve as weak points around the doors. In fact, you could even mix in some dummy air pipes - they of course, will not know which is which.

Fortifying The Entrance

It is worthwhile paying particular attention to the entrance, for a number of reasons. Firstly it should be quick and easy to get past the first door, and to shut it (the eviction could start at any time, not just when you are working or sleeping underground). This is more important than having a well fortified first door, and there is nothing wrong with it simply being a flimsy trapdoor at the shaft mouth, that just gives time for people to get into the main part of the tunnel and/or into lock-ons.

The other big consideration is that lock-ons around the entrance, or in the entrance shaft mean that people who do not want to go underground can take an active part in the eviction. People locked on, possibly around doors (as mentioned under ‘lock-ons’) greatly slow down the eviction as more care needs to be taken with people than objects, which can mean a slow eviction. Also, people locked-on in the shaft mean that others have that bit more time to get in to the main part of the tunnel, and to shut the door, without being caught.

Multiple shaft lock-ons could be mounted above each other, either in the walls or on strong timber platforms, which would be more effective than individual separate lock-ons, as those doing the evicting will have less room and will need to take more care (and therefore time). A good thing about shaft lock-ons is that they will not necessarily go entirely to waste if no-one reaches them come eviction time, as concrete will still have to be removed if it is in the way. A surface fort is worthwhile, and can provide sleeping space for people who are going to lock-on around the shaft (presumably, tunnellers will be sleeping underground). It needn’t be complex, and can just be a wooden hut surrounded and/or covered with the spoil taken out from the tunnel. It will probably have to be taken down in the eviction, to provide a working space for those evicting you, and to provide room to get tools and material in and out. The door to a fort should be at least strong enough to give time for the occupants to lock- on, etc.

Living underground

...is really nice actually, though I do have problems convincing people of its merits. There are some pitfalls though.

If the main tunnel is big enough for more than one person, make sure that everyone is going to get on with each other in a confined space. Everyone may be getting on just fine normally, but problems can arise when stuck together for a few days in a hole in the ground. For example, people do need to give each other space and privacy, not be incessant talkers, but still be pleasant to talk to when you do that. You may even feel that a one-person tunnel is not such a bad thing - that way you have the company of ‘their’ tunnellers by day but your own space at night.

Another problem that may arise is that even if at first, people do not want to be living in the tunnel, there are times when everyone seems to want to be there. This is a good reason to decide early on who is going to live there (it should be people out of the core group who will presumably be keen, have done plenty of work, and spent a lot of time underground). Be careful of late additions to this group - you need to know that everyone who is likely to get evicted from the tunnel is stable and easy to get on with. Ground rules should be set early, and fixed - any newcomers should respect these.

You do need to be sure that people are not going to lose their bottle - during a false eviction alert at Devon, one person was literally fighting to get out. Having someone leave because of this, means opening and quite possibly losing one of the doors. To guard against this, make sure that everyone who might be in the main tunnel (ie. not counting shaft lock-ons) during the eviction spends a lot of time below ground, including sleeping.

These are all good reasons to have a small core group that already knows each other well, know they can get on with each other, and who knows that the others in the group are stable. As mentioned previously, this may sound elitist, but it gets the job done and avoids personality problems. Even if someone comes along to help and does lots of work, this does not necessarily mean that they will be underground in the eviction. Be especially careful of people who turn up, want to join in, but end up doing little work

At night you need to sleep in the tunnel if there is the threat of eviction, and it is not a bad idea to sleep there anyway, both to get used to it, and to guard against unwanted guests. This may mean evicting enthusiastic helpers at night, and locking the doors to prevent similar wake-up calls, so that you get sleep, space and privacy. If you are the enthusiastic helper, then don’t be offended by this - it’s just that the people who are going to be evicted will be also by necessity living in the tunnel before the eviction, and need sleep, space and privacy just like anyone else.

Tunnel occupants may end up keeping odd hours as well, especially if like me you don’t like getting up in the morning but are happy to be working through the night. It’s best not to get too nocturnal as it can make your body do weird things and means that others aren’t as able to help you - though it can make pixieing more convenient.

Eviction!

Firstly good luck, take care, and may the force be with yon.

Secondly, don’t assume you’ll have more than a few seconds warning before you have to leave your hot mug of tea, and have to leg it down your hole.

Thirdly, remember the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy DON’T PANIC!

If all goes to plan, you’ll have shut yourself underground, and any lock-ons in the entrance will be occupied. Before long, a bloke in a red jacket and a red hard hat will come along and read out a notice saying that everyone should leave now or face arrest under Section 10 of the Criminal Law Act 1977. If you hear this, you would of course, being a law-abiding citizen, leave forthwith. Unfortunately, being down the tunnel you can’t hear this. After a while one of two groups of people will turn up.

One group, popularly known as the ‘Men in Black’, dress funnily enough, in black - from head to toe, and with balaclavas on. This lot are from International Mine Rescue, run by Pete Faulding and as far as we know are exspecial forces (e.g SAS and SBS). They are experts who know what they are doing, are used to man-made holes in the ground, and will take good care that everyone gets out safely. They have never been violent or nasty, so be nice to them as well. For all these reasons they are preferred by both protesters and under-sheriffs. They did the Fairmile eviction (of Swampy fame), the Manchester Airport evictions, and the eviction at the Huntingdon ‘Death’ Sciences protest camp.

The other group, Richard Turner and Associates (RTA), who are the people who evict protesters from trees, are less predictable. They have so fur done just two tunnel evictions -Trollheim and Bluebell Woods in Manchester. Trollheim was very violent by all accounts, and little attention was paid to Health and Safety, which resulted in them getting their wrists slapped by the HSE. The Bluebell Woods eviction was not violent at all, although it was obvious that unlike IMR they are not experts (and hence not as safe) in man-made holes (some of them are cave rescue, but that is quite a different thing - caves don’t need shoring and are somewhat less likely to collapse). The thing about RTA is that they are a bunch of varied people - Tim, ‘Mousse’ and one of the Richards (not Turner) who ran the show at Bluebell were friendly enough, but there are others in RTA who probably wouldn’t be.

At first, it may seem like there is very little you can do, but all the time you can be listening to what’s going on, and doing last minute improvements. You’ll inevitably end up chatting to whoever’s getting you out, and when they are working on the doors, you can be doing whatever repairs you can from your side. If you have an intercom running up to the trees, then you have someone else to talk to, and if that fails, local radio are a good bet for finding out how things are going. Eventually, they will get to you, and bring you out. You’ll probably get arrested for obstructing the sheriff’s officers, though you should be given time to bring your property out unless they do that for you. If you come out before they get you out, you may be able to avoid being arrested, but that has only happened once. If arrested, you probably will be convicted, but it typically involved a one year conditional discharge, and a small order for costs (e.g. £40).

Tools and Equipment

Spade/shovel/trenching tool. It’s a good idea to have one always around at the top as a safety measure.
Pick.
Lump hammer.
Cold chisel and (or bolster and/or trowel (preferably a purpose made heavy duty trowel).
Tape measure.
Sharp panel saw for cutting shoring.
Appropriate tools for door and lock-on construction (doors can also be made off site -but make sure they can fit down the tunnel.

If required for installing doors, a screwdriver for fixing hinges and bolts, and a drill to pit in pilot holes (alternatively hammer nails in, then extract them with claw hammer or crowbar, leaving a pilot hole).

Crowbar if possible - tends to come in useful for lots of things.
Buckets and/or sacks/and rope.
Sharp knife.
Head torch and batteries.

Eviction Stashes

Food that doesn’t go off, and doesn’t need cooking. Tins are a good idea - fruit, soups to eat cold, etc. Don’t forget a tin opener - if it stops working a coal chisel and hammer may do the job.

Plenty of nibbles - biscuits, chocolate, etc. Don’t be tempted to eat it all at once though!

Drinks e.g. soya milk and fruit juices. Lots of mineral water (tap water goes off after a few days). You should allow for around 2 litres of fluid per person per day.

Piss bottles. You will be able to use empty water bottles, but bear in mind you need at least 30% more bottles than drink bottles as you take fluid in via food also. In addition cartons cannot be pissed into after you have drunk their contents. On the same subject, a funnel may be useful.

Carrier bags to shit in, and bog roll. Bury them, or if possible leave them for collection in the morning! On a practical level, it is very difficult to shit without pissing at the same time. In a confined space such as a tunnel, this point is particularly important.

Something to do. Books, writing paper (and plenty of biros in case some don’t work), games, playing cards, etc. All depends on what you like doing really.

Nails (a selection from 2" to 6") and a hammer - a definite for defending doors. Extra wood, and maybe a saw, could also come in useful. Be prepared to improvise e.g. cold chisels become door stops when the last door is being breached!

Candles, plus lighters and matches. Make sure you have spare sets of matches!

A radio. You’ll get medium wave fine, but if you want FM you’ll have to run a wire to the surface. If possible, you may want to run this through any concreting or through the air pipes so that it stays there as long as possible.

Something metal and bar-like e.g. crowbar, cold chisel, etc, just in case you have to dismantle shoring (for example) for whatever reason. A few digging tools are worthwhile, and will probably be down there anyway.

Sleeping bag and mat/carpet

Imperial/Metric conversion

Being English, I’ve generally used Imperial units of measurement throughout, so these conversions may be helpful.

1" (1 inch) = 25mm

l’(l foot) = 12" = 300mm

Publicize

Positive Defensive Tactics

If we are continuously seen as antagonists with no positive vision then we will always remain a minority. Taller towers and stronger lock-ons are visual statements but they don't explain the depth of change required. Setting a positive agenda, by creating or illustrating an alternative to road building, earth-rape and exhaustive consumption, is a goal which we must move towards. If we can create communities that work together to produce a gradually increasing proportion of our needs, we can show a workable alternative.

Some road protest camps in Britain have declared independence, and planted up gardens on threatened land. These provide a proportion of activists' diet and a focus of activity for supporters. The Gotan Diggers Community at Newbury in 1996 was inspired by the 17th Century Diggers, who believed that "the land should be a common treasury for all".

The principles of Permaculture Design are a positive recent development well worth incorporating into camps (and our lives in general). Compost toilets, biodegradable dwellings and low maintenance perennial gardens are all ways of working with nature to enhance the living environment.

Banner Drop

Drop a banner from the tree sit saying "NO OLD-GROWTH LOGGING".

Make a nice graffiti art piece in your local town showing your presence, don't make it look messy otherwise the local community will turn against you.

If there is a river which goes from the forest into a local town, you can build a raft and float downriver with a big sign saying "save the forest" or similar.

Build a Website

If you don't have a web designer use freewebs or wordpress.

Write an Article

Write about your experiences thus far and ask for volunteers and state you're wish list, entice people with workshops and free vegan meals that you've salvaged from the dumpsters. When you've finished you're article Send it in to as many alternative news sights as you can See News Services

Call the local newspaper

Only do this if you don't mind risking getting your story perverted, play to sympathetic reporters when possible.

Witness Camp

Take visitors to observe ancient forest ecosystems and freshly killed tree remains, but make sure to give them the background.

^,Image:Deforestation.jpg

Other Tactics

Sky Raft

Build a platform light enough to hoist in the air but large enough to live in during an eviction (net's or fencing work well), tie multiple guy ropes to it and climb up to the top of nearby trees and pull the rope tight so the raft comes up to same level.

In 2003, to prevent the killing of a grand old eucalyptus tree named "Gandalf's Staff' in the Styx Valley of Tasmania, activists built a 65m tree platform equipped with solar power, a satellite phone, laptop computers and a month's worth of food. To explore the possibilities of a more permanent arboreal camp for future protests, architect Andrew Maynard designed a structure spread over three trees, allowing as many as six tree sitters at a time to occupy the platform.

Image:Sky-raft.jpg

In Stanton Moor, England a caravan was used in a beautifully built tree village to stop a distructive open cast coal mine.

Image:The-Beast.jpg

Tower

Build a massive structure out of crosstied logs taller than the tree line and any climbers wont be able to reach you with walkways. They can't climb the structure themselves for fear of safety, and if you have tunnels they can't bring in cherry pickers, the only thing they can do is build a massive scaff tower themselves, and if you dam a nearby river they're screwed.

rfImage:The towerjpg

List of current tree sits

Huntington lane protest camp in Telford, England. See Free The Wrekin, UK
Bilston glen anti bypass protest site, Scotland. Intent on blocking any attempts to build a road at Bilston Glen, also doing a alternative lifestyle project. Living and working together, organising and co-operatively helping each other.
The Happendon Wood Action Camp, Defending a forest in South Lanarkshire from Scotish Coal.
The largest number of tree-sits are in Humboldt County, Ca. to prevent logging of 100+ year old redwoods by Green Diamond (formerly known as Simpson). One of the tree-villages is defending the territory of an active Spotted Owl mating pair and has grown to include over 30 trees that are tied together with tyrolean traverses. Though Earth First! Humboldt will not say exactly how many people or sits are up there, they do say there is a crew of tree-dwellers. The Earth First!ers withdrew from the village bordering the suburbs in order to strengthen their defense of the older and more secluded of the two groves where many more wildlife species find habitat and refuge.
A tree village is ongoing in the Ryan Creek watershed next to Eureka, California. These tree-sits are defending a large area of Redwoods with a crew of people. More trees are being added to the rope networks all the time. This is to resist clear-cutting and development plans by the Green Diamond Resource Company. The Earth First! Humboldt collective is organizing a campaign to expose and obstruct Green Diamonds destructive logging of the Redwood forest. The company owns around 430,000 acres (1,700 km2) of Redwoods in Humboldt and Del Norte counties making them the biggest single landowner of Redwood forest.
Fern Gully, located south of Arcata, California, and north of the Nanning Creek sit. It is one of the few remaining tracts of old-growth in the Freshwater area. Fern Gully was started as a Pirate sit, unconnected at first from any organizations such as Earth First!. By 2005, it had 22 trees tied together for transarboreal travel. The village is equipped with a raincatch system that transports water 40 feet (12 m) down to a running tap at the platform, as well as a solar panel at 63m in a tree named Watsi. The village was raided by Pacific Lumber contracted climbers. They did not extract a single person, instead cutting out unoccupied traverses, platforms and dreamcatchers. This was a major blow to the village, but the sit continues, and the area remains uncut.

Lock Boxes

Last updated: 7 February 2011

When it comes to blockading, lockboxes are very useful, assuming you are willing to be arrested. The design described here has been used in several cities, including some in which the police are experts at "handling" protests, and all the same it can take police hours to move blockaders who use them from a busy street. It is one ofthe simplest designs; there are many other possibilities. You can make lockboxes vrith 90-degree angles in them that accommodate both arms of one individual, so one person can comfortably lock down to a gate, a truck axle, or even a railroad track. For serious engagements, you can make big concrete barrels with lockboxes fitted inside them, or dig a hole in the ground and build a vertical one-way lockbox into it with concrete and rebar, or drive a junker car into place, disable it, and lock down to it.

Lockdowns can be used to stop movement into and out of an area, providing a spectacle perfect for attracting media or other attention. They can stall traffic to allow support teams to hold an awareness-raising rally, and distribute leaflets to or otherwise engage drivers stuck in traffic. After blockaders are removed from the area, police generally block the area for another hour or more themselves, lengthening the impact of the action. Lockdowns can appeal to the public by showing that people are dedicated enough to put their bodies on the line; they are descended from a long heritage of non-violent civil disobedience that many civilians find less threatening than other brands of direct action.

1 Equipment
2 Instructions
3 Scouting the Target, Planning the Action
4 Gathering Materials
5 Method Summary
6 Design, Construction, Adaption, and Fortification
7 Practice and Transport
8 Once You're Locked Together
9 Urban Lockup
10 Police Reactions, Legal Consequences
11 Uses
11.1 Extra safe
11.2 Sleeping Dragon
11.2.1 Equipment
11.2.2 Method

Equipment

Metal or plastic tubing or PIPING — such as PVC pipe
Bolts and nuts—at least one bolt and one nut for each box

Chain or rope
Carabineers
Glue—optional, but encouraged
Hacksaw
Drill
Bolt cutters (optional)

^Image:lockbox.gif

Instructions

A lockbox is a piece of pipe by which a person can be locked securely to another person or object. The average lockbox accommodates two people; with several lockboxes and people, you can form a human chain.

Lockboxes utilize the width of your torso and arm-span to take up space. To lock down, you attach yourself to a mechanism inside a piece of pipe; in order for a police officer to unlock you, he would have to get his arm into the pipe as well, but as the pipe fits snugly around your arm, this is impossible. Should police attempt to pull you apart, the strain will be on the metal chain and bolt, not your shoulder joints, assuming your box is built correctly. By using a carabineer to connect to a bolt within the pipe, you are able to detach from the box immediately whenever you choose. With lockboxes, a group of people can swiftly move into a space, block it, and defy the efforts of police officers who would remove them.

Scouting the Target, Planning the Action

The first step is to scout the area you want to blockade. There are a wide variety of environments in which you might choose to apply lockboxes, but for the purposes of this introduction we'll assume that you will be operating in an urban environment. You could blockade the entrance to an event or business, or an entrance to a tunnel, highway, or access ramp. The first step is to figure out where the traffic, whether it be car, foot, or other, can best be bottlenecked. Often, if you block one street successfully, you can snarl traffic in a large area. Look for streets that lead to main roadways, and watch the traffic patterns. If you are planning to block a road, listen to traffic reports; determine which roads gridlock easily and which roads feed major transportation routes. Note all the details of your target, including the length of traffic lights, which lanes are open at certain times, and which directions the majority of cars turn.

Once you have found the location that best serves your purposes, you'll need to determine how many people it will take to block it. If you have a well-chosen target, but you do not have enough people, traffic will still be able to pass, and you will simply be a nuisance, not a blockade; if you cannot create a "complete circuit" with your human chain, connecting it at either end to immovable points, it may be easy to move you out of the way even if the lockboxes between people are secure. To measure distances quickly and subtly, you can count your steps heel-to- toe across an area, or run string or yam across it. You'll also need to take into account the sizes ofthe lockboxes you are making and the people locking down. If a street is 20' wide and your lockboxes are 3' long, you'll probably need five or six people.

Plan your formation carefully. Ifyou are locking down in a line, the two people on the ends can be locked to stationary objects—with bicycle U-locks around their necks, for example, or by a less secure means such as chain locks. If you use bicycle locks or any other locks that require keys, have an accomplice to spirit the key away quickly or be prepared to hide it where the sun doesn't shine. For a less durable blockade, you could leave the ends ofyour formation open and sit or lie down. Alternatively, you could close the formation at both ends, locking down in a circle, or form two lines crossing each other in an X.

When planning, take into account the strain of being locked in place for a long period. Ifthe lockboxes are not supported by something, those locked together will quickly be worn out by holding them up. There are also the matters of food and blood circulation to consider.

Gathering Materials

Once you have worked out your plan, the next step is to gather materials. These can be expensive, so look around for places to acquire them for free. PVC pipe can be found at construction sites; chain can be cut from a locked dumpster; tools can be borrowed or stolen. If you do not want to draw attention, you may want to buy the supplies at multiple locations. While purchases of bolts, carabineers, and glue will not attract attention, a septum-pierced revolutionary may raise eyebrows if she brings thirty feet of PVC pipe to the counter. Rumor has it that before and during mass mobilizations, store employees are told to look out for such purchases. Use the same care you would for buying spray paint, crowbars, bolt cutters, or glass etching solution. Do not use a credit card if you do not wish to create a paper trail.

Method Summary

Cut the pipe to the appropriate length.

Drill a hole all the way through both walls of the pipe at its midpoint (or thereabouts, depending on the differing armspans ofthe two who will be using it).

Pass a bolt through both holes.

Secure the bolt.

Cut a length of chain to fit around your wrist and reach up to the bolt.

Fasten a carabineer to the chain by which to secure it to the bolt.

Repeat steps 5 and 6 for the person who will share the lockbox with you.

Fortify the lockbox.

Design, Construction, Adaption, and Fortification

The construction of lockboxes can be a fun group activity. Make sure the people who are going to use the boxes try them on and modify them according to arm length and other variables. How much ofyour arm goes inside a lockbox is a matter of preference and tactical strategy, but on average your pipe should be about 4' in length. The more of your arm is covered by the PVC pipe, the more of your body is safe from police action. For example, if your bicep is exposed, the police could attempt to use pain compliance there to force you to unlock yourself; if your entire arm is in the pipe, this is impossible.

Everyone's arms are unique. If you are locking down, you need to be able to put your arm far enough into the pipe to grab the bolt, so you can easily connect and disconnect your carabineer. If the people who are to use the box can be present during the construction, measure their arms and custom-fit the pipe. If this is not possible, build the box to a length that almost anyone can use—say, between 3' and 4'. If you are using PVC pipe, it can easily be cut with a standard hacksaw. For more long-lasting lockdowns, use more durable piping.

It's important that your pipe be the right diameter; you should be comfortable sliding your arm in at least to your bicep. Unless your arm is extremely small or large, the pipe should be between 4" and 6" in diameter. After the pipe is cut so that both people who are to use it can put their arms in as far as they want and touch fingers, secure a bolt at the point where their fingers touch. The length of the bolt should be longer than the diameter ofthe pipe; ifyou use 5" pipe, make sure your bolt is at least 5.5". Stay away from bolts with sharp threads or a sharp point on one end, unless you are prepared to modify them for safety and comfort. Your bolt should be thick and difficult to cut; it will probably be the weakest link in the chain, so you'll want to be careful to make sure it's as secure as possible.

Drill a hole all the way through one wall of the pipe and out the other. Ifyou have to drill the top hole first and then flip the pipe to drill the bottom hole, make sure the holes line up! Put the bolt through both holes. It should be slightly off-center in the pipe, so the people locking to it can fit their fingers around it and have space for their knuckles. Now use nuts to secure it in place; these can go inside the pipe, or outside it, or both. You can use powerful glue to strengthen the bolt; better yet, if you have the means, weld it into place. You could include multiple bolts in your design, to make it harder for the police to know where to start. If you have more than one bolt, you can also experiment with attaching yourself to all of them.

Now you have to build the chain bracelet that secures you to the bolt inside the pipe. Cut a length of chain that can loop around your wrist at one end, and attach at the other end around the bolt in the pipe; it will be in the shape of a P. Experiment with chain length until you have a comfortable fit. Make the clasp that holds the chain around your wrist permanent and durable; use a carabineer to clasp the chain around the bolt, so you are able to unclasp from the lock box in an emergency.

Attaching the chain to the central bolt with a carabineer is a very secure and safe option, but there are others. For a simpler, though weaker, variation, skip the central bolt entirely and run a length of chain through the tube to attach your wrist to the wrist of your partner. This option might be useful if you have limited time and funding to prepare for the action. A benefit of the central bolt is that when you are pulled, the bolt absorbs some ofthe force, and gripping it can provide some control; if you are connected to another person by a chain directly, and one of you is pulled or dragged, both of you will bear the brunt of it.

Once the device is assembled, the holes drilled, the bolt secured, and the chain attached, make sure it all fits comfortably. Put some padding around the chain at your wrist, and pad the entrance to the tube if need be. If nothing else, wrap the chain in an old sock or two, and sand down the edges of the pipe to prevent it from cutting your arm.

The final step is to fortify your creation. Many police departments now understand how lockboxes are constructed and know how to disassemble them. This does not mean locking dovm is ineffective, since it still takes the police time to react, retrieve the necessary tools, and cut apart each lockbox; but it is worth brainstorming about how to stay ahead of their technology. The police are likely to try to cut the pipe to expose your hand and the carabineer, or attack the box at the bolt. Consider ways to slow this process. You could wrap the lockbox in materials that dull saw blades, for example, or wind layers of duct tape and wire around it, or cover it in viscous tar and sand, or weld rebar armor to it—or do all of these! The more layers of material that require different forms of cutting technology, the better. For heavy lockboxes that can anchor you in place, you could put a layer of concrete around your pipe, and a layer of plastic or aluminum drain tubing around that.

Practice and Transport

After all of the boxes are constructed, practice locking in and out of them. Do this alone until you have it down, then try it with a partner, locking at once into both sides of a box. Before an action, practice for speed and organization with everyone who will be involved, so things will go smoothly on the big day. To prevent confusion, you can label each end of each lockbox, and plan out which direction each person will face and the order in which people will lock together. It can help to have individuals involved who do not actually lock down on the line; not only can they help get things together quickly at the beginning, they can also provide food and water to the people who cannot move their arms, and help deal with police and others.

It can be a challenge to get all the lockboxes to the site of the lockdown. You could hide them nearby in advance, or bear them there in a march, disguised as puppets or banners. If you have access to a car, you can use it to drop off all the lockboxes at the very moment your group suddenly converges at the chosen site. If you are doing a long line, you have access to several cars, and speed is of the essence, pairs could get locked together in vehicles before driving to the area, then all be dropped off at the site and link up in a matter of seconds. A large group of people walking any distance with bulky lockboxes will probably attract the wrong kind of attention, especially if the authorities are on the lookout for civil disobedience, although you could come up with clever ways to camouflage them in a pinch.

As in all blockading, if you are blocking a road or highway that is in use, it is very important to stop traffic first. This can most easily be accomplished by another group working in concert with those who lock down; it is a lot to ask of a small group that they stop traffic, then lock themselves properly together while holding it at bay. Angry drivers can be even more dangerous than police under these circumstances; be careful not to give them the opportunity to do anything stupid.

Once You're Locked Together

The people who have come with you to play supporting roles can complement your blockade with a rally, street party, or outreach event. If you are blocking a street, there will be drivers to witness street theater or receive pamphlets; if you're blocking the entrance to an official event, there may be reporters to record you issuing your statement. Either way, there will be curious passersby who deserve to be told more about what's going on and why, and perhaps to be entertained in the bargain. If your lockdown is going to create a traffic jam, and you are concerned that the action might be misinterpreted as an attack on civilian drivers, consider distributing peace offerings such as homemade brownies.

Those locking down can be dressed in symbolic or expressive garb—or, for that matter, in nothing at all—or draped in a banner explaining the reason for the action. If your human chain is not connected to anything at the ends, you could conceivably move from one point to another while locked together, but this will not be easy or particularly safe. If you are planning on moving at all, you should practice in advance, and perhaps designate coordinators to talk everyone through certain movements or count off marching steps. Whether you expect this to be an issue or not, it is wise to prepare a basic communication and decision-making structure in advance, if there are more than a couple ofyou planning to lock down together.

Urban Lockup

If you are looking for a quick urban protest a technique similar to lock boxing can be used. We have had young volunteers use heavy bicycle locks to lock the doors of banks and logging company offices shut with their neck in the lock. This type of protest is best done using a small attractive young female in order to blunt the typical macho cop attitude and make them look weak and the company an evil monolith in front of the cameras. Have press contacts ready to show up and get photos and video that include the target company masthead, your photogenic protester, and some large police officers hopefully with dangerous looking tools or large weapons. Infiltrating may mean wearing business or business casual attire to help you infiltrate and because it looks better on camera than a crunchy hippy in dreads and rags. Since your protester will probably not be there very long and the publicity is most important have a key on your protester or close by so they can unlock once the press has done their thing.

Police Reactions, Legal Consequences

Ultimately, there is no way to predict for sure how the police will react, so avoid spending hours debating it in your group. It is important to have a police Liaison present to negotiate with the authorities or at least make sure they understand the situation, and reporters or other witnesses to temper or at least document their behavior. If they start to do something that seems dangerous, calmly inform them that your arm is inside the tube and that you are unable to remove it, and that a team of crack lawyers eagerly awaits the chance to sue them into oblivion. Police will always try to intimidate you; call their bluff, while maintaining your composure. In a worst-case scenario, they may use pepper spray or a similar weapon on you—but remember, this will cost them a lot in the public eye, especially if you bear this persecution courageously.

If your line is anchored at each end, they may begin by trying to disengage the people in the anchoring roles. If they can move the entire line out of the way and work on you once you are no longer blocking traffic, they probably will, but this will be difficult if you are seated or supine. If they can't move you all, they will work lockbox by lockbox, cutting the line into smaller, more moveable sections. The method the police use to cut you out will depend on how experienced they are. No police department wants a lawsuit, so they will probably be careful not to injure you. If you hide the location of the central bolt, they will have no way of knowing where your hands are inside the tube; this will prevent them from simply cutting the tube in half. Often, the police will call in the fire department to use special tools designed for removing people from wreckage. Last time I locked down, the police brought special wooden frames to support our PVC pipe lockboxes, then slowly dismantled the boxes vrith wire cutters, saws, and various other tools.

It is also difficult to predict what your charges will be when you are arrested at the end of your lockdown. In this author's experience, among others, the charge has been "incommoding," the same charge you get for blocking a street or similar conduit with your body. The use of lockboxes is not a separate crime, though the police may make threats or try to tack on additional charges such as "possession of implements of crime" (PIC). In both the lockdowns in which I participated, the police told us that because we used the lockboxes we would be charged with an additional PIC offense, but of course, as police are wont to do, they were lying. PVC pipe, chain, and carabineers are not implements of crime, no matter how you slice it. Regardless, you should have a group ready to provide immediate legal support.

Committing to a lockdown is a serious matter; you must be prepared for the ordeal of interacting with infuriated police officers over a protracted period of time, while being unable to move freely; this will be followed by the further ordeal of being arrested and spending time in jail. Embark on a lockdown in a state of inner peace and resolve, properly fed and hydrated, prepared to weather storms ofdanger and drama—and ifyou think you might be there for a long time, wear an adult diaper!

Uses

Extra safe

A favorite lock box making method is by using PVC piping, rolled in tar, then rolled in a mess of pebbles and nails, then wrapped in chickenwire, then given a double of duct tape. These are unstoppable and fun to make for the group. We also strongly recommend the middle bolt with the caribiner chain with socks around the wrist. Good luck.

Sleeping Dragon

Lockbox yourself in a scrap car to the ground.

Equipment

Shovel or Pic-axe if tarmac
Cement Powder
Lockbox
Ducttape
Wheel nut wrench (optional)

Method

Dig a hole in the middle of the logging road
Mix cement in a bucket
Place a PVC pipe lockbox in the hole
Embed in place with cement and a few rocks
Duct tape keeps the PVC from filling up with cement
Place a junked car over the hole
Remove the seats and cut a hole in the floor
Remove the duct tape and make sure you can reach your hand into the lockbox
Remove the wheels to lower the car and make it harder to move
Put a chain around the wrist and attach clip a person can reach down into the lockbox and clip in.

Monkey Warfare

Last updated: 20 July 2011

1 Monkey Warfare
2 Safety
3 Shake, Shake, Make Your Own Scraper Quake
4 Lockout
5 Super Foam Distraction
6 Tyre Fyre
7 Killer Bees
8 Intercom Fun
9 Coughing Break
10 Bitter Memories
11 Moth Man
12 TV-B-Gone
13 Traffic Trouble
14 Dumpster Fires
15 Etch Glass
16 Dissolve a Building
17 Photo Radar
18 Marbles
19 Etherkiller
20 Monkey Warfare, the Movie
21 Links

Monkey Warfare

Monkey warfare is using pranks to get attention by striking the least popular elements of CorpGov, to provoke a public reaction that will help bring sympathy to our cause. Monkey warfare is like regular pranks but more things get broken and the damage is often more costly, public reaction may also be spun more negitavely since you are sometimes causing costly damage..

Safety

You must exercise caution that nobody is actually injured by the actions of your prank. Minimal monetary damage is also a good rule since we are out to mostly injure the pride of the target. Often our pranks will leave a mess and if the target can pinpoint the perpetrator they might be able to sue for cleanup and legal costs.

Have your group call a press conference claim that an anonymous friend, not your group, committed these hilarious acts which, while aren't endorsed, are thoroughly humorous.

Shake, Shake, Make Your Own Scraper Quake

This is a pretty amazing and extreme prank, the kind of thing you see in a movie so don't waste it. In South Korea a 17 person dancing class in a skyscraper swaying to some rhythmic music set the building to swaying after a few minutes just by their body motion. If you want to copy their efforts try to find a spot, maybe an office or other open space as high up as possible to increase your leverage. There are many factors including building height, weight, even the amount and slosh of the emergency water reservoirs for the sprinklers. Best we can figure you will need to have a seismic team one with a long weight pendulum and graduated scale to monitor sway, one monitoring the east-west motion and one monitoring north-south, they don't even have to be on the same floor as each other or the rhythmic swaying team. You will need to spend several minutes at each tempo set by an adjustable metronome while the monitor team checks for sway, it might take several days so be patient. As long as there are no engineer or math geeks nearby you might get away with openly testing as it being a work break cultish meditation group. Once you find that exact magic sway rhythm keep track of it and the exact location or at least the floor where it worked, remember at an average of 150lb a person it doesn't take that many to make this work, even in a giant skyscraper as long as you stay in sync, but the more the better. Use caution and stick to the core of the building where the steel structure is strongest, in the 70's a rhythmic swaying slow dance brought down a large open atrium bridge in a high rise hotel killing dozens at a large party.

The first group to organize this at one or several bank towers it will cause mass confusion, evacuations, and maybe give you a shot at some spectacular direct action approaching Fight Club scale.

Lockout

Make locks pick and key proof, use super glue and it will seize the pins, to be really sure the lock is ruined shoot a little carb cleaner into the keyhole first to clean out any oil.

Super Foam Distraction

A good distraction for drawing off the security or make the papers on a slow news day is to bring one or more mega-gulp type drink cups full of concentrated dish soap or detergent, then sit next to the fountain or waterfall display and break out the bottom of the cup with your finger to let the soap flow into the water, preferably near the water return grate or by the waterfall. Depending on the fountain you will have from three to over ten minutes until most of security is investigating the terrorist bubbles, which might take over part of the mall. This is a good chance to place a banner or other direct action of your choice while the rent-a-cops are watching the monster foam show. You can also try food dye or life raft marker dye, or a combination of dye and soap, which is a real mess. This also works in outdoor fountains.

Tyre Fyre

Burning tires in the road will shut down an intersection for a long time, a tire is difficult to extinguish with water. If burning steel belted tires are placed around (or slid over) a flag pole, fire hydrant, or steel sign post it is almost impossible to safely remove while burning.

Killer Bees

If you can get a queen bee during swarming season and covertly emplace it still inside the small transport screen cage it will attract many bees making a car or sometimes a building unapproachable. Queens can even be purchased online and sent through the mail at this time in a little cage. If you pull out the block as intended the bees can eat through the candy door and free the queen hopefully to freedom and a nice tree nearby. Honey bees are nice creatures, do not splat the queen onto your target, it will work but you will also become a target of bee swarms for as long as the pheromones stick to you.

Intercom Fun

Watch a store employee use the intercom, it is usually a one to four digit code or get cool with a younger employee and see if they will give up the code. A really sneaky trick involves unmounting one of the intercom phones from the pole or wall (leave the wire attached) and stuffing it behind boxes on the top shelf, grab a tape player from the electronics or toy section, a few batteries, and activate your hidden intercom, play the tape, this should be good for at least a few good minutes of anti-big box store taped information, music, and comedy for the customers to enjoy.

It's possible (at some stores) to gain control of the intercom from outside the store. Call up the store, and dial the exchange number for the intercom. If that doesn't work, have a friend wait by an unattended phone inside the store. Call the store and dial the exchange for the department she is waiting in. Have her transfer you to the intercom's exchange, then have her hangup and leave. Of course always make your call from a pay phone or other location where it is OK to be traced back to.

If you have an insider at a store with the cordless phone system perhaps you can talk them into letting it out of the store or 'loosing' it. With the intercom codes you can often have weeks of fun driving behind the store and activating the intercom, also a great way to make free phone calls, but don't let them trace back to you. Improvised chargers might be required to keep the battery full, and if the manager has a brain they will eventually lock that unit out of the system.

This prank has caused quite a bit of bad PR for the Walmart corporation due to friendly newspapers willing to out their racist policies and several teen prankers making news by asking African-Americans to leave the store. Walmart has hired several internet security contractors who under orders have begun using highly illegal DMCA takedown demands and false phishing claim extortion techniques against website hosting companies in an attempt to take down websites discussing this exploit. Many retailers are also moving the telephone/intercom stations to more secure locations. In many stores you might still find the intercom jack in its old location though and if you can grab a phone terminal from behind a desk or in the warehouse maybe with insider help you can still use this prank as mentioned above.

Coughing Break

A small defensive pepper spray with a spray aerosol tip stuck on top instead of the squirt tip will leave stores, mall areas, and convention attendees wondering why their lungs are scratchy and maybe a bit of burning nose and eyes, done right the concentration will be low enough that nobody can tell it is pepper spray only that everyone cant stop coughing. This prank usually leads to an evacuation, be careful this can rarely cause real trouble for asthma and other respiratory patients if the concentration is too high.

Bitter Memories

There's a wonderful substance out there called Denatonium benzoate AKA Bitrex. It's a bitter substance you can buy that will put a person into all kinds of discomfort without hurting them at all. Sprinkle it on the boss' doughnut in the morning, seed the buffet at a political event, add it to the coffee. Whatever! You can also use Phenylthiocarbamide or PTC, but it may actually cause more confusion, since some people can taste it and others can't while they are eating from the same food. Be careful and check the laws in your state, sometimes tampering with food is considered a serious crime.

Moth Man

Catch a dozen or more big moths with an outdoor light bulb at night, keep them alive in a paper or cloth bag. Then next day release them at a movie theater or conference center. The moths will be attracted to the light of the projector and block the picture annoying everyone. This is especially useful at political events and movies which lampoon or denigrate our cause The only thing more annoying than moths in the theater is those damn laser pointers. Remember kids fight the RIAA and MPAA never pay for a movie ticket, download everything, prank theaters who are aggressive in pursuing clandestine recorders, if you are able, steal the theaters MPAA night vision goggles and use them for direct action.

TV-B-Gone

There is a great gadget called TV-B-Gone mostly for turning off TV's at pubs and airports so you can relax. They are available as kits and keychain fobs. Used at a big rally or industrial conference it can disable most television sets embarrassing the speaker and their organization, this is a cheap safe way to make press against already unpopular organizations sometimes even making them appear incompetent on their own setup.

Traffic Trouble

Often, Monkey Warfare is as easy as finding an abandoned couch and dragging it into the middle of an intersection. Make sure to do this with a friend, during a low traffic time (weekday mornings right before rush hour are the best). Also make sure to have a quick getaway (bicycles are best) in case a cop shows up. Better results are obtained if you can coordinate your efforts with other hit teams you can compound the effect by blocking alternate traffic routes, even better if you can devise a way to make your blocks hard to move by the first trucker or cop willing to bump your block with a push bumper. With the right timing and a bit of luck, this can cause mass confusion and major traffic jams.

Dumpster Fires

Large dumpsters often burn well and can be pushed or chain towed into the road before ignition. Fill one with something flammable (like tires).

Etch Glass

Phosphoric acid will etch glass, this is much more effective than paint on large windows, you can paint on your sign or spray-paint with a stencil leaving a image then use the acid the result will be an inverted image of the stencil frosted into the glass once the paint is removed. Experiment at home first, it could end up being a paying hobby frosting glass.

CAUTION: Do not get Phosphoric acid on any part of your body!

Dissolve a Building

Hydrochloric acid (or Muriatic acid) can be used to dissolve cement and concrete. Drill a hole into a wall near the corner and plug in a hose from a large bucket of acid with a gravity feed into the wall, they might have to close the whole building for safety reasons.

CAUTION: Do not get Hydrochloric acid on any part of your body!

Photo Radar

If you see a photo radar trailer or red light camera scout out for hiding cop cars, if there are none around tow it into a pond or off a cliff!! In the UK the latest fashion is to get pissed and burn down the camera pole.

Marbles

A bucket of marbles can be used to make riot police less aware of what's going on. They will be a little preoccupied trying not to trip. Marbles and rubber snakes can also be used to spook police horses. Keep in mind that marbles may crack horse's hooves and cause them great pain. They may even fall over, injuring themselves, and possibly nearby demonstrators.

Etherkiller

A possibility for taking out an office for a few days would be to sneak in and install etherkillers. These will be attached to cheap timers set for a very early morning period of time in an empty office. To make an etherkiller, splice a length of Cat-5 cable with a length of extension cord, plug the whole thing into the network, a timer, and the wall-socket (110 volt feed). After you've set the timer, leave -- you don't want to be around when large amounts of current are fed into Ethernet wiring.

WARNING: This is a very dangerous and destructive activity. This attack will destroy some hardware attached to the network and may cause fires, so if you get caught, you may very well find yourself facing an arson charge.

Monkey Warfare, the Movie

There's a new film from Canadian filmmaker Reg Harkema called Monkey Warfare (http7/www.monkeywarfare.com/) , which illustrates many of the principles. It includes a Molotov Cocktail instructional video

(http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1567206134) whose script was taken from Steal This Book.

Links

7. Trashing

Last updated: 23 March 2011

Weapons for Street Fighting

Unarmed Defense

General Strategy Rap

If you are going to be involved in trashing, you should remove yourself from high-profile activism, resolve old warrants and speeding tickets, and otherwise arrange to appear to be a law-abiding citizen. You should be able to glide through a routine traffic stop without occasioning any suspicion. Anyone can engage in everyday resistance, but if your chosen approach to subversion includes serious illegal activity, you'll do well to make things as difficult as possible for those whose job it is to catch you. As they say, sometimes you have to obey the small laws to break the big ones.

2011 is different from 1968 in many ways, not least of which is that the culture of law enforcement is simultaneously more organized, less volatile and more by-the-book. On the other hand, the culture of our government has put groups like the FBI, the NSA, the CIA and law enforcement in general on a very dangerous path. It's not unreasonable to see this path as one leading towards something like full-on martial law. So, while we're not there yet, thats definitely one of the cities on the route, so we should be prepared.

We can learn a lot from our ancestors in revolutionary brotherhood, who had to deal with riotous cops much more suddenly than we're likely to have to deal with them.

1 Examples
2 Brainstorming
3 Reconnaissance
4 Recruiting
5 Security
6 Planning
7 Action Camp
8 Legal Preparations
9 Conditions
10 Communications
11 Action
12 Communique and Press Coverage
13 Afterwards
14 Tips

Examples

Firebombing buildings, See Molotov Cocktails.
Uprooting Genetically modified crops.
Graffiti buildings, See Wall Painting.
Vandalizing vehicles.
Tree Spiking.

Brainstorming

Before you even consider trashing a place, you presumably have established your general goals as a political activist or subversive. The possibility of trashing comes up when you move on to working out a strategy to achieve those goals. Perhaps you need to draw the public eye to an injustice that would outrage everyone, if only they heard about it; perhaps you want to destroy the means by which a corporation or institution is carrying out its misdeeds, or at least provide it with a deterrent; perhaps you want to inspire your fellow activists or dissidents, and demonstrate a model for resistance in the process. If trashing seems like it could be an effective element of your strategy, consider the possible targets, the actions you can take against them, and the means by which to do so.

Your action should be in proportion to the seriousness of the issues, the importance of the target, and the means at your disposal, and you should be prepared to handle all the potential consequences. If the effects of your action will be publicized, take into account the ways different tactics will play out in the public’s eyes. Think hard about how to minimize risk, expense, and difficulty while maximizing effectiveness; through every step of the planning, consider if there is a simpler, safer way to achieve the same ends, and whether you are prepared for the risks you will run.

Consider the effects of your action in a broader context. Who will it inspire, who will it intimidate? Will it provoke more surveillance or repression of your community, or infighting within? If so, is it worth it, and how will you deal with these consequences? Don't draw attention to an important target with a small action if you or others may desire to do something more serious with it later. Recognize that the authorities can use your acts of trashing as propaganda to their own ends; think about how to offset or undercut this.

Reconnaissance

From the time you begin considering a target to the moment before you strike, you will be doing reconnaissance, and the quality of this preparatory work will determine whether your action is a success or a failure. First, research the target and everything related to it — from a computer in a public space, for example, or by stopping by a tourist centre or signing up for a guided tour. Be sure that anyone who does such investigation cannot be connected to the act of trashing later.

Gather maps; if possible, get aerial photographs of the area and floor plans of any buildings. You can often obtain these on the internet. Make your own maps, combining the features of the maps you assemble with the information your scouting missions provide. Carefully check these maps against reality on subsequent scouting missions. Don't risk conspiracy charges by keeping maps of or notes about potential targets in your home.

To the extent that it's possible without attracting attention, become intimately familiar with the site of your intended action and the area surrounding it. It may be most advantageous for the people who do the bulk of the scouting not to be involved in the action; all the same, everyone who will be on the site in the action should spend time there, not just the scouts. Ideally, conduct a dry run, with everyone who will engage in the action participating. If need be, take photographs to study, but do so very subtly, and don't develop them in such a way that there is evidence of your reconnaissance.

While scouting, make note of schedules, security, random traffic, and the nearness of and travel time from locations such as police stations that may launch a response. Staff hours, garbage collection, janitorial service, and the times at which trains pass by — anything pertinent should be known to you. Trash can often provide important intelligence on a corporation or institution (see Free Food#Dumpster Diving). Keep an eye out for items in the area that can be applied in your action; the less you have to take in and out on the big day, the better. Survey the surroundings: are there heavy woods that could provide cover or consumer outlets where people can be camouflaged as customers? Pay attention to changes in the area over the course of successive scouting missions, to minimize the chances that any significant ones will occur unexpectedly between the last scouting mission and the action. Scout at various times of day and night, but especially at the time of day when your action will take place; if need be, post a full-time watch. You may need to test whether and where there are security systems, and measure the speed and scale of the response; be careful not to give anything away in the process. Since your action likely depends on the element of surprise, you should probably cancel your plans if anything compromises this at any point during reconnaissance.

Finally, consider precedents for your action. Chances are someone has attempted something similar; learn what you can about how it went, and lay your plans accordingly.

Recruiting

Sometimes you can carry off a simple act of trashing or subversion on your own. In other cases you will need a team to do so. This team should consist of the smallest number of people necessary to accomplish all of the tasks involved; the fewer people involved, the smaller the risk of misunderstandings and individual mistakes, and the stronger each participant's sense of personal responsibility. In larger groups, some people may drop out of the project in the course of your preparations, so be sure there are enough of you to provide for this possibility. If only a few people are needed, your affinity group (See Affinity Groups) should suffice; if more are called for, consider inviting other affinity groups to collaborate with you. Any large group working together should divide into smaller sub-groups, to simplify organization and decision-making.

You should only invite people to work with you that you have reason to trust deeply. Every person you invite who opts not to participate is another needless security risk, so choose with care. Approach people with general questions first, in a private environment, and only make your proposal if they express concrete interest in doing something. Individuals who aren't going to be working with you shouldn't even be aware of your interest in illegal activities; innocent speculations as to who carried out a well-known action can be extremely dangerous. The team that forms should be capable of cooperating amicably in the most harrowing of situations.

Bringing in others means respecting them as equal participants in the project, with equal say in how it will be earned out. Don't invite people to work with you unless you respect their judgment and are willing to adjust your plans according to their perspectives. Inevitably, some individuals will have more experience in a given field than others, and will be able to offer more pragmatic advice. At the same time, avoid a dynamic in which everyone in the group counts on one or two members to get the dirty trashing work done; this centralizes skills that are better developed by all, and can result in your group developing an unhealthy, hierarchical structure.

Security

Planning and carrying out acts of trashing requires tight security; before even considering such an action, a group should be thoroughly versed inSecurity Culture. From the very beginning, you'll need to establish safe meeting places to lay plans. Ideally, these will be outside or at least in a safe space not under any kind of surveillance or connected to any known activists. You may want to develop a cipher for communicating about the action, or a pretext for getting together; but beware, a clumsy code is worse than none at all, and saying you're going to a wedding when no wedding is taking place can arouse more suspicion than it dispels. Keep your interactions with long-term companions in illegal activity to a minimum; go to see them in person when necessary, so there is no record of your association. It can be surprisingly easy to keep certain relationships and meetings secret simply by never mentioning or connecting to them over email or telephone lines.

If everyone is really concerned about information leaks and has great confidence in a small team of organizers, this team can withhold the identity of the target until the last possible point in the planning phase. The drawback to this approach is that it centralizes important information, which can unbalance group dynamics, increase risks, and put off possible participants. It is most useful for low-risk actions that are open to many participants, or high-risk actions to be carried out by a tight-knit team; for newer groups carrying out actions of mid-level risk, it can be important that everyone involved participate in every stage of the discussion and planning.

Planning

As soon as the core group of participants is established, you can begin holding meetings. Make sure everyone is happy with the format you choose for these (see Affinity Groups#Facilitating Discussions), and that it is efficient and goal-oriented. At the first one, you should establish the target, goals, security culture, and maximum level of risk, and work out how you will continue to get together. In the following meetings, scouts can share intelligence, and individuals can make tactical proposals for the group to amend until they comprise a plan with which everyone is comfortable.

Such a plan must cover the full range of scenarios from best to worst case; the group should establish in advance under what circumstances they will call off the action. Don't underestimate your power — small numbers of people with light funding can accomplish tremendous objectives — but be realistic. You should also establish structures to meet the needs of the action group; these can include communications, scouting, legal support, supplies, food and housing, and media work. Individuals can choose roles within this framework, and sub-groups can form to focus on bottom lining specific tasks. Avoid letting routines develop in which the same individuals always take on the same tasks; the more skills each participant develops, the better.

If the group organizing the action is composed of people from different regions, the locals will bear a larger portion of the responsibility to carry out reconnaissance; it may consequently be easier for them to compose plans, as well. Locals should be conscious of the potential imbalance of power this can create, and take care to extend to others whatever information and control they can. For security reasons, it can be wise to establish an exchange program, in which one group organizes an action in its local area for another to carry out, and vice versa. Repression will be directed at those activists closest to the target area, but they can have airtight alibis in place.

Action Camp

In the last few days before a serious action, there is often a lot to do. This is particularly challenging when security concerns dictate that you and your companions should not be seen together during this period, especially not hard at work on some mysterious project; it may even be necessary to hide the presence of participants who have arrived from far away. To solve these problems, you can organize an action camp: in a secure location, such as the private lands of a trustworthy individual who can be counted on not to notice anything, or a forgotten zone suitable for squatting or camping, get together for a short period of intensive preparation. In urban areas, the home of a vacationing trustworthy friend may suffice. Everyone should have an alibi going into the action camp — and not the same one! Organizing food and shelter for a group over a period of time can be taxing in itself; individuals who desire to play support roles can take responsibility for delivering food and other resources. Make sure that traffic in and out of the camp does not attract undue attention.

Legal Preparations

During the planning phase, establish the potential legal repercussions of every action you are considering, so you can weigh these as you make decisions. If you're not ready to do the time, don't do the crime. Before carrying out any serious illegal act, you should have a legal support structure in place in case anyone is arrested (see Legal Advice). Be sure there are people not directly involved in the action who can provide legal support to arrestees, so no immediate link between them, the people supporting them, and the action can be made.

Conditions

Sometimes weather will be integral to your plans — you might need a full moon for cross-country travel, or a new moon for cover of darkness or a rainstorm to soften noise. Snowfall can make it impossible to pass through an area without leaving a track, while hot weather might make you look more suspicious in your disguise. Schedule accordingly. Stay abreast of other developments; if there's a manhunt on in the area of your target the night of your action, you'd better know about it before you head out.

Communications

Unless your action is to be carried out by one or two isolated individuals, you will need a secure and reliable system for communication and counter-surveillance. This could range from simply having the option for an emergency cancellation to be announced at the last minute, should something go awry, to several groups staying in close contact throughout the action. The more elaborate your communications structure, the more coordinated your activities can be; on the other hand, the more you rely on communications technology, the greater the chance that your transmissions can be monitored, and the greater the confusion should communication breakdown. The simpler your communications structure is, the safer it is, and this goes for your plan in general.

Scouts can be posted at entry points to await and announce police response, or can patrol the area to keep tabs on security and passersby. A police scanner can be used to monitor police interactions, though it is illegal to use them from vehicles. A communications centre can be established, to which scouts and action groups report, and which is responsible for contacting other groups to pass along news and announcements; alternatively, information can be distributed by means of a "phone tree," hi which each person or group that receives a message is responsible for passing it on to a few others.

Communications technology is constantly evolving, as are police surveillance techniques; keep up to date on your options. Two-way radios come in varying ranges; they can be monitored easily enough, especially if police are prepared to do so, and often fail to work when they are most needed, but they can be used to contact a number of different people instantaneously, and if unmonitored they leave no record of use. Cell phones work more reliably and over much longer ranges, and are not quite as easy to monitor, assuming they are not already tapped; on the other hand, they leave a permanent record of where, when, and to whom calls were made. A cell phone borrowed from a non-combatant or registered to a fictitious owner is much safer than a personal cell phone. This is the only kind of phone you should use in a serious action.

Action

On the day or night of the action, go over every step of the plan together, with each participant describing his or her role. This will provide crucial clarity and reassurance.

Your plans should specify the order in which activities are to be carried out; they should take into account the amount of time each activity will require, providing for transportation time as well. Everyone whose actions are to be coordinated should have synchronized watches. A full route, including alternate escape routes (see S.E.R.E.), should be charted for everyone involved — not just in and out of the target site, but all the way from the starting point of the day's events to their conclusion when everyone is safely dispersed. This route should be planned so as to leave as little record as possible of the movements of those who participate in the action; avoid toll roads, for example, and surveillance cameras at gas stations.

If there are getaway drivers, it's better for them to return at a predetermined time or when called for than to wait around attracting the attention of neighbours or passing police. Have your time budgeted in advance, and adjust your plans as you go in order to avoid awkward situations. If you have a time established in advance to be picked up, and it takes longer than you'd expected to get onto the site from your drop-off and pick-up location, set aside the same amount of extra time for getting back, and subtract that from the time you had planned to have on the site.

You should have backup plans worked out, in case something goes wrong, and establish what conditions will prompt you to switch from one plan to the next. Everyone should have an alternate mode of transportation available in case they cannot leave the area by the planned means, and should carry cab or bus fare if applicable.

Make sure you have the necessary tools for the job, but take nothing extraneous with you — nothing potentially incriminating, nothing needlessly heavy, nothing you might accidentally lose. After the action, destroy all the tools you used, or, if you're sure the action trashing was not dramatic enough to provoke a serious investigation, keep them far away from any space associated with you. Make sure all other evidence is destroyed — every last map, every scribbled note, every piece of clothing you might have been seen wearing.

Have an alibi prepared: arrange to have been seen in public, or to have a record — such as a parking lot ticket, movie stub, or campground receipt from a location you are certain is not under surveillance — of your activities away from the scene of the crime. Don't ever speak of the action again, except within the group with whom you accomplished it, and even then only under secure conditions. There are two exceptions to this: if you are caught, tried, and sentenced for an action, you can speak about the actions for which you were convicted, on the condition that you not give away anything about anyone else; and if you succeed in overthrowing the government and all other oppressive institutions, you and your friends and everybody else like you will finally be free to own up to having participated in subversive activities back in the bad old days. Imagine the stories we'll all have to tell then!

Communique and Press Coverage

You may want to disguise your strike as an accident or a random act of vandalism, so as not to help investigators by narrowing the pool of suspects. On the other hand, if one of your goals is to attract public attention, you will do well to take publicity into your own hands. The best of trashing actions can go unnoticed or even be deliberately covered up, unless they are accompanied by compelling and wide-ranging media campaigns.

The simplest way to do this is to issue a communique. This is essentially a press release (see News Services): it should begin by covering the who, what, when, and where of an action, then explain why it was carried out and elaborate on the broader goals behind it. It should be written simply and precisely, in a generic writing style that will not give away the identity of the author or authors. Mainstream press coverage will include a sentence or two of the communique at best, so make sure every line of it is eloquent and capable of standing alone. Sometimes humour can be helpful for getting your point across and maintaining readers' attention; this is most useful if your communique is going to be published in full somewhere, such as on an independent news website. Include a link to an informative webpage or two, if possible, keeping in mind that this can also bring attention or repression to those who host them.

Sending a communique can be one of the riskiest parts of an action. It should go out from a one-time-only email account on a public computer, and the person who sends it should be careful not to be detected approaching, using, or leaving the computer. At best, it should be sent from an area far away from the action and the homes and haunts of those who carried it out. Alternatively, it can be sent through the mail— but the text should not be composed on a computer tied to any of the participants, and the paper, envelope, and stamp should never be touched without gloves on.

A simple text communique is often not enough to capture attention or convey the magnitude of an action. If possible, include photographs or video footage. One or more of the individuals involved in the action can be responsible for taking these during or after the action (see News Services). Be careful that such footage doesn't provide investigators with any useful information about your group. Independent media outlets are more likely to provide thorough and sympathetic coverage than mainstream media; if you don't know any independent media journalists you can trust to approach, you can anonymously tip them off or otherwise solicit their coverage.

In addition to seeking mainstream and independent media coverage, you can also arrange to have news and explanations of your action presented directly to the public through autonomous means (See Banners, Wall Painting, News Services and Guerrilla Broadcasting). Consider how these can be used to communicate the necessary information without implicating those who apply them in greater crimes.

Afterwards

Immediately after an action, make sure that everyone is safe and emotionally cared for, and that anyone who was arrested or injured receives support. Aside from taking care of this, split up and get quickly back to the business of being unremarkable law-abiding citizens. Resist the urge to rush to find each other and compare notes. Eventually, you may want to meet again, either in small groups or all together, to trade perspectives on what happened, but this will require at least as much security as your planning meetings did, since you may now be under suspicion. Consider limiting your involvement in above ground political activities, but don't make any sudden dramatic changes in your lifestyle or commitments. It is less incriminating to maintain a visible routine than to drop out of sight completely. Keep your secrets to yourself and your wits sharp; often, the authorities won't strike until months or even years after an action, when they've had enough time to gather intelligence and prepare a case.

Tips

You can use a small and easily concealed pair of tin snips, available at all hardware stores, to most cut barbed wire, razor wire, and chain link fences; use bolt cutters for larger locks.
You can clean fingerprints from an object with hot water and soap, or, in an emergency, by rubbing vigorously with a cloth. Don't forget the details: even if you clean the outside of the flashlight, there may be fingerprints on the batteries within.
You can slip a plastic bag over each shoe to obscure your footprints and prevent tell tale soil from clinging to your soles.
You can hinder logging in the last of our forests by spiking trees in woods that are to be cut. Using a big hammer, drive a nail at least six inches long into each trunk, above the level of your head, and cut off the heads of the nails or cover them with bark; repeat this process randomly throughout the woods, working in the rain if necessary to muffle the noise. Inform the forest service that the trees have been spiked.
You can put a blue filter on your flashlight: this will enable you to use it in the dark without ruining your night vision, and with much less chance of being seen by others.
You can use cotton work gloves to keep your fingerprints off places they don't belong. Leather gloves should be avoided, as they leave their own unique fingerprints, and latex gloves are good for light work, but retain fingerprints on the inside — so be very careful how you dispose of them.
To avoid having your footprints used against you in court, keep an extra pair of shoes stashed in a secret place outside your home to use for night work; wear extra socks, so you can use shoes a couple of sizes bigger than your feet.
If you have to pass fences, consider going through them rather than over them. If you have bolt cutters, this may take no longer than scaling them, and involves less risk of being spotted. With chain link fences, just cut the same thread of wire in the fence top, bottom, and three or four places in between, then pull out the wire with your pliers. The fence will then just fall into two. Keep in mind that a cut fence, if discovered, will immediately alert an otherwise unsuspicious person.
If you have to walk, try to stay off roads. If you need to drive, be aware of all the ways your vehicle can be tracked, including traffic cameras.
If you have to cross a wall, you may need extra equipment. The simplest way is to bring your own ladder; if you leave this at your point of entry, however, it can attract attention, and if someone removes it you may be trapped.
Ditches and rivers can provide good cover, but it's always better to work dry, so plan on exiting through one rather than entering, if possible. Remember that mud records footprints and other signs of human passage.
If a gate is padlocked, use bolt cutters to remove the lock. If you have the option, it is easier to cut a chain than a lock, and easier to disguise. Never leave a cut padlock or chain in view — it's a sure sign that someone's inside. If need be, replace a cut lock with an identical padlock of your own.
You can cover a window or a portion there of with duct tape before breaking it, if you want to do so quietly and without making a mess.
Doors are often protected by alarms. If in doubt, you can always try going through the door itself, but the cutting operations will be noisy.
Often metal sheds and warehouses can be cut open with a pair of sheet metal snips, exposing the insulation and soft inner wall which can be cut with a razor knife or sheetrock saw. The doors can probably take a severe beating while the walls are soft and probably not well protected by security systems and cameras.
Roofs can provide numerous access points. Watch for heating and air conditioning ducts, ventilation fans, attics, and crawlspaces.
Avoid open areas, especially around factories and offices: they are likely to be under camera surveillance.

Weapons for Street Fighting

Last updated: 5 January 2011

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Weapons for Street Fighting

Note: while all of these methods can be used as weapons for street fighting, keep in mind that their use will drastically increase your chance of the police using lethal force against you. Consider the use of such weapons very carefully.

1 Molotov Cocktail
2 Anti-tire Burrs
3 Track Team
4 Abrasive Personality
5 Pigs on Horses
6 Bike Locks for Pig Bikes
7 Helicopters
8 Rolling Road Block
9 Fuel Adulteration
10 Clubs
11 Pepper Spray Blaster
12 Slingshot
13 Considerations
14 Links
15 Improvised Street Weapons
16 Original WEAPONS FOR STREET FIGHTING
16.1 Spray Cans
16.2 The Slingshot
16.3 Slings
16.4 Boomerangs
16.5 Tear Gas and Mace
16.6 Anti-Tire Weapons
16.7 Authentic Pig Game

Molotov Cocktail

The old European riot standby, nearly any flammable liquid stuck in glass bottle with a rag, soaked in said liquid, tied around the top. A molotov does not require the fuel soaked rag to actually be stuffed into the neck of the bottle, It is better to cap the bottle and tie the wick to the neck, that way the impact should break the bottle causing the fuel inside to come into contact with the burnning rag. It is just as effective as stuffing the rag inside the neck, and considerably reduces the risk to you.

Keep in mind this is very dangerous (both to you and to any targets) and will be considered a lethal weapon in the US, which will probably result in you being shot. European cops are less trigger happy, however. In fact, many European cops won't actually be carrying firearms. In Britain, for example, guns are only carried by Airport security, bodyguards for politicians, etc.

Anti-tire Burrs

These are easy to make, and quite an effective way of stopping cars. To make them, simply bend together two pieces of steel rod and arc weld in a way that no matter which way the device falls one point is sticking straight up. Make sure that these nails are both long(4 inches 10cm or longer) and thick(at least 1/4 inch or 5mm) as car tires have a really thick outer layer (these have the tread on them) as well as woven wire mesh that you need to puncture. Sprinkle these liberally across a road to prevent four-wheeled intruders. They're quite effective, but they take some time to make -- so gather together a few friends the night before a protest. Heavy metal like the thickness of a door hinge at a minimum ground to the shape of a bowtie and twisted in a vice ninety degrees so a point is always sticking up are called caltrops and will flatten normal squad car tires in under a second.

If slitting tires on a parked car go for the inside wall near the bead where rubber meets the steel wheel where it can't be repaired, this is hard to diagnose quickly especially if you also rip out or break off the valve stem, causing the vehicle to remain out of service longer.

Track Team

If you are faced with tracked opposition from bulldozers to battle tanks you can pop the track pins with a short piece of steel railroad track rail. Somehow get the rail under the track just as it is going from fully flexed around the caster wheels to flat as it rides horizontally on top or bottom. these track pins are tough so if the driver is moving slow and is smart enough to recognize a track jam he may just stop the vehicle and a quick reverse may dislodge the jam. Pieces of rail can be found laying around near railroad yards or sometimes around recently repaired tracks, they are very heavy but can be cut using a carbide cutoff wheel, it may take several disks to cut through. The only way to really decommission these vehicles is highly illegal and dangerous- a high explosive shaped charge or a thermite device. Instructions on how to make shaped charges can be found in the Army 31-210 book we provide in DIY Defense. One in the wrong spot might kill the crew rather than the vehicle though so watch out. The thermite will almost surely cause a fire see Other Weapons for instructions.

Of course, being as they're slow moving, you can also just hijack them.

Abrasive Personality

Long term damage of equipment with bearings can be accomplished by using an coarse metal polishing abrasive powder mixed into a grease cartrige and injecting this into the grease fittings on the bearings. This is by no means an instant way to eliminate a vehicle or machine, but does expensive damage and may have an effect within minutes or it may take days or even weeks depending on the speed of the bearing. Look for these fittings on dozer track bearings, wheel bearings, suspension components, universal and CV joints, Drive line parts, etc. Some places don't even need the grease gun, you can just slit a rubber cover and slather your spiked grease onto the sensitive part. This method of equipment destruction was a favorite of resistance fighters in WW-II Europe. If busted the courts and current laws will view abrasive destroyed equiment in a much better light than say arson.

Pigs on Horses

Marbles in large numbers on hard pavement will trip a horse and panic them, rubber snakes are also known to scare some horses. If you can somehow detach the saddle the cop falls off. Horses are over a thousand pounds and deadly, while we want to protect an innocent animal they might become an innocent victim in our struggle for freedom, remember it was the corpgov police that brought them into harms way by using them as a tool of oppression.

Bike Locks for Pig Bikes

If you can stop a motorcycle cop long enough for this dangerous stunt try running a chain lock or U lock into a wheel or spokes. If the cop figures out what you are trying he may try to gun the engine potentially injuring you or running into the crowd.

Helicopters

We all hate the 1984-esque police choppers above us at demonstrations, raids, and other police actions. First off once a helicopter is in the air we don't touch it, that means no lasers aimed at pilots, no chains or cables into rotors, home brew stinger missiles, whatever, these are all out, a crashing helicopter usually kills the crew, that is murder, and the destruction and fire on the ground can easily kill many more innocents!

If you hate that helicopter so much get it when it is parked. Aircraft are made of lightweight material you would be amazed how quickly a sledgehammer, hatchet, bolt cutters, saw, and abrasives will destroy these delicate machines. Damaging or removing the front windshield will render the helicopter 100% unusable. Especially vulnerable are the jet turbine and transmission, open these up and smashy smashy!! Never try sneaky attacks on aircraft, if you are out to destroy make it blatant, hell leave an itemized destruction list, so that there is not any mid air failure and crash attributed to your actions.

Again once the helicopter is in the air leave it alone, trying to grab onto the skids could cause a crash and many deaths. It is useful to know that smoke will hide activists from the video camera although most smoke will not block the FLIR infrared cameras.

Rolling Road Block

An old junker car is perfect for making a roadblock and causing a traffic disruption to get your cause into the news via a press release claiming responsibility, but consider the public backlash. The roadblock is also useful for denying quick police response to your action or funneling their traffic to where you want it. A good choice for a vehicle is one that can be made to run and drive in urban traffic but doesn't cost too much. The road hogs of the 60's and 70's have the size and weight to make removal difficult once you implement you roadblock. Since you will not be getting your car back and don't want it traced pick a vehicle and remove all of the serial numbers especially any VIN tags and parking stickers which are archived, older cars have few tracked serial numbers.

When it comes time to lay down the roadblock you can very quickly stuff blocks or wood under the axles and rip off all of the valve stems from the tires to flatten the tires or even remove the wheels making it hard to tow unless they have a platform tow truck. For more staying power you could have holes cut into the floor and have friends in the seats mixing big buckets of cement to cement the car down to the pavement, hammering a few big spikes into the asphalt or cracks in the road will help secure the connection. Another tactic is to make the car appear to be evidence requiring a long lock-down of the "crime scene" a gallon of cow or pig blood on the seats a butcher knife and bloody footprints from the vehicle plus other creative and confusing "evidence" will surely lead to hours of investigation and a blocked road or highway.

Don't EVER leave a block in the middle of an open highway as a distracted driver may miss the non-moving block and plow into it at upwards of 80 miles per hour, only leave roadblocks in traffic jams where the traffic is already stopped but have a very good plan to escape the traffic lynch mob!

Fuel Adulteration

Linseed oil in a fuel tank is the fastest way to destroy an engine, according to tests at the US Army Frankfort Arsenal. Sugar took many hours and several sugared tanks to produce even minimal results (about as effective as dirt in gasoline). Many adulterants will be stopped by fuel or oil filters, try to find one that dissolves in the fuel. A good way to introduce an adulterant in modern locked fuel systems is to make a sharpened needle type tip for a garden sprayer filed with adulterant, one member of the team crawls under the car and identifies the filler line or fuel line and the other pumps the chemical into the tank. Many of these mixes will cause smoking which will at least take the unit out of service until the tank is drained but will not require an engine replacement. If the fuel line is reachable injecting a few hundred cc of paint will likely destroy the sensors and maybe the fuel injectors taking the unit out of service for a few days, maybe steal most of the fuel for your own use before injecting the adulturant! Styrofoam thickens gasoline considerably, and reduces the burn rate, this can easily stop an engine. If you can get at the oil filter remove it jab several holes through the paper filter ruining it then add an alkaline, abrasive, or metal powder, screw the filter back on.

Clubs

Information About Clubs And Their Use.

Club type weapons besides being mostly non lethal when used against the leg muscles and buttocks usually have a longer range than concealable knives and are normally able to incapacitate in one or two strikes. Baseball bats are the baseline with short "tire checker" bats used by truckers and C or D cell Maglight flashlight/torches for tight areas, a police collapsible baton is an excellent choice for concealablity length when extended and effectiveness in bruising an attacker to the point that they retreat or go to the ground. A Kubaton type weapon is small to fit in the hand and intended to cause pain when used as a striking or pressure point weapon; thick wooden dowel, MiniMag flashlight/torches and tactical flashlights all have the hard edges needed for striking but the tactical light has the advantage of momentarily blinding your opponent with a burst of bright light. A roadwork stake ( the 2 foot long giant steel nail thing) can be destructive enough to take down a small tree when swung forcibly. They are easy to acquire, but can cause serious permanent bodily damage.

Addition of nails and wire to a club may make it a little more scary but mostly just increase the danger to yourself in an over swing or miss, they are difficulty of carry, and greatly increase the chance of snagging and loss in the body of your target, it is useless in a non lethal confrontation and cannot be explained as anything other than a very cruel killing device if found by the police.

Pepper Spray Blaster

Soak a few pounds of crushed or ground dried cayenne peppers in warm 90% grain alcohol for several hours, then evaporate off about half of the alcohol over an electric hot plate outside in an open area away from flame. Filter with a coffee filter and funnel or a coffee press then load the liquid into a cleaned out fire extinguisher with a schraeder (bike type) air fill valve, be sure to clean the O-ring at the neck, don't get your pepper liquid into the neck threads. Only discharge if you are wearing a gas mask, caution spray is flammable. A modified metal tube on the end of the hose is good for getting under doors or drilled holes in walls. Good for clearing out big corpgov conferences when fogged into the HVAC system of a conference hall.

Paint the ex-fire extinguisher black and paint "TEAR GAS" or something else so it is not ever used in a fire.

Almost any cleaning chemical put into a spray bottle can be used as makeshift pepper spray, the eyes are quite fragile and spraying, say, draino into someone's eyes will blind them (Although possibly permanently, depending on what you use)

Slingshot

From the Greek Insurrection to factory workers in Argentina, the slingshot is back as the weapon of choice for fighting off pigs. To make one all you need is:

A good strong piece of wood in a Y shape
4 Rubber bands: Two long, two short. The thicker the better!
Duct Tape

First you're going to want to get your hands on a good piece of wood in a Y shape. The most desirable dimensions are 3"-4" wide, and about 10" long. A longer handle can give you greater distance and better lobbing ability but is more conspicuous. Look around woods or in brush piles for y shaped branches, but if they can't be found you can just saw up a two by four or other plank to substitute.

Next you're going to need to make the cradle, just take some duct tape and layer it on top of itself several times to make it thick and strong. The best dimensions are about 2" long and 1"-1.5" wide. Fold your cradle in half and cut slits in both ends for the rubber bands.

Now take one of your long rubber bands and fit it through one of the slots in your cradle and loop one end through the other, repeat this step with your other long rubber band and the other slot in your cradle. Next fit your smaller rubber bands around the ends of the wood, they should fit loosely around it. Take a short rubber band and twist it so it's in the shape of an 8 with one loop around the wood and another free, fit one of the long rubber bands through the open loop you just made and wrap it around the branch, cover this by putting the loop of the short rubber band over the branch. Do the same with the other rubber bands.

All that's left is to customise it however you want. Make a handle out of duct tape or hockey tape, paint it, decorate it, whatever. Also be sure to test it out to get a feel for how powerful it is and how accurate.

Considerations

Be sure to consider the danger to yourself and penalty for carrying and use of a weapon versus its effectiveness and usefulness in expected situations.

Links

Improvised Street Weapons

Folding chairs and confrence tables can be used as improvised shields against rubber bullets. Any kind of hefty rope or chain can be used as tanglefoot for massed riot troops or horses when well anchored off to utility poles or fire hydrants. And of course, a rock or piece of concrete when thrown will cause damage.

Original WEAPONS FOR STREET FIGHTING

Spray Cans

These are a very effective and educating method of property destruction. If a liberated zone has been established or you find yourself on a quiet street away from the thick of things, pretty up the neighborhood. Slogans and symbols can be sprayed on rough surfaces such as brick or concrete walls that are a real bitch to remove unless expensive sandblasting is used.

The Slingshot

This is probably the ideal street weapon for the swarms of little Davids that are out to down the Goliaths of Pigdom. It is cheap, legal to carry, silent, fast-loading and any right size rock will do for a missile. You can find them at hobby shops and large sporting goods stores, especially those that deal in hunting supplies. Wrist-Rocket makes a powerful and accurate slingshot for $2.50. The Whamo Sportsman is not as good but half the price. By selecting the right "Y" shaped branch, you can fashion a home-made one by using a strip of rubber cut from the inner tube of a tue as the sling. A few hours of shooting stones at cans in the back yard or up on the roof will make you marksman enough for those fat bank windows and even fatter pigs.

Slings

A sling is a home-made weapon consisting of two lengths of heavy-duty cord each attached securely at one end to a leather patch that serves as a pocket to cradle the rock. Place the rock in the pouch and grab the two pieces of cord firmly in your hand. Whirl the rock round and round until gravity holds it firmly in the pouch. When you feel you have things under control, let one end of the cord go and the rock will fly out at an incredible speed. You should avoid using the sling in a thick crowd (rooftop shooting is best). Practice is definitely needed to gain any degree of accuracy.

Keep in mind that slings are potentially very dangerous to the user and you can easily shoot one of your own eyes out.

Boomerangs

The boomerang is a neat weapon for street fighting and is as easy to master as the Frisbee. There is a great psychological effect in using exotic weapons such as this. You can buy one at large hobby stores. On the East Coast you can get one from Sportscraft, Bergenfield, New Jersey, for $2.69, and on the West Coast from Whamo, 835 El Monte St., San Gabriel, Calif., for $1.10.

Tear Gas and Mace

Personalized tear gas and mace dispensers are available for self-defense against muggers. Well, isn't a pig just an extra vicious mugger? Write J.P. Darby, 8813 New Hyde Park, New York, N.Y. 11040 for a variety of types and prices.

Tear gas shells are available for 12 gauge shotguns and .38 Special handguns, but it is highly inadvisable to bring guns to street actions. A far better weapon is a specially built projection device that shoots tear gas shells. Hercules Gas-Munitions Corp., 5501 No. Broadway, Chicago, Ill., sells compact units complete with cartridges for $6.95 that will fire up to 20 feet. Penguin Associates, Inc., Pennsylvania Avenue, Malvern, Penn., also has a variety of tear-gas propellant devices including a combination tear gas-billyclub item. All these companies will supply a catalogue and price list on request. Some states have laws against civilian use of tear gas devices. New York is one of them, and unfortunately these companies will not ship to states that forbid usage. If you want any of these items, and your state has restrictions, have a sister or brother in a neighboring state order for you. Just latching onto these catalogues can be a trip and a half in terms of getting your imagination hopping. For example Raid, Black Flag and other insecticides shoot a 7 to 10 foot stream that burns the eyes. You can also dissolve Drano in water and squirt it from an ordinary plastic water pistol. That makes a highly effective defensive weapon. A phony letterhead of a Civil Defense unit will help in getting heavier anti-personal weapons of a defensive nature.

Anti-Tire Weapons

Don't believe all those bullshit tire ads that make tires seem like the Superman of the streets. Roofing nails spread out on the street are effective in stopping a patrol car. A nail sticking out from a strong piece of wood wedged under a rear tire will work as effectively as a bazooka. An ice pick will do the trick repeatedly but you've got to have a strong arm to strike home. Sugar in the gas tank of a pig vehicle will do nothing. Use water instead.

Authentic Pig Game

If you really get into it, you'll probably want to be as heavily prepared for trashing as are the pigs. Wouldn't you just know that the largest supplier of equipment to police in the world is in Chicago. Kale's, 550 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago, Ill. 60607, will send you, on request, the most complete catalogue you can get for trashing. Actual police uniforms, super-riot helmets, persuaders chemical mace, a knuckle sap, which is a glove with powdered lead, billy clubs, secret holsters, a three-in-one mob stick that spits Mace, emits an electric shock and allows you to club to death a charging rhinoceros. You can also get the latest in handcuffs and other security devices. This catalogue is a must for the love-child of the 70's. If we want to get high we're going to have to fight our way up.

Unarmed Defense

Last updated: 21 May 2011

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1 Unarmed Defense
1.1 Basics
1.1.1 Defense
1.1.1.1 Incoming Attacks
1.1.2 Fighting stance
1.1.3 Punching
1.1.4 Kicking
1.1.5 Fighting
1.2 Grappling
1.2.1 Break Falls
1.2.2 Center of Balance
1.2.3 Throws and Takedowns
1.2.3.1 Leg Throws
1.2.3.2 Hip Throws
1.2.3.3 Hand Throws
1.2.3.3.1 Fireman's carry/ Shoulder Wheel
1.2.3.3.2 Shoulder Throw
1.3 Groundwork
1.3.1 Armbars
1.3.2 Armblocks
1.4 Cheating
1.4.1 Dirt
1.4.2 The groin
1.4.3 Eyes
1.4.3.1 Ears
1.4.3.2 Weapons
2 Original UNARMED DEFENSE

Unarmed Defense

The best defense is to never have to defend yourself in the first place: avoid dark alleys, pay attention to your surroundings, and know your escape routes. Learn the behaviors of a victim and avoid exhibiting those to the people around you; this will keep you from becoming a target.

If you do ever have to defend yourself, there is a single rule you should remember: ESCAPE. If you've ever had to defend yourself, you know this. There is nothing more important that getting to safety. As soon as you can, run away. See the Parkour chapter for unarmed and unequipped escape and evasion skills.

Even more important: if someone wants something from you, your wallet, car keys, watch, etc, and is willing to stab or shoot your for it, GIVE IT TO THEM! These things are material goods that are not worth your life.

With that said, there are definitely times when defensive techniques are needed, and that is what this guide is here for.

While this guide is better than nothing, its still best to obtain regular instruction from a live and experienced coach. It's damn difficult to learn martial arts and self defense properly by reading text. Moreover, a proper teacher will push you; both in martial technique and in physical fitness. Just avoid the McDojo. These gyms usually cater to children and bored suburbanites and teach you something that's more like dancing than fighting. As Bruce Lee said, the only way to learn how to fight is by doing it, so if the gym does not have regular, full contact sparring, it's not worth the time or money.

Being physically fit is important, but not crucial. More important is being able to move quickly and being flexible. If you are going to defend yourself from an attack, you need to be able to move faster than your attacker.

Basics

There are two types of encounters: fighting, and survival. Fighting is what you do with your friends in your backyard or in a bar with a drunk. Survival is what you do when you're being attacked by a 6'3" mugger with a knife.

Next up, there are two types of encounters: the ones you see coming, and the ones you don't. The ones you see coming are the guy at the bar who keeps giving you the evil eye, or that mugger refusing to leave you alone after you've given him your wallet.

The attacks you don't see coming are the scariest. All of a sudden you're being thrown, dragged around, or put into a headlock with a knife at your throat.

This guide will primarily cover the first type of attack. While there are specific defenses against particular attacks in the second category, you'll need a proper teacher to learn these effectively.

Defense

The prime directive in defense is to GET OUT OF THE WAY. A martial arts sifu once said, "If someone wants to put a knife right where I'm standing, who am I to deny them this?"

When you're in a defense position, you will be jacked up on adrenaline; this is not a question. When your system is compromised like this, you'll lose all fine muscle control. This means that your defense will have to rely only on large muscle groups. These are your "curl" muscles: crunching your stomach, raising your arms, and ducking your head. Because these are your strongest muscles, you need to use these as your main defenses.

As many martial artists can tell you, simply visualizing attacks and defenses can be just as effective as physically practicing them. It's not a replacement for practice, but it's a tool that you should use.

Incoming Attacks

When you're dealing with incoming attacks above the stomach, there are only two blocks you need to know. One uses the opposite hand to block and one uses the same side to block (meaning each side can block itself or the opposite; four blocks total).

High Attacks - Block One - Slap

1. If the attack is coming from your left side, use a bicep curl motion to bring your right hand up to your ear. Ideally you will meet the attack midway (any sort of punch, swing, etc) and redirect it past your head.

2. Next, bring your left hand up and replace your right. This should be one complete motion; the second hand should be a half-second behind the first.

3. Meanwhile, step in towards your attacker. This puts you inside their strike range and out of danger (remember, AVOIDANCE is the KEY).

4. After blocking the attack, return fire (with your primary blocking side) with an elbow to the head, a chop or punch to the neck, or any other strike. USE yOuR JUDGMENT AS TO HOW MUCH FORCE TO USE. The drunk guy doesn't warrant a crushed throat, but anyone who wants to kill you deserves the same in kind.

High Attacks - Block Two - Crazy Monkey

1. The Crazy Monkey starts the same as the Slap, with a bicep curl motion. But this time, you're bringing your hand to your ear. On the way up, your elbow should come as far inside as possible, to catch any attack on your arm, rather than your head.

2. Next, step in. Again, this puts you on the inside and therefore the outside of the danger zone.

3. Finally, return fire with the non-blocking side. Again, gauge your response based on the situation.

Fighting stance

A proper fighting stance is essential to maintaining balance and power. Various fighting systems recommend different basic stances. The one presented here has the advantage of being simple, intuitive and adaptable. I've broken it down into six parts because the little things are important. This is an orthodox stance, which is the standard most fighters will be taught. However, if you get real coaching, you may find a more effective stance for you. Many great fighters have used the peek-a-boo, philly shell, mummy, karate and hands down stances to great success, however you can't know if you can do any of these well unless you regularly spar.

Step 1: With your opponent directly in front of you, turn 45 degrees to the right or the left, toward your stronger arm. Spread your feet slightly more than shoulder-width. Your feet and body should both be facing 45 degrees from your starting position, with your toes parallel and your weight evenly distributed. This angle is important because it gives you forward-to-backward and side-to-side stability, making you harder to take down or knock over. It also presents a narrower profile to your opponent, limiting the target area.

Step 2: Relax your arms and shoulders, and sink down into your position, bending your knees slightly to lower your center of gravity. Your weight should be distributed equally on your right and left legs.

Step 3: Turn your head toward your opponent, keeping your chin low and slightly tucked behind your shoulder. Your torso and hips should stil be facing 45 degrees. Bend your body very slightly toward your opponent.

Step 4: Make a fist with your strong (rear) hand, curling your fingers tightly into the palm and then tucking your thumb over your second knuckles. Draw up your rear hand so it's almost touching your cheek. Keep your elbow tucked against your ribs, protecting them.

Step 5: Make a fist with your other hand and hold it out in front of your face, just below the level of your nose, and at least two fist-lengths from it in distance. Your elbow should be bent slightly more than 90 degrees, leaving a good distance between your fist and your face. This elbow should also be turned in toward the center of your body, affording better protection.

Step 6: Raise your back heel very slightly. This will put a little spring in your step, and help you to absorb blows.

Practice this stance until it feels natural and you don't have to think about it. Then practice moving forward and backward, side to side, using small steps and without losing the distance between your feet (they should always be shoulder-width apart, 45 degrees from your opponent.) Move in L shaped motions and NEVER let your feet cross, as this will make you trip and fall. When you feel comfortable, practice the stance with the other foot forward.

Punching

Always punch with a tightly closed fist, and make sure your thumb is tucked over your middle knuckles. If you wrap your fist over it or allow it to protrude, you risk breaking it should you actually hit something. The back of your hand should be roughly aligned with your forearm, rather than bent; the striking surface is the knuckles of your pinky, ring finger and middle finger. Generally, your fist should be horizontal for jabs and crosses, but turned with the thumb slightly down for hooks. Some martial art styles advocate a vertically aligned fist, however, it takes practice to learn to do this effectively. Strike anywhere below the forehead and always aim several inches behind your actual target. Any boxing coach will tell you to throw punches in bunches, and you would be wise to heed this advice. Multiple, quick shots are much harder to see, with one shot hiding the next, and the chances of scoring a one hit knockout are fairly slim. It's also much harder to block if you throw multi-hit combos, alternating between body and head. This is where conditioning comes into play. A less skilled, but better conditioned fighter can simply smother a more skilled, yet less conditioned fighter with a huge punch output.

The Jab: From fighting stance, the jab is executed with the forward arm. Punch straight out without drawing it back in preparation or allowing your elbow to pull away from your body horizontally. Twist your shoulders and hips slightly to give power to the punch; it is OK to pivot or step forward slightly on your front foot. Draw the fist back to its original position. The jab is a quick punch that is often used by itself, or in combination with the more powerful cross. The jab can also be used to determine the distance between you and your opponent, as it can be flicked out quickly without exposing yourself.

The Straight: The straight is executed with the rear hand; punch straight out without allowing your elbow to pull away from your body horizontally, pivoting the shoulders and hips to give maximum power. As the arm extends, twist the heel of your back leg outward by rotating on the ball of your foot to give the punch more power, but be careful to not throw yourself off-balance. The straight is a very powerful punch, and should be a bread and butter shot. It has range, power and reasonable speed. The 1-2 (Jab-Straight combo) is a basic, but very effective boxing technique and should be practiced until it is second nature.

The Cross:The cross is similar to the straight, however the punch is arced slightly to come at the opponent from above. It is almost always thrown as a counter punch, with your arm almost appearing to slide down the opponent's, then arcing down, which makes your arms cross and gives this punch it's name.. This is an incredibly powerful punch, but if it fails you are left wide open for a fierce retaliation.

The Hook: The hook can be executed with either the front or the rear hand. Strike out in a subtle arc to connect with the side of the head. Rotate the hand so that the thumb is angled slightly downward on the strike. Aim for the side of the head or the neck. With practice, this can be an effective punch. Practice executing a controlled hook; avoid wild "haymaker" swings from the side, which can be easily seen and avoided by a skilled fighter. Hooks to the body can also be devastating, with a good shot to the liver or kidneys able to drop an opponent in a single blow. Body hooks are a good followup after a high jab, as your opponent's guard will be high and cannot protect against the body shot. Remember, every shot landed to the body gives you an advantage, especially against poorly conditioned opponents. Take their lungs away and the fight is yours.

The Uppercut: This punch comes from below and strikes up against the opponent's body. It is generally effective only from very close range. Dip your shoulder and draw your fist upward, using your hip to provide torque. Don't drop your fist before throwing, the whole motion should come from the knees and hips, and the punch should end up at about your eye level. It helps if you throw this off a slipped or ducked punch, as you are already in the correct position at this point. This is a difficult strike to perfect for an inexperienced fighter, and is best learned by watching serious boxers execute it. However, if it can be landed, it is arguably the most powerful punch you can throw.

Kicking

Forget every kung fu movie you've ever seen. Unless you've been doing tae kwon do since you were 5, you're very unlikely to land that spinning back kick without getting yourself killed in the process. Every time you kick, at least one leg leaves the ground, compromising your balance and leaving you vulnerable. However, short, low kicks (below waist level) can be very effective because they are quick and difficult to see. Always return quickly to fighting stance after executing a kick or your opponent will grab you and take you down.

Groin Kick: Raise your knee and swing your foot upward toward the groin, with the toes extended, so that you're striking with the bridge of your foot. Practice this kick with both the front and back leg, so you can do it without losing your balance. It is the simplest kick to execute, and it can end a fight if timed properly. Be warned, however, that males instinctively protect this region of their body. Despite the common misconception, this kick is effective against female pigs. What's more, there's a chance the pig in question will believe herself immune to a groin attack, and fail to guard against it. Use this to your advantage.

Straight Kick: This is similar to the groin kick except you raise your knee up higher and then strike straight forward (almost a "pushing" motion) at the opponent's groin or thighs, delivering the blow with the balls of your foot. This is more difficult to block (or catch); however it takes practice to execute it properly.

Shin Stomp: This simple and potentially debilitating kick is usually delivered with the rear foot and is particularly useful in a clinch. Raise your knee and then stomp forward and down with the flat of your foot against your opponent's shin. This can be extremely painful. A similar strike to the side of the knee can fell your opponent or tear ligaments (and potentially expose you to costly lawsuits).

Fighting

First rule: Relax. Second rule: See above. Third rule: Refer to #1. Keep your mouth closed, your tongue pressed against your palate. Breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth. Never look your opponent in the eyes. Watch the elbows -- fists move too fast for your eye to track, but elbows betray intentions. (Find a friend and practice until you can see a punch coming.) Keep moving, but never in sustained retreat. When your opponent closes in, don't get cornered; work your way around. Always take the offense.

Regular sparring can help reduce the anxiety of getting in a fight or being hit. Its also a great way to build confidence in your skills. Don't bother with backyard brawls, as they breed bad habits and can result in serious injury. You can get quality instruction at any local boxing gym, and it will be nice and safe. You can get a great workout, too, which is important as stamina is possibly the most important (and overlooked) quality of a successful fighter. Even the best technique won't help you if you're dead tired in 30 seconds.

Grappling

With the amount of armor worn by the pigs today, strikes can be under-effective. Also, the pigs will try to take you to the ground to arrest you, so you had better have grappling skills, However Try to stay on your feet if there is more than one pig arroud(most of the time)the moment you touch the ground-even if you're the wold's best grappler-it wonn't take long for another pig to put a baton on your face

Here's some basic judo:

Break Falls

When falling backwards, you want to land on your shoulder blades (upper back). You can favour either side or fall on both. The most important thing to remember when falling is to tuck your head into your chest (as they say in judo: "look at your belt"). This will help prevent dangerous head and neck injuries.

Center of Balance

Balance occurs on both the y- and x-axis (vertical and horizontal, respectively). To find your center of balance, start by standing normally (back straight,arms at your side, feet shoulder width apart). Draw a line through your feet, so that the line passes through the middle of each foot. The center point of this line represents your vertical balance. (the point directly below your crotch). On the x-axis, it is one thumbs-width below your belly button, where your waist is.

As you move your weight from one foot to the other, you will become less balanced. Exploiting this weakness is important for grounding your opponent.

Throws and Takedowns

There are hundreds of throws and take downs, everything from a simple tackle to a bold flying omoplata. They are divided into four basic kinds of throws: leg throws (foot sweeps), hip throws, hand throws, and sacrifice throws.

Leg Throws

The basic idea here is to use your leg or foot to unbalance your opponent. First, you need to pin your opponent's weight over one of his legs. This can be done by pulling your opponent's arms and shoulders in the direction you want them to fall. Then take your leg and, swinging it at the hip, aiming for the ankle, sweep (not kick) their foot out from under them. Keep pulling their arms as you sweep. The whole motion must be done at once.

A basic throw of this style is called Major Outer Reaping:

Here, you square off with your opponent. you have their inside right arm (near the bend in the elbow) in your left hand, and their left shoulder (or neck/face if you're evil) in your right hand. Take a side-step to your left, swing your right leg up through the hole between you, twist their upper body by pulling on their arm and pushing on their shoulder/neck, and bring your right leg back down, connecting with your opponent at the ankle, and brushing his leg away. The result is that his center of balance will be over a point where there is no support, and thus he will fall.

Another common throw in this category is the Minor Inner Reaping: Start the same as with the Major Outer Reaping, keeping the hands in the same position. Do not side-step, instead, step in with your left foot, so that your left shoulder is close to his right shoulder (still facing each other, though)(Almost as if you were going to head-butt him). Then, when he can't see it, slip your right leg between his legs, hook his right leg at the ankle with your heel, and sweep his leg with turning his upper body as before. This is a sneaky move that is hard to see coming. Even if the move fails, you can still head-but, or use a knee strike to the groin. As with all throws, but ESPECIALLY with this one, it is very likely that your opponent will pull you down with them (you should land on top of them though); watch out for this.

Yet another common leg throw is the Minor Outer Reaping: This is the classic foot sweep. Start with the same grip as before, with your right hand on their left shoulder and your left hand on their inside right arm, facing them. Take your right leg back in a quarter circle, so you are now standing at a right angle to him (keep the holds). Pull down with your left hand and pull towards you with your right, thus pinning his weight under his right leg. take your left foot and sweep his leg at the ankle, using the bottom of your foot.

Hip Throws

Here, you use your hip to unbalance your opponent. The trick is to get your center of balance below his, by bending your knees. You then lift him by straightening your knee. You then throw him by turning.

Let's try a basic hip throw, one similar to the Floating Loin: Start by facing your opponent, holding his inside right arm in your left hand, and put your right arm around his waste, leaving his left arm free (don't worry, if done properly, he'll be on the ground before he can even think to strike with his free left). Turn into your opponent (your ass should be just about in front of their crotch), bending your knees as you come in, so as your belt or waste is below their belt or waste. Pull them close to you with your right. Straighten your legs, and turn to your left. This completes the throw.

Hand Throws

Hand throws are a far more diverse category. They can also be the most destructive, visually impressive, and most difficult to use. Here are a few.

Fireman's carry/ Shoulder Wheel

To start out, face your opponent, and take his inside right arm in your left hand (again). Step in and put your head under his armpit/lat, keep your knees bent, your right foot between his two legs, and grab the back of his knee with your right hand. Then lift by pulling with your left hand, straightening your knees, and pulling up on his leg. You can then drop him somewhere (off a highway overpass, down a flight of stairs, onto a large rock, onto another opponent, and so on). To drop him, step forward and bend over, keeping your head down and letting go with your hands. (careful when practicing, this eliminates almost all control over how he will land)

Shoulder Throw

A Judo classic.

Groundwork

The ability to fight on the ground is very important and yet often overlooked. While groundwork does include strikes (ground 'n pound), it also includes devastating chokes and joint locks.

Armbars

The arm is weakest at its joints. Submission/ victory is achieved by exploiting weaknesses in anatomy to cause pain, breakage, and dislocation. In an armbar, the joint being targeted is the elbow. The elbow can be broken if it is hyper-extended past it's normal range of motion. While on the ground, an armbar can be accomplished any number of ways, the most common case is: your opponent is lying on their back. You are lying at a 90 degree angle to them. You have their right arm in your hand, and your left leg across their throat (your right leg can hold the left leg down), so that their arm is extended between your legs. You then hold their hand to your chest and lift your hips off of the ground. This will cause the elbow to break.

Armblocks

Another lock that targets the elbow -- instead of hyper-extending it, it hyper-flexs it. To do this lock:

1. Take their right arm again. Hold their wrist in your left hand.

2. Put your arm in the bend of their elbow, and hold your own left wrist in your right hand.

3. Push down with your left hand. The resulting force will cause the elbow to pull apart, separating the forearm from the upper arm.

Cheating

Rules are for the ring. If you're in a fight with someone who is seeking to seriously hurt you, you should exercise any means necessary to survive in one piece.

Dirt

Sometimes better than a strong punch or kick but with longer range, dirt, sand, or gravel in the eyes is a distraction that if all goes right might give you five to ten life saving seconds to escape.

The groin

A swift kick, slap, or grab in the funzone can quickly disable nearly all male opponents, giving valuable time to escape. Remember: A hard kick works on women too. Go nuts.

Eyes

Pretty much self explanatory here. A good thumb in the eye can end a fight by itself, and a serious eye gouge can leave your opponent walking with a white cane.

Ears

A slap to one or both ears with a cupped hand can injure or blow out the eardrum, this can ruin your opponents balance sense which is located inside the ears and is damn painful.

Weapons

When you're in a pinch, nearly anything can become a weapon. Bottles, glasses, trash can lids, chairs, stout sticks, belts, rocks or bricks, tools, or anything hard, sharp or heavy can be used to put your adversary down. I have even seen someone take out 2 knife wielding foes with a propane tank. When the chips are down, never be afraid to double up.

Original UNARMED DEFENSE

Let's face it, when it comes to trashing in the streets, our success is going to depend on our cunning and speed rather than our strength and power. Our side is all quarterbacks, and the pigs have nothing but linemen. They are clumsy, slobbish brutes that would be lost without their guns, clubs and toy whistles. When one grabs you for an arrest, you can with a little effort, make him let go. In the confusion of all the street action, you will then be able to manage your getaway.

There are a variety of defensive twists and pulls that are easy to master by reading a good, easily understandable book on the subject, such as George Hunter's How To Defend Yourself (see appendix). If a pig grabs you by the wrist you can break the grip by twisting against his thumb. Try this on yourself by grabbing one wrist with your hand. See how difficult it is to hold someone who works against the thumb. If he grabs you around the waist or neck, you can grab his thumbs or another finger and sharply bend it backwards. By concentrating all your energy on one little finger, you can inflict pain and cause the grip to be broken.

There are a variety of points on the body where a firm amount of pressure skillfully directed will induce severe pain. A grip, for example, can be broken by jabbing your finger firmly between the pig's knuckles. (Nothing like chopped pigknuckles.) Feel directly under your chin in back of the jawbone until your finger rests in the V area, press firmly upward and backward towards the center of the head. There is also a very vulnerable spot right behind the ear lobe. Stick your fingers there and see. Get the point!

In addition to pressure points, there are places in the body where a sharp, well-directed whack with the side of a rigidly held palm can easily disable a person. Performed by an expert, such a blow can even be lethal. Try making such a rigid palm and practice these judo chops. The fist is a ridiculous weapon to use. It's fleshy, the blow is distributed over too wide an area to have any real effect and the knuckles break easily. You will have to train yourself to use judo chops instinctively, but it will prove quite worthwhile if you are ever in trouble. A good place to aim for is directly in the center of the chest cavity at its lowest point. Draw a straight line up about six inches starting from your belly button, and you can feel the point. The Adam's Apple in the center of the neck and the back of the neck at the top of the spinal column are also extremely vulnerable spots. With the side of your palm, press firmly the spot directly below your nose and above your upper lip. You can easily get an idea of what a short, forceful chop in this area would do. The side of the head in front of the ear is also a good place to aim your blow.

In addition to jabs, chops, twists, squeezes and bites, you ought to gain some mastery of kneeing and kicking. If you are being held in close and facing the porker, the old familiar knee-in-the-nuts will produce remarkable results. A feinting motion with the head before the knee is delivered will produce a reflexive reaction from your opponent that will leave his groin totally unprotected. Ouch!

Whether he has you from the front or the back, he is little prepared to defend against a skillfully aimed kick. The best way is to forcefully scrape the side of your shoe downward along the shinbone, beginning just below the knee and ending with a hard stomp on the instep of the foot. Just try this with the side of your hand and you will get an idea of the damage you can inflict with this scrape and stomp method. Another good place to kick and often the only spot accessible is the side of the knee. Even a half successful blow here will topple the biggest of honkers. Any of these easy to learn techniques of unarmed self defense will fulfill the old nursery rhyme that goes:

Catch a piggy by the toe

When he hollers

Let him go

Out pops Y-0-U

General Strategy Rap

Last updated: 13 November 2010

Go back to Trashing

General Strategy Rap

Believe it or not, the US Department of Defense has produced a number of manuals for their servicemen (and women), loaded with tactical information as well as tips on what the opposing forces may do in retaliation. These books are in public domain, and can be had at Army surplus stores, gun shows, and sometimes on a few survivalist websites on the Internet. Just be careful how you use the information (Anything that goes "boom" or "bang" or has a sharp point/edge can either kill you or someone else, or get you arrested), and remember that Big Brother already knows what's in these books.

While it is best to get the most recent editions of these books, back in the 1950's and into the 1970's many of these titles were bought by extreme right-wingers since they feared either a Communist invasion or Federal gun confiscation. If you have an older relative who was (or still is) a member of the John Birch Society or some other Far-Right/Ultra-Patriotic group, he might have a few of these stored away in his basement, attic or garage. Get on his good side and make him an offer.

Besides a number of specific manuals for various firearms, there are the following:

FM 5-25: Explosives and Demolitions
FM 5-31: Boobytraps
FM 5-35: Engineers’ Reference Data (Very useful information on building things up or knocking them down)
FM 8-51: Combat Stress Control In A Theater Of Operations
FM 19-15: Civil Disturbances and Disasters
FM 19-40: Enemy Prisoners of War, Civilian Internees and Detained Persons
FM 21-11: First Aid for Soldiers
FM 21-26: Map Reading and Land Navigation
FM 21-76: Survival (The earlier versions were entitled "Survival, Evasion and Escape", but much of the Prisoner of War info is outdated.)
FM 21-77: Evasion and Escape (Written during the Korean War and may be very dated)
FM 21-78: Prisoner of War Resistance

<em>

Keep a sense of humor. Humor is a highly effective weapon. Use it. It makes living easier if you can find some humor in your situation, ironic humor perhaps but, nonetheless, humor,</em> (p. 49)
FM 21-150: Combatives - Hand-to-Hand Combat
FM 23-3: Tactics, Techniques and Concepts of Anti-Armor Warfare
FM 31-210: Improvised Munitions Handbook

(http://wiki.stealthiswiki.org.nyud.net:8080/Improvised%20Munitions%20Handbook.pdf)

FM 32-12: Guerrilla Warfare and Special Forces Operations
FM 33-1: Psychological Operations
FM 34-52: Intelligence Interrogation
FM 90-10: Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain (MOUT)
FMFM 0-7: Close Combat and Hand to Hand Fighting
MCRP 3-02B: Marine Corps Martial Arts
SH 21-76: Ranger Handbook
ST 31-180: Special Forces Handbook
ST 31-91B: U. S. Special Forces Medical Handbook
TC 21-3: Soldier's Handbook for Individual Operations and Survival in Cold-Weather Areas
TC 90-6-1: Military Mountaineering: Training for Combat
TM 5-725: Rigging (Everythingyou need to know about ropes and tying them)
TM 31-200-1: Unconventional Warfare Devices and Techniques: References
TM 31-210-1: Unconventional Warfare Devices and Techniques: Incendiaries
U.S. Marine Guidebook of Essential Subjects

Many titles may be available from third parties as collections on CD-ROM. Some titles can be downloaded from these websites:

A ton of relevant torrents are available here: http://thepiratebay.org/user/x_DontTreadOnMe_x/

Original GENERAL STRATEGY RAP

The guideline in trashing is to try and do as much property destruction as possible without getting caught or hurt. The best buildings to trash in terms of not alienating too many of those not yet clued into revolutionary violence, are the most piggy symbols of violence you can find. Banks, large corporations, especially those that participate heavily in supporting the U.S. armed forces, federal buildings, courthouses, police stations, and Selective Service centers are all good targets. On campuses, buildings that are noted for warfare research and ROTC training are best. When it comes to automobiles, choose only police vehicles and very expensive cars such as Lamborghinis and Iso Grifos. Every rock or molotov cocktail thrown should make a very obvious political point. Random violence produces random propaganda results. Why waste even a rock?

When you know there is going to be a rough street scene developing, don't play into the pig's strategy. Spread the action out. Help waste the enemy's numbers. You and the other members of your group should already have a target or two in mind that will make for easy trashing. If you don't have one, setting fires in trash cans and ringing fire alarms will help provide a cover for other teams that do have objectives picked out. Putting out street lights with rocks also helps the general infusion.

After a few tries at trashing, you'll begin to overcome your fears, learn what to expect from both the pigs and your comrades, and develop your own street strategy. Nothing works like practice in actual street conditions. Get your head together and you'll become a pro. Don't make the basic mistake of just naively floating into the area. Don't think "rally" or "demonstration," think "WAR" and "Battle Zone." Keep your eyes and ears open. Watch for mistakes made by members of your gang and those made by other comrades. Watch for blunders by the police. In street fighting, every soldier should think like a general. Workshops should be organized right after an action to discuss the strength and weaknesses of techniques and strategies used. Avoid political bullshit at such raps. Regard them as military sessions. Persons not versed in the tactics of revolution usually have nothing worthwhile to say about the politics of revolution.

Underwater Trashing

Last updated: 15 March 2011

Contents

1 Intro
2 What is needed
3 Operation
4 Depth Gauge
5 Fun Facts

Intro

This article is not meant to be a diving manual in any way, the only safe way to learn diving is from a certified dive master who will teach you how to safely use compressed air SCUBA gear and rebreathing gear when you have mastered basic skills. She will also teach how to deal with the issues relating to decompression, safe breathing, underwater navigation, and first aid.

The worlds navies have for many years used a unusual kind of underwater breathing apparatus, the rebreather made famous by the bubble free LAR-V aided SEAL demolition raids. Very long dives with no tell-tale bubbles are possible using a rebreather. The operation is quite simple, a breathing loop consisting of a mouthpiece and hoses, air bladder, CO2 scrubber chemical canister, and pure oxygen supply. Operation is safe to nine meters, going beyond this depth will cause oxygen toxicity, seizure's, and inhalation of seawater which will lead to drowning.

This simple dive device can be made by someone with a knowledge of chemistry, pneumatic design, and a strong sense of safety quality control.

What is needed

SodaLime - CO2 scrubber, ask at a hospital supply dealer it is used in surgery for anesthetic gas loops or at a dive shop
Oxygen - Only use medical oxygen if possible, welding oxygen is not been guaranteed pure
Oxygen regulator or valve with low pressure hose
Counter Lung - One or two hot water bottles which are a little larger than your lung capacity
Hoses - flexible non-compressible hoses to go to and from the mouthpiece
PVC T and Dive Mouthpiece - connect to breathing hoses
Oxygen regulator or valve - brass or chrome construction to prevent rust
Canister - for sodalime, plumbed into bladders and breathing hoses with screen to hold sodalime tight
several rubber one way breathing air valves

Operation

This is the way the loop works, its layout is up to you but build the counterlungs to be near your chest to prevent weird buoyancy shifts as you breathe.

1-Pre-breathe ten deep breaths of pure oxygen by flooding the system with your oxygen valve full open exhaling outside the rebreather, if you don't do this nitrogen will be in the system and you could become hypoxic.

2-After pre-breathing you will start to breath fully in the system your breath will contain unabsorbed oxygen and CO2, this breath will flow down the the hose with a valve running into the system.

3-Before entering the scrub canister the air will enter a water trap consisting of a stocking filled with diaper stuffing which will prevent water droplets from entering the scrubber.

4-The air enters the scrubber, the moisture and CO2 being acidic react with the alkaline sodalime binding and removing the CO2, only oxygen is left,there is a one way valve leading to the counterlungs, an overpressure relief pop-open valve is a good idea here too. There are screens held in with large springs to keep the sodalime from rolling around and breaking apart the granules.

5-The air leaves the scrubber and enters the counterlung which allows the user to breathe in and out circulating the air, another one way valve leads upward to the air hose.

6-On exiting the counterlung the loop returns up another breathing hose to a final valve and the mouthpiece.

7-The oxygen add line can be plumbed in anywhere but after the exiting counterlung valve or in the mouthpiece are best.

It is important that the oxygen add line be after the post-scrubber canister one way valve, because if your system gets filled with water you will have a caustic cocktail in yur system, the oxygen add valve turned on to full will purge the inhalation side of the loop and allow you to emergency surface. Always try to find a way to have a normal SCUBA or spare-air set in case there is a failure. NEVER remove the mouthpiece on a dive unless you have installed a shutoff valve or you will wet your loop and the rebreather will be unusable until you get to land and can open and clean out the caustic goop.

Always surface test your new systems with a friend watching, a workout on an exercise bike is a good way to prove to your partner you are getting oxygen. Run out both scrubber and oxygen several times to determine lifespan of both and reasonable safety margins. Next test run the rebreather a few times in a pool with a helper.

Depth Gauge

Your safety depth meter is a simple design, take a 5-6cm piece of 1-2mm clear plastic tube, in a pinch a cleaned out pen ink tube will work, melt one end shut and glue down to a white piece of Plexiglas plastic. Measure half the length and mark the plastic with a white or glow paint, this is one atmosphere or 10 meter mark, WARNING! never get deep enough that your bubble shrinks to this line underwater when breathing the pure oxygen of your rebreather it is the DEATH LINE you are crossing with that bubble.

Fun Facts

The most vulnerable parts of a ship are the prop shafts at the bearing and the moving parts of the rudder.
Many large ships are lead out of port with tugboats.
The easiest way to sink a ship is collision with another ship or with land.
Sinking ships in the middle of a channel have caused millions of dollars in losses as the waterway had become unnavigable.
Demolition charges of appropriate explosives have be placed across from each other on prop shafts and rudder parts increasing the overall shattering power.
Large sealed and well placed thermite (23% aluminium powder and 76% iron oxide powder with a manganese or sugar/potassium chloride ignition stage) devices have welded parts of ships tight. This has destroyed the rudder actuation or prop shafts and bearings forcing the ship to stay in port for repairs.
Glock 17's are common handguns that can operate underwater with the optional maritime kit, albeit at the risk of damaging the users eardrums and internal organs.
many slam fire submachineguns like the old Sten's and Stearling's can also fire wet. With these weapons it is intended that the user exit the water if possible before engaging in gunfights. See also [1] (http://wiki.stealthiswiki.org/wiki/Handguns#Home-Made-Firearms) about making a slam fire submachinegun.
If you like do dive with guns be sure you are using a ammo that has sealed primers and case mouths. This can be done with fingernail polish: polish is applied, let set for a minute, then wiped with a clean rag.
The pig navy is known to train dolphins to perform guard duty at naval installations. They claim they are not armed and only tag swimmers for apprehension by human divers. Some claim a national inventory of 70 such dolphinsoldiers.

Image:Diver sub.jpg

8. People's Chemistry

[not archived here]

9. Hip Pocket Law

Watch this civil rights training video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqMjMPlXzdA) from http://wwww.flexyourrights.com

Watch it every day for a month for less incarceration.

Remember your civil rights, never talk to a cop or anyone in jail about anything except local sports teams, noncrime movies, pop music, and network TV. No politics, nothing about your extreme sports or hobbies, nothing about your friends or family. Anything you say is an opening for you to destroy your own defence, save it for when you can talk to your lawyer.

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have a right to an attorney. If you can not afford an attorney one will be appointed for you by the court. Do you understand your rights? After hearing these rights are you still willing to speak to the cops?!?!?! Keep your mouth shut, no matter what they say to you!

Legal Advice

Last updated: 13 June 2011

Go back to Hip Pocket Law

1 Legal Advice
1.1 Pig Psyche
1.2 The 'Attitude Test
1.3 The Pig Game
1.4 Endgame Scenarios
1.5 911 is a Joke
2 Remain Silent
2.1 Recap
2.2 Pig Lies
2.3 Be Smart
2.4 Free Legal
2.5 Real Law VS CorpGov Rule
2.6 Photography
2.7 Petty Crimes
2.8 Three Strikes
3 Smart Tips
4 Original Legal Advice

Legal Advice

Pig Psyche

While there are a handful of pigs who seem nice at first, all of them have to answer to the system. Even if they might have been a good person outside an authority role, their job is singularly to get a confession or evidence to convict. Their paycheck depends on enforcing the laws of the Pig Empire, which means throwing punk kids like you in the pokey.

Many pigs are also the worst kind of hypocrites. They don't feel bad about jacking your weed, hauling your ass off to the county jail, and then going home and lighting up the dope they just confiscated. They talk high and mighty about the rule of law, but when their kid's in trouble, you can bet that shit's out the window before you can say "fuck".

You are playing a game with the pigs whether you realize it or not, and you damn well better play to win, because they will be. Pigs will lie, cheat, and scare you to get the big win and scratch another "kill" mark onto their desk, and are legally allowed to do so.

The 'Attitude Test

It is very easy to have contempt for pigs and all the bullshit they pull and lives they meddle with and destroy. However, keep your feelings to yourself. Always be polite and respectful, even if the cop is being an unprofessional, insulting jerk. Cops call this the 'attitude test' even amongst themselves while joking around in Pig HQ. Cops do not take kindly to those that have no respect for those who do not think Cops can do whatever the hell they would like or stop whoever they like. Being polite can mean being allowed to go your own way unmolested with a "Have a safe night.". Being rude or smart-ass can get you harassed further by being body searched or thrown in jail over questionable or lied about charges.

The Pig Game

If you were in on a direct action alone, shut your mouth. Don't lie or shift blame no matter how nice or cool the cop seems or how screwed you think you are. If there is no actual evidence you will walk free unless you give them something to work with. This includes lying, which can be used in other charges or to further an investigation. The only words you should say to a cop are the following: "I am going to remain silent. I want to speak to a lawyer." You cannot get in trouble just for requesting the presence of counsel; CorpGov hasn't taken away that particular right just yet. You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning, so demand one.

If you have to work in a group, only work with people you have known for a very long time. If that's not an option, work only with people who have been vouched for by other genuine and canny activists. Either way, be careful. Even well known friends might turn if they get busted and are offered a deal.

When interrogated as a group, you will always be separated for questioning. During your questioning, it's likely that you will be told that your friend spilled. You will then be offered a deal. Their mentality is that it's entirely lawful for them to lie to you and pretend your friend has confessed regardless of if he actually has, so chances are he/she hasn't really spilled and isn't going to. This deal the cops offer is a scam. They probably were going to have to release both of you, but your confession just guaranteed an easy conviction and jail time for both of you. Again, just repeat your mantra: "I am going to remain silent. I want to speak to a lawyer."

Endgame Scenarios

Unlike with prisoner's dilemma (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner%27s_dilemma) , here's how it works in the real world:

You Silent + Others Silent = No One In Jail (Pigs Lose)
You Narc/Confess + They Narc/Confess = Everyone In Jail (Pigs Win)
You Silent + They Narc/Confess = You: Long Jail or Freedom. They: Medium or Long Jail (Pigs Win)

911 is a Joke

If you find yourself in a situation in which common sense tells you to call in the cops for assistance or for your protection, think again. It is almost never a good idea to call the cops. They don't want to be bothered with your problems, and are more likely to make the situation worse for both parties in order to make you less likely to try to call them again in the future. As always they will always be snooping for probable cause to search and bust people living an alternative life.

One of the most common calls the pigs get is domestic disturbance calls. Cops hate this. If you are in a fucked up relationship that involves lots of hitting, fighting, and screaming arguments avoid calling the cops to get leverage against a partner. Many times, both parties are taken in out of spite. Of course, this is after snooping around the pad legally looking for bigger stuff like drugs laying around, pot plants growing in the back room, or the bag of shwag in the front pants pocket! Both of you could be saddled with huge fines and having to explain not making it into work after being arrested - even after everything has cooled down and aplogies have been made. It is best just to leave for a bit other than let heated arguements escalate. Most domestic fights are over petty and stupid things. If you find yourself fighting and yelling all the time or abuse is involved, you may wish to end the relationship sooner rather than later by any means necessary. There are always sympathetic friends, relatives, low cost relationship counselors, divorce lawyers, and even battered women's shelters. The cops are none of these and can only lie and throw folks in cages.

In fact, the only time 911 should really be used is when an ambulance is needed or there is a fire somewhere.

Remain Silent

If stopped and questioned at a protest, rally, or the like, do not, under any circumstances, admit to having ever done anything illegal. In fact, do not, under any circumstances, admit to anything at all! Despite the borderline legality, cops will often use the admission of a past crime as probable cause to search you, your car, your house, etc. They're on shaky legal ground when they do it, but if they find something, that ground becomes a lot less shaky. Also, if you're stopped seemingly randomly, and the officer starts asking a bunch of questions, you are under no obligation to answer. Chances are, if he's asking a ton of questions, he doesn't have probable cause, and is simply fishing for something that he can use.

Instead, try this approach: If approached or questioned by an officer, stay calm. Ask him, "Am I under arrest, or am I free to leave?" If you are under arrest, you have the right to know why. If the officer demands that you answer questions before leaving, you are not free to go, you are being detained! At this point, you should immediately revert to your mantra, and say nothing more: "With all due respect, I am going to remain silent. If you wish to question me further, I would like have a lawyer present." At this point, if you haven't done anything to piss him off, he may have to let you go, in which case, walk away and say nothing more. Do not bad-mouth the cop. Do not talk back. Doing those things will get you arrested. Just walk away.

If you are arrested, say nothing more. Occasionally reiterate your mantra: "I am going to remain silent. I want to see a lawyer." The cops will probably tease you for repeating it, but they're just trying to rile you up. Literally, either say nothing at all (which is probably a better idea) or just keep repeating it in response to any questions they ask you: "I am going to remain silent. I want to see a lawyer."

Recap

The second you perceive that you are not free to leave, invoke your mantra: "I am going to remain silent. I would like to see a lawyer." Do not wait for the police to say that you are under arrest. Do not wait for them to read you your rights. Make no statement to the police under any circumstances.
Soldiers, during their training, are drilled so that they will only give their name, rank, and serial number in response to interrogation. You need to develop the same reflexes if you should fall into enemy hands. Give your name, invoke the mantra, and then shut the hell up.

Pig Lies

Cops will lie in order to make the situation worse. They will exaggerate claims of both parties, and invent statements from both parties. What they are hoping for is that one party will drop the charges. If that doesn't happen, the cops will simply not show up for the hearings. After a few hearings, the judge with simply throw out the case. Of course, if you miss a hearing, the cops will come to your house and arrest you. But cops are different. They are above the law. Don't ever forget that.

Remember what Bob Dylan said: "The cops don't need you and, man, they expect the same." Unless your life is literally at risk, do not call the cops.

Be Smart

Many busts are not the result of good police pigwork, rather it is the stupidity of activists that leads to the triumphant bust, or the bragging of someone who is not as wise as he is proud. Never make work easy for the pigs. Shoplifting, speeding, drug activity, and suspicious behavior after a job give the piggies an easy probable cause to search everything. If you or your comrades did something that could get any of you busted, keep it to yourself (you can always tell your grandkids about it after the revolution). Once you are in the Can the piggies have plenty of time to run prints and photos from national databases, they will hang onto freaky looking kids for this reason.

Free Legal

If you're expecting hassles in court, it's best to get "pro bono" legal help. Some lawyers do volunteer legal work for their own benefit, while others are actually sympathetic. The best way to get free legal help is to go to your local library and ask at the service desk about local pro bono legal sources. They'll probably direct you to a Legal Aid group, or perhaps the National Lawyers Guild.

Real Law VS CorpGov Rule

There are a few self-styled "patriots" who will claim to have some sort of silver-bullet approach to the legal system, citing all sorts of stuff that you've probably never heard of (like the gold fringe on the flag or your name in all capital letters has some secret meaning, or that the Federal Income Tax isn't Constitutional). While they may be well-meaning, sincere, and possibly even correct (at least in theory), much of what they preach doesn't hold up in court and could get you slapped with Contempt, or at least laughed at. Just because what the system does isn't "legal" doesn't mean the it can't enforce its will. Stick to a lawyer with his or her name on a shingle, or skip bond andGet the Hell Out of Dodge.

Photography

Your Rights When You Are Stopped or Confronted for Photographyhttp://www.krages.com/phoright.htm

Petty Crimes

The simplest way to avoid most contact with the corrupt legal system is to avoid petty crime. Most activist arrests and convictions leading to prison or jail are not for their activism or even direct actions, it is for shoplifting which society considers low and not matching with the high morals we claim to espouse.

Three Strikes

Look out for three-strikes laws which use two prior convictions like for fighting, even juvenile convictions, to lock a person up for 25 to life if they get busted again. These laws are criticized since it appears to give major incentive for a shoplifter to shoot the arresting cops since the sentence is sometimes the same, even the pigs are a little afraid of these stupid laws. If you have two prior convictions that could have been charged as felonies Get the Hell Out of Dodge, the man wants you to go down for life. Might as well take a nice swipe at the man before you go though.

Smart Tips

Read and remember to use Security Culture. It can save you and your friends much pain.

Never, but never, talk to the cops, even at school or on the street. Treat all police contact as a fishing expedition -it probably is, especially if you fail the "attitude test" at any time, even when he is off duty. If arrested, remember your mantra in the interrogation room: "I am going to remain silent. I want to speak to a lawyer." This will make the pig late for dinner and bed.

If you did something illegal, never talk to cops (or anyone else) about it. You can consult a lawyer if the statute of limitations has expired, but it is best to just not say anything. Talking to friends endangers them; they then become police targets to turn evidence on you or else face contempt of court jail time.

Even if your idiot lawyer consents, never give the cops anything to work with. Even the truth will give the cops useful evidence, even if you are squeaky clean! You'll have plenty of time to explain yourself at trial, and any lawyer worth his salt knows this. Get a good lawyer who will actually represent you competently.

As smart as you think you are, the average cop has 10-20 years of practice getting a confession from your fancy story. Close your mouth, even if your lawyer says it is OK to do an interview. Don't ever give the cops anything to work with. Save it for the trial.

If you are being followed by a cop, get off the highway or road, park in a parking lot, lock the vehicle, and go shopping. When driving you will eventually break some traffic law. Driving in front of a cop is like talking to a cop: there is no safe way to do it.

A favorite tactic is to turn off a pocket tape recorder and ask you to talk off the record. Sure, that tape recorder's off, but the room camera and microphone are likely still taping! Even if not, there is really no "off the record" with a cop, any jury is going to believe the cops testimony in a nice uniform, not the guy in the county jail orange jumpsuit.

All phone calls with police or their informants will be recorded. In most places as long as one party (the cop) consents it is legal for court evidence. Even if not recorded, the cop can take notes and be the witness to that conversation.

A witness is just as good as video or audio tape for the prosecution who is trying to get you, the cop interrogating you is also the witness so the tapes are just extra.

Juvies: NEVER WRITE AN APOLOGY LETTER!!! It wont make your life easier, that is just a written confession, it is not for the victims, it goes to the prosecution and court to send you to jail.

The cops can lie, that is legal and it may not damage their case even if that is what brings a confession.

NO COP can promise you less jail time or leniency if you do certain things or admit to certain things. Only the District Attorney (and in many cases the judge) is allowed to make those kind of deals... and you need a lawyer to look that over. Cops know this, but lie through thier teeth because so many cats fall for it.

If you lie to a cop, that may be a crime. It's much better to say nothing at all.

Original Legal Advice

Any discussion about what to do while waiting for the lawyer has to be qualified by pointing out that from the moment of arrest through the court appearances, cops tend to disregard a defendant's rights. Nonetheless, you should play it according to the book whenever possible as you might get your case bounced out on a technicality. When you get busted, rule number one is that you have the right to remain silent. We advise that you give only your name and address. There is a legal dispute about whether or not you are obligated under the law to do even that, but most lawyers feel you should. The address can be that of a friend if you're uptight about the pigs knowing where you live.

When the pigs grab you, chances are they are going to insult you, rough you up a little and maybe even try to plant some evidence on you. Try to keep your cool. Any struggle on your part, even lying on the street limp, can be considered resisting arrest. Even if you beat the original charge, you can be found guilty of resisting and receive a prison sentence. Often if the pigs beat you, they will say that you attacked them and generally charge you with assault.

If you are stopped in the street on suspicion (which means you're black or have long hair), the police have the right to pat you down to see if you are carrying a weapon. They cannot search you unless they place you under arrest. Technically, this can only be done in the police station where they have the right to examine your possessions. Thus, if you are in a potential arrest situation, you should refrain from carrying dope, sharp objects that can be classified as a weapon, and the names and phone numbers of people close to you, like your dealer, your local bomb factory, and your friends underground.

Forget about talking your way out of it or escaping once you're in the car or paddy wagon. In the police station, insist on being allowed to call your lawyer. Getting change might be a problem so you should always have a few dimes hidden. Since many cases are dismissed because of this, you'll generally be allowed to make some calls, but it might take a few hours. Call a close friend and tell him to get all the cash that can be quickly raised and head down to the court house. Usually the police will let you know where you'll be taken. If they don't, just tell your friend what precinct you're being held at, and he can call the central police headquarters and find out what court you'll be appearing in. Ask your friend to also call a lawyer which you also should do if you get another phone call. Hang up and dial a lawyer or defense committee that has been set up for demonstrations. The lawyer will either come to the station or meet you in court depending on the severity of the charge and the likelihood you'll be beaten in the station. When massive demonstrations are occurring where a number of busts are anticipated, it's best to have lawyers placed in police stations in the immediate vicinity.

The lawyer will want to know as many details as possible of the case so try and concentrate on remembering a number of things since the pigs aren't going to let you take notes. If you can, remember the name and badge number of the fink that busted you. Sometimes they'll switch arresting officers on you. Remember the time, location of the bust and any potential witnesses that the lawyer might be able to contact.

If you are unable to locate a lawyer, don't panic, the court will assign you one at the time of the arraignment. Legal Aid lawyers are free and can usually do as good a job as a private lawyer at an arraignment. Often they can do better, as the judge might set a lower bail if he sees you can't afford a private lawyer. The arraignment is probably the first place you'll find out what the charges are against you. There will also be a court date set and bail established. The amount of bail depends on a variety of factors ranging from previous convictions to the judge's hangover. It can be put up in collateral, i.e., a bank book, or often there is a cash alternative offered which amounts to about 10% of the total bail.

Your friend should be in the court with some cash (at least a hundred dollars is recommended). For very high bail, there are the bail bondsmen in the area of the courthouse who will cover the bail for a fee,generally not to exceed 5%. You will need some signatures of solid citizens to sign the bail papers and perhaps put up some collateral.

Once you get bailed out, you should contact a private lawyer, preferably one that has experience with your type of case. If you are low on bread, check out one of the community or movement legal groups in your area. It is not advisable to keep the legal aid lawyer beyond the arraignment if at all possible.

If you're in a car or in your home, the police do not have a right to search the premises without a search warrant or probable cause. Do not consent to any search without a warrant, especially if there are witnesses around who can hear you. Without your consent, the pigs must prove probable cause in the court. It's unbelievable the number of defendants that not only come naked, but pull their own pants down. Make the cops kick in the door or break open the trunk themselves. You are under no obligation to assist them in collecting evidence, and helping them weakens your case.

Undercover Cops

Last updated: 28 December 2010

1 Identifying Police
1.1 Cops Themselves
1.2 Vehicles
1.2.1 Car Model
1.2.2 Gear
1.2.3 False Ideas

Identifying Police

Sometimes police drive in their regular cruisers, visible from a mile away, but there are times they'll resort to undercover vehicles, and plainclothes policemen. They are a big threat for activist groups as they can get very close to us compared to regular pigs.

Cops Themselves

Most undercover types are actually real live police academy graduates, probably have some military or maybe just a college grad who likes to push people around. A few signs that have worked in the past to ID undercovers are the following:

Boots, cops love a tough ready-for-action footwear, maybe they are paranoid but they are almost never caught in sandals. More than likely this is because cops have a high percentage of ex-military in their ranks that are accustom to boots.
Belt, funny that they love to wear a tough leather or nylon webbing belt, to a cop they need a place to hang a piece or clip a knife or radio
Groin Bulge, actually they can hide a gun many places, and it might just be a boner
Vest, someone besides a photographer in one of those fishing vests is either a civilian gun packer or a cop, it provides great concealment for a shoulder holster.
Wires and Cameras, forget it you will never find all of the new micro bugs and wires, they might even be taping from that pizza van that follows him around but be cautious if they slip up.
In a protest situation, just go up and ask them if they're a cop, it has a serious intimidating effect. This has been demonstrated in the Toronto G20 protests; in Canada it appears possible that they can't actually deny it (if you've got a camera pointed at them...) so they tell you to go away. Use your judgment in evaluating responses. In the US you might surprise them but current case law explicitly allows cops to lie, the urban myth about police identifying themselves when asked is just that a myth.

You can't ID them all, some are not even cops just paid informants or turned members of the movement, so use Security Culture to stay safe.

Vehicles

Police undercover vehicles are scary as hell on a roadway... one minute you're just driving along, the next the car beside you turns on the blue lights and the siren. "oh fuck". Thankfully, with the trained eye, one can often pick them out pretty easily.

In some jurisdictions, it is illegal for a cop to pull you over in an unmarked car. Be sure to check with local laws.

Car Model

Due to fairly recent legislation, they drive American made cars. Often, they will use the same model car as regular cruisers. Most police vehicles are fairly large, which helps. Specific cars to be on the lookout for include:

Ford Crown Victoria
Ford Five Hundred
Ford Explorer
Dodge Charger
Dodge Durango
Chevrolet Impala
Chevrolet Tahoe

Current civil forfeiture laws allow police to seize the vehicle and property of anyone suspected of using that item for illegal purposes especially drugs. Go ahead look around at any police motorpool and you will probably see a few big unmarked 4x4's, maybe some muscle cars, low-riders, they might even have a fleet of Toyota Prius hybrids painted with hearts and flowers although these are likely rarely assigned except as a punishment for bad cops. The point is even with the procurement regs there are ways around for the cops to get unexpected vehicles. Be careful not to fall victim to unexpected car models.

Gear

They have to hide their dreaded flashing blue/red lights somewhere! Often, LED light bars are employed. Common placements include in the center bottom of the windshield/rear window, across the whole top surface of those windows, and in the grilles at the front of the cars (particularly ford crown vics have a grill suitable for mounting lights). They try to hide them with tinted windows and such, but as there are laws governing tint levels, particularly on government vehicles, you can still often spot them. The best concealed lights the author has seen are in the top dark tinted bit of a windshield on a green/blue Ford 500.

^Aforementioned Ford 500: the only giveaway is the cage being visible through the windows.

Aforementioned Ford 500: the only giveaway is the cage being visible through the windows.

Sometimes cops are just fucking stupid... vehicles with obvious search lights on the driver side window are often police. Vehicles with ridiculous radio equipment poorly concealed are often police. If it has plastic cuffs hanging from the rear view mirror... you guessed it!

False Ideas

Don't fall into the stupid trap of believing that they're all black. They're not! In the author's area, a large number of silver, tan, and green-blue undercovers have been seen.

Also be aware that a car with green lights instead of blue (not concealed) is private security, not police. Blue is reserved by law almost exclusively for police use, although it has been seen of firetrucks in some areas.

”It doesn't fit any of the signs, so it's safe" If a car pulls up next to you while you're doing (have done or are planning to do...) questionably legal actions, or drives with ridiculous aggressiveness towards your current or previous location, you would do well to make efforts to avoid it. Cops are by nature aggressive personalities, sometimes nothing more than the brazen style of action is a way to ID a police vehicle.

Organize a Labor Union

Last updated: 22 December 2010

1 Starting Out
2 Grievances
3 Rights
4 Using an Established Union to Represent You
5 Negotiation
6 Petition
7 Strike
7.1 Picket
7.2 Strike Fund
7.3 Scabs
7.4 Boycott
8 Lock in
8.1 Sit in
8.2 Hunger strike
8.3 Banner Drop
8.4 Hold Workshops
9 Lower risk action
9.1 Slow down
9.2 Dirty protest
10 Take over
11 Terms of Settlement
12 Union as a Vehicle for Radicalism
13 Weak Union

Starting Out

Find a few co-workers that are reliable and leadership potential, they will form the core of your unionization effort. You need to discuss grievances and workplace issues, as well as choosing to go with an established labour union or to form you own collective bargaining group.
You will need to get representatives established in all areas and work shifts of your workplace. This is the time to quietly educate these organizers and future leaders about the likely anti-union effort that will surely follow the discovery of your organizing effort. Be sure to include minorities and subcultures in your leadership recruiting. If possible obtain an employee phone list and note their work area and shift. Obtain as much employer information as you can, find out about previous unionization attempts and corporate officer history with unions. You will need to know the parent company, and composition of the board of directors. If you want to get outside union assistance you will need to decide which best matches your workplace, product, and employee specialization.
Develop a list of demands for use in negotiations including even small requests that can be bargained away. Concurrently have a workplace education program to combat employer misinformation and to educate on the importance of organizing.
Start a union card sign up effort. Once started this needs to be a quick and furious effort to get the largest majority possible of workers to sign up.
These union cards are required to be signed collected so that you can go to the state or federal labour board and force your employer to enter into negotiations. It will take a few weeks for the labour board to determine who can vote and set up the election. You need to continue your education efforts during this period as your employer fights to keep the union out.
Once you win the election and have the union in the real work starts. You will begin negotiating a contract with your employer. Look at what other unions in similar fields have gotten in their workplaces, you will need to take the economic health of the business into account when demanding some things like insurance or pay increases.

Grievances

One of the major purposes of a union is to pursue individual and group grievances whether they are covered by the collective bargaining contract or not. If you receive a reprimand or are fired the first call should be to your union which should have a lawyer on retainer and a trained shop steward who is available at all large locations and on all shifts. Your union may not be able to protect you in all cases especially for doing something illegal such as stealing or vandalizing company property.

Rights

The National Labour Relations Act (United States) gives you the right to organize a union in your workplace. You Have the Right to:

Participate in meetings to discuss joining a union
Distribute, read and discuss union literature (in non-work areas during breaks and lunch time)
Wear union buttons, stickers, t-shirts, and hats to show support for the union
Sign a union membership card and demand union recognition
Circulate and sign petitions
Join together in other activities to protest unfair treatment or demand improvements in wages, hours and working conditions
Organize employees to support the union, sign union cards, or to file grievances.

These rights are protected by Section 7 of the National Labour Relations Act (and similar state laws), which gives you the right to join or support a union.

Under the National Labour Relations Act (NLRA) you have the legal right to form a union in your workplace. The NLRA says:

Section 7: "Employees shall have the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labour organizations, to bargain collectively through representation of their own choosing, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining . . . ."
Section 8(a): "It shall be an unfair labour practice for an employer . . . to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed in section 7. . . ."

Using an Established Union to Represent You

If you choose an established major labour union your dues will likely be lower for the services provided and you will have access to a larger legal framework and strike fund. The reasons for choosing to organize on your own include being unable to find a union willing to support your location, size, or demands. Realize that the labour board and corporations will expect a level of professionalism and an idealistic but non-business savvy radical will usually not be allowed to turn negotiations into a bully pulpit at the expense of his union brothers and sisters.

Negotiation

It is important to be realistic when negotiation in behalf of your union workers. The easiest concessions to obtain are those that don’t cost the company any money.

Safety and worker retention are the most important emphasis, demand strong protections and arbitration in cases of workers being fired.

It is important to include throw away demands in your initial list the company will surely have over requested on their counter offer. Know how much your demands will cost the company when determining if they are realistic. Never believe company cost estimates, hire an expert who is not swayed by the company to evaluate realistic costs of the changes you are requesting.

Your negotiation opposite has both a personals as well as a corporate stake in these negotiations. If you can find out what points will get him the biggest bonus or that he has a personal passion for it will make planning you strategy easier.

Petition

A petition done right will empower everyone in the union to obtain their deserved demands. With its roots in the English system of government, many countries have adopted the petition as a way to allow average citizens to partake in the shaping of their communities and countries by joining forces to speak out on an issue.

Strike

Our major threat when in collective bargaining negotiations is that we can deny the company their trained and skilled workers. Once negotiations break down and deadlines are not met we call for a strike. The intent is not to destroy the business but to bring them back to the bargaining table.

Picket

State your case and empathise with anyone wanting to work when a strike’s on. Remember violence at the picket line will end any public backing.

Strike Fund

It is important that there be a fund established with the monthly dues to cover striking workers basic needs, it is usually a percentage of normal pay. It is advisable to arrange low or no interest loans to help workers with regular expenses. A large business fears a union with a fat strike fund.

Scabs

When the company is injured by our walkout they will try to scab over the damage by calling in temporary workers and use management to keep the business running. Try to keep track of scabs and their identity, especially keep track of union workers who cross the picket lines. Laws may differ on what can be included in the new contract to penalize scabs.

Boycott

If there is a continuing strike or the company fires its striking workers it may become useful to call for a general boycott. A boycott is a last ditch measure because it can cause permanent reduction in the business of the company you want to return to work for. Working with other unions to inform their members, placing newspaper and radio ads as well as continuing picketing in front of the company and its customers will help enforce the boycott with concerned individuals.

Lock in

Lock the doors and refuse to come out until your demands are met.

Sit in

Sit down at your work positions so even if they break down the door they can't replace you.

Hunger strike

This will certainly pressure your employer but can seriously damage your health if not kill you.

Banner Drop

More than just sending a message, when you’re spending long days locked inside; painting out your frustrations with the company onto a banner will spur on your campaign.

Hold Workshops

At the very least having a time frame will keep everyone motivated. Fill everyone in on Consensus Decision Making and start hammering out decisions.

Lower risk action

These actions have the effect of putting pressure on your employer with the bonus of your employ not being able to replace you, he/she may get incredibly irritated however and if a union member does get fired for taking part in this action you should proceed to strike immediately until reemployment.

Slow down

Go to work and complete tasks that would usually take you minutes in hours. Also don’t take any of the rules loosely complete every task exactly to standard this will often take far longer and can't be discouraged.

Dirty protest

Don't wash until your demands are met, come to work absolutely honking and make any excuse to stand as close to your employer as possible.

Take over

If CorpGov economic policy and bad management is causing the company to fail lead by the example of workers in Buenos Aires, Argentina who reclaimed control of a closed Forja auto plant where they once worked and turn it into a working model of anarcho-syndicalism. With exemplary worker management it has created jobs, conquered the market, and managed to involve a whole community in its defence against repeated threats of eviction.

Terms of Settlement

Most union settlements contain not only an agreement of benefits, rights, and compensation to union employees, but to the extent allowed by law, also attempt to make the shop union exclusive. The company can be forced to only hire employees who will join the union; it can also be forced to recognise the union as the sole collective bargaining agent for the employees in order to prevent sneaky deals or union breaking.

Union as a Vehicle for Radicalism

The labour union is one of the most radical and practical ideas to appear in the nineteenth century where coal and steam baron capitalists were growing fat on the dangerous sweat shop labour of the industrial revolution. Even today a good union representative or shop steward should use their post as a place to educate the employees of the importance of collective bargaining and workers rights.

Weak Union

If the union representation that you have is just too weak you could try to replace it. Even worse is if the union is working as a tool of the factory boss, the union or at least the leadership will have to go. First organize an election or recall for your representation, if you can get popular support this is the way to go. If you have majority support but the union won’t budge, establish a second union and attempt to throw out the bums. In doing so you will have both the mainstreamed union establishment, the business, maybe even the government attacking you. Remember that our union brothers and sisters were considered enemy insurgents at the turn of the century and often faced gun barrels, and even had to use armed resistance in some cases to establish unionization as a legitimate means of bargaining in the US and other nations.

Prisoner Support

Last updated: 22 January 2011

Prison is designed to grind you down, and it isolates people from the outside world. Writing to prisoners helps break this down. It might be intimidating to sit down and write a letter to a stranger, but you can keep it short the first time. Just sending a card with a few well wishes and some words about who you are can brighten up someone’s day and make them feel remembered. It can also possibly lead on to a correspondence.

Some people, when they write to prisoners are afraid of talking about their lives, what they’re up to, thinking this might depress someone locked up or just not be of interest. But prison life is dead boring, and any news that livens it up is generally welcome. Use your sense, don’t write about things that are likely to get the prisoner into trouble with the screws or get you or anyone else into trouble.

Remember to include a return address, also on the envelope. Don’t necessarily expect an answer - some prisons restrict the number of letters a prisoner can write or receive, or the person may be out of stationery/stamps, or just not be very good at writing letters.

Passing cards round meetings, the pub or among your friends for people to sign with messages of support is an easy thing to do to brighten up a prisoner’s mailtime. Or maybe you have the time to start up regular letter writing sessions with your friends, with the purpose of motivating each other to write.

1 Sending Stuff
2 Legal Aid
3 Outside Support
4 Letter Campaigns
5 Publicity
6 Visitation
7 Adopt a Prisoner
8 Links

Sending Stuff

If you are up for it - don’t offer your help if you aren’t - ask what items the prisoner can receive in the post, or give the prison a ring, as this varies from prison to prison. It also often depends on which screw handles your post and what mood they’re in!

Stamps: You can usually include a couple in a letter without problems - mention that you have in your letter (they might just disappear otherwise). If writing to someone outside the UK, you can include some International Reply Coupons (IRC’s) that are available at any post office and can be used in place of stamps.

Stationery: Remand prisoners are normally allowed to use writing paper (not wire bound) and envelopes sent in to them. Ask convicted prisoners what they’re allowed.

Books: There are different regulations on this too, so ask. More than often a prisoner can only receive books directly from the publisher - this goes for alternative magazines as well - or via a recognised distributor or bookshop. A friendly bookshop will usually oblige if you buy the book and pay for the postage.

Pamphlets/Zines: These seem to get through to most prisons in the UK okay if they’re not too big and folded up inside a normal sized envelope, for some reason. They are often counted as photocopies which are, up to a certain amount, usually allowed.

Tapes: Home-recorded tapes are often allowed, but ask. Use see-through ones.

Legal Aid

Fund raising for competent legal representation is the best way to win an early release. Find a competent lawyer and keep them on the appeals and parole process.

Outside Support

Ask about prison rules regarding:

Visits
What can and cannot be sent in the mail
Prisoners rights to private objects and clothing
Money
What are the prisoners rights to send communications
Arrangements for release

Find out what is permissible to send, sometimes you can even send books or clothing in the mail. Never send something that is not allowed as this may cost your prisoner their mail privileges. It is important to see that any special dietary needs are met it might be possible to send funds to the prison to provide vegan or religious meals. Just sending personal letters on new paper and envelopes is a major morale boost to your prisoner, of course follow Security Culture at all times. Sending extra paper and stamped envelopes might be a way to save your prisoner money when communicating.

Letter Campaigns

If you can get a large letter writing campaign together it can actually have a major effect on the chances of your prisoner in being released. It is best to address local and regional representatives. If there is a judge or parole board chairperson that can be written to this might also be useful. You must advise your letter writers especially the regulars to be respectful and to the point. Long letters are almost never read in full. Short, respectful, clear, and concise are the rules

Publicity

Do whatever you can to keep the incarceration of your prisoner at the front of the minds of their support group and sympathetic members of society. public demonstration, picketing, and posters are good ideas if they will provoke sympathy. It is important to avoid publicity in places where people might stongly support continued imprisonment.

Visitation

If possible try to arrange visits from friends as often as possible, if the prisoner has a spouse or partner on the outside try to collect funds for travel and petition for regular conjugal visits. It is a good idea to be in contact with the prisoners clergy and the chaplain at the prison as they have some power over visitation in some prisons.

If you are up for travelling to visit a prisoner, mention this to them. But bear in mind that convicted prisoners are only entitled to a limited number of visits (remand prisoners to much more), usually about 2-3 a month lasting up to 2 hours with 2-3 people. The prisoner will then have to send out a visiting order (V.O.) to the persons wanting to visit them, fully naming each visitor. You will need to identify yourself at the gate, so take along sufficient I.D., and ‘clean up’ before you go - getting caught with even the tiniest bit of drug residue or anything else dodgy can have serious consequences for the prisoner.

Adopt a Prisoner

Even if nobody in your group has been imprisoned it does not mean you do not have a responsibly to the larger movement. Contact prisoner support circles and larger radical groups, but remember the most forgotten prisoners are those that come from small or broken up organizations.

Links

There are a number of prisoner support groups around. Get in touch to find out more and to read about some of the prisoners that shouldn’t be forgotten.

http://www.prisonactivist.org/links/Prisoner_Support/

Brighton Anarchist Black Cross - 6 Tilbury Place, Brighton BN2 2GY. Email: mail@brightonabc.org.uk http://www.brightonabc.org.uk

Earth Liberation Prisoners - BM Box 2407, London WC1N 3XX. http://www.geocities.com/earthlibprisoner. Email: earthlibprisoner@hotmail.com check out

Animal Liberation Front Supporters Group - BCM 1160, London WC1N 3XX

Miscarriages of Justice UK - http://www.ncadc.org.uk Email: justiceUK@appleonline.net

Miscarriages of Justice Organisation - Email: mojo-uk@justice.com. Phone: 07050618240.

10. Steal Now Pay Never

Last updated: 26 February 2011

Some of the readers may feel that an amoral discussion of modern thievery has merit. If someone is broke, homeless, starving, or oppressed do not they need good knowledge in case they decide to resort to stealing? It is one of those grey areas the authors have debates on. We will discuss various facts, speculation, and techniques on the idea this can be useful in emergencies. Felony type stuff like Armed Robbery of Banks, Counterfeiting, etc is out of the scope of this work and is near suicide or out of reach of the average reader.

Beware the temptation to be a petty shoplifter or common thief. Yes, it is true that oppression can be very real. It is the sign of a rational mind to by angered by this. However, once you are arrested and fingerprinted, you will be in a database for life. How many promising brothers and sisters have successfully fought political persecution only to be later sent behind bars for a maximum sentence on a shoplifting charge? Plus, if you consider any group part of your identity, you make it harder on others of that group due to the old "birds of a feather flock together" ethos.

The story of Tre Arrow, a leader in the eco-green movement, is a popular story in anarchist literature. Tre Arrow was a well-respected activist who believed firmly in stopping wasteful suburban sprawl. He was a veteran of numerous protests and even ran for congress under the Green Party's banner. The group he hung with was known as the Earth Liberation Front, a serious thorn in the side of the logging companies - and had the attention of several three letter agencies. Back then, they were trying to stop the outright pillage of a beautiful wilderness area so others could enjoy it. For suspected burning of logging trucks working in that area that a few in the ELF claimed 'responsibility' for, he was being 'looked for' by law enforcement. He then fled to Canada, where he could have waited things out and been left unmolested until things died down and were forgotten. But, instead of being cool and laying low, he went to the store and tried to sneak out with some bolt cutters! The Canadian authorities caged him up. While he did try to fight extradition, it was unsuccessful. After having to spend tons of money in legal fees, he finally got shipped to the US where he served 78 months in federal prison. Now, he has a felony record, is missing 78 months of his life, and still must go through a halfway house - all for bolt cutters that cost 20 to 30 USD!

Of course, not all bad shoplifting stories are from diehard activists - most are from broke kids wanting a free buzz! At least, that is what James Hawthorne, Jr. was after. James was a young guy in his 20s from a inner city in the Dirty South who was thirsty for some beer. What better way to get some beer than to waltz up into a small, locally owned convenience store and liberate a case of beer for him and a buddy! But, after going in and grabbing a 15 USD case of beer, he was followed out to the car by an enraged clerk! The clerk angrily demanded the beer be returned. When James reached down to grab something off the floorboard, the clerk shot through the car twice with a pistol. Police arrested the clerk and charged him with murder. However, due to public outcry and the rash of recent armed robberies in the city, all charges against the clerk were dropped and he was declared a hero by many. Yes, it could be said it is best to drive off quickly if being chased by armed, nervous employees. One could even say James was a fool and should have been more stealthy or waited till the clerk had a line of customers. We could also debate the whether or not it was right the clerk got away with murder when the shoplifter was unarmed. But, is the item you are stealing worth your life when the person killing you will be exonerated most of the time? Even if you do not get shot to death, you can expect no mercy or justice even if improperly handled as society hates thieves.

Be sure to also check out ideas onInfiltrating as sometimes both disciplines can go hand-in-hand. Also, read back up onSecurity Culture as this applies to anything activity that is probably best if not found out.

Consider also WHY you are stealing. If you are stealing to feed an addiction, you may be in serious danger!

1 Casing
2 Guns and Thievery
3 Palming
4 Pawn Shops
5 Internet
6 Car Rummaging
7 Legally Stealing, CorpGov Approved Style!
8 Original Steal Now Pay Never

Casing

Be familiar with the location of your target item. Know the habits of the item's owner and associates. Know all escape routes. Always measure risk and reward. Visit the place several times legit and make mental notes of potential issues. Are there cameras? Where are they located? What about those RFID sensors? Can they be unplugged or is that covered with a metal pipe? When is it busy? When is shift change? Are there dudes on cell phones walking around but not shopping? Are pigs parked around 24/7? Have you rehearsed in your mind what to do if confronted?

Look at a satellite birds-eye view of the location on google maps. Are there forests nearby to get lost in? Is there a safe place for a get away vehicle that a zealous worker may not chase you to and get your car tag?

Questions are the answer. While no amount of preparation is completely without risk, at least some forthought can go a long ways towards lessening the odds.

Guns and Thievery

Carrying knives and firearms can increase you sentence if caught stealing. Leave these at home. Not only that, just like the James Hawthorne, Jr. story in our intro, it gives a nervous and armed employee legal justification to blow your brains out - even if you are only suspected of being armed! Plus, we have heard stories of folks caught doing petty crimes getting good quality knives and firearms confiscated by cops, never to be seen again.

But remember, in our society, property is more valuable than life... a cvs manager strangled a shoplifter to death for stealing toothpaste, another theif was shot for stealing $15 of beer...

And yes, knives and firearms can be stolen... in someone who isn't the author's "ownership" are four good quality knives, one was purchased, one was a gift, two... well... along side those is two multitools, acquired similarly. Getting caught will probably be a felony though, so be fucking careful and ready to run.

Furthermore, moderately sized sporting goods stores rarely actually have good security. The weapons counter will be devoid of employees at times and it's perfectly feasible to walk up and acquire a rifle or crossbow. Ammunition is sometimes openly on shelves. Aggressive high quality survival and pocket knives may be secured simply by the silly magnetic lock to the shelf, which can be yanked off.

Palming

Sleight-of-hand tricks not only are great for magic tricks, but have illegal uses as well. Indeed, even casinos sometimes include famed prestidigitators on blacklist profiles for fear of them sneaking cards. Most tricks involve focusing attention on something else other than the real object being hidden. The discipline requires good dexterity, watching your eye movements, and loads of practice in front of a mirror. If you become good at this, minor items such as cigarette lighters on check-out counters and other small items can be lifted fairly easily. We once knew a pothead chain-smoking street magician who never ran out of lighters this way. Of course, more than lighters can be gotten. Other small items can be fair game, too. Pick up some magic books, if this sounds interesting.

Palming and misdirection can save your ass from police busts, too! If you get really good, imagine your dime bag of weed "disappearing" before a cop body searches you.

Pawn Shops

Be aware that pawn shops are the absolute first place pigs look for missing stuff. All pawn shops are going to want to see a valid in state ID before taking an item. Most pawn shop owners have a vested interest in keeping good with the cops and will cooperate if pressed. They are also going to record serial numbers (if any) of the item. Always check acquired items for engravings or metal plaques cemented on the item that can identify ownership. Be sure to wipe info off of computers.

Pawn Shops are well known for only offering 25% or 50% of the actual value of items. It may be best to sell items by internet if waiting and security is possible.

Internet

Electronics can often be sold online quite easily for 60% of their retail value. Just look at how many people are selling RAM, a game, a flash drive, a netbook, etc on ebay at any one time... if you have a friend some distance away and can get stuff to them to sell, you're pretty much perfectly safe selling online.

Car Rummaging

The usualSecurity Culture warning, drugs and petty thievery is what gets most guerrilla cells broken up not good police work. Car breaking is also a great way to enrage Bubba the redneck and get your brains blown out onto the pavement. Lastly, consider the bad karma.

Yuppies leave expensive things in their cars. One kleptomaniac contributor found ozs of coke, brand new apple laptops, serious firearms, and even 700 dollars cash. Of course, this contributor only contributed once and was never heard from again!

The plan goes like this: Wait till cover of night. Go to rich neighborhoods with low crime rates. The lower the crime rate the less cops. Go up to each car and test the handle to see if it is unlocked. Every now and then one will be. Don't touch if there is a blinking red light! DO NOT BREAK THE GLASS. IF you just wait for an unlocked one most people will not even realize anything is missing and will not call it in. Do this at night. Always look around. IT is sometimes worth breaking the glass if you see something that is truly worth it. DON'T GET CAUGHT. Getting caught entering cars is a misdemeanor called Unlawful Entry (Or the more serious Breaking and Entering if windows were burst or locksmith techniques were used). These crimes can land you months in the Pig Hotel known as Jail and make going to legit forms of income troublesome in the future.

You may look into acquiring some jiggler picks or a "slimline wafer pick" if you want to get into locked cars... most lack security systems stock, and those that have them will be visible about it. See Locksmithing. These may also start older cars if you're really willing to put that much on the line... (really, it's a bad idea, car theft gets investigated a lot, and odds are you'll end up in prison for a long time)

Legally Stealing, CorpGov Approved Style!

If you must indulge in kleptomaniac activities due to some adrenaline rush, there is a better option. Repossession Agents are generally free of the police and corporate oligarch legal system. It is also a very mercenary-type job with quite a bit of autonomy. If you can get over oppressing those down on their luck while empowering the banking system, this could be a calling. Be aware that for any job like this, you may need a good criminal background.

With many auto loans turning sour in this economy, there may be openings for those willing to put themselves at risk, while possibly causing unemployment and even homelessness due to their actions. Laws vary from state to state over qualifications and liabilities. Ask at your local County Clerk Office of the Court to see what certifications you need. You can also check out these websites for more information:

American Recovery Association -http://www.repo.org/
QuickRepo.com - http://www.quickrepo.com
RepoCompanies.net - http://www.repocompanies.net/rcn

Original Steal Now Pay Never

8. Steal Now Pay Never

Rule of Theft: If you steal something, and are skilled and/or fortunate enough to get away with your item and your life, then you obviously deserve whatever you stole.

Shoplifting

Last updated: 29 July 2011

Go back toSteal Now Pay Never

This book/wiki is no substitute for knowing both the laws and enforcement of those laws in the different states and localities. For example some states allow store employees to make a citizens arrest for shoplifting and in others they can talk tough and hope you stick around until a sworn law enforcement officer arrives to collect you. Understand that an officer will usually not take an employee in for assault or false imprisonment even if he did improperly apprehend you.

In modern Amerika, shoplifting is a common skill; busting the common shoplifter has also become a well-studied science. The rent-a-cops and clerks know all the "tricks"; consider using new and creative ways to stay supplied which will not take you out of action.

1 Supermarket and Retail Security Methods
1.1 Warnings
1.2 Admission of Guilt
1.3 Product Placement
1.4 Cameras
1.5 Security
1.6 EAS tags
2 Credits
3 Found Receipts
4 Getting Caught
5 Trespass and Burglary
6 Tips and Tricks
6.1 Headphones
6.2 No alarm
6.3 Fences
6.4 Watches and Clothes
6.5 Intentionally getting monitored
7 Rent-A-Cop
8 Laws
9 Employee Arrest
10 Tag Scanner
11 Weapons
12 Original SHOPLIFTING
12.1 Self-Checkouts

Supermarket and Retail Security Methods

Warnings

Consider risk versus reward before shoplifting. At most, you walk out with a few dollars in stuff and a big rush but at worst you spend the night in jail, leaving you with a huge fine and a bench warrant if you do not pay the fine or sit the time. If you are already on probation, getting caught can make matters worse. If you are starving consider the ideas in Free Food, but most importantly do not be stupid. Thieves piss off everybody and lenience cannot be expected even when trying to overthrow the corporate world.

On the note of corporate worlds, stealing from small stores is not only morally reprehensible, it's stupid. The smaller retail stores can't afford to lose their product and will go out of business, forcing everyone to drive to the closest megacorp supermarket. Even before that it also raises the small shop prices, causing it to be even more difficult to directly compete against box retailers. However, the best reason not to steal from small retailers is that REAL PEOPLE own these stores, they are sick of shoplifters and might even give you some attitude if they suspect you, because the bank, shoplifters, and CorpGov Giant chain stores are destroying their life, they actually have to feed their kids with their feeble income.

Admission of Guilt

For whatever reason you are tempted never admit any guilt ever, not to a cop, not to an employee, not to a plainclothes store detective when they take you upstairs to the spooky office of shame. Many stores will try to bribe you with the offer of no police involvement if you admit to the thousands in merchandise you may even have actually stolen over time. Don't crack, you DO HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT!! Once you accept the crooked deal and sign on the line admitting to the big theft the LP agent can call the cops and have you hauled away for a felony, yes over a year in the pokey. You will surely also be sued for the amount and some punitive multiplier, they want to profit off of you somehow. Both criminal and civil trials will be hard to defend because you were stupid enough to chicken out and admit to a felony crime on hidden camera, maybe even signed a confession. Use your brain to control your cowardly mouth, keep it shut.

Product Placement

The most obvious way stores protect wares is to place certain high theft goods behind a counter where the customer will have to ask a worker to get them. The store owners know that most petty thieves are not going to steal with a worker right in front of them. You will always find cigarettes behind a counter. Some places that are allowed to sell high volume alcohol may have these behind a counter, too. Some things may also be locked up in cases. In some stores, you will find display models locked to the shelves by various devices.

Cameras

Stores use a variety of cameras from hidden to dome cameras. Location of these cameras vary by store, but be assured there are some over the registers and exits at least. In large stores, these cameras may be watched by loss prevention personnel. Other times, the cameras merely record to a tape so if someone is caught stealing or a robbery occurs, it can be used in prosecution. The reason for the domes and covered cameras is so potential thieves do not know where the camera is pointing and where the blind spot is. In large department stores you will find that shelf arrangement in the clothing section can provide cover. Also the grocery areas of stores like Target are often unmonitored.

As well as cameras, be wary of mirrors. Often mirrors are placed in a corner to reflect a view of an entire area to a camera placed directly across it, and although stealing directly under these mirrors is relatively easy, make sure you are covered by some sort of aisle. Good quality cameras, the ones that look like small cam-corders, are usually in corners, (as well as mirrors) and dome cameras can usually be found in the centre of an aisle/area. When you enter a shop, scan the area for cameras by pretending to look for a specific sign or area in the store.

Security

Most stores do employ some kind of security. Uniformed security mostly hangs around the front door area or patrols the store. Mostly, these guys are there to act as deterrent. Do not think they will not mess with you if they catch you, though. Some larger places have plain-clothed security walking around. These guys can be hard to detect and are trained to watch for suspicious behavior. The undercover loss prevention guys can have radios, but more often use cell phones as not to blow cover. Shoplifting is so common in high volume places that some may even have a police unit outside at all times. The bigger threat to look for is employees. If they won't let you break line of sight with them for more than a few minutes, you may as well give up. Unless you're REALLY fast at opening packages/concealing.

If a shop assistant is staring at you, sometimes, it's because they're wondering whether they should talk to you or not. Not all store assistants are evil mean corporate machines that want to prosecute and exploit man, woman and child everywhere. Go over and ask them to direct you to some shitty item you don't really want and pretend to look for a while, then go back to whatever you wanted to steal in the first place - or, if you're really nervous, look for a while then leave. Don't forget to thank them if you walk past them; don't walk past them on purpose, because they are not stupid and they know that is weird.

EAS tags

EAS stands for Electronic Article surveillance. These are the tags that set off an alarm if it passes through the antenna devices located at the exit of the store. There are many varying types of these. Be aware that ripping off or disabling an EAS tag can be considered motive for theft even if you have not left the store with the item yet in most places. Any competent store owner keeps a detailed inventory of the number of items they order, number of items damaged or wasted, and number of items sold to determine number of items 'missing' for every product the store sells. The retail business calls the 'missing' items shrinkage. They tend to slap EAS tags on the products that turn up 'missing' the most, if it makes sense to. In other words, they are not going to tag a 80 cent can of beans, but they may tag 8 USD boxes of cough medicine if these tend to grow legs. Know the different kinds. The most common are detailed below:

Hard tags: These are the big plastic EAS tags that are designed to be reused. They may not be deactivated and are typically unlocked with a vendor-provided key kept behind the registers. Most of the time, these are used for clothing. The methods which these use to work vary depending on brand. With the correct tools and time, these can be broken off. However, in most jurisdictions, merely bringing shoplifting tools in a store can be enough to bust you. Even then, these things are made of high grade plastic that can be tough and take much time to break off. Enough time for an employee or someone watching a camera to notice. Many types contain ink in glass vials such that trying to rip them off may burst them. A good number can be removed with a high powered magnet. Also, some don't set off door alarms, and those can be brought home, and then the steel pin connecting two halves is carefully hacksawed through.
Embedded tags: Some manufacturers are placing EAS tags within the packaging of the product or sewn into clothes as a service to retailers. Often, these are not found until the package is opened. Usually, in a supermarket, these are sometimes in medicine packets. Usage of these is very widespread in video game boxes and a number of other products. Method to deactivate depends on types listed below, on clear plastic packaging it can be easy enough to spot them and cut around them with a razor blade or similar.
Magnetic Systems: Also known as EM tags. These are the paper-thin tags often located in pages of books. Libraries use them often as well as the magazine and book section of supermarkets. They are deactivated through magnetization. Or, if the book is thumbed through, can be easily discarded.
Accousto-Magnetic: These are the small, rectangular box shaped tags stuck on packages. Deactivation is by demagnetization. With a bit of elbow grease, these things can be ripped off. Just be aware some of the products that use this may also have embedded tags as a redundant measure. These are best cut around.
RFID or RF: These are the large, thin square stickers with a circuit printed on the bottom side. Deactivation is achieved by placing it in a strong electro-magnetic field, thereby breaking the circuit. Oftentimes, the top side is printed with the product's UPC code. Like Accousto-Magnetic tags, they can be ripped off with a bit of elbow grease. As with above, be aware that some products may have embedded EAS as well. This technology is getting smaller so beware. These can be a pain to remove, in which case it's best to ditch the packaging
Hard Cases and Spider wraps: These are usually designed to prevent the item from being depackaged, as well as fitted with several forms of alarm. Hard cases trip both acoustomagnetic and RFID systems, as well as sealing off the merchandise. Spider wraps will create a loud alarm from the wrap itself if cut or otherwise forcible removed. Both are removed with a pair of magnets, usually the "Alpha 3ks key".

The best way to check if a product is going to set an alarm is to get close to the scanners without actually crossing them. Since the scanners need a magnetic field to read any variation of these tags, they work in an oval radius and you can set them off from quite a distance. Obviously doing this over and over again will attract the attention of security, but it is sometimes better to be safe than sorry. It may be more practical to think logically: a candy bar won't trip the alarm. Any item over $10 might be worth examining. The smallest tags commonly in use are an inch long by a quarter inch wide and fairly easy to spot if you search a product.

Credits

Many stores offer store credit for questionable returns in lieu of cash. If you return a "questionable" item at one of these stores, keep in mind that the credit can be used to purchase a variety of small items, each of which may be exchanged for cash.

Found Receipts

Many consumers simply throw away their receipts at the door. With some preparation one can lift items from a store with this policy. Simply lift an item that matches a discarded receipt and exchange it for store credit for a legal purchase.

Alternatively, buy something big (e.g, a DVD player) then take it outside the store for a bit. An hour or so later, return it to the same clerk, but avoid giving them the receipt. This leaves you with a recent receipt for a large, valuable item while you're in the store. Pluck one from the shelves and put it in the store bag (which you kept,) along with the receipt. Walk out the door. The alarm will sound, they will check your bag, find the receipt and maybe perform a quick pat-down search. Finding nothing else, they will (ideally) write it off as a malfunction and let you go.

Getting Caught

It happens to the best of us. Refuse searches, keep yourself between the exit and the employee stopping you, inform them that you have done nothing wrong and are offended at the notion. If they continue to harass you, state "I'm leaving" firmly, and storm off. Unless you did a TRULY sloppy job, and if you can remain confident, you should be able to march right out the door. Do not give your name or let them gather any information. So long as you successfully avoid being documented you can probably go back in a month or two. If questioned then, deny everything.

In this case, being a cyclist will work greatly to your advantage, as many stores will log plates of vehicles of shoplifting suspects.

Contrary to what you might believe, especially in the UK, stores LOVE to prosecute. In the UK, a lot of major stores (Boots, Superdrug, Topman etc) use a security company called RLP (Retail Loss Prevention ltd). They will happily charge you £100 for a 15 minute detainment and £6 worth of items. They will happily fine you £50 for swapping a £5 sale sticker from one item to another. Be very, very careful in big chain stores.

Trespass and Burglary

If you are caught and documented the management will often ban you from the property (even if they don't call the cops on you.) If you are banned from a store, don't go back! If you do, you can be charged with trespassing. If you return and steal something, you will be charged with burglary, a serious felony.

Tips and Tricks

Headphones

The following example and method is provided-- Headphones are an item that, with heavy use, require constant replacement. The following is a method to replace your, preferably inexpensive, and common looking set of headphones.

1. Case a local supermarket. Do your best to identify undercover security and make note of the washroom and access points. This is the common rule for all shoplifting. It is preferred if the bathrooms are easily accessible and relatively close to the exit/entrance.

2. During the deed wear inconspicuous clothes. No mohawks, ripped jeans, punk shirts, etc. If you are young, write out a fake identity card to leave in your wallet, modeling it as the lost wallet identifiers. Write down fake info and a name that you are will respond to. The important information is the phone number; tell LP that it's your home phone. Put down a number that you know is out of service and tell them your mom disconnects the phone when she is in the tub. This gives them a chance to let you go, without notifying authorities, if you come off as innocent mannered.

A switchblade is illegal, much larger, and much more expensive than an Exacto knife. Save yourself $30. Lose some bad ass points and go with the dollar store assistance.

3. Carry a music player, i-Pod, Walkman, MP3, or CD player. Make it obvious that you have headphones in your ear, and that the ones you're stealing are vaguely similar to the ones you have in your ears.

4. Walk in like an average costumer and browse around a bit. Grab the headphones you want; palm them, carrying them in the open but outside of obvious view; head to the public washroom/bathroom. If stopped at this point, they will simply warn you that there is no Merchandise allowed in the restroom. Try another store or another day; security has become suspicious.

5. Use your Exacto blade to cut out the packaging. Flush all the packaging and your broken headphones down the toilet and wear the new ones. If you're still worried about security, buy a soda or ask staff members about stock to eliminate the suspicion anyone may have towards you. Congrats! You have new headphones and now price can't keep you from enjoying some revolutionary music.

Headphones are a good accessory in general, as they create a "don't talk to me" bubble generally automatically acknowledged in our society. If music's not playing your alertness should still be near full, but employees will assume it's not.

No alarm

Many times with low value items have no tags. Higher value items can have the tag(s!) stripped off. Some doors may not even have an alarm. If it's busy enough and you're not the center of attention, you can pick up an item of choice, browse some items near the exit, or on the side of the registers (magazines?) and then proceed to walk right out the door. The key here is confidence. Confidence, confidence, confidence. 'As soon as you've picked the item up off the shelf, it is YOURS. NOT the store's property. You're NOT STEALING anything.' If you can make yourself believe that and convey that aura to anybody who glances your way, you're good to go. This technique has done $700 of electronics in one visit.

Fences

Ever notice the gardening area in your local hardware store or wally's world? note the low concentration of cameras outside and ease of avoiding them. Oftentimes if you're inconspicuous about it you can slip merchandise through/under/over their fence. Either conceal it and go around and pick it up, or have somebody on the other side pick it up within a minute. This completely gets you around the front door and employee observation. This one has scored $200 in one run, but could obviously go higher so long as the merchandise is small enough.

Watches and Clothes

This one is so simple you're going to kick yourself. Wear them out.

Intentionally getting monitored

You know how we said not to go and load up a cart with expensive DVD players because it's suspicious? Well... doing this has multiple advantages. You can distract LP to pay attention to you and not a friend shoplifting in a neighboring department. OR, you can first load up your person with whatever small items you want, then get monitored for these large items, which you will pretend to pussy out and ditch. LP now thinks they have all their items back under control, and you walk out looking defeated.... with their shit.

Rent-A-Cop

A lot of "big box superstores", have taken to posting fake cops (in corp-speak, they're called LP, or "loss prevention" agents.) They're actually just normal rent-a-cops, but they're dressed up in cute little dark blue uniforms -- so if you don't look closely at the name tag, you might mistake them for real pigs. They're not -- they're just little pretend piglets. They're instructed to "act with full authority" when confronting shoplifters. While Target, etc. do not condone the impersonation of a police officer, these piglets don't seem to have any problem letting people believe they're the real deal. Don't fall for it. Ignore the uniform, and don't consent to anything. For added fun when confronted by a piglet, ask him if he is a police officer. If he responds "no", then ask "then why do you look like one?"

Some LP will be dressed as a normal customer, however, these can sometimes still be identified by radios they may carry to talk to the store staff or by simply telling a cashier you lost something valuable and asking for loss prevention to be called. Most LP are pig-wannabes, but occasionally you can find a security guard that is as disgruntled as you are. Watch for these guys. Get to know them if you can. They can be a valuable resource.

Be aware that just like the real pigs there are plenty of female LP agents, some are big and some are tiny, some are even hired because they blend in. In some chains the LP agents are not know to store employees except perhaps the store manager, sometimes they rotate through the area stores to help keep their cover.

The hunting style varies but most often the LP will select a target based on their previous bust experience either by watching from an elevated office with a mirrored window, "shopping" near the front of the store, or by working the video system especially in high risk areas like electronics. They are often looking for the shifty overly cautious glances and scans as well as a person walking around with a piece of merchandise looking for a place to cut open and conceal it, shoplifters especially guys fit into a few profiles.

DON'T LOOK LIKE THIS. Scout the place out as you walk in: shop finding blind spots, even from outside the store, step in and cast a sweeping upwards glance, noting camera placements. Act with full confidence when you do what you're going to. Tell yourself "The merchandise is mine already". If you feel that you are safe and it's yours, you should arouse no suspicion with your actions. Actually buy something if the concealed item makes no notable bulge.

Once a target is selected the LP will often come down and attempt to follow the target discretely on foot, they are hoping to see the actual concealment, this is important to them. Once the merchandise is concealed they can be more open, they most often try to keep eyes on you from this point to be sure you don't ditch the stuff. Once you have stuffed the merchandise into your clothes they hope that you will try to do the walkout. They confront you where the law says is the point of shoplifting, sometimes the doors, sometimes the register line, you have to know the law. If you don't play along soon they will often have clerks give you pushy service to intimidate you, this also happens if there is no trained LP or qualified manager. If you drop the goods you will sometimes be allowed to walk away and they will just keep the pictures from video or still shots, sometimes making the photography obvious to intimidate you and record the plate numbers on your car, other times they will inform you that you are now trespassing should you return and try to get you to give ID and sign acceptance of the trespass information, don't play along, unless a real cop shows up they really can't keep you until you actually break a law. A filed trespass information means they can easily ding you for burglary in some jurisdictions, that is sometimes a felony and can count toward a three strikes life in prison. This is not true in all jurisdictions but most places they will not arrest you outside unless they actually saw you stuff the goods and then track you to the door. They may stop you and ask to search you or your bags especially if you were acting suspicious or the door alarm went off, refuse their pressure and keep moving, if they grab you shake them off but do not get violent. Most often they will not give chase past the front of the store where you might be tempted to attack them so running can be a good idea, although sometimes the LP will call the cops with a heads up and a patrol unit might be outside as backup and jail pickup if they think they have you.

Laws

Know the laws of your state! It is incredible how much they vary and how exploitable they are if you know them well. In most places when proper procedure is followed a uniformed or plainclothes loss prevention agent or even a regular employee may perform a citizen's arrest when they witness a felony, this includes the right to restrain you until the cops show up. Expect the real pigs to be lenient on the rent-a-pig and take you to the station and book you even if the LP really screws up your arrest. Remember that until they see you commit a FELONY they have no legal rights to action against you. YOU CANNOT RELY UPON THE LAW TO PROTECT YOU!

Employee Arrest

In legal technicality, the store employees cannot arrest you unless they are off-duty cops working at the store for kicks. Beware that this does happen, especially with mall security or at Target, but these cops will demand a fat check. The biggest problem with this is that they don't have to be in uniform or wearing an sort of identifying gear. The pig could be wearing shorts and a hawaiian shirt.

Assuming though that the employee attempting to stop you is NOT a cop, which 98% of the time is the case, here's how it it works.

Legally when any citizen (any non-cop person, actually, even if they are an illegal immigrant) witnesses you commit FELONY, they are obliged, and legally permitted to detain you for 'a reasonable period'. This is called a 'citizen's arrest', however it is not really an arrest because they cannot handcuff you or otherwise bind you. Nor can they search you (this is important to remember, because nine times out of ten they will tell you they can, and if you let them, then you are consenting and they're in the clear). Nor can they transport you. This is the case in every state in the U.S.A. except for North Carolina, in which there is no law specifically granting this power. Also be aware that the 'citizen's arrest' law is a minimum in almost every state. Most states also have laws that state that if you are ultimately found guilty of a crime, the person who detained you is completely invulnerable to any legal action, in some cases even if they used serious physical force to keep you in the store. Assume that if it goes to court, you will get screwed. Juries hate shoplifters and love alert employees.

Also, be aware that these rules are just the law. The law hates you as much as you hate it and you can never assume that it will protect you. They may not legally be allowed to cuff you or search you, but that doesn't mean that they won't do it. If an employee starts stepping over the line of their rights though you should remind them that if they break the law than they can get fired, fined, or booked. Be convincing, hell, lie your face off and cite bogus chapters of law that refer to these things. Whatever you have to say to make the employee scared, say it. Whatever you have to do to get away with the stuff, or at the very least, let you get out clean, do it.

Just to recap, don't admit anything no matter what, don't consent to any search or touching, don't meekly follow any rent-a-cop anywhere, calmly inform the alleged LP that you are leaving, do what you can short of violence or even making the appearance of touching the person claiming to be an LP to get away safely. Often the cops are a long ways away so if you can leave the area in anything but a car registered in your name you are probably home free.

Tag Scanner

You walk-through those little towers and somewhere hidden in/on your stolen stuff is a little digital snitch. Setting off a security tag scanner does not give any employee the right to search you, or even detain you legally in most cases (if its an LP that also happens to be an actual badge-wearing pig for his other job, than you're toast because he can be a cop, even when he's off duty and wearing street duds; watch out for this, it's not that uncommon). Always remember that an employee (other than in the rare case just mentioned) has no legal power over you unless and until they personally witness you commit a crime(felony only in come areas), at which point they have the legal right to 'citizen's arrest' you (the term is a misnomer, because they can only DETAIN you, not ARREST you, the difference being that if you are ARRESTED you can be transported without consent). However, you should never rely on the law to protect you though, citizen's arrests can be very legally sketchy if they are found to have been uncalled-for, but the power is also very elastic if you are later found guilty of any crime that could have justified detaining you. Juries hate shop-lifters and love alert by-standers and employees. Watch out for the curious average-joe that will get involved and stop you if he feels like he should. If you trip an alarm, the best thing to do at that point is to run if you think you can get away, or to b.s. your way out of trouble if you think you can pull it off (such as if the item is extremely well concealed, or if the employees seem gullible or apathetic). Another strategy is to just ignore the alarm (requires some pretty good acting skills, because the alarms are created to be loud and startling) and just keep walking; this is particularly good way to go if the store seems under-staffed, or the employees don't seem particularly corporate-fascist. These are all super sketchy, last ditch responses to a situation that really should be stayed clear of if at all possible. The best way to get out safely is to simply avoid setting the scanner's alarms off in the first place, which is actually easier than it seems. Remember that they are designed to scare you more than anything else. Some tricks to avoiding the alarm:

1. Removing the tags (pulling them off, cutting them off, breaking them if they are the big, hard-plastic kind, just beware of tags on the INSIDE of packages because that is become more common)

2. Deactivation (hand-held devices sell for two hundred bones on ebay, expensive but an investment because you can hide it up the sleeve of a coat and wipe dozens of items a second just by waving your arm within six inches of them, a good tactic if you have a group of people with you. You can also use magnets to deactivate a lot of them, depending on the type of system they are using, and how nice the tags are. Nicer store, more expensive gear, stronger magnet.)

3. Shielding (ten layers of aluminum foil on either side of the item will get you through safely 99% of the time no matter what type of system they have. Just line the inside of a backpack with it. Less layers=less effective but also less bulky/obvious, and five layers will work just fine on cheaper systems)

4. Avoiding the Scanners altogether (throw your shit over them, if no one is watching, or go around them if possible, or find another door that doesn't have them)

5. Turn the scanners off (good option if you are in a group, and you can distract the employees while you unplug one of the towers from the wall, one is all you need to turn off in one case, because they are generally set up as a sender/receiver system)

If you goof up, the alarms go off, and you're scared of the law, you CAN always just drop the stuff and then run, but don't assume that you are off the hook just because you didn't actually leave the store with anything. Logically it would seem that you haven't committed a crime, but in every state in the U.S. there is something called an "attempt" law, which is pretty self-explanatory. Legally speaking, attempting any crime, even if it was not completed in any sense. IS still a crime and can be prosecuted (in some states) by just as much jail-time or fines as the crime itself. So unless its weighing you down, or you think that leaving the stuff there will stop them from chasing you, then its probably not worth the wasted effort, because you've already done the deed and you're already almost out of the store. A lot of stores have a no-chase policy anyway. If you're out, you're free.

Weapons

NEVER CARRY OR STEAL ANYTHING THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED A WEAPON if you decide to shoplift, unless you want to spend a few years in a medium to high security state hotel.

Original SHOPLIFTING

This section presents some general guidelines on thievery to put you ahead of the impulse swiping. With some planning ahead, practice and a little nerve, you can pick up on some terrific bargains.

Being a successful shoplifter requires the development of an outlaw mentality. When you enter a store you should already have cased the joint so don't browse around examining all sorts of items, staring over your shoulder and generally appearing like you're about to snatch something and are afraid of getting caught. Enter, having a good idea of what you want and where it's located.

Camouflage is important. Be sure you dress the part by looking like an average customer. If you are going to rip- off expensive stores (why settle for less), act like you have a chauffeur driven car double parked around the corner. A good rule is dress in the style and price range of the clothes, etc., you are about to shoplift. The reason we recommend the more expensive stores is that they tend to have less security guards, relying instead on mechanical methods or more usually on just the sales people. Many salespeople are uptight about carrying out a bust if they catch you. A large number are thieves themselves, in fact one good way to steal is simply explain to the salesclerk that you're broke and ask if you can take something without paying. It's a great way to radicalize shop personnel by rapping to them about why they shouldn't give a shit if the boss gets ripped off.

The best time to work out is on a rainy, cold day during a busy shopping season. Christmas holiday is a shoplifter's paradise. In these periods you can wear heavy overcoats or loose raincoats without attracting suspicion. The crowds of shoppers will keep the nosy "can-I-help-you's" from fucking up your style.

Since you have already checked out the store before hitting it, you'll know the store's "blind-spots" where you can be busy without being observed too easily. Dressing rooms, blind alley aisles and washrooms are some good spots. Know where the cashier's counter is located, where the exits to the street and storage rooms are to be found, and most important, the type of security system in use.

If you are going to snatch in the dressing room, be sure to carry more than one item in with you. Don't leave telltale empty hangers behind. Take them out and ditch them in the aisles.

An increasingly popular method of security is a small shoplifting plastic detector attached to the price tag. It says "Do Not Remove" and if you do, it electronically triggers an alarm in the store. If you try to make it out the door, it also trips the alarm system. When a customer buys the item, the cashier removes the detector with a special deactivation machine. When you enter the store, notice if the door is rigged with electronic eyes. They are often at the waist level, which means if the item is strapped to your calf or tucked under your hat, you can walk out without a peep from the alarm. If you trigger the alarm either inside the store or at the threshold, just dash off lickety-split. The electronic eyes are often disguised as part of the decor. By checking to see what the cashier does with merchandise bought, you can be sure if the store is rigged. Other methods are undercover pigs that look like shoppers, one-way mirrors and remote control television cameras. Undercover pigs are expensive so stores are usually understaffed. Just watch out (without appearing to watch out) that no one observes you in action. As to mirrors and cameras there are always blind spots in a store created when displays are moved around, counters shifted, and boxes piled in the aisles. Mirrors and cameras are rarely adjusted to fit these changes. Don't get turned off by this security jazz. The percentage of stores that have sophisticated security systems such as those described is very small. If you work out at lunch time, the security guards and many of the sales personnel will be out of the store. Just before closing is also good, because the clerks are concentrating on going home.

By taking only one or two items, you can prevent a bust if caught by just acting like a dizzy klepto socialite getting kicks or use the "Oh-gee-I-forgot-to-pay" routine. Stores don't want to hassle going into court to press charges, so they usually let you go after you return the stuff. If you thought ahead, you'll have some cash ready to pay for the items you've pocketed, if caught. Leave your I.D. and phone book at home before going shopping. People rarely go to jail for shoplifting, most if caught never even see a real cop. Just lie like a fucker and the most you'll get is a lecture on law and order and a warning not to come back to that store or else.

Self-Checkouts

You know those dehumanizing self-checkouts every supermarket seems to be installing? They're godsends to anyone who's serious about stealing, and all you need is a empty or expired prepaid Mastercard or something similar. I'll elaborate: load up your baskets/cart/whatever with your groceries (I personally go with organic produce, "premium" ice cream, medication (aleve, robitussin, etc), hygiene supplies (razors, shampoo/conditioner), magazines and batteries) and proceed to the self-checkout. Scan and bag it all like you're a paying customer, maintaining a calm and inconspicuous demeanour. Once it's all bagged press "pay with card" and grab your empty prepaid Mastercard (or anything else that works and doesn't have your personal information on it). Swipe the card and while the machine processes your payment simply grab your grocery bags and walk out. Takes an upwards of 10 seconds from it to go from "processing..." to "declined"; by then you should be out of the store with your ill- gotten loot. If confronted, play it off as a mistake. Don't do this at places where they check receipts at the exit, and never hit the same store twice.

Techniques

Last updated: 25 July 2011

Go back toSteal Now Pay Never

These are some random scams and ideas submitted by contributors. Some may be helpful while others outlandish.

Use common sense.

1 Tools
2 Computers
3 Books
4 Newspapers
5 Manga
6 Metal Bag
7 Small Electronics
8 Just Run!
9 Emergency Exit
10 Brick in the Wal
11 RFID
12 Distracted
13 Under Cover
14 The "Confidence" Method
15 Loading/Piggybacking
16 Diversion
17 Stealing Makeup
18 Mail Call
19 Double Team
20 Sidewalk Sales
21 Purses/Wallets
22 Bathroom
22.1 Notes
23 Quick electronics
24 Wedgie
25 Original TECHNIQUES

Tools

Any place that sells tools will sell tool boxes. Grab one from the shelf, grab some tools, find a camera blind spot and load them up. Repeat as necessary, just don't put too many in, or sound will give you away. Then, go up to the counter, pay for the tool box and take off with the contents. If the store clerk opens it up and sees the tools inside, just say you put them in there so you didn't have to carry them.

This technique is remarkably effective, so long as you show moderation. Tools don't have electronic tags so you're home free if you have the box.

Another technique, which isn't free, but pretty close, is to find broken down old tools that carry a lifetime warranty. Garage sales are always a good bet. Bonus points if they're actually broken. Then take them back to the store and get a whole set of shiny new replacements.

If you just need a particular tool for a short time, like putting on new battery cables on a car outside a parts place, many of the parts places keep 'loaner' tools on hand so folks will not have to shoplift tools. It may help to ask if they have a spare tool first rather than steal.

Computers

This one requires some serious cash up front, but it's almost a foolproof scheme besides that. Buy some computer parts at the local Best Buy (How many is up to you, this may not work with a whole computer's worth) and be sure to get the extended warranty. Then, when the warranty is about to expire, take the part(s) back and you'll get store credit for their value. Buy the hot new thing with the money and you'll have a good, high spec computer that never gets outdated.

Books

Stealing from your average corporate bookstore chain is surprisingly simple, mainly because most (both) of these franchises also maintain a corporate cafe in the store. The trick involves hiding in plain sight.

Bring to the store a backpack, a notebook, and a pen. Walk into the store cool as ice, and ask the most managerial looking employee some innocuous query about what section is where. This will put you off their radar because the employees have been trained to believe that engaging the customer prevents them from being tempted to shoplift. This of course is absolute bullshit, and you can use it to your advantage by playing the average customer.

After they have helped you find, the metaphysics/government conspiracies section, grab 2-3 books that you want and will fit in your backpack. Now head to the cafe and buy a delicious standardized beverage and/or snack product and sit anywhere in the cafe area that isn't directly in front of the cafe register. Now you'll be playing the role of the thrifty student that does their assigned readings/notes in the store. Take out your notebook, and flip through one of the titles you picked up, and act as if you're studying the book and taking notes in your notebook, casually sipping your coffee, etc. This is all about maintaining the persona of a typical customer the employees see every day, and thus entering their blind spot. Weekends, evenings and other busy timeslots are the best for this trick, provided you can find a seat at the cafe. Some new/expensive titles will have security tabs, usually tucked up close to the spine between the last page and the back cover. These can be peeled off easily and discretely. Keep "studying" for 15-20 minutes, and then not too fast but not too slow, just make a neat pile of your notebook/books and slip them into your backpack. Mosey around the store a bit more and then casually walk out the door.

If you screw up and forgot a security tag, and set off the alarm gates, just keep walking. Your average corporate bookstore employee is getting paid an average of 8 dollars an hour and will likely not bother, unless it's a large store and someone is stationed at the door. There are no "secret tags" on books, so if there isn't one tucked in the back of the book, you should make it through the gates no sweat. In some bookstores, the tag will occasionally be placed somewhere in the center of the book near the spine, though they're generally thick and easy enough to find with a quick flip through of the book. If you do get caught, make sure you have the money for the books and a convincing story about how you're SO sorry and you've been staying up all night for finals the past 2 days and don't know which way is up and yes, of course you'll pay for them, you're so sorry that happened, you're just SO out of it, you're on like, autopilot today. Do not get defensive. This probably won't even be a concern if you've followed all the steps, as this technique is way easy and works frequently.

There's very little/no camera coverage on the cafe seating area. All of the cameras are pointed at the cashiers and the aisles of books. The cameras usually rout to a single computer monitor in the head managers office, and the head manager always has better things to do than watch the cameras. Inner city stores may have loss prevention specialists working undercover, but they're usually all about the "ask them if they need any help and they'll magically not be a shoplifter" policy, and will see you asking for help and pay you no mind, and they're unlikely to hang around the cafe. It's more likely these stores don't even have undercover agents since their budgets are so tight from competing with amazon, best to leave them and the library alone. Most, if not all Barnes & Noble bookstores have a section of books outside of the alarm gates. Find one you like, take it and walk away. In the unlikely chance someone chases you after something they were stupid enough to place outside the alarm gates in the first place, run like hell. If you get caught, you're on your own.

Alternatively, it's feasible to simple walk out the front door with a handful of books if you opt to steal from Borders, where many of the branches lack the alarms at all. Have an accomplice park nearest the mall exit - you'll want to leave opposite the cashiers - and simply stroll out of the store. Look bored as you walk, and keep your head grounded in your surroundings and you'll be fine. Knowledge is power, and, in a perfect world, power would be free. So liberate it. .

Newspapers

If you find yourself dead broke and needing to look at a paper to score a job or just need something to read later on in the day, newspapers are fairly easy to get. If you ride a bike or walk through many of the suburban nieghborhoods (and even some businesses) early in the AM before sunrise, many delivered newspapers are delivered by throwing them in the yard or sidewalk of the place. Just stop and pick one up, no spare change required. Do not dally around, though... and watch out for early residents who may be awake!

Manga

Stealing manga is really easy if you follow this method. Go right for the manga/anime section; you don't want any of the cash register clerks to see you. Pick out up to four mangas of the same series and flip through them as if you're interested and pick out the rectangular RFID tags; you can stick these under the book shelves. When you're finished, go up to the check out and put all of the books on the counter. Then, you say this, "Hi! My friend bought me numbers 4 through 6 (however many you got, they should all be in order) in this series for my birthday, but I haven't gotten that far yet. Is there a way I can switch these ones for numbers 1 through 3?" The clerk will ask if you have the receipt, to this just say, "Oh no! My friend didn't give me one." Then they will tell you that you need a receipt to exchange any books. By having this conversation with the clerk, you have established trust and an ownership of the mangas you just grabbed. Now that you're done, act slightly let down and walk out; no one will suspect you. This method also works with books.

Metal Bag

I've found that if you make a pouch out of at least 40 layers of aluminum foil (I used 45 just to be safe) and put it inside a side or messenger bag, that you can steal items without any security alarms going off. This has worked for me every time, although you'll still have to watch out for cameras and 'secret shoppers' (security guards in disguise as shoppers). Make sure that you have a lid and all sides of your pouch have at least 40 layers. If you are using a messenger bag you can tape the lid to the bottom of the top flap of your bag, and closing the messenger bag will seal the aluminum pouch. Go into a Target or other big store that sells electronics and steal the most expensive item that's not locked up that will fit into your aluminum pouch, and then sell it online or on the street (be careful if you are selling stolen items on the street, it's pretty obvious to a passing cop). Make sure that you are confident and casual, and when you walk in pick up a shopping basket and put a small item or two in it and buy them instead of just walking out. This way you are a paying customer and you will be less suspicious.

Small Electronics

Many small electronics, earbuds and SD cards for example, are locked to the shelf, and they assume that's all the protection they need. Assuming you haven't aroused any suspicion in getting in position, you should be able to be "browsing" these items. Take a small pocket knife or an exacto blade (something that isn't a weapon and you can palm easily), and cut open the rear of the package on the shelf (perhaps the second or third item back on the shelf). Make it appear as though you are reading the specs of the product (transfer rate? frequency response?). press the front of the package to get it out. Palm it and pocket it along with the blade on the spot. Ask the clerk to look up if they have headphones from a more respectable company like Sennheiser, or if they have class X SD cards. Since they never have actual quality electronics for a feasible price in big box stores, they won't find anything, but you've established trust. Appear mildly disappointed, thank the clerk, and leave. In this case, look for products that don't make your pockets bulge, such as SD cards. Depending on the security quality, you may be able to get something as good as a mp3 player like this (thanks to apple's rounded design standard that doesn't cause pocket bulges).

Just Run!

The simplest technique ever! Most of the time, if you walk into a store, grab what you need/want/can sell, and tear ass out at top speed, you'll get away. They likely won't chase you too far, especially if you look dangerous, and you'll be long gone by the time the fuzz shows up. Don't try this in a mall or big department store though. They have private pigs, automatically-locking doors, etc.. Once you're out the door, you either have a buddy waiting with a ride (dangerous, as they may catch the license plate), duck into an alley or building, or just book it on foot until you're sure they're not chasing you anymore.

Most of the time, though, this is a bad idea. Running calls attention to you, and unless you are sure you can get away, you're going to be between a rock and a hard spot. If you decide to use this technique, be sure to judge your target beforehand, and map out a route and a back-up route. And remember - if you do get caught, you have no excuse.

Emergency Exit

You will have to brave an alarm once you open the door (unless you fixed the yelper box with a screwdriver or nail earlier) but there is often little security on watch in back, and lots of emergency exits. Have a fast get-away plan ready. If you have a security tail you had better be faster than them since there may be no witnesses in the back. Don't try this with "Big-Box" style retail stores such as Home Depot or Walmart, because their fire doors are designed to prevent snatch-and-grab theft. After you press the bar, the alarm sounds for fifteen seconds before the door unlocks. Of course, you could just lean up against it "by accident" with your cart full of expensive merchandise, and if nobody shows up after the fifteen seconds are up...

Brick in the Wal

After a recent national news article there are those who claim it's a fact that Walmart doesn't prosecute the "average" shoplifter for values under $20, Walmart disputes this allegation in a follow up article. Of course, if you're caught more than once, you'll probably be charged. The truth is like in most stores it is up to the store detective and corporate rules, since the early 90's some stores have a company policy that if the security makes a stop they must prosecute no matter how small the theft else the security agent will themselves be fired, this is to prevent bribes or sexual favors being traded for freedom. Many stores also post "arrest" information on a commercial databases separate from what the police use, this may be used by subscribers for pre-employment and other background checks as well as when evaluating busted shoplifters.

RFID

That said, keep in mind this fact about stealing clothes from retailers: an increasing number of clothing manufacturers are being forced by companies like Walmart to embed RFID chips in their fabric. These chips are used ostensibly for inventory control. To have decent range, RFIDs must have a reasonably sized antenna. The chips used for loss prevention generally appear to be a 1.25" paper square with some rectangular coils of wire underneath. They can be peeled off, but it's quite irritating work. These chips can get much smaller at the expense of sensor range though; keep this in mind as the government (which is closely associated with all corporations - the larger the better) continues to slide down the slippery slope of information technology on a heavily greased sled. The good news is once stores are all RFID you can take your RFID reader/writer and reprogram the Gucci stuff to Pucchi prices. If you can't rewrite the RFID then destroy it, either cut the the antenna if you know where it is or microwave or ectro-shock the item hopefully destroying the arphid (RFID) without burning your item.

Distracted

An easy way to lift shoes is to try them on, then have a friend "find" you and show you something in another aisle. Then, simply walk out! Everything from $140 pairs of Doc Marten boots to $10 faux Converses have been "bought" in this manner. Don't do this at places like Payless Shoe Source, most of them are being put out of business due to Wal-Mart and Target.

Under Cover

Another incredibly easy way to get clothes is to simply wear them out under a sweater or another pair of pants. This is particularly effective with underwear and tshirts, and works best in less high-end stores. Remember to choose a corner stall, as these are less likely to have a security camera hovering above.

The "Confidence" Method

This method involves you picking up one or two larger items (vcr's, DVD players, boom-boxes etc. work great for this one) and wandering around the store with them as though you bought them and are looking for something else. After a few minutes, and once you are far enough away from the department where you swiped it, walk out the door with all the confidence in the world (you may want to staple on a phony reciept). They might even hold the door. If you have confidence, and look like a good customer, this might work.

Loading/Piggybacking

Not a 100% free method, but a damn good one. Simply put, you find a cheap item with a large box, an area of the store without cameras, and a bunch of small, expensive items. Get the stuff you need, and carefully move it all into the store's blindspot. Make sure that it's not obvious you're doing this... if it is, then employees will probably tail you. Once it's all there, open the large box, pack in the small stuff (but make sure it can't rattle around!) and close up the box. Pay for the large item. Alternatively, you can use slight of hand to sneak small, flatish items into the box without fully opening it. Some sufficiently talented fighters have been able to do this in full view of cameras and employees and not get caught -- but don't be too cocky, or you'll likely get caught.

Diversion

Have a partner draw off security by singing into the PA system, openly stuffing things into his shirt but not leaving, or yelling at a clerk up front, the scene needs to take long enough that security attention will be drawn away.

Stealing Makeup

Makeup isn't a necessity, and does not benefit any real cause but big business and animal testing, so don't buy it if you don't have to! Usually at stores such as CVS or Rite Aide, the there is a LOT of makeup to choose from, and it covers almost floor to ceiling. This gives you a lot of ways to use your body to hide what you're doing, especially the lower you get. Wear long, looser sleeves (coats work well). Be aware of where cameras are, and try to shield what you're doing- stuffing eyeshadows, eyeliners, loose lipsticks and mascaras up your sleeves. You have awhile to do this- most people take a long time picking out makeup- so take your time to pick your own out. When you're done, pick a cheap eyeshadow or something like that, buy it as a cover, and walk right out.

Mail Call

In big shops like Walmart, there's often a postoffice or parcel service counter somewhere inside the shopping area. So you can just take a cardboard box, fill it with stuff you want to have, close the box and mail it to yourself, other people, or to places where you can pick it up later. One guy did this to make a living for months. He specialized in DVDs, which he sold on eBay.

Double Team

This technique requires two people of the same gender, preferably women, as purses draw less attention than bulges in pants pockets. One person walks in the store, looks around for a minute and grabs some items as if they intend to purchase them. That person then goes to use the restroom, gets in a stall and unwraps the packaging of the items (as long as there's no one else in there). You walk in a few minutes later and go straight to the restroom. You should remember the shoes of your accomplice and go to the stall next to them. They hand you the unwrapped item under the stall, put the box and any electronic anti-theft devices in the upper part of the toilet, and leave. You leave a minute later, pretend to look for soup or somthing to ease suspicion (if you're paranoid) and leave the store.

They have no reason to search you, so (ideally) they can't. If pigs search your accomplice (going into the restroom with unpaid items provides probable cause) he or she will be free to go because they have no stolen items on their person.

Sidewalk Sales

Sidewalk sales, especially major ones that allow customers to freely roam in and out of the store with merchandise, are money. There are several reasons for this. First of all, anything that's outside is outside the range of most store cameras and all electronic shoplifting detectors. Second, it's way easier to talk your way out of being considered a "shoplifter." If there are products outside the store, salespeople will actually buy the "Oh, I just forgot to pay!" excuse, or the "Really? You can't take in-store items out while you're looking at the sale items? I had no idea!" explanation. Sometimes you can even get away with telling the clerk that you own the item in question. If you sound really offended, and say things like "I can't believe you're accusing me of theft! I purchased this item when I was here last time!" or "I OWN this, thankyouverymuch", they tend to be afraid of calling your bullshit. You can also just storm off if they bother you too much, and they probably won't chase you. Third, if they put up blockers or turn off their usual electronic detection devices, you can steal ANYTHING by simply taking it and walking out. The people in the store will assume you're browsing the sale products, and the people outside will think you already paid. It helps to have a bag from that store on hand, but it's not necessary. Fourth, that crap is on sale because they want to get rid of it. They actually sort of want you to steal it, so they're not going to try too hard to catch you.

One place that does this with some regularity is Urban Outfitters, which is nice because some of their shit is cool but way overpriced. Lots of random local stores do this too, but if you rip off a small business, make sure you're jacking the man's profits, and not your fellow workers. It's only polite.

The 'Just Run' method works well here too, as many times merchandise will be on wheeled carts. Just run.

Purses/Wallets

Purses and wallets can be taken easily with two methods. The first method works with female shoppers only. The first method is to simply pick up a purse, make sure the tags are somewhat hidden, and walk around the store for a few minutes as if your shopping before simply walking out as if you own the purse. The second method can be used with male shoppers (if you're stealing a wallet) as well. This method is a bit harder, but also a bit safer since if you get caught you can say you forgot to pay. First, get a purse or wallet off the shelf, rip the tag off and remove any paper filling, and put some cash in it. Then get something small and cheap (such as a pack of gum), and go to the register. put the small, cheap item on the counter, then put your purse or wallet near the edge and pull out your cash to pay. If done right, the cashier will assume you brought in the purse/wallet and won't ring it up. You can also hide a wallet under some clothes, go into a changing room and simply slip it into your pocket and walk out. They can't have cameras in changing rooms, so this is very easy to get away with. Even stores with changing room attendants usually just ask you how many items you have and take your word for it.

Bathroom

If redirected from the Free Play page, there are many other methods of shoplifting various items besides CDs, DVDs and games on this page.

This method has been used hundreds of times to steal electronics such as DVDs, CDs and videogames, all of which usually have theft detector strips in them. For this you will need a small keychain pocketknife (so as not to be considered a concealed weapon should you get caught) and a means to conceal the item(s) you wish to steal. For girls, a large purse should be fine - maybe leave some unneeded items (hairbrush, etc) in the car. For guys, a jacket/coat/hoodie with large pockets (cold weather) or cargo shorts with large pockets (warm weather) should be adequate. Pick the item(s) you want to steal and conceal them in your pockets. Don't get greedy; limit yourself to taking a maximum of four or five items, as any more than five becomes suspicious/obvious. Casually go into the store bathroom (in a sit-down stall if you're a guy) and using the pocketknife, cut open the plastic wrapper and remove the theft detector. Flush the wrapper and theft detector down the toilet, so you don't leave any evidence (and so the MAN doesn't get wise to this method). If you want, you can remove any stickers sealing the case and flush those too so if you are somehow caught, you have deniability that you brought them in with you. Put the merchandise back in your pockets (or purse) and walk out like nothing happened.

You may use this technique or you may bring an empty cd case which is preferably covered on both sides into the bathroom, and move the disc into the cd case. Once you have done this, secretly slide the other case back onto a shelf and you're out.

Notes

There are a few things to remember when doing this:

The key to the above method is that you can't be too noisy when removing the wrapper or theft detector. If there is no one in the bathroom, be as loud as you want, just be quick. If someone is in the bathroom already, just wait til they get done and commence what you were doing. Listen for the opening bathroom door and look below the stall walls to see if the bathroom is still occupied. Flush the toilet if you need a sound to cover the noise you make.
The theft detector will be either a thin rectangular strip that's easy to just pull off or a square sticker that's a bitch to remove. CDs almost always use the thin strip, whereas DVDs and games vary. With CDs, the theft detector is sometimes between the two pieces of plastic that make up the back part of the case. If so, remove the front plastic cover carefully and pry the top of the case apart and it should pop off. It is highly recommended that you practice this on a CD case at home so you can do it easily and quietly. Use the pocketknife to help you if this becomes difficult.
The ideal places to do this are at Best Buy, Target and Walmart; Circuit City has theft sensors around the entrance to their bathroom (at least where some people live) and mall stores like Suncoast or F.Y.E. are too obvious (you're usually the only customer in the store sometimes) or have no bathroom.
More generally, be nice to the employees if you encounter them, especially door greeters. Say 'hi' when you walk in and ask them how they're doing. Don't strike up a conversation about something stupid, just be cool. This is because most shoplifters are anti-social, nervous about being caught and don't make eye contact. If you're nice and cordial, most people assume you're not stealing. When you leave, make sure to say "Have a nice day" or "Take it easy". This reinforces the they're-nice-and-can't-possibly-be-stealing idea and keeps people's eyes off your pockets.

Quick electronics

A quicker, but much riskier way to lift a CD, DVD or game is to nonchalantly conceal the item, then just find a very cheap movie or CD and proceed to check out. Purchase it and then walk out the door casually, almost obliviously. If the alarm doesn't go off, your golden, but if it does just pretend like the item you bought caused it to go off and show them the receipt. This method usually works, but they could always stop you, take the item you bought and ask you to walk through the sensor again, in which case, you're fucked. Some stores now have handheld sensors, which they can wave over you to locate the source of the item, in which case, again, you're fucked. You can blame it on your pants zipper or your cell phone, but it depends how much the door watcher cares. If it works, at a later date just return the item you bought (make sure it remains unopened) for a full refund.

Wedgie

One of the easiest methods Ive used for small items, especially drinks, is to just pull your underwear way up, and place the item in the crotch. If your skinny, you can fit up to a 1 liter bottle in your pants and look slightly aroused at best.

Original TECHNIQUES

The lining of a bulky overcoat or loose raincoat can be elaborately outfitted with a variety of custom-made large pockets. The openings to these pockets are not visible since they are inside the coat. The outside pockets can be torn out leaving only the opening or slit. Thus you can reach your hand (at counter level) through the slit in your coat and drop objects into the secret pockets sewn into the lining. Pants can also be rigged with secret pockets. The idea is to let your fingers do the walking through the slit in your coat, while the rest of the body remains the casual browser. You'll be amazed at how much you can tuck away without any noticeable bulge.

Another method is to use a hidden belt attached to the inside of your coat or pants. The belt is specially designed with hooks or clothespins to which items can be discretely attached. Ditching items into hidden pockets requires a little cunning. You should practice before a mirror until you get good at it.

A good idea is to work with a partner. Dig this neat duet. A man and woman walk into a store together looking like a respectable husband and wife. The man purchases a good belt or shirt and engages the salesman in some distracting conversation as he rings up the sale. Meanwhile, back in the aisle, "wife" is busy rolling up two or three suits. Start from the bottom while they are still on the rack and roll them up, pants and jackets together, the way you would roll a sleeping bag. The sleeves are tied around the roll making a neat little bundle. The bundle is then tucked between your thighs. The whole operation takes about a minute and with some practice you can walk for hours with a good size bundle between your legs and not appear like you just shit in your pants. Try this with a coat on in front of a mirror and see how good you get at it.

Another team method is for one or more partners to distract the sales clerks while the other stuffs. There are all sorts of theater skits possible. One person can act drunk or better still appear to be having an epileptic fit. Two people can start a fight with each other. There are loads of ways, just remember how they do it in the next spy movie you see.

One of the best gimmicks around is the packaging technique. Once you have the target item in hand, head for the fitting room or other secluded spot. Take out a large piece of gift wrapping and ribbon. Quickly wrap up the item so it will look like you brought it in with you. Many stores have their own bags and staple the cash register receipt to the top of the bag when you make a purchase. Get a number of these bags by saving them if you make a purchase or dropping around to the receiving department with a request for some bags for your Christmas play or something. Next collect some sales receipts, usually from the sidewalk or trash cans in front of the store. Buy or rip-off a small pocket stapler for less than a dollar. When you get the item you want, drop it in the bag and staple it closed, remembering to attach the receipt. This is an absolutely perfect method and takes just a few seconds. It eliminates a lot of unsightly bulges in your coat and is good for warm-weather heisting.

A dummy shopping bag can be rigged with a bit of ingenuity. The idea is to make it look like the bag is full when there's still lots of room left. Use strips of cardboard taped to the inside of the bag to give it some body. Remember to carry it like it's filled with items, not air. Professional heisters often use a "booster box," usually a neatly wrapped empty package with one end that opens upon touch. This is ideal for electrical appliances, jewelry, and even heavy items such as portable television sets. The trick side can be fitted with a spring door so once the toaster is inside the door slams shut. Don't wear a black hat and cape and go around waving a wand yelling "Abracadabra," just be your usual shlep shopper self. If you can manage it, the trick side just can be an opening without a trick door. Just carry the booster box with the open side pressed against your body. Briefcases, suitcases and other types of carrying devices can all be made to hold items. Once you have something neatly tucked away in a bag or box, it's pretty hard to prove you didn't come in with it.

On the Job

Last updated: 27 May 2011

Go back toSteal Now Pay Never

Lower level, wage slave jobs pay barely enough to make ends meet, with many having to work 2 and even 3 other jobs. That is, if the employer of the first job has a schedule that is compatible with the schedule of a second job or does not fire the wage slave for moonlighting. However, in certain desperate situations, it may very well be possible to "bite the hand that feeds you" from the inside.

As with all the content in Steal Now Pay Never sections, always consider risk vs reward. A palmed pack of cigarettes, item retrieved from being smuggled to the dumpster area, or even spare change siphoned from a till is probably worth much less than a continued paycheck. Even a minimum wage job, if worked 40 hours a week can be well over 1000 a month after taxes. Employees can be at best fired, and at worst arrested and placed on industry employment blacklists and criminal record databases with a huge fine and possible jail time. Of course, you can forget a reference or unemployment, too.

Also consider, while there a great many evil employers (we have all had some!), not all are crooked, abusive assholes. If you have a reputation for working hard, showing up on time, get along well, and have a good attitude, the good bosses have been known to give advances or lend money, give you raises, give rides, and even bail folks out of jail! All this just for not being a piece of shit.

1 Anti-Employee Theft Techniques
1.1 Pre-employment screening
1.2 In-Store Employee Anti Theft Measures
2 Common Methods
2.1 The Trash Run
2.2 Buffet and Restaurant Scams
2.3 The Walk-in Cooler and Freezer
2.4 Working at a bookstore
2.5 Donation Bin Sorter
3 Get Promoted
4 Original ON THE JOB

Anti-Employee Theft Techniques

The number of types of businesses vary widely. A mom and pop restaurant is going to have totally different stuff available and inventory/supply control than a factory or a big-box store. We will go over some of the more common methods employers use to prevent employee theft. Most of these are in the realm of larger employers, but with outsourcing and spy gear getting cheaper is becoming more affordable. What is really troubling and unjust with many of these practices is that the worst Corporations seldom have the same paranoid policies towards middle and upper management as they do towards the common worker. Indeed, many executives get away far more serious stuff like embezzlement, insider trading, and cooking the books sometimes to the order of thousands and taking years to be caught, if ever - many times stealing directly from the employees they manage!

Pre-employment screening

Before a person even gets hired, many employers use various ways to try to 'weed out' potential thieves. Of course, there is much debate on if many of these methods are truly as effective as advertised even in academic business circles - and some of it is borderline legal. But, it does not prevent employers from using them. Nor do all employers use these.

Pre-Employment drug screen. Most of these programs are in place to comply with "Drug Free Workplace" requirements for insurance and tax discounts. But, these are also given due to the perception that someone who uses any drug that is not BigMed approved is a likely thief.
Personality testing. FromGet a Job: This is the latest fad amongst wage slave employers. We have even seen day labor outfits like LaborReady pull this. While the effectiveness is questionable, larger places use computerized or paper tests provided by outside consulting companies. The most common personality tests are the Stanton test and the Kronos test. The test asks the same 4 or 5 questions over and over with the wording slightly changed with some quick questions thrown in. These tests weed out these types of applicants: the chronically late, the impulsive, the kleptomaniac, the guy that does not get along, the guy that hates bosses/authority , and the depressed guy who is always in trouble and blames everyone else. Answer the questions like they want, regardless of what you may know to be true. The Stanton test can be a bit trickier with the questions, with stuff like, "if you accidentally received a soda out of a machine, would you return it?". The answer is no.. no one would. Other answers are considered lying.
Criminal Background Checks. Many places have unwritten policies that they do not hire for misdemeanors dealing with theft or shoplifting. This is regardless of wording on the application saying admission of a crime does not disqualify one from employment. We have also known of really nosy HR departments and bosses scanning the arrest sections in local newspapers after employment daily, searching for names they recognize.
Industry Blacklists. While bordering on illegal, some employers do maintain paid service databases of names they can submit of those who were caught stealing from other places.

Get a Job has more on the employment system and employment issues.

In-Store Employee Anti Theft Measures

Cameras. As we mention inShoplifting, most places do use cameras. Just like we mention there, only the very large places have manned cameras. Most are recorded to rotated weekly tapes that can reviewed if something turns up missing or to be used in court if they catch someone red-handed. However, different things apply to an employee than just some joe walking around in a store scanning for RFID tags to rip. The employer will say it is for safety in case of an armed robbery, but most of the time it is to catch the no-good, untrustworthy "help". Even the cheapest place keeps a camera on the register and a camera at all exits. Stealthy, high tech cameras are getting easy to pick up with vendors pitching their new products and even websites. Some of these new hidden cameras can be quite small and hard to detect. There are ones that look like clocks and even fire sprinklers! With employees (unlike customers), they can also put cameras in employee bathrooms! While technically illegal, as long as they do not use it in court, they can watch you and bust you with a search as you try to leave the building. However, most of the time, hidden cameras and other intrusive methods are usually only used if there has been suspicion of employee theft or if there is an area where employees have access to large volumes of valuable merchandise or cash. High tech toys other than what the store was originally fitted with raises supply costs which often comes out of a manager's bonus, which he or she would have to be losing a bit to justify the purchase. It can be funny that while the employer usually makes a wage slave sign an agreement not to bring in sound recorders or cameras to the job to protect against discrimination/ harassment or take pics of OSHA safe workplace violations, they are more than willing to use the all-seeing eye for their own agenda.
Baggage checks. Many employers have as a condition of employment, make you sign a right for them to search any backpacks, purses, or bags you leave the building with. Large facilities even have designated employee entrances where a manager or loss prevention personnel are stationed. A few put up signs in employee parking that state if you park there, you consent to a search of your vehicle. Of course, places that provide lockers can, at any time, cut a lock on the locker and inspect the contents.
Receipt Tracking. In some places like convenience stores and drive thru fast food places, you have probably seen signs like "If you do not receive a receipt.. call this number" or "If you are asked to pay a different amount.. call this number." This is to prevent cashiers from collecting money without ringing up sales or reusing receipts. Restaurants, in particular, have systems like Micros and POS that leave paper trails along with strict policies not to give out any product without a copy of the order placed to the back. Some stores that have display models up front with a warehouse worker in the back keep a similar system where no items are to be brought up front unless rung up and copy of the ticket sent to the back.
Locked Merchandise. Valuable items and even cleaning supplies, in addition to cameras, may be locked and require a manager's key to gain access to.
Biometric fingerprint time clocks. An old scam where folks would get a buddy to clock in for them to get extra time at large places on the check for not working is foiled by this. We at STW are also very concerned about this growing practice as it gives a record of a fingerprint that, with proper connections, can get FBI and police records illegally without permission if the employer has a way to draw the fingerprint off the flash memory in the machine.

Common Methods

Below are some common, industry specific means that have proven successful. Of course, some places are a virtual candy store of liftable items while other jobs may have slim pickings due to what things are around and anti-theft measures. Simple things like pens and stationary are so easy as to be barely worth mentioning, but others may be worth at least knowing about.

The Trash Run

The inglorious job of taking out the trash can be a free ticket to liberating an item. While most of the stricter places will have a policy that a manager must supervise when an employee makes a run, few do this. Common corporate culture is that most bosses want as little to do with trash as possible. Simply get the item and put it into the bottom of a trash can. Then, but a bag on top with garbage. When it is time to take out the trash, take your treasure along with the trash to the dumpster. Place the item behind or disguised out of view outside the dumpster. Then, after your shift, you can pick the item up and to your crib.

And speaking of trash, if you are on trash duty, do not forget about the wonderful resource of free trash bags! No need to pay 5 USD to 20 USD to gift wrap your apartment garbage for the waste management companies. While most industrial use trash bags are clear to supposedly prevent employee theft, it really does not help because the bags line an opaque can. Most places, it is perfectly acceptable to walk around with the man's trash bags in your pocket if your job requires handling trash. If you 'accidentally' clock out and get caught leaving with the bags in your pocket, you could always say, "Oh, man.. I totally forgot they were in my pocket." and most bosses will not press further. Just don't have the clear trash bags lining the garbage can in your pad if the boss comes over to drink beer with you. That could be hard to explain.

Buffet and Restaurant Scams

If you are a waiter or waitress in a buffet restaurant or even just a salad bar and the place makes the server collect the money, there is a ingenious scam. The next time someone orders just a drink and a buffet/salad bar, print out two receipts. This second receipt is your ticket to get the ticket price of the drink plus buffet directly into your pocket if they pay cash! It is foolproof, too, as most self-serve type deals do not involve the kitchen. Simply present this same bill to every customer that has that order. If the customer presents a credit card, ring it up. If cash is presented, the cash is yours. Do not overdo this, as some places keep close tabs on food cost and will notice if they are spending way too much on food with no money coming while the customer count is high.

There are also micros scams, but the newer micros machines prevent some of the older scams from working by requiring a manager's card to approve due to the fact waiters were making bank. Most of these involve split tickets and the customer must pay with cash. What you do is present a complete check. When the customer gets ready to pay, split the check with the drinks separate and cash out the meal portion of the check, and giving correct change for the full check. When that table gets sat again, put the new meal orders on the same check that the still open check the drinks are on. This way, as long as customers pay cash, you are getting the price of the drinks straight into the server apron. Do not do this with bar drinks, as most of the time those are tracked at the bar.

The Walk-in Cooler and Freezer

If part of your duties is to clean, date, rotate, and stock a cooler in a convenience or grocery you may have the opportunity to score free food, beer, or drinks. Generic security cameras are usually not designed to work in such cold and humid environments and are less likely to be placed (although, a paranoid employer can get one - so be alert! Large chains are more likely to have this.). Most cameras are placed outside the walk-in door where employees enter and in the store watching the glass door customers open for beer. One method is taking advantage of the fact that many cans get damaged. Place a good beverage of your choice in the same garbage can that you are throwing broken down boxes, damaged goods, trash, and cans in. Then, use the Trash Run to liberate your beer! You can also, if your boss shy's away from the frigid conditions and being seen near actual work, even open a brew yourself and catch a buzz while you work. Do not overdo it or get shit-faced and carry mints, though. Put a dent in the can and put it on the floor. If a boss does come in and see it, claim it is a dented and damaged can.

Restaurants also keep coolers and freezers. If you have a cheap ass boss who does not even give you a meal plan and you are starving from from low pay, most places keep salad mix, pre-prepped food, etc that you can stealthily scarf down quick. You can also use the Trash Run technique here, if you are the one responsible for the cooler. One wage slave we knew took cases of steak wholesaled at over 100 USD a box this way simply by putting it at the bottom of the garbage can we was breaking down boxes in. When the manager would open the back door to let him out with trash, he would put the cardboard in the cardboard bin - and his month's worth of steaks hidden behind the dumpster. Do not do this too much with really expensive stuff. After the place lost about 1000 USD wholesale in steaks, they caught onto his scheme and fired him. Better stuff like beer in a restaurant is going to be more closely watched and locked with only manager access since it is a known fact most service industry workers are big drinkers. You will have to be a bartender or manager (or be in good with one of these) to liberate this in a restaurant.

Working at a bookstore

Working at one of the two corporate book chains provides ample opportunities for shoplifting. The main technique these stores use to prevent employee theft are bag checks at the end of the day. The simple way to get past this is to buy one of those backpacks that has two full zippered compartments. Stuff the books in one compartment, and open up the other for your manager as you're walking out. These bag checks are kind of a joke anyway, and not much scrutiny is put into them. The best time to stuff books into your bag is to grab some to read on your lunch break in the back room. Odds are there will be a moment where no one is around, and you can just go stuff the books in your pack. If there's people popping in and out, one good idea is to grab the books from the shelf, walk directly into the back room and if no one's looking at that moment, go right into the employee bathroom with your books. There will likely be boxes of extra bathroom supplies or cleaning materials, and you can hide your books in or under these boxes. At the end of the shift, bring your backpack with you for your last bathroom run, and when the toilet is flushing or the faucet is going, use the sound cover to grab your books and stuff them in your not-so- secret pocket.

Donation Bin Sorter

If you're moving to a new city a good first job can be at one of the warehouse thrift shops. They don't insist on checking your references since they have no capital to lose employing you, and you can often get huge deals on all you can fit in your buddies car/backpack/arms sales on all their free clothing and furniture. This way you can make something towards rent, although your ARE being degraded sorting through peoples garbage for minimum wage.

Get Promoted

Obviously, the higher up in the organization you are, the more you can get away with because you are entrusted with more things. The manager has the key to the place, counts the money, knows inventory policies, and usually only has to deal with a distant district manager who may only show up on a weekly basis. With enough study on the procedures the company uses for accounting and inventory, products can be ripped off or even cash sponged from the drawer and it could be a week, months, or even years depending on the corporate office's accounting department until anyone catches on... if ever.

We have known of managers that use the company safe as a small loan bank, "damaged" goods ending up at the house, to even "planned robberies" where the manager is on the cut.

At the higher levels, District bosses, CEOs, and VPs are well known to get away with siphoning funds, sometimes legally, uncaught and unopposed for years.

Original ON THE JOB

By far the easiest and most productive method of stealing is on the job. Wages paid to delivery boys, sales clerks, shippers, cashiers and the like are so insulting that stealing really is a way of maintaining self-respect. If you are set on stealing the store dry when you apply for the job, begin with your best foot forward. Make what employment agencies call a "good appearance." Exude cleanliness, Godliness, sobriety and all the other WASPy virtues third grade teachers insist upon. Building up a good front will eliminate suspicion when things are "missing."

Mail clerks and delivery boys can work all sorts of neat tricks. When things get a little slow, type up some labels addressed to yourself or to close friends and play Santa Claus. Wrap yourself a few packages or take one that is supposed to go to a customer and put your label over theirs. Blame it on the post office or on the fact that "things get messed up 'cause of all the bureaucracy." It's great to be the one to verbalize the boss's own general feelings before he does when something goes awry. The best on-the-job crooks always end up getting promoted.

Cashiers and sales persons who have access to money can pick up a little pocket change without too much effort, no matter how closely they are watched by supervisors. Women can make use of torn hems to stash coins and bills. Men can utilize cuffs. Both can use shoes and don't forget those secret little pockets you learned about in the last section. If you ring up items on a cash register, you can easily mistake $1.39 for 390 or $1.98 for 980 during the course of a hectic day. Leave pennies on the top shelf of the cash register and move one to the far right side every time you skip a dollar. That way at the end of the day, you'll know how much to pocket and won't have to constantly be stuffing, stuffing, stuffing.

If you pick up trash or clean up, you can stick all sorts of items into wastebaskets and later sneak them out of the store.

There are many ways of working heists with partners who pose as customers. See the sections on free food and clothing for these. There are also ways of working partnerships on the job. A cashier at a movie theater and a doorman can work out a system where the doorman collects the tickets and returns them to the cashier to sell again.

A neat way to make a large haul is to get a job through an agency as a domestic for some rich slob. You should use a phony identification when you sign up at the agency. Once you are busy dusting the town house, check around for anything valuable to be taken home. Pick up the phone, order all sorts of merchandise, and have it delivered. A friend with a U-haul can help you really clean up.

11. Piece Now

Last updated: 26 February 2011

It's ridiculous to talk about a revolution without a few words on guns. If you haven't been in the army or done some hunting, you probably have a built-in fear against guns that can only be overcome by familiarizing yourself with them.

NOW, is the time to purchase any weapons you have been considering purchasing. After every shooting or terror scare the gun control debate always starts back up. The assault rifle ban may also very well be re-passed in a stronger form. Even if there is no new ban look at where we are now in terms of freedom, an armed population has made little difference so far, don't let open gun shops put you to sleep.

This section is intended for thorough readers and morally conscious citizens. There is often quite a bit of concern whenever non-military citizens become aware of or are trained about potentially dangerous or subversive knowledge.

The fact is, the world is a dangerous place. Not every problem we encounter involves pretty colors and goofy dragons. It is curious that attention is being paid to our disseminating this information, when there are numerous criminals, convicted and otherwise, in charge of state-of-the-art military weaponry around the world.

With America and various other nations using their military might to coerce innocent people and force submission according to their own greedy whims, the last place attention should be focused is on us.

We trust this information with the average American citizen much more than we do with these current criminals in office.

Handguns

Rifles

Shotguns

Weapons for Street Fighting

Other Weapons

Training

Gun Laws

Handguns

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If you would like to make edits to this page go to the discussion page

1 Handguns
1.1 HANDGUN MISCONCEPTIONS:
1.2 Which weapon do I want?
1.3 Black Powder Firearms and Their Advantages
2 Home Made Firearms
3 Pipe Pistol
4 Pipe pistol, cap and matches
5 Pen Gun
6 Silent Pistol, Bolt Action
7 Improvised Barrels
8 FP-45 Liberator Pistol
9 Manufacturing and Reloading Handgun Cartridges
9.1 Smokeless Powder
9.2 Primer
9.3 Brass
9.4 Bullets

Handguns

The standard handgun for training is chambered in .22LR. These also are useful for minimal self defense, if you're attacked by rabbits or squirrels. The ammunition is cheap, very easy to find and even in pistol form, a .22 has next to no recoil. The guns themselves are also relatively inexpensive, at around $300 for a new model, and under $100 for a good used model. With a .22, you can easily and cheaply practice marksmanship, do fire drills and practice trigger pulls.

Once you feel comfortable with a handgun and are able to accurately hit targets at distances of around 20 yards, you should move on to a more powerful model. Many people sell their 22 caliber training pistol, but you should hang on to it. It can be difficult to decide what you want with so many different models, but the best advice we can give you is to try them all out if possible and determine what you like the best. We'll do a rundown of some of the more popular models and try to dispel some misconceptions.

HANDGUN MISCONCEPTIONS:

9mm is worthless. For defense, you need a .45/.44 mag/.357/flavor of the month caliber.

This one couldn't be more untrue. When loaded with modern hollowpoint ammunition, a 9MM handgun is very lethal, expanding to within .09 of a .45ACP hollowpoint. It is also traveling at nearly twice the speed, and modern 9MM handguns can hold as many as 20 rounds, where 10 is very high capacity for a .45. 9MM has a bad reputation because the military is not allowed to use hollowpoint ammunition and must instead use non expanding ball ammunition, which greatly limits the effectiveness of a 9MM. However, you can and should at all times use hollowpoints for defense. Leave ball ammo to target practice.

The fact of the matter is, many large men have been killed by the lowly .25ACP and .22 especially in the hands of well trained users. It's not about the size of the bullet, it's about where you put it. You should chose a weapon based off feel, accuracy and personal preference, not caliber. That said, don't think you're James Bond and can hit a pinhead at 500 yards under stress even if you're a good shooter. The CIA recommended sawed off shotguns for close range assassinations, and for good reason. While too big of a weapon will cause problems with accuracy and ammo availability, anything in a .380 or above (and this includes 9MM and 38 special) is more than good enough for close range encounters.

Autoloading pistols are inaccurate/unreliable

Modern autoloading pistols are the industry standard for a reason. Though initially the technology did have some problems, there now exist autoloaders that would fire under conditions that would stifle even a revolver.

Also, most modern champion marksmen use autoloading handguns instead of revolvers. This isn't to say the revolver isn't a valid weapon, as it still is, but autoloaders are now developed to a high level of accuracy, reliability and durability. Modern autoloaders are also very simple to clean and maintain.

GLOCKs can pass though metal detectors

Totally incorrect. 85% of a GLOCKs weight is in metal.

The Desert Eagle

Despite what Hollywood has told you, the IMI Desert Eagle is actually a quite terrible weapon. It's huge, heavy, has expensive ammunition (More than $1 per round), tremendous recoil, frequently jams and is horribly expensive. There is no reason why you should chose a Desert Eagle over your standard handgun, except perhaps when compensating for something.

Which weapon do I want?

In this day and age, there are thousands of models of handgun being produced. Finding one that works for you can be difficult. Remember, don't chose a weapon based off caliber. Try to fire, or at least hold and point a weapon you're looking to buy to get a feel of it, some ranges even allow rental so you can "test drive" a handgun.

Some good brands: CZ, Sig (AKA SIGARMS, Sig Sauer), HK, GLOCK, Springfield Armory, Wilson Combat, Kimber, Browning, FN, Walther, Kahr, Magnum Research (AKA IMI), Colt, Ruger, Para Ordinance (high capacity M1911 style pistols), EAA (All EAA autos are CZ75 clones), Bersa, Taurus, Smith and Wesson (REVOLVERS ONLY! S&W autoloaders have a history of being terrible), Beretta and most custom gun shops.

Cheap brands: Braztech (AKA Braztech Rossi, Rossi), Lorcin, Jennings, Hi-Point, Raven and most other centerfire handguns that cost less than $300 or so new. These guns are at cheap and occasionaly unreliable but are useful if that is all you can afford, the engineering is mostly not bad just the attention to detail, realibility is sometimes a problem in the smaller caliber semiautomatics.

Other notes:

Though almost all handgun rounds are easily defeated by body armor, there are some such as 7.62x25 which can penetrate police grade body armor with ease and also Kevlar helmets. Unfortunately, this round is found only in the CZ52 handgun, which, for lack of a better term, is unrefined. It has a terrible grip angle, low ammo capacity, snappy recoil, one of the worst triggers ever seen on a handgun and crude sights. The bullet travels at a higher velocity than a conventional handgun round but does much less damage and has a lower self defense usefulness than a normal bullet since it keeps its form after penetrating.
If you intend to carry a weapon, you should invest in a quality gun belt and holster. Low quality ones are not only uncomfortable and flimsy, they can be dangerous. Some good brands are Galco, Tucker Gunleather and Comp-Tac. Also, be sure to check your local laws in regards to carrying a handgun. Most states will allow you to carry a concealed weapon with the appropriate permit, and some even allow open carry.
A common handgun drill is the Mozambique or failure to stop drill. It is done like so: begin with your weapon holstered and holster open. Now rapidly draw the weapon, acquire the target and fire twice into the chest (preferably the heart/lungs region) and once into the head. The purpose of this drill is to practice quickly and lethally engaging a target. Competition shooters can do this drills in around 3.5 seconds, and while you can probably never reach that time yourself, doing this drill regularly can greatly improve survival in a combat situation.
Be careful when buying aftermarket magazines. Though often much cheaper than factory mags, bad or damaged magazines are the largest cause of feeding problems, which can take you permanently out of a fight, Often in a body bag. If you must buy aftermarket magazines, get Mec Gars. Mec Gar is the OEM magazine supplier for most major handgun manufacturers and thus are of high quality. For a 1911 type pistol, USGI style magazines are considered to be the most reliable.
Another factor to consider is the action of the firearm. It will either be double action, single action, or single/double.
For an experienced and responsible shooter, single action is often preferred as it has a much lighter and quicker trigger pull. However, many less experienced shooters may not feel safe or comfortable with a light triggered handgun being cocked and ready to fire at their hip (And this is the way you should keep it, as it is the quickest way if it's needed.) This is why double action was created. Double actions both cock the hammer and fire in a single trigger pull, allowing you to carry uncocked and still be ready to fire. However, this leads to a very long and very heavy trigger pull, which can hinder accuracy. The newest of the three is single/double, or DA/SA. It is a double action on the first shot and single action on every subsequent shot. It can also be carried cocked if you want all shots to be in single action. Many new firearms (GLOCKs, Springfield XDs) are striker fired, which means they have no hammer and thus can be double action and still have smooth and crisp triggers.

Black Powder Firearms and Their Advantages

While much of what the above author has said is true, one may also wish to consider looking at old fashioned Black Powder firearms. One reason for this is that the US Federal CorpGov doesn't fully consider these to be weapons and therefore doesn't conduct the same stringent background screenings or enforce the same stringent gun carrying laws that they enforce with modern firearms(although it is still considered a weapon like a knife). Also if one keeps an old fashioned revolver opened with a couple of cylinders in reserve it is possible to match in many instances the same ammo capacity and rapid fire action that is possible with current handguns.

There are also inherent advantages of self sufficiency with Black Powder in that one can produce Black Powder with charcoal (which can be derived from burned wood), Nitrate (derived from bird or bat droppings, tree stump remover), and sulfur (which can be derived from either natural source) and ammo can be derived from melted lead which can be gained from tire wheel weights that are very easy to obtain at tire shops or from the wheels of cars. The only thing that may be difficult to procure with certain Black Powder weapons is the percussion caps that some require but many of these percussion caps can be derived from simple caps such as those used in children's cap guns. The old mercury fulminate or modern lead azide that is used in percussion caps can be replaced with the red phosphorus/potassium chlorate/ground glass material in the caps for toy cap guns although this will destroy a weapon if not cleaned right away. This material placed into tiny metal cups made from aluminum can (you need a special tool) to easily be make into percussion caps thus lending itself further to the self sufficiency advantage of Black Powder which no modern weapon can offer. All modern weapons require manufactured ammo that must be produced under stringent conditions. This is not needed with Black Powder weaponry.

Home Made Firearms

With some strict safety precautions a firearm can be built using common hardware, most of these are not meant to be used for years on end but rather to protect against armed oppression at which point you should have acquired a proper functional firearm.

In 1969, the U.S. Army produced a guidebook called Improvised Munitions Handbook (TM 31-210), which gives detailed information on making weapons like this in the field. However, their safety is not to be taken for granted. The book is in public domain and copy of the book can be read on-line from various sources:

Pipe Pistol

In a serious time when you have access to no other firearm, a zip gun might make the difference to your survival. A simple pipe gun is made from a steel pipe nipple, a threaded pipe joiner, and a pipe plug. The pipe is reamed to bullet diameter with a drill bit and chamber cut in the same way, a cartridge is loaded and the threaded joiner is threaded tight to the pipe nipple. A pipe plug with a hole drilled in the center is threaded tightly on, a nail is inserted into the plug hole and taped on. A "hammer" made from steel strap and screwed into the grip is propelled by rubber bands or springs to strike the nail firing this zip gun. Test fire several times remotely surrounded with sandbags before firing with your hands if at all possible. This is a risky and dangerous weapon.

Pipe pistol, cap and matches

Follow the designs for the pipe gun but don't insert a nail into the hole in the pipe plug. Load a thimble full of scraped safety match head powder down the barrel followed by plastic wadding then followed by a projectile. Toy caps are taped over the firing pin hole, the hammer should fire the cap and ignite the matches. This is a desperate, dangerous, unreliable weapon, so test remotely before firing in your hand.

Pen Gun

A simple pen gun can be made by purchasing a steel pen-gun type flare launcher which consists of a steel tube a inner striker propelled by a spring and a knob that protruded from a slot in the tube, a notch is cut in the tube to allow the knob to catch in a cocked position. There is a threaded in disc which is side punched to lock it in place, this stop plate for the striker has a hole for the firing pin near the end of the tube, this plate is set to rest against the base of the cartridge when the barrel tube is fully threaded in. Cut threads onto a .25 inch diameter piece of steel tubing to fit the launcher tube, the chamber area of the tube is reamed to fit a .25 ACP case, the firing pin is tapered to better strike a pistol primer.

A similar modification could be made to a rimfire flare launcher to fire .22 cartridges or high power rimfire blanks used in nail guns to project a projectile or dart. A larger caliber pen-gun could be made using a similar design to these penguns.

This is a very close in concealed defensive weapon, likely only giving you a few seconds of shock and confusion to escape.

Silent Pistol, Bolt Action

A silent pistol has the benefit in a totalitarian police state of not causing noise and confusion as you liquidate a death squad coming for you giving time to make a quick escape.

The easiest way to accomplish this construction is to chop off a .22 bolt action rifle, and drill air vents in the barrel starting after about 3-5 inches. A piece of metal tubing is held in place with rubber spacers, the interior is filed with felt discs, plastic washers, rubber washers or even cotton. After several shots the felt and cotton filler needed to be replaced.

For more stopping power the Welrod could be copied, this 9mm or .32 cal pistol was used to eliminate Nazis. The hand grip could be removed and the "rod" could be hidden and fired from a coat sleeve or rolled newspaper because of the simple slide trigger. You can see from the picture that a factory magazine is used in the welrod design. Most of this firearm could easily be made from poured brass, zinc, or aluminium with a steel barrel and trigger parts. A laser point sight might be a good modern addition to aim such a hidden weapon without requiring the weapon to be fully exposed or held up.

Image:Welrod-mkll.jpg

Improvised Barrels

Better quality tubing for improvised firearms can be had than galvanized pipe nipples. Try to find something as close as possible to the diameter of your bullet. Seamless mechanical and hydraulic tubing is sized by it's outside diameter by wall diameter in millimeters. Chart gives cartridge name, tubing size, and bore in millimeters.

*.22 Rimfire-	-9. 52	x 2.03	seamless hydraulic	tube= 5.46mm
*.25 ACP-	-12.70	x 3.25	seamless mechanical	tube= 6.20mm
*.32 ACP-	-14.29	x 3.25	seamless mechanical	tube= 7.79mm
* 9mm/.380-	-14.29	x 2.64	seamless mechanical	tube= 9.01mm
* 9mm/.380-	-14.00	x 2.50	seamless hydraulic	tube= 9.00mm
* 9mm/.380-	-15.00	x 3.00	seamless hydraulic	tube= 9.00mm
*.44/.410-	-20.64	x 4.88	seamless mechanical	tube=10.88mm
*.44/.410-	-19.05	x 4.06	seamless mechanical	tube=10.93mm
*.45 ACP-	-17.46	x 2.95	seamless hydraulic	tube=11.56mm

FP-45 Liberator Pistol

The Liberator one shot pistol was a cheap and disposable $26 mass produced handgun packed in a wax paper box with simple comic strip type instructions, a wood ramrod ejector stick, and ten bullets. It was to be air dropped in large numbers in Europe and Asia by the allies during WW2 as a way for partisans to acquire a proper weapon and ammunition by killing a lone Nazi. This stamped metal design could easily be copied but instead using easily lost wax cast zinc or aluminum frame construction and a strong steel hydraulic tubing barrel of the required diameter.

One of the drawbacks to this design is that the used shell casing must be poked out of the barrel with a small wooden stick before another round can be loaded. However, the design made this firearm so cheap and simple to produce, the factory could produce a Liberator pistol faster that it took to fire a round and reload it!

Download the blueprints at Hacker Labs

http://hlbbs.hackerlabs.net/downloads/stw/PDFs/Liberator_Pistol_blueprints.pdf

If the above link doesn't work, try any of the following:

http://gunknowledge.com/documents/liberator_pistol_blueprints.pdf
http://www.scribd.com/doc/8201899/liberator-pistol-blueprints
http://files.weaponryonline.com/blueprints/liberator_pistol_blueprints.pdf
http://www.nazarian.no/images/wep/203_Liberator_Pistol_blueprints.pdf

If you are already taking the time to hand make this weapon, extend the barrel and perforate the last five inches using rubber front and back bushings to attach a silencer tube and fill with packed steel wool baffling or a spring and teflon washers; This would make using this against a better armed adversary much safer for you.

Manufacturing and Reloading Handgun Cartridges

It is highly recommended that forward thinking people will at least purchase a pocket size hand reloading kit for their chosen calibers against the possibility of changes in firearm laws, if not a full bench reloading set, we also expect you to stash away the proper powder and primers at the minimum see Caching emergency improvised reloading is explained in the military 31-210 manual available in DIY Defense but this improvised method is not well suited to repeating firearms. Extreme care must be taken in all aspects of ammunition manufacture It is useful to learn reloading using standard components and only use these improvised methods in severe emergencies.

Smokeless Powder

Paper or cotton is nitrated by soaking with concentrated nitric acid then washing with distilled water to make nitrocellulos. Acetone is used to dissolve real competition celluloid(nitrocellulose) ping-pong balls or nitrated cotton or paper, and optionally add desired percentage of nitroglycerin Warning Nitroglycerin is VERY sensitive if desired based on the dry weight of nitrocellulose. When making powder add 0.5-2% of 2-Nitrodiphenylamine or Diphenylamine to prevent spontaneous detonation of aged ammunition, if you are using celluloid ping pong balls they already have been treated. The nitrocellulose acetone gel is blended and extruded into drops onto an aluminum or non stick tray. Dry in a warm 150F(80C) degree electric oven (not gas) for one hour then and filter by size through a large pass sieve to stop oversized balls and then a small pass sieve to let undersized balls drop out, all balls that are to big or small go back to be redissolved and dropped. The passed powder balls could also be redampened with acetone and pressed into flakes for faster burning using a marble rolling pin and board, these should be in the .1mm to .2mm screen pass and redried. Powder that passes is given a light sprinkle of graphite powder.

A Primex powder contains 0-40% nitroglycerin, 0-10% dibutyl phthalate, 0-10% polyester adipate, 0-5% rosin, 05% ethyl acetate, 0.3-1.5% diphenylamine, 0-1.5% N-nitrosodiphenylamine, 0-1.5% 2-nitrodiphenylamine, 0-1.5% potassium nitrate, 0-1.5% potassium sulfate, 0-1.5% tin dioxide, 0.02-1% graphite, 0-1% calcium carbonate, and nitrocellulose as the remainder to 100%.

British cordex double base powder propellant consisted of 58% nitroglycerin, by weight, 37% nitrocellulose and 5% Vaseline. Using acetone as a solvent, it was extruded as spaghetti-like rods .3mm-.5mm diameter and dried, it is probably the easiest smokeless powder to make.

Never make a over a half ounce at a time as this is quite flammable. Wear 100% wool gloves and a 100% wool ski mask with goggles to protect from flash burns. Consider a respirator, too. Wear only natural fibers as synthetics can stick to your skin if they catch fire. Use only non-sparking tools and surfaces; Electrically ground your work area and make sure room moisture is high enough to prevent static discharge. Be consistent in ingredients and always follow the same steps and mixtures to get repeatable ammunition performance. Make a numbered lot of loaded bullets from one batch of powder and keep them together. Test burn a small pile of powder on a piece of aluminum foil away from your sealed metal powder container (outside); It should burn quickly and cleanly not pop or flash or leave much residue. Test fire several cartridges from each lot in special heavy test barrel before using in normal firearms and examine the case for deformation or stress marks. Start with half loads and always weigh the powder or use a precision powder dipper. Buy and use a reloading book for data. Assume that performance will be that of bulls-eye powder or greater and adjust down from there.

Primer

Lead picrate production is described in the 31-210 manual as is reloading of spent primers, a small percentage of crushed powdered glass can be added to the damp primer compound. A new primer cup is punched out and formed from brass and filled with your damp primer material, a cone shaped anvil with at least two flash holes at the edges is punched from brass or steel and inserted into the primer until flush with the bottom. Finished primers are allowed to dry in an electric (not gas) oven on bake (not broil) at 150F degrees. Care must be taken that primers fit the standard primer pocket of your ammunition (0.175in for 9mm).

Brass

Before making your own brass try mining the gravel around old shooting areas out in the woods especially in the western USA or dumpster diving outside military or police shooting ranges, reforming and reloading once shot brass casings is so much easier than making new.

A two piece inner and outer aluminum mold can be made Means of Production using a lost wax method mold, to make a production line for brass cartridges or one could be machined from steel. Brass melts at 900-940 °C depending on composition and can be poured into the outer die followed by a inner mold which will shape the inside of your cartridge.

Brass alloy of 95% copper and 5% zinc is soft and good for ammunition components, up to 30% zinc is acceptable for harder cases if you find too much deformation or torn off extractor rims. Scrap brass that bends and doesn't break easily when hammered should work for production of ammunition. Source your zinc from newer pennies(97% zinc) and copper is easy to find as water pipes or wire.

Once the brass is cool lathe out an extractor groove(make the lathe by sticking a wooden dowel into your hand drill, cut the groove with a ground to shape saw blade or chisel), drill out the primer pocket and flash hole, and trim any sprue. Trim case neck to proper length.

If it is impossible to find spent cartridges or make a pressure die like we speak of above you might need to improvise with alternatives from a standard one piece brass cartridge. An alternative is to find or make thick wall brass tubing of the proper diameter. Now from copper or brass rod make the base and drill a primer pocket and a flash hole. Now solder the two parts together, solder paste and a butane torch will work well. Using a drill as a lathe cut an extractor groove and case throat out to proper dimensions. If you happen to have found centerfire cartriges of smaller caliber than what you are loading for you can use this with brass sleeves as the primer pocket and base, solder paint and torch to join together. There is some possibility that these cartridge parts will separate during ejection or bulge out causing weapon jams or inability to reuse the cartrige.

Bullets

Using a pulled bullet and plaster of paris lost wax method (see Means of Production), an aluminum mold can be made for production of lead bullets. The best source for bullet lead is wheel balance weights, if you have the skill copper can be used to make more complicated jacketed and hollow-point bullets with lead cores.

This page was last modified on 19 June 2011, at 23:29.
Content is available under GNU Free Documentation License 1.2.

Rifles

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Rifles

Rifles give you the reach to defend with planning instead of reacting at the last moment with a handgun. A rifle is carried when you are expecting trouble.

The market for a rifle can be more confusing than that for a handgun, as there have been hundreds of thousands of different rifles produced. There are hundreds of calibers, each having it's own unique characteristics, countless different actions, optics and other accessories. Do not rely on knowledge gleaned from television and Hollywood most of is exactly opposite the truth.

Before you feel like we are getting all right wing technical talking about guns remember that the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense taught us to openly carry our rifles to intimidate our oppressors.

Starting Out

Your first practice rifle should be a .22lr caliber. 22s are easy to find, cheap, fire cheap ammunition and thus are excellent practice weapons. Once you are comfortable with your .22, you can move on to a high powered rifle. The .22 cartridge is quieter than a centerfire rifle and if firing BB or CB caps they are almost silent although these rounds will not cycle a semi-automatic they are great for low signature training. A semi-auto .22 rifle and thousands of rounds fired at the range over time time will do wonders for your shooting skill. Clean up all of your fired brass during training, not only is this littering it is evidence with fingerprints. Brass can also be recycled, which can recoup some of your shooting costs, or reloaded yourself if using a center fire rifle.

RIFLE MISCONCEPTIONS

The M16/5.56mm is unreliable/has no stopping power/is a bad rifle

The M16 rifle, also known as the AR-15 in it's civilian variant is a decent rifle even if it is a bit expensive on a limited budget. It is very accurate, modular, has very little recoil, is light in weight and compact in size, and allows individual troops to carry far more ammunition. If it is properly cleaned and maintained, it is a very dependable rifle, and modern .223/5.56 ammunition, while mostly used by hunters for small game and varmints, has enough power for survival hunting of most animals.

The AK series of rifles is incredibly inaccurate

While not as accurate as some contemporary designs, many AK47's are capable of shooting a 3 inch group at 100 yards, which is more than good enough for eliminating a human sized target. The accuracy of the AK series is badly hindered by the crude sights, which have changed little since World War 1. After market replacements, which run around $30, can greatly increase the accuracy of the rifle. They have even been adapted as sniper rifles with bipods and scopes.

Fully automatic firearms are easy to get

Unless you have Class 3 dealers license or are willing to pay outrageous prices and get government approval you can't legally buy a fully auto firearm in the US. Depending what you are up for a tax evasion on machine gun transfer tax charge will likely be a flag on top of the mountain charges you are wanted for. Many older semi automatic rifles can be modified by someone with general metal work skills and knowledge of firearm mechanics, however even possessing a part that can turn a semi into an automatic is a felony. People have even been arrested for tying a string to the trigger and charging handle to improvise. The ATF doesn't play around, so don't push them. That said, most guerrilla operations are chronically short on ammunition and the waste of full automatic fire is only justified by a squad or platoon size unit pinning down opposing units or during a hasty retreat from a superior force.

If you must waste munitions when out trying to impress the boys, a trigger actuation device for a semi-auto firearm can do the job fairly cheaply, and is legal as a device for quasi automatic or burst fire but often interferes with you accessing the trigger normally and can catch on brush causing accidental misfires.

PURCHASING A RIFLE

When purchasing a rifle, many things should be considered, including caliber, ergonomics and size, sights, accessory and part availability, ammunition cost and a multitude of other factors.

A note on caliber

When talking about high powered rifles, anything .223 and above is adequate for survival hunting of North American animals and combat, although it may be too light for the exceedingly rare attack from large predators, especially in Canada and Alaska. Availability, ergonomics, and cost are far more important factors in your decision. Most military pattern semi automatic and bolt action hunting rifles have fairly mild recoil. Handling recoil depends on experience as a shooter and physical size and strength. A healthy, average to large sized adult should be able to handle most common rifles once they have mastered the grip, but inexperienced smaller shooters could have trouble. It is worthwhile to remember that a good shooter with a bad rifle can do far more damage than a bad shooter with a good rifle.

Try very hard to acquire a rifle chambered in the ammunition used by local military, captured or black market ammunition can then be used by more fighters than just those equipped with captured weaponry.

For old surplus bolt actions, the obsolete and oddball caliber ammo is super cheap, often less than $100 for 1000 rounds, if you can find it. Try to stick to a common caliber even if buying a sporting rifle. Civilian sport loadings are expensive but generally more accurate and maintain a common zero than most military surplus ammunition. However, you should not discount military ammo, as some of it is very high grade. Use the internet and do some research, there is lots of information to be found, as gun nuts tend to be quite obsessive. Sport loadings, despite their expense, are almost always soft point, hollowpoint or ballistic tip, all of which are capable of doing much more damage to a non metallic target than military full metal jacketed "humane" ammunition.

WHAT RIFLE DO I WANT?

Selecting the right rifle for you can be difficult, but like any other firearm, you should try to fire or at least hold and point any rifle you're eyeing before buying it.

Bolt actions

The most common variety of centerfire rifle in the world is the bolt action. It is a very simple and rugged design, consisting of a manually operated bolt which pushes a round from the ammunition magazine into the chamber. Most modern bolt action sport rifles are well suited for entry level sniper and counter sniper work since they are scope ready and good for use to at least 200-300 Meters with proper training and regular practice, commercial rifles are usualy of superior utility and accuracy for the price to surplus weapons, however many surplus rifles are very cheap and still perfectly usable weapons.

When buying a bolt action, it's important to weigh ammo costs. Many hunting weapons use very expensive (Albeit high quality and powerful) ammunition, as they are designed to be used a few times a year on a hunting trip. .223 is a good caliber, as it shares ammunition with military rifles, bringing down price. In the civilian realm, .243 Winchester and 30-06 are good, common rounds. .243 is a good medium caliber, flat shooting round and is an excellent choice for deer and smaller animals. Remember, people weigh about the same as a white tail deer. Not that we're suggesting anything, here...

30-06 is a more powerful round, which is suitable for larger game and longer distances.

One word of wisdom. Don't bother buying a scope until you can shoot with iron sights. You gain a false sense of security using a scope, but it's actually harder to shoot at targets within 100 yards with a scope than without. Once you master the fundamentals, then look for optics.

Semi Automatic

A semi automatic weapon is one which fires one round per trigger pull, and automatically cocks and reloads the weapon after each shot. Most so called "assault rifles" in the US are actually semi-automatic. First developed in the late 1800s, semi-automatic weapons didn't become popular until after World War 1. During WW2, the semiauto rifles had become standard issue for US Army units, and were also mass produced by the Russians, Germans and others. Most semi-auto hunting rifles while lighter are not reliable for combat use when a proven military arm is available.

The SKS Russian/Chinese carbine is cheap and reasonably handy it fires the same 7.62x39 as the AK-47. The 7.62x51 NATO FAL, CETME, and G-3 semi-automatic rifles which all feed from 20 round detachable magazines have good accuracy and excellent reliability, but are now very expensive unless you can find a sucker since the post cold war bonanza of cheap weapons has mostly dried up. The CETME, while usually less expensive, can suffer from jamming issues due to incompetent importers using poorly designed parts.

The AR-15 is fairly expensive (~$700 2007US$) although its virtues of accuracy, small size, light weight, and light ammunition are recognized worldwide, it is very well suited to urban operations. If you build your own AR-15(easy if you have technical ability) you can usually stay under $400, but remember since there are hundreds of manufacturers quality varies. Look for an unfinished 80% receiver (you need to drill the holes) if you want to build an off the books gun but realize that the Feds are probably tracing every delivery from these places.

The venerable AK-47 also cannot be overlooked. It's not overly large or heavy, has mild recoil and a common round, is fairly inexpensive ($450 for a good Yugoslavian model is a fair price) and can be very easily and cheaply modified if you so desire. Good aftermarket sights greatly increase it's usefulness.

The Ruger Mini-14 in .223/5.56 and Mini-30 in 7.62 Soviet are readily available, handy, and reliable rifles. The KelTec SU-16 .223/5.56 survival rifle is a simple light pack gun, it folds into its own stock with room for a standard 30 round M-16 magazine. These are legal "non-assault-rifles" in most states with type and feature specific gun bans.

There are several pistol caliber carbines on the market ranging from expensive police models to cheap weapons which use the same magazines as some handguns. These are easier to aim than a pistol and with a large capacity magazine could be useful for the low price. Be sure to look for models which do not jam on a regular basis and are easy to clear when jammed, use of a common magazine to your handgun is also a plus.

Other Mechanisms

Lever action, break open, pump, trapdoor and other ways of loading a weapon are also available, depending on your budget or what you can find this may be all that is available. Train with what you have available and remember to make your shots count.

Carbines

Carbines are a shorter, more versitile alternative to the original rifle. Some can easily cause damage 500-1000 yards away (if you're that good of a shot). An average pistol cartridge carbine can usually cause semi-accurate damage from about 100-200 yards away, while rifle cartridge chambered carbines are usually just as accurate as their rifle equizalents, as differences in accuracy with barrel lengths from 16" (carbine length) to 24" (rifle length) is minimal. With modern ammunition, in all but the largest of calibers, differences in the velocity of the bullets are minimal as well. Carbines are great for picking-up and going, and many have a pistol-styled grip. A good carbine can easily run $500+, though Hi-Point firearms makes inexpensive, and fairly reliable carbines. They are not precision instruments, but Hi-Points are more than capable of getting the job done. A Hi-Point .40 carbine can be picked up at your friendly gun dealer for as little as $240 (USD), at the time of this writing. For those who desire a slightly higher quality gun, Beretta makes a very nice law-enforcement-grade Cx4 Storm carbine, however these can be very pricey, at $625 (USD), at the time of this writing. ,When choosing a pistol caliber carbine try to buy a few oversized magazines, holding at least 30 rounds. It may be worth considering a heavier, more powerful caliber for your carbine, but the primary choice should be based on available ammunition.

Build a Long Gun

Like mentioned in Handguns section a firearm can be built by someone needing lethal protection from marauders Corpgov or other. Making a rifle that is able to match the accuracy of a manufactured model is very difficult without access to a good machine shop, precision chamber reamers, and manufactured barrel blanks. Unrifled improvised long guns can be made that will fire rifle ammunition although even greater care must be exercised than with handguns due to a larger power load.

Check out http://www.thehomegunsmith.com/ for detailed instructions on how to make a number of firearms and ammunition using common plumbing supplies. Though the author does charge for these plans, they work and are safe.

STEN Submachinegun

Slam fire submachineguns are some of the most effective firearms and can be made with basic shop equipment. These weapons if carefuly made can be very reliable and provide good firepower even if they are a bit wasteful, the STEN was made select fire so you can choose single shots or auto fire. Plans can be found online and are included in some versions of this book. If you are using a different caliber adjust the dimensions and bolt weight accordingly. If you are creative an electric drill, hand tools, and a welder are all you need although a lathe and drill press with a side slide to mill the bolt really helps. Print out the blueprints on paper to scale and glue them onto the metal you are working. You can use the tools from Means of Production and the electrical mask cutting method for sheet metal and tubing to make your handy little STEN guns.

If rifled barrel blanks are unavailable you can use seamless mechanical tube or seamless hydraulic tube look in Handguns for a compatibility chart. At ranges under 10 meters the loss of accuracy will not be too great if you can't rifle the barrel. Barrels must be reamed and honed to the diameter and depth of the cartridge you plan to use. If a reamer is unavailable you must slowly drill to the proper depth too far and the weapon will not function too shallow and cases will bulge or burst which often causes a jam and makes the cartridges unreloadable. Micrometer the case and use a drill bit of the proper diameter, 10.03mm wide by 18.15mm deep chamber for a 9mm, the chamber must stay straight, smooth out the chamber with fine sandpaper and a wooden dowel after reaming. The Sten gun bolt can be made from cast brass, since there was wear problems with the early brass bolts we suggest adding a steel sear contact point made of steel.

The STEN is an excellent design to use as it is reasonably reliable, easy to make, and well engineered given the restrictions on cost and tools. The STEN was designed from the start as both a partisans and a soldiers weapon. It did not require a specialized gunsmith shop to build only simple tools. The STEN can be broken down into a barrel, stock, and tube which will easily fit into a small pack or toolbox. Estimates of material cost for the STEN today is about $30.

For a semi-auto version to match local or national laws weld in a slotted block in place of the the selector switch to prevent going to auto. In the United States the selector mod is not enough, the weapon must be modified to fire from a closed bolt and either have a standard barrel and only a pistol grip or a 16in barrel and rifle stock. Designs are seen on the net for a closed bolt using a modified bolt with an M-16 firing pin, and a spring loaded striker which is caught by the standard STEN trigger group.

Obtain a piece of hardened steel about .5mm than wider exact diameter of your unrifled barrel tube. Determine the rifling twist/inches ratio and lay out 1mm strips of tape on a graph the length of your twist (1 in 9 would be 9 inches long) by the cicumfrence of your rod. You need to evenly space the strips perfectly parallel and face up. Roll the metal onto the tape strips, your rod is now striped. Make sure the tape is on tight and electrolyticaly etch off .5mm form the rod. Cut off the unetched end, remove tape, and press the rod through your barrel with a screw press.

Original Rifles

There are two commonly available types of rifles; the bolt action and the semi-automatic. War surplus bolt action rifles are cheap and usually pretty accurate, but have a slower rate of fire than a semi-automatic. A semiautomatic is preferable in nearly all cases. The SKS carbine is probably the best semi-automatic for the money (about $300). Among bolt actions, the Mosin Nagant, Mauser, British Enfield, and the Lee Harvey Oswald Special, the Mannlicher-Carcano, are all good buys for the money (about $100-$200).

Shotguns

Last updated: 17 June 2011

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Contents

1 Shotguns
2 Selecting a Shotgun
2.1 Ammunition
3 Pipe Shotgun
4 Original Shotguns
5 External Links

Shotguns

The Shotgun is a double edged sword. Depending on the situation, a Shotgun can either be the most effective weapon possible or wholly worthless. It lacks the range of a rifle or the concealability of a pistol, but it makes up for it in raw power, ease of use, reliability and intimidation. Little else is more feared than the ubiquitous sound of racking a shotgun, and a blast of buckshot can literally leave your adversary staring through a grapefruit sized hole in his torso.

Selecting a Shotgun

Unlike Rifles, selection of a shotgun is more or less standardized. You will want a pump action model with a short barrel. The big 3 of shotguns are the Remington 870, the Mossberg 500 (590 if you have the $$) and the Benelli Nova. All of these are available for around $250 new. The Remington and Mossberg are more traditional, whereas the Nova is more high tech and comes with some very nice features like fiber optic or available rifle style (ghost ring) sights. There is, unless you are on a very tight budget, little reason to look at anything else. If you absolutely must save a buck, get a 12 gauge on police surplus. Most of them are lightly used and can be picked up for a single bill. You can also easily find 500s and 870s (You might have some trouble finding a Nova) in pawn shops, as both of them have been produced for a very long time, making them very common. Stay away from the cheap Norinco shotguns.

Another nice shotgun is the Russian Saiga-12. It is a semi-automatic shotgun that is built off the AK47 action, so it is very reliable (Unlike most other semi-auto shotguns, which are very jam prone) and it comes with detachable magazines up to a 10 shell capacity for quicker reloads. It starts at around $400, but if you want one fully tricked out with goodies like an integrated flashlight, muzzle break, short barrel, folding stock and ghost ring sights, you're looking at over $1000. Unfortunately, it is illegal in some states now.

Don't bother with other gauges. 12 gauge is the world's standard defense and hunting shotgun for a reason. Other gauges are either not powerful enough or far too expensive to be practical.

Ammunition

For defense, there are only two loads worth considering, buckshot and slugs.

Buckshot is large diameter lead balls loaded into a shell. The standard 00 (pronounced as "double ought") buckshot has around 9 pellets which are roughly the size of a .30 caliber bullet, making it incredibly effective against soft targets. 00 is the standard load for buckshot. Some claim that #1 or even #4 are more effective, but you can't go wrong with 00. For smaller shooters, reduced recoil loads are worth considering. They not only have less recoil, but usually tighter groups as well. The maximum range for buckshot is 50 yards, but realistically you should wait until the target is within 25 to ensure that they are hit by as many balls as possible.

Slugs are large, solid projectiles that somewhat resemble muzzle loader bullets. They essentially turn your shotgun into a high caliber, low velocity rifle. The only problem with slugs is that in situations where they are better than buckshot, you're better off with a rifle. Nevertheless, slugs are very effective and have a maximum range of around 100 yards. A slug may be slow, but it packs an awful lot of punch at shorter ranges. If you have to hunt large game with your shotgun, use slugs. If you regularly shoot slugs, it might be worthwhile to invest in a rifled barrel, but the investment required for this would cost more than a nice rifle. A slug has reduced effectiveness against a vest or helmet but the blunt trauma can still sometimes be deadly even though it does not penetrate body armor.

Gadget loads like dragons breath and bolo are nearly useless when compared to conventional ammunition and will do damage to your weapon. There is very limited utility in 12ga tear gas shells, with the expense why not leave that stuff to the cops, same advice for flares and bird banger (airport non-lethal bird scare) shells.

Pipe Shotgun

A simple pipe shotgun can be made from

3/4" pipe
3/4" pipe coupler
3/4" pipe plug
Wood for stock
Heavy fricton tape
Short nail
metal strap(for hammer)
Spring or rubber strap

Drill a hole in the pipe plug and loosely tape down the nail/firing pin file the point off of the nail. Thread the coupling onto the pipe, ream the barrel to allow a 12 gauge shell to fit. Friction tape the barrel to the rough sawed stock. Make the strap/hammer and bend into a U shape attach with screws and put under spring or rubber tension. Insert the shell and plug, only insert the firing pin before firing. Test fire with a string several times for safety. If you are creative you might be able to make this into a double barrel gun. Only use shot not slugs in this weapon. Since you only get one shot with this crude zip gun do as they did before repeating firearms, attach a bayonette, weld a steel rod or blade to a pipe coupling and thread that onto the end of the barrel. A ramrod may be needed to eject the spent shell.

Surprisingly to some this is legal in some places in the USA if the pipe is longer than 18 inches and you can legaly own a gun. If the cops haul you in expect to sit in the can overnight until the DA pulls his head from his ass and realizes you are legal, but they will always take it away. It is still legal to make your own gun in most parts of Amerika no matter if it is made from junk. As always check the law yourself it may have changed since printing.

This is an unsafe desperate design for protecting against the murders public and private who would try to extinguish your life. If you need to use this weapon your upgrade should have arrived with the threat.

Original Shotguns

The shotgun is the ideal defensive weapon. It's perfect for the vamping band of pigs or hard-heads that tries to lynch you. Being a good shot isn't that necessary because a shotgun shoots a bunch of lead pellets that spread over a wide range as they leave the barrel. There are two common types: the pump action and the semi-automatic. Single shot types and double-barrel types do not have a high enough rate of fire for selfdefense. Some shotguns can also hold slug shells, which, instead of buckshot pellets fire a large piece of metal, useful for the far away or armored.

The pump action is easy to use and reliable. It usually holds about five shells in a tube underneath the barrel. For self-defense you should use 00 buckshot shells. Shotguns come in various gauges, but you will want the largest commonly available, the 12 gauge. The Mossberg Model 500 A is a super weapon in this category which sells for about $90. When buying one, try to get a shotgun with a barrel as short as possible up to the legal limit of 18 inches. It is easy to cut down a longer barrel, too. This increases the area sprayed.

The semi-automatic gun is not used too much for self-defense, as they usually hold only three shells. With some practice, you can shoot a pump nearly as fast as a semiautomatic, and they are much cheaper. See the gun books catalogued in the Appendix for more information.

Another Tried And True Pipe Shotgun.

There are many other good guns available, and a great deal to know about choosing the right gun for the right situation. Reading a little right wing gun literature will help.

External Links

Article about some interesting shotgun rounds

(http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_9_50/ai_n6125526)

Other Weapons

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People did not always have the luxury of firearms, and often times people still do not. The majority of the items found in this article are either improvised, or can be made at home with great ease, but one should never forget constant safety and precaution can usually prevent their need.

Many of these weapons may seem odd, or even downright ridiculous, and some very may be, but it should knowledge should not just be cast aside because someone feels that it's not good for anyone. One must decide if these weapons are right, and if so, then this article is here.

1 Household Items Repurposed
1.1 Paint
1.2 Chains
1.3 Bug Spray
1.4 CB Antennae Rapier
1.5 Aircraft Paint Stripper
2 Melee Weapons
2.1 Swords
2.2 Knuckle Dusters
2.3 Whips
3 Ancient Warfare
3.1 Maquahuitl
3.2 Tematlatl
3.3 Atlatl
4 Repurposed/Improvised "Firearms"
4.1 Paintball Guns
4.2 Potato Guns
4.2.1 Coleman Flint Install
4.2.2 Piezo-Electric Install
4.2.3 Camera flash ignition
4.2.4 Firing
4.2.5 Alternate Ammunition
4.2.6 Alternate Propellant
4.2.7 Air Powered
4.2.8 Dry Ice
4.3 Baby Spud/Ball Gun
4.4 Flare Guns
5 Heavy Weapons
5.1 Cannon/Fougasse
5.2 Thermite Device
5.3 Flamethrower
5.3.1 Materials
5.4 Mortar Shell Launcher
5.4.1 "M-16" (Mortar)
6 Less Than Lethal
6.1 Tasers And Stunguns
6.2 Mace/Pepper Spray
6.3 Homebrew Pepperspray
6.4 Flash Guns
7 Original Other Weapons

Household Items Repurposed

Paint

Paint applied on a pig's facemask will mean he has to take it off, but if it gets in his eyes he is going to the hospital. But once he has his facemask off, it's a fair fight, so try not to make him blind in the process. It is easy to find non-toxic paints mix 50% with water and use a squirt bottle to project it, brown will really have a psychological effect.

Pink dye which doesn't wash out of skin will have a major psychological effect on homophobic cops especially if used exclusively to mark the most abusive skull cracker pigs, wear gloves to keep the evidence off of you. Like the kids in school who wrote on the bathroom walls, any trace of paint on your hands will make it damned hard to deny doing it.

Chains

As a weapon bicycle chain jewelery is sometimes mentioned. People have taken a 1-2ft long section of bike chain and turned it into a pretty sweet looking necklace with the help of a wire hanger with the intention of using it as a backup weapon. Flexible chains and such are very difficult to control in a fight and are mostly an expedient weapon for scaring off enemies. We have also heard of those who attempt the spiked necklace look with a segment of a chainsaw blade, very dangerous, odds are you might slit your own throat or snag it in your enemy loosing your weapon and part of your hand.

Bug Spray

A can of bug spray is an insanely potent defensive and/or offensive weapon. You can easily obtain it and it works at range of ten feet or so. To practice, get a can and shoot at a sweatshirt on a clothes line. It has been known to project much farther, and is much cheaper and more readily available than mace.

!!!WARNING!! many bug sprays contain organophosphates a deadly chemical similar to nerve gas •in action, even though this usually doesn't poison someone instantly,

!you might go down for use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted murder.

CB Antennae Rapier

Ea CB Antennae.

A CB Antennae.

Another item that we have seen is a CB radio antenna. [The 6ft long metal rods you see undulating on top of Ford 4-doors and the like] Cut down to a 2-3 ft length, sharpened and fitted with a tape grip you have what is described by the user as a fencing saber that he can secret in a number of handy places. The downside is that cops can, and will, identify it as a concealed deadly weapon and if you use it it will not quickly stop an attacker who may not even notice a full depth puncture immediately but it can be deadly giving the police good cause to charge you with attempted murder if it is ever used.

Aircraft Paint Stripper

The unassuming can of Aircraft Paint Stripper.

This can be bought at almost all car parts stores comes in a spray can or in gallon jugs cost about 9 bucks a can and will eat the paint or flesh off just about anything. DO NOT allow this stuff to get on the gun itself, as it dissolves PVC plastic even faster than it does paint! Now, imagine what this could do as a vandalism weapon. This is a particularly torturous idea, and it is not recommended as one's primary, or go-to weapon. Mindless brutality serves no one.

Melee Weapons

Feeling nostalgic for the days long gone, of cavemen bludgeoning each other with their bare fists and clubs? We've got you covered.

Swords

A sword is only good for deadly attacks and the occasional "dis-arming"... Open swing space is required so use in crowds is out, unskilled attackers have a very high risk of serious self inflicted injury. They have almost no utility in a street confrontation other than terror, and should only be used for such a purpose; Intimidation. High quality swords are usually expensive, too, so the sword is probably better suited to the medieval samurai than to the revolutionary.

Knuckle Dusters

Other Weapons - Steal This Wiki

Add to your pig punching power with a nice pair of brass knuckles. Get them in the face, and it will tear some of the flesh in his face away. As well as it could easily disorient them for a little while. These are, however, classified as a deadly weapon (but then again, so is anything else used in a fight so go right ahead. You can usually get a good pair at flea markets, sold as 'Paper Weights', or in some Head Shoppes and tattoo places as belt buckles. Wearing a pair right now myself, I can confidently say that they have saved my ass on more than one occasion. They don't look too bad, either. If your strapped for cash, or don't feel like getting hauled off by the pigs for having them, you can always just substitute in a roll of quarters, or a large socket drive, held clenched in the fist

Whips

The bull whip requires a good open distance forward and backward to be effective and about 1.5 seconds lead time between strikes it is not very practical against humans. A better whipping weapon is the African shambok, it is a stiff but flexible nylon stick about 15mm diameter and nearly a meter long tapering toward the tip to 9mm with a rubber one hand grip. The shambok was very painful but non-lethal although it had a reputation for leaving huge welts and sometimes even breaking the skin. Aim for unpadded backs, legs ,and buttocks for best results.

Ancient Warfare

Maquahuitl

An improvised maquitil.

The Maquahuitl is another weapon used in Mesoamerica, it is basically a paddle with obsidian blades (sharper than surgical steel) attached to it. However, this weapon is in serious need of an upgrade. Go to your local hardware store, buy a couple sheets of wood, some gorilla glue, and something to put in between the wood (a machete blade on each side would work nicely). Cut the wood to shape, put the cutting object in the wood, and glue. Wait 24-48 hours for the glue to dry, and you have a temporary weapon. One thing I did to make it last longer is cover the wood with some fiberglass sheets, and let dry. The weapon is somewhat useless, because it needs a lot of room to swing. Feel free to make some adjustments, maybe use some screws and use when it's needed. The original weapon was said to be able to decapitate a horse, so you can see why I put the weapon here.

Tematlatl

A tematlatl is a sling attached to a large rod (at least 3-5 feet long) and when you swing the weapon like a baseball bat, the item you intend to throw will fly FAR. The only downside is this weapon needs a lot of room to swing, and you need a constant supply of rocks, or whatever you want to throw. This weapon was used in Mesoamerica, and if you hit someone with a rock using this weapon, the result can be fatal. To see what this weapon will do, watch the ballcourt scene in the movie "Apocalypto" and you'll see with a bit of training, you can hit a pig with deadly accuracy.

Atlatl

j-J low the Atlatl is held. How the Atlatl is held.

The Atlatl, (not to be confused about the above mentioned tematlatl), is a throwing stick, meant for launching arrows and/or short spears.. A stick has a notch cut into one end, and has an arrow inserted into the notch. With practice, one of these could be made very quickly from sticks found laying about.

General information about the Atlatl, including pictures, and more information on it's use.

http://www. worldatlatl.org/WhatisAtlatl.html

Repurposed/Improvised "Firearms"

Paintball Guns

These weapons function very well for covering a pig's helmet, riot vehicle windshield, or camera lenses at a distance. With upwards of 250320 pounds of pressure behind each paintball, these guns can do serious damage at close range. At a longer range, the best targets are groin, head (if you don't have any other choice), and occasionally torso; the legs and arms are too small of targets. In almost all cases, aiming for center-mass (the torso) will maximize your changes of a hit. Of course, there is always the option of shooting for the ass.

For less than lethal response a good marker gun with a hopper full of frozen paintballs (stick them in the freezer overnight) becomes a .68 caliber pain weapon. Avoid aim at the temples and neck this has a small chance of killing a person, hits to the eyes could blind a cop, frozen ammo or not. At close range, a few frozen paintballs to the lower extremities will disable a person (although, as mentioned before, it's not very practical to aim for such a small target at medium to long range.) Keep in mind, a paintball marker with a hopper of frozen paintballs is a potentially lethal weapon, so you should expect the pigs to treat it as such if you get busted (that is, if they don't just open fire with their real guns.) You should treat it with the same respect you'd treat any firearm.

Other Weapons - Steal This Wiki

If you see riot cops loading paintball guns it might be for marking protesters (beware they may use long lasting indelible dye or UV invisible dye) but it is likely police special hard plastic or rubber anti-citizen rounds which are classed as less than lethal. These rounds heavier and harder than the previous frozen rounds are sprayed into the crowd to cause a retreat. Expect large numbers to be fired to disperse an unruly demonstration. They do serious damage up close, so avoid letting the pigs shoot you. You can also find the cops using paintballs filled with a pepper-spray like mixture that they can fire into a crowd with chilling results. Consider loading your marker up with fitting bouncy balls and shooting back. They may also be loading it with "pepperballs" which are paintballs full of some irritant powder which claims to be more powerful even than pure capsaicin. Even when they use their "less than lethal" paint balls they probably won't accept your paintball gun as being nonlethal, that would be playing fair, as always expect the pigs to overreact.

Potato Guns

The pigs use a grenade launcher to brutalize activists up from a distance. If these heavy rubber baton shells hit you in the head or abdomen it's going to do some serious damage (potentially death.)

We have our own launcher that can be introduced into the fight and only costs a little money. We warn you that the appearance of a bazooka-like weapon will likely turn any demonstration into a police massacre and they will liberally use deadly force if they see or hear the spud gun introduced into a riot situation.

Popping a few of these at a squad car or a group of armored riot troops may be useful to slow down a police charge and cover a retreat.

A spud gun is usually made from what (in Amerika) is called Schedule 40 or Schedule 80 PVC drain pipe. DO NOT use pipe marked "DWV" or Drain/Waste/Vent. This material has much thinner walls than the other types, and can explode in your hands when fired!

Materials:

1-2 feet of 4 inch PVC (40 or 80 schedule) pipe
2-4 feet of 2 inch PVC (40 or 80 schedule) pipe
4 inch threaded cleanout
threaded plug for 4 inch cleanout
3 to 2 inch adapter
4 to 3 inch adapter
PVC cement
electrical or flint igniter
ram-rod
combustible spray (Aqua-Net aerosol hairspray works well)

Assemble and cement in this order 2 inch pipe -> 2 to 3 inch adapter -> 3 to 4 inch adapter -> 4 inch pipe -> 4 inch threaded cleanout. Do not cement the threaded plug into the cleanout! Your spudgun now looks like a bazooka but needs a ignition system to light the spray fumes. There are two easy options a Coleman lantern flint lighter which could be bought in camping stores or the gas grill piezo-electric igniter. Placing the igniter as close to the front of the 4 inch pipe combustion chamber makes it less likely to foul from repeated spraying of hairspray. At the place where the barrel meets the adapters a long screw or two will prevent a spud from going too far and falling into the combustion chamber. Sharpening the front of the pipe will let you easily cut your spuds right from the sack as you are loading.

Coleman Flint Install

Drill a hole a little smaller than the threads on the igniter, you will not need the nut included just thread into the drilled hole. You might put a little plastic or aluminum can shield to prevent gunk from hitting the striker and getting it wet.

Piezo-Electric Install

Drill 2 small pilot holes 2-3cm apart and put long wood screws into the holes angled that the tips are about .75cm apart. Attach wires to these screws and connect to the piezo igniter, don't forget to insulate with tape to prevent shorts and misfires. Secure the wires and cover with tape to prevent snags, The igniter can be put into a bazooka handle like a trigger.

Camera flash ignition

This is probably the most complex, but reliable and high-powered ignition device that you will find used on potato cannons.

you will need:

single use camera (should have a switch to charge the flash)
solder/soldering iron
light switch
insulated wire

Install screws the same way as with a piezo-electric sparker, but make the gap about 1/16 of an inch(really small). Cut three lengths of wire and strip the ends. take apart the camera, you should be able to pop it open, since they are reused. The ends of two wires to the two contacts of the capacitor (the thing that looks like a battery inside your camera). Run these wires out of your camera's casing and reassemble it. You should have a camera with two wires sticking out of it, attach one wire to one ed of the light switch, run the other to one of your spark-gap screws. take the remaining length of wire and attach one end to the switch, and the other to the spark gap. your results should be:

....(camera)

.... |....... |

(switch)....|

.... |....... |

(screw1) (screw2)

To operate, first you turn off the light switch. Next you activate the switch to charge the camera flash. Give the camera a few (5-10)seconds to charge(more is only better). When ready to fire you flip the light switch. You should hear a LOUD pop as a very bright, although short spark passes in between your spark-gap screws. Although the spark covers a short distance, it has a considerably greater current than a piezo, and therefore can be much hotter, in fact, it usually can melt your screws, and will throw sparks in all directions, these sparks are tiny pieces of molten iron. If this does not light your fuel, you probably have a bad fuel to air mixture and the fuel will not burn anyway.

Firing

Ram a potato down the barrel, prepping the barrel with nonstick cooking spray or oil makes this easier especially the first time. Spray your fuel for 1-4 sec into a open end, and screw shut. Fire the igniter and BOOM!! Practice firing and spraying but always expect misfires about 1 in 3 shots.

Canned hairspray is good fuel as it is high in alcohol and uses propane as a propellant you can try others but gasoline or ether/starting fluid don't increase your power just the fire danger and damage to your launcher. Hot wax or other lubricant is good on the cap threads before firing for the first time as the spray residue can stick it shut, don't tighten past easy hand tightness.

Alternate Ammunition

A plastic shopping sack is a good wad for putting just about anything into your spud gun. A golf ball or small stone works good for a projectile, just be sure not to put something too heavy as it won't get much speed and land near you. Your spud gun can make a useful mortar to lob your own tear gas shells into a pig assembly area or to disburse WTO delegates from a distance.

Alternate Propellant

If you can get your hands on any of the following and an effective way to control their firing you can make the spud gun much more reliable to fire.

Rifle blanks have enough powder to launch a potato with great force and excellent reliability if installed right. A length of steel pipe nipple that is drilled out to fit the blank cartridge can be PVC glued and threaded into the end cap of the spud gun. The firing will cause a high pressure in the cartridge blowing it open, the large spud gun chamber will reduce the pressure to safe levels blowing the spud out like a police baton round. Beware the recoil and try to remote test the first 10 shots if possible. the most likely failure is blowing off the barrel at the glue point which is weaker than the pipe walls. Use of a cleanout cap is still suggested in case a potato gets stuck in the gas expansion chamber. A spring loaded striker hammer attached creatively to the launcher or center punch tool will fire the blank cartridge.

Air Powered

For people who want a slightly more advanced version that is air-powered, you will need:

1x 1.5 inch ball valve
1x 1.5 inch sch40 3-5 ft. long
1x 2 inch sch40 2-4 ft. long
2x 2 inch sch40 4 inches
2x 2 inch sch40 90(degree) elbows
bike tire
pump or small compressor
1x 2 inch end cap

The idea is to use the two inch pipe as an air chamber. One elbow is attached to the end, a 4 inch piece of pipe is inserted, this goes to the next elbow making a 180 degree turn. The remaining 4 inch piece is inserted in the elbow. then the ball valve is fitted within it. A 1/4 inch hole is drilled in the large piece of 2 inch pipe. the valve removed from a bike tire is inserted through the hole from the inside and ducttaped in, be sure to allow the air to flow in. Now attach the end cap over the open end of the two inch pipe. The 1.5 inch pipe is your barrel and is attached to the ball valve.

Use proper solvent cement connection on the pipes.

operation:

The ball valve is closed. Next, the ammo is rammed down the barrel( use any appropriate tool as a ramrod). Next the pump is sued to fill the air chamber to a decent pressure(say 70-100 psi). The weapon is now loaded. This process takes a while but the results are much more impressive when fired. to fire: -point at target -quickly rotate ball valve

The air pressure is released from your chamber down your barrel and accelerates your projectile... fast. the caliber is smaller, but a level shot with a 2 foot barrel can go well over 300 feet (in a fraction of a second by the way). The longer barrels and larger chambers will yield even better results. I can say from experience that a 42" barrel and 42" chamber at 80 psi will fire a potato at 200-300 fps, depending on the barrel seal.

Dry Ice

Dry ice is a solid form of carbon dioxide, it should be pretty readily available at some supermarkets and camping supplies, it comes in either blocks or pellets, depending on what you want to use them for both can be useful, but pellets are good for stuffing into bottles or tubes. Be very careful handling dry ice as it is at -72 degrees centigrade, it will give frostbite after 3 or 4 seconds. When mixed with water, it will rapidly sublimate into gaseous carbon dioxide, if this is done inside a chamber it will build up a very high pressure.

In plastic bottles with the lids screwed on, chucked into a crowd of pigs it'll make a nice big bang, but without much chance of serious harm to them. Be extremely careful doing this as there will be enough pressure to explode in under 10 seconds, you don't wanna have it exploding in your hand. Never do this with glass bottles, unless you want yourself or others to die a painful bloody death.

It can also be a reliable 'fuel' for spud guns, just be very careful the pressure doesn't get too high, never store dry ice in a sealed container until you are ready to use it, it shouldn't sublimate too quickly at ambient atmospheric pressure if kept in styrofoam, bubble wrap, or a blanket for insulation but don't take chances, let it release pressure.

In use dry ice propellant is mostly like a regular air powered spud gun with a few special rules. Build a pressure chamber and include a pressure gauge since the vapor pressure at room temperature is 830 psi at 20C(70F) higher as the temperature rises and it could blow most PVC pipe or glue joints apart as most pipe is only tested for up to around 450psi. Even more important than the gauge is either a pressure popoff valve or a cap you only screw down before firing so you can load and fire without building up too much pressure. If you don't follow safety rules and use a good gauge to keep the pressure down to safe level you could end up with a bomb instead of a spud gun.

A great resource for more information about dry ice: DryIceNetwork.com (http://www. dryicenetwork.com/)

Baby Spud/Ball Gun

For a smaller, less-than-lethal riot weapon use nail gun .22 blanks and smaller diameter aluminum pipe. Thread a steel or brass pipe plug into the back and drill to tightly fit the blank and tape in with a thin tape. a PVC sleeve with a striker located correctly will fire the weapon when slapped. A safety pull pin through the sleeve will make this safer to carry as will a seal of masking tape. A rubber super ball can be loaded instead of potato if long term stockpiling is required.

Flare Guns

Ah, the flare gun. Always the go-to in a horror movie when a regular gun wouldn't make sense. Of course, most people are going to try and use that movie logic, and pick one up. While it fires a projectile, (a burning mass of phosphorous), it is a sing-shot. While it might set someone soaked in kerosene on fire, it will definitely not kill a man where he stands. In our grab ass accidental test a standard marine Olin brand 12gauge flare gun just left a bruise and a circular cut at half a meter range against a human leg wearing denim, the flame even went out. It's probably best to leave it in the car unless signaling for a rescue or starting an intentional brush fire. While everybody whose ever seen a Vietnam film will probably still yearn for converting someone into bacon, the flare gun is incredibly inaccurate, and will drop off at short distances. The larger diameter 37mm flare guns seen in gun magazine ads require no license and are mostly in use at police departments to launch pain baton or tear gas weapons, or by survivalists who want a grenade launcher, some of these are even made to resemble a M203 grenade launcher and mount to assault rifles, they are easy to load with custom ammunition. The multi shot flare/teargas units like in Terminator II are around $1000.

Heavy Weapons

If a regular firearm is not enough you need to step up a bit. Heavy weaponry is designed to take on military units, infrastructure, and armored or heavy vehicles.

Cannon/Fougasse

A piece of heavy pipe can be loaded with gunpowder, propellant, or explosives and used to fire heavy nuts and bolts or a shotput, this is a great way to knock out parts of a power substation, industrial plant, or utility station. be careful to avoid injuring employees.

Consider using chainlink fenceposts with bolted on caps for a cannon. You'd need to figure out how to ignite the propellant powder, but these will allow for rapid mass production of a light artillery device for a resistance movement.

Thermite Device

Thermite is a non-explosive substance which creates a short burst of very focused heat. It is commonly used to weld railroad tracks and similar thick pieces of metal. Thermite reactions are hot enough to easily melt large holes in steel or severely warp or damage engine blocks and throw off large amounts of ultraviolet light which may damage vision if viewed unprotected. Thermite can also let off small streams of molten iron which travel considerable distance and may burn through metal containers or ignite materials contacted. Introducing water to burning thermite cases an explosion which throws hot fragments in all directions.

Thermite is a mixture of 3 parts aluminum 8 parts iron oxide (Fe2O3, commonly known as rust), both finely powdered as possible. Both can be bought on eBay, or similar online stores, as simple and click-click-purchase.

Due to the high temperatures needed to ignite the reaction there are three common options for igniting the mixture: magnesium strips, sparklers, and a fused potassium chlorate/sugar igniter.

Magnesium is easy to obtain and can be bought in strips. This method is unreliable as magnesium itself is difficult to light and may be extinguished under windy or wet conditions.

Sparklers reach the required temperature and can provide enough time between the sparkler being lit and the burning point reaching thermite. This method can be dangerous as the sparks cast off by the sparkler may ignite the thermite even though the burning point is not in contact with the thermite. The risk of accidental ignition increases with the fineness to which the thermite is powdered.

Flamethrower

This is a classic, effective intimidation weapon. Flame-throwers are dangerous to both the target and user even with extensive training. There are those who have built flamethrowers from old garden sprayers, old enough to be metal with leather pump parts, military models are very expensive and rare collector items. A rag is tied to the tip of the sprayer and a small amount of fuel is allowed to dribble onto it and then lit, in most cases the atomizer tip is removed to allow a larger longer ranged squirt. Anyone using a flamethrower for any type of action should expect every military and SWAT team to converge with snipers and assault rifles to kill them without any questions asked, we see very few reasonable uses for this weapon, this isn't a Rammstein concert. Even without worrying about the cops, sudden wind and spreading fuel is a huge danger especially if the flamethrower tank leaks or some fuel drips onto the user causing terrible burns or a painful death.

Another simple, similar improvised incendiary device..

Other Weapons - Steal This Wiki

The larger model described is very dangerous for both user and target. This is basically an amplified version of the time you took a lighter to mum's hairspray, and may not be taken seriously, but it, like any other weapon, should be treated with respect.

Materials

Can of aerosol spray (anything with a high alcohol or volatile hydrocarbon content)
Trigger type lighter
Gun sprayer adaptor for spray paint
Brass tube 4-5 in long (to use as the spray tube)
Cotton ball or shoe lace

Snap the can into your trigger gadget, now you have a handy pistol grip and easy to control trigger, stick the brass tube into the end of the nozzle and put a cotton ball on the end of the tube. To use this weapon, spray a quick shot to wet the cotton ball. Light the cotton ball, and spray a puff of the spray. If everything goes well, you should have just launched a rather large fireball, the cotton ball willburn for a minute or two lighting the spray as you fire. Another alternative to pressurized aerosol cans is to make the real thing, one can use a pump-action sprayer like a garden mister. Simply press the trigger once per fireball. A thickened fuel like 50/50 diesel gasoline will work better for igniting materiel even better is to dissolve styrfoam into the gasoline making it sticky. This is the cruelest weapon to use against a human causing massive deadly painful burns, only use to destroy things.

These devices if used in an non-agricultural or forest firefighting role are classed as destructive devices and are regulated by the ATF.

Mortar Shell Launcher

An Improvised Mortar Design.

A modern military mortar shell has a propellant charge in the tail and explosive, smoke, flare, teargas, or other warhead. If we take a lesson from the fireworks industry we could make our own smoke and teargas mortars, perfect for disrupting police formations or covering escapes. Electrical ignition is a good idea as a fuse is unreliable and takes too long between loading and firing. DIY Defense mentions a way to launch military mortar shells.

"M-16" (Mortar)

Che Guevara described in his book Guerrilla Warfare, a weapon he called the 'M-16'. No, it has nothing to do with the family of military assault rifles, but I think it's still a funny coincidence. He called the "M-16", the M coming from Molotov Cocktail, and the 16 from the 16 gauge shotgun used. It consisted of a 16 gauge sawed-off shotgun provided and a bipod to hold the barrel at a 45 degree angle. This was loaded with a blank cartridge formed by removing the shot from a standard shotshell, followed by a wooden rod with a Molotov cocktail attached to the front. This will form an improvised mortar capable of firing the Molotov accurately out to a range of 100 meters.

Less Than Lethal

While shooting to kill at all times is likely much faster and easier, it is not always the solution. Often times, one is left backed into a corner, but not wanting to end another's life. For situations like this; there are less than lethal devices.

A note: One should never combine the pepperspray/mace with the Taser/stungun, as they have been proven to set a man on fire.

Tasers And Stunguns

Decent stun guns the size and shape of a pack of cigarettes are a relatively cheap means of bloodless clean, non-lethal, self defense. Stun guns are close range point blank contact weapons designed for self defense in cases of being tackled whereas the standard cop tasers allow for a little distance, range, and offense.

Stun guns significantly reduce the chances of rape, torture, kidnapping, and mugging much better than unarmed combat. If you are nonviolent person, but believe in self defense, a stun gun will significantly reduce your chances of being taken alive and is less messy than stabbing or shooting the sick fuck that dare try and have his or her way with you.

Fastening a stun gun to a wrist with thin nylon rope and duct tape reduces the likelihood of the stun gun being knocked out of one's hand, but one should be very careful to understand the safety mechanisms, the battery life, and the triggers to avoid backfires or failure in matters of life and death.

Beware the sparks of a stun gun will turn away many attackers, but if it comes to actually using such a device the real and very expensive police taser puts out more knockdown power for a safer standoff. The stun guns are more for when you are already being tackled and touching is too close.

For the price of the typical cop taser that you hear controversies about in the American media, you could purchase powerful handguns which is known to take down quite well at considerable range. However, firearms are difficult to get in some states, especially if you've been fucked over with a felony or a documented history of mental illness. Using a lethal weapon always entails much greater legal risk.

Mace/Pepper Spray

Pigs have this thing called pepper spray. It contains a high concentration of capsaicin. This is the stuff that makes Jalapenos hot. It WILL BURN LIKE HELL. More importantly there is not a lot you can do about it. If you do get it on you DON'T try to rub it out, you will only spread it around. It can't be washed out with water. However, it will do the same to the pig too. Its also relatively easy to get or imitate (see Weapons for Street Fighting). Its also a very good thing to carry around since its so easy to conceal. On the streets it is one of the easiest things to carry safely. Avoid using this in enclosed areas, as the gas tends to fill up the space and affect everybody in it, including yourself.

Homebrew Pepperspray

This frightening chemical weapon that police carry really contains only one active ingredient: capsaicin oil. Since it's found in plenty of hot peppers naturally, one can easily extract it and put it to revolutionary use. Similar to hash oil, we simply need to dissolve it in alcohol. Although i wouldn't recommend putting this on a joint. Well, not yours anyway.

Wear gloves during manufacture!

Equipment:

Knife, grinder, blender, or food processor.
A tall, glass container.
A shorter container (a normal cup should do).
Some manner of sifter, or sieve.
A turkey baster, or something similar.

Ingredients:

A quantity of hot peppers (the hotter the better!).
High concentration alcohol of some sort (such as vodka, Everclear, or even anti-freeze).

(Be sure to keep a 3 - 1 ratio of alcohol to pepper mash)

Steps:

1. Dice/grind/mash the peppers to increase the surface area. Be thorough, the seeds and the parts connecting the outside to the seedpod contain the most capsaicin.

2. Place this matter in a container and pour alcohol in to fully submerge the pepper material.

3. Leave this matter overnight; the oil will dissolve in the alcohol.

4. Pour the mixture through the sifter into the tall glass container.

5. Allow to stand for 3-4 hours. The oil should seperate from the alcohol (floating to the surface).

6. Use the turkey baster to separate the oil (on top!) from the alcohol.

Now that you have this liquid pain (depending on how well the extraction went, it could be up to 16 million Scoville, (compared to 1.5 - 4 million in typical pepper spray), you should figure out how to apply it. A simple spray bottle can be used for self defence. One could use a syringe to remove paint from paintballs and fill them with capsaicin for longer range (riot pigs love doing this one!). One could even improvise pepper spray cartridges for a spud gun.

Flash Guns

Electric battery-operated flash guns are available that will blind a power-crazy pig, thus distracting him long enough to rescue a captured comrade. Check out camping and boating supply stores.

Original Other Weapons

The M79 Abbie was talking about, along with it's many rounds.

If you are around a military base, you will find it relatively easy to get your hands on an M-79 grenade launcher, which is like a giant shotgun and is probably the best self-defense weapon of all time. Just inquire discreetly among some long-haired soldiers.

This page was last modified on 17 June 2011, at 07:29.

Content is available underGNU Free Documentation License 1.2.

Training

Last updated: 21 February 2010

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Training

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Get a air rifle and pistol for quiet marksmanship training even indoors, look for airguns that handle and feel like your real weapons. Paintball guns and safety masks will let you practice defensive and team combat indoors and out, remember paintballs stain and break stuff, so talk to your squat mates before planning indoor combat. Airsoft (or soft-air) guns have several advantages over paintballs for use in close range training: cheap ammunition (1000s rounds for $5-$15), less damaging to walls/glass/skin, and there are many types of soft-air guns available (pistols, rifles, shotguns, etc.) Paintball guns are more effective for training outside, at ranges up to about 40-50m. Beyond that it becomes unrealistic. Think: a paintball takes one second to travel 90 meters, I rifle round will do that in .10-.30 seconds. there's an obvious inconsistency here.

If you can find a summer or winter biathalon competetion or trainer you will learn the difficult skill of shooting while winded, which is typical of most combat.

You can develop a steady aim by putting a heavy weight on the end of a broom stick and holding it like a rifle, or by holding a weight out with your hands shaped like a pistol. Do this for several minutes a day and you will soon have no problem keeping a steady aim.

Original Training

Owning a gun ain't shit unless you know how to use it. They make a hell of a racket when fired so you just can't work out in your den or cellar except with a BB gun, which is good in between real practice sessions. Find a buddy who served in the military or is into hunting or target-shooting and ask him to teach you the fundamentals of gun handling and safety. If you're over 18, you can practice on one of your local firing ranges. Look them up in the Yellow Pages, call and see if they offer instructions. They are usually pretty cheap to use. In an hour, you can learn the basics you need to know about guns and the rest is mostly practice, practice, just like in the westerns. Contact the National Rifle Association, Washington D.C. and ask for information on forming a gun club. If you can, you are entitled to great discounts, have no trouble using ranges and get excellent info on all matters relating to weapons.

A secluded place in the country outside city limits, makes an ideal range for practicing. Shoot at positioned targets. A good idea is to blow up balloons and attach them to pieces or boxes. Position yourself downstream alongside a running brook. A partner can go upstream and release the balloons into the water. As they rush downstream, they simulate an attacker charging you and make excellent moving targets. Watch out for ricochetting bullets. Have any bystander stand by behind you. A clothesline with a pulley attachment can be rigged up to also allow practice with a moving target.

Gun Laws

Last updated: 17 June 2011

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Gun Laws

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You can still get the book from the feds listing state and national firearm laws, get it and know it, the laws they are always a changing.

You can legally transport an unloaded and dissembled firearm anywhere in the United States ignoring local and state laws if just traveling through from one location where you are allowed to have that weapon to another place which also allows possession of that weapon, as long as it is unloaded in the trunk of your car or if the vehicle has no trunk in a locked container that is not the glove compartment or console according to GORRA-1986.

You may still make private off the books purchases between individuals for privately owned firearms if you are allowed to have those weapons(in most locations).

You are allowed to make any firearm that you can legally own for your own use(in most locations).

The legal definition of a firearm according to the feds is the frame or the receiver. There are 80% complete receiver and frame kits that you can order along with the rest of the parts to make a legal firearm 'off the books'.

Any questions, contact a competent firearms law lawyer, or just trust that the constitution will protect you...

12. S.E.R.E.

Last updated: 23 May 2011

The shooting and killing branch of CorpGov, a.k.a. the armies, navies, and air-forces of the industrialized nations, spend lots of cash teaching their robo-soldiers how to survive if cut off from their unit and stranded behind enemy lines. We as humans fighting this nasty machine have slowly and stealthily had our homes occupied and are currently all living in occupied territory. This whole book is your starting point to train you to live by your wits but when the bust finally comes down and you are being chased, caught, or imprisoned hopefully some of this information will help.

For further advice on this situation, why not just use the Government's own S.E.R.E manual? It is totally free upon request and can be found online here: https://www.netc.navy.mil/centers/csf/docused/Handbook.pdf (LINK BROKEN try https://www.netc.navy.mil/centers/csf/CoursesOffered.aspx?ID=15 instead) This is excellent book for learning how to cross patrolled areas like national borders, forage and prepare foods and medicinal plants, and improvised first aid when the hospital is not an option.

1 The Bust
1.1 Decision process - Fight or Flight
1.2 Outstanding warrants
2 Evasion
2.1 On Foot
2.1.1 Disappearing
2.1.2 Down a manhole
2.1.3 Infrared cameras and helicopters
2.1.4 Pursuit
2.1.5 Police dogs
2.1.6 Fences
2.1.7 In the Wilderness
2.1.7.1 Camouflage
2.1.7.2 Water Crossing
2.2 In a Building
2.2.1 Residential Homes
2.2.2 HVAC
2.2.3 Elevators
2.2.4 Fire System
2.2.5 Rope Escape
2.2.6 BASE Parachute
2.2.7 Insiders
2.3 In a car
2.3.1 ID
2.3.2 Smoke
2.3.3 Oil Slick
2.3.4 Police "spin stop"
2.3.5 Spike strips
2.3.6 Police Bikes

2.3.7 Helicopters

3 Resistance
3.1 Cuffs
3.2 Squad Cars
3.3 School and Charter Buses
3.4 Holding cell
3.5 Questioning
3.6 Court
4 Prison
4.1 Arrival
4.2 Protection
4.3 Respect
4.4 Rape
4.5 Guards
4.6 Depression
4.7 Work Crew
4.8 Drugs and weapons
4.9 Parole
4.10 Solitary
4.11 Tap Code
4.12 Escaping
4.12.1 Kit
4.12.2 Cutting Metal
4.12.3 Sodium Chlorate
4.13 Contacts

The Bust

Decision process - Fight or Flight

This is much harder than it may seem. Truth be told, nobody wants to be in cuffs or detained. The important thing, however, is to keep your cool. Quite often, if you are nabbed for a small crime (shoplifting, minor drug possession, protests, etc.) it would be in your best interest to just let the pigs have their way with you. Once you have been detained and you escape, you can be charged with resisting or evading arrest (a felony in most areas). Furthermore, small crimes usually involve no more than a day or two in the joint, a much better option than being re-nabbed a few years later and going back to the joint for a year or two. Keep track if you have outstanding warrants or are wanted, the most common way major catches are made is at a traffic stop or for petty crimes.

Outstanding warrants

If you know you are wanted for something big and the blue lights come on behind you, you have no choice, RUN! The only exception is if you have a very good fake ID or the situation is totally hopeless and you might die escaping. In this case,

Evasion

On Foot

Disappearing

If you're planning to run and have any time at all to prepare, here's some tips that can help you disappear. First, destroy any and all photographs of yourself that you can get your hands on, especially if they're recent. Destroy all your credit cards and carry only cash. Anything with a magnetic strip will lead your pursuers right to you as soon as it's used. Don't take any chances -- cut them up to avoid being tempted to use them when you're cold and hungry. Burn or discard as much of your clothing as you can. Throw the clothes into trash cans that are emptied frequently, such as those found at airport terminals. Obtain new clothing that is as normal and boring as possible, you don't want to rouse a cop's suspicion.

Down a manhole

If you are in an urban area and have the tools to do the job go really underground, the piggies will take forever to try looking there. A piece of 5mm cord with two short pieces of rebar tied at the ends to make little drop in T's, if you are strong enough you can lift the lid into a underworld of escape.

Infrared cameras and helicopters

Infrared, thermal, or FLIR has a mythical reputation for being something like x-ray vision. For all of the hype it can only determine if a room is heated not that it is occupied, infrared cannot get the outline of a person through walls. It is best to hide behind solid objects but even an umbrella can be enough to block the infrared radiating from your body. Campfires, car engines, and heated structures show up as light areas as do people making them contrast against the cooler background. Trees can help break up your IR signature but only very thick cover can really conceal you. A great place to hide from IR is under a car, inside a dumpster, or inside a building or rock ledge, as long as the helo has not seen you you are cool. Metals are very good at reflecting IR. Even a sheet of aluminium foil will block an infrared camera, so keep your eyes open for metallic cover if you think such devices are being used. Aluminium foil attached to clothing will not work as it'll merely get warm and become the emitter itself.

Depending on population density, you may be able to change your appearance well before the chopper spots you. At that point every single pedestrian is a suspect. A comrade of ours escaped an all out pursuit with two dog teams, a dozen cruisers, and chopper and satellite surveillance support... all by hopping on a bike an taking a calm bike ride down some back neighborhood roads. The chopper was looking for a pedestrian wearing all black. His jacket appeared white since he'd turned it inside out. Just remember, don't look like the guy they're looking for, and they'll pass right over.

New tech like millimeter-wave radar may make it possible to see through a wall but for now the price is very high, and the device is not very portable. Unless you've really pissed off CorpGov, and they know about where you are, it's unlikely that they'll employ it against you.

Pursuit

Running from pigs is one of the scariest things you can do, because the stakes are high. If you're caught, you could get some serious jail time by making Sgt. Barney get some running exercise. Mind you, many local cops are not muscle machines and have a difficulty running long distances. If you're in a situation (such as protests) where you may get nabbed, scout the area out for good hiding places. If the time comes for a jog with the pigs, try to avoid them by making as many sharp turns as possible. When you feel you have gotten a good deal away from them, hide for a bit and take a back way home. Know your limits in advance and it would be prudent to always have a plan of action, even if its vague, for escape in any situation that may require it. See Parkour#Emergency-Use.

If you escape through very muddy/swampy areas of woods, stepping on the bases of the grasses growing will provide you a surface that doesn't sink.

Police dogs

K-9 dogs can be evaded in many ways. If you are being followed by police dogs, try to cross a paved road or body of moving water, such as a stream or river (Don't drown! Be careful about undercurrents!) Enter the stream and walk downstream for 100-200 feet, then exit. Since your scent will be washed downstream, the dogs may lose it. The human tracker will help the dog cross and look for signs to start the search again; the further you are downstream from your exit point, the less likely they will notice any. However, police are sometimes posted at bridges to watch for floaters, so be careful.
If you reach a paved road, walk (or run) along its path before re-entering wooded terrain. You won't leave footprints or other traces of your passage on concrete, although dogs will still be able to track you for a while.
Remember that heavily wooded terrain absorbs scent best and will hold it for a long time. A police dog could follow a week's old trail through dense woods, yet our comrades have lost them within 15 minutes after just a bit of crossing suburban roads.
Getting your feet off the ground will help reduce your trail... if you know parkour, you may be able to cross elevated areas not normally accessible to dogs. Hopping on a bicycle or in a car will oftentimes lose a dog.
The faster you're moving and less exposed you are, the less of a trackable trail you leave
Some will incorrectly claim sprinkling some tear gas or pepper behind you will lose the dogs, as it will fill their nasal passages when they sniff it. These dogs are not stupid and will not sniff painful teargas and pepper.
One way to make a dog temporarily lose it's sense of smell is using a cloth soaked with cocaine and an animal's blood. The Danish used this tactic to escape the Nazi police dogs, and it worked for them.
Another more easily improvised distraction is a rotting animal or dog's turd or urine wiped and dragged along the ground on a stick then thrown onto a roof or tree after a few hundred meters might distract a tracking dog, but this may cause the handler to become suspicious and may indicate your presence. Be careful these scents on your foot will be one more aid in tracking you.
Avoid soft ground, mud, or undisturbed plants and grass if possible. This is where the tracker can see your path without needing the dog. Walk gently to leave less track, but don't try walking backwards to confuse your pursuers. A good tracker can tell the difference between normal footprints and prints made by someone walking backwards.
Take every reasonable chance to let your escape path take you near outdoor dogs, cats, and farm animals; this distracts the K-9 dog. However, try not to get too close where some of the scent will stick to your feet and aid in scent tracking.
Take care not to leave signs to help the handler track you, he is the lead and just gets help from the dog.
Don't waste time with distractions like walking backwards, distraction paths, etc. The tracker can often figure out if these are fake.
If you get taken down by a fighting dog, like a German Shepherd, don't fight back. Attack dogs are trained to clamp onto your arm and not let go.
Many dogs are trained in German, standing straight like you are a cop and commanding "feitz"(say it like the word feet as in foot with a "tz" on the end) may cause the dog to stop, sit, and await a command or at least stop mauling you.
If you have no other option, it's not terribly difficult to kill a dog. A good hit to the back of the head with a bat or club can easily kill one, and they can be disabled with a good shot just about anywhere else. Of course, you're much better served going for the handler. Dogs are a man's best friend, but pigs are his worst enemy.
You can escape from a search dog team, keep moving quickly and try to use pavement or a vehicle to escape. Call one of your brothers or sisters to come grab you before the pigs do.

Fences

Cyclone type chain-link wire fence fence should not be too hard to climb over even though it is often topped by barbed or razor wire. Throw a blanket, thick coat, or something else over the sharp parts that you can afford to have destroyed. It is not safe to hang from the top wires as they may not be well attached to the main fence. If you were planning ahead and were able to obtain one, you can cut the stout wires on a cyclone fence with a compound action wire cutter; a mini bolt cutter. If you are in a vehicle reversing over a post at over 20mph should knock the fence over breaking the pipe at its anchor, don't stop until the vehicle is over the fence or you might get stuck, this will allow large groups to pass without doing too much structural damage to the vehicle, inspect afterwards just to be sure. Also see Parkour#Chain-Link-Fence

If you have to cut through a farmers field don't worry too much about electrical fences, they are a usually a low single wire strung about 2-3 feet inside the main barbed fence, they will at worst give you a quick zap. If you see a single or multiple barbed or unbarbed wires attached to electrical insulators and not directly to the poles, especially at on private property, some wacko might just have wired it into the 110 or 220 volt power system and that could easily kill you. Unpunctured rubber boots and gloves are an effective way to thwart the effectiveness of an electrical fence at a secure installation, shorting to the ground may set off an alarm and a security guard might go out and check the wire.

Some very secure fences like at national borders or military bases include sound and motion sensors every dozen meters or so and three or four meter strips of sand so that footprints will be left to indicate numbers and direction of travel.

In the Wilderness

The wilderness is not the escape it once was, airborne infrared equipment makes picking a campfire up against a cool background easy, digging out a cooking hole under a low tree and sleeping under a hut of brush and leaves at least a foot thick should help avoid detection. See Get the Hell Out of Dodge, Backpacking, andCamping for more tips.

^,Image:Firehole.png

Wilderness Evasion (s:w'eb.archive.orgw'eb20ll09l6l20040:w'w'w'.paladin-press.comdetail.aspx'⁾ ID=934) , published by Paladin Press, is an excellent resource, most of of the information in that book can be also be found in the US army sniper and SERE manuals which should be easily found online.

Camouflage

While Disguise works better in urban and dense suburban areas, as you transition away from there, you may want to employ camouflage in thinner suburbs, rural, and wooded areas.

The simple "woodland" camo, consisting of fairly randomly shaped green/khaki colors, can help you be overlooked by an enemy. The different colors have the psychological effect of making your body be recognized as a cluster of objects (leaves for example) as opposed to a single unit (you). This means it'll take longer to notice you out of the corner of one's eye, even in plain sight. If a park or unmowed lawn is available, lying down in tall grass, or behind (or even between) bushes will make you almost unnoticeable.

On the more extreme end are ghille suits, which tend to be very suspicious looking and unpleasant in warm climates. They take the idea of breaking up your appearance to a whole new level. Not only are you covered in a number of individually moving objects, you also destroy your outline, meaning you do not look "human" anymore. There have been reports of snipers being stepped on by a search party, due to the quality of their camo. Ghille suits are expensive when purchased manufactured professionally, but you can make your own.

Get some netting, and clothing to build on top of. You will also need some burlap strips approximately .5-1.5" wide and anywhere from 4-12" long, try shredding a burlap sack. Sew the netting to the clothing you have, and tie or ziptie burlap onto it, being sure to create thorough coverage. You can later add material from your environment to the netting, making yourself appear to be part of the woods. Put lighter colors in regularly shaded areas of your body. Keep the materials you use as consistent as possible throughout your suit: branches on your head and leaves on your body creates high contrast and gets you spotted.

If you have intentions of crawling around a lot (insurgent sniper?) you will want to add padding to the underside of the suit instead of heavy burlap. Leather works well, but any strong fabric could be layered and used. For example, polyester, despite it's disadvantages with scent absorption, is flexible but strong enough to help. Move when the wind blows and movement is picked up everywhere by the human eye. You will thus appear a part of the environment while making progress. If you are going to be shooting, you'll also want a flash suppressor and similar devices to prevent giving away your position. You'll have to do some thinking to figure out where you're not expected to be by the enemy.

The best camouflage in a forest is dressing like a tree.

Water Crossing

Take your pack off and be ready to ditch it if it sinks, float down stream for up to fifteen minutes if the cops know you are in the water but before a boat or dive team can be called in, exit in what looks like a safe area like rocks where you wont leave much lasting sign, or near a road but be careful about cars. Warm up, dry off, change your clothing if you need to.

In a Building

If you have had the chance to prepare a tunnel to access the storm sewer system, another friendly house, a shed on the property, or to other underground structures, it could save your life. Keep in mind most walls in America are only drywall and can quietly be cut through or quickly kicked through, to avoid injury tap for the studs and cut/kick between, be careful for electrical wiring.

Residential Homes

If you are in a group that has been accused of being dangerous or worse somehow called cop killers like the Black Panthers were you can expect many cops to shoot first and arrest later. For many sworn law officers there seems to be a quiet code of ethics that requires a field execution of anyone suspected of killing one of their own to protect their thin blue line. Since we choose to take the cowards way out and escape we need to devise ways to escape when SWAT assassin teams appear.

One of the most effective ways to survive an attempted assassination by a large counterinsurgency team is to have a very secret escape tunnel. Somehow connecting to the sewer or other utility tunnels might also work but the cops may have thought of this too. The entry of the tunnel must be hidden or covered so as to delay its discovery. Most soil is unsafe to tunnel in without reinforcing, wooden liners are required every few feet and reinforced cement or other lining will strengthen the walls reducing the danger of collapse.

To be most effective there needs to be a system of non-lethal security devices designed to put the assassination team on the defensive and slow them down. Command or trip fired flash bang devices or riot control rounds might cause the team to withdraw and regroup buying you time to get out. A skateboard and ropes or electrical cart on rails will speed removing dirt during digging and will also aid your quick escape in a narrow tunnel.

OF course the survival tunnel must be one of the best kept secret possibly only known and dug by the likely assassination targets to prevent it being disclosed and compromised by the police. Alternatives to tunneling to a safe area may to just tunnel to another house or shed, hiding in place in a false wall, or even disguise and false ID denying the cops a sure target. Another way to be safe is to be sure there are many witnesses should an attempted assassination happen.

If you need to buy some time, a number of active devices could be built to make those who invade your home or squat "shit brix". A tesla coil running off of a SLA battery can appear very threatening without actually doing much. Odds are they'll start shooting at it, which may not be effective until a significant portion of the device is destroyed; due to it's high voltage nature. An airsoft or paintball gun operated by an arduino and a PIR or similar sensor (~$30-50 depending on your procurement abilities) will not significantly hurt anybody, but will also require them to pause to destroy the device before moving forwards. Make sure all devices run on battery power so that killing the mains power won't help.

HVAC

(Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) ducts are now mostly confined to hanging above a false panel ceiling, and these usually won't take the weight of a human. Even the in ones that could, the noise involved with you getting up there would be a dead giveaway. If you can find a strong enough structure to support you above a hung ceiling it could be a temporary hiding spot.

Elevators

Elevator shafts can usually be accessed from inside the elevator car, but this often requires tools. Elevator doors are locked when closed but they can sometimes be unlocked with a proper tool through the small hole in the front of the outer door. If you have the chance, get a firefighter key, this should command all of the elevators in the city and give you exclusive emergency control.

Fire System

Pulling the fire alarm or lighting a flame under a smoke detector or two may activate the safety override system, thus unlocking the exits, although this might also shut down the elevators for users who don't have a firefighter key.

Rope Escape

If you are really trapped and the police are advancing up the building you have a few options: get to another nearby building, surrender, or hide. Getting to another building is VERY dangerous, if you need out bad enough a grapple hook to a window or parapet, or friends on the other structure can secure the other end, pull the line tight with a hauling system if you brought a few extra carabiners and have the time, then zip line across and cut the line. If escaping after direct action evacuating with the building occupants might be possible if your team were to wear business dress under their jumpsuits and masks. Once you get out fake cellular calls or quiet tears where you can even cover your eyes and nose with a tissue, whatever makes you look normal but unable to be questioned, as you slink away.

If there are not too many police outside it is a better idea to break out a window and attempt a fast rappel to the ground, a distraction and smoke are good for making this work. This also works well if police have not yet shown up. Rappelling from a roof is often very feasible if you can conceal a harness and rope on your person. Rooftops offer a number of large heavy air conditioning units and such. Do not rappel from satellite dishes and similar small antennas. Who knows, some well applied rope work could let you draw some huge graffiti 30' off the ground... imagine the possibilities.

See Tree_sitting#Decending

BASE Parachute

Much mention was made after 9-11 of using a parachute to escape from a building, but if the police are present a BASE jump would almost surely be seen and followed. Unless you are jumping into the bed of a pickup truck getaway car chances are slim for escape. If you know what you're doing, however, a BASE jump (perhaps with a slogan on your parachute) could be a spectacular publicity stunt at the conclusion of a protest, provided you haven't broken too many laws getting to the jump-off point.

Insiders

An insider who takes a job as a janitor or worker in the physical plant might get access to most of the tools and keys to access or override useful parts of a building.

In a car

Car pursuits are very dangerous and risky, even if you're an experienced driver. Avoid them at ALL costs. The chances of avoiding capture while driving are slim enough that it should only be used as a last resort. Chances are, you, another driver, or a pig will get banged up real bad. If you get banged up, there is no recourse. If a pig or a driver gets hurt, the prosecutor will lay his wrath upon you. If you're on a clear road, just gun the vehicle to full speed. If speeds get too high, the pigs may call off the chase for safety purposes. Beware that if they get a helicopter out, you're fucked. If you have been lucky enough to evade them, drive off in a different rural direction and do one of the following:

ID

Ditch the car and get a brother/sister to pick you up, let someone else pick up the car or leave the keys so it will be stolen
Grab a valid license plate (preferably from a willing brother/sister) and swap them out. While cops may be on the look-out for a gray Chevy sedan with license plates WXY-1234, you can throw them off a little by putting a new license plate on...even more so if it's an out of state plate.

Smoke

Injection of transmission fluid or castor oil into the fuel, intake, or exhaust manifold will produce massive clouds of white smoke. Depending on engine size and fuel system this might bog down the motor or interfere with modern sensors. Large gas guzzling motors of days gone by will come out with shiny clean valves and not much else. Test your smoke system before you need it in a safe rural area, this can potentially wipe out a large road for about a mile per pint of fluid. If running be sure to kill the smoke before making a turn to escape or you will be leaving a follow me trail.

Most smoke bombs and fire extinguishers are not powerful enough to make your car disappear into a cloud of smoke.

Oil Slick

This is a tricky way to throw off a tail, you might get a pig to wipe out when chasing you into a tight turn but the oil slick might also lead to unintentional accidents which you can be charged for, use your brain.

Police "spin stop"

This practice, known as a PIT (Precision Immobilization Technique) maneuver by police, is usually used as a last resort by the pigs. They simply find a clear spot of road, then they swerve quickly away and then back striking your rear bumper at an angle or just go for a straight on tap with as low of a closing speed as possible, and 9 times out of 10 you go spinning off the road. Taking defensive driving classes and learning how to steer out of a fish-tail helps, but if you're PITed, you will probably go off the road, often with disastrous consequences. The best way to avoid a PIT is if you see a pig gaining on you real close, mash the accelerator down. The PIT stop is considered police deadly force in some jurisdictions.

Spike strips

Spike strips are quickly deployable strips of hollow spikes designed to let all of the air from your tires quickly causing loss of control and speed. A cop hides behind a bush or unmarked car and pulls the rope to yank the strip onto the road.

Police Bikes

Many police departments have policy forbidding pursuit of two wheeled vehicles without helicopter support. This is because of the inherent safety risks to themselves: motorcycles are damn fast, and have relatively very sharp turning radii. What this means for us is that we can break line of sight (and hearing!) on a police vehicle and hide ourselves and our vehicle. By the time the heli is out, you have disappeared.

Helicopters

If you haven't been able to get out of sight and the helicopter's overhead, head for the nearest airport, they won't be able to follow you into restricted air space.

Resistance

Cuffs

If you can get a hold of or buy a cuff key, duct tape, wire, or sew the key to the inside of your pant's waistband or belt, a loop of heavy carpet thread is a good lanyard in case you drop the key during unlocking. When the cop is not watching you can get the key and unlock yourself or a friend. Remember to watch the cop and see if he pin locks the cuffs, use the pin on the top of the key to unlock the key hole, this pin hole is often on the opposite side or at the bottom of the cuff. A scissors type multitool with a thread loop in your back pocket or hidden behind your belt can cut flex cuffs with a little effort and time, help a friend then let them free you.

Squad Cars

Squad cars have the "child safe" back doors that lock and often have no inside handles. If there are no bars the back window might be kicked out if the cop gives you enough time, the side windows are often lexan which is almost unbreakable.

School and Charter Buses

The police may hire charter or school buses to transport large groups of dissidents, sometimes the windows can be opened and some people may be able to jump as the bus slows down, there is likely not enough cops on board to stop everyone if there is a real effort to make a break (but look out for police escorts).

Holding cell

Nobody in the holding cell is your friend, never talk about your case in the holding cell, many have audio or video monitoring. Also realize that some police departments either have undercover pigs or "snitches" locked up in there to try and extract information from people.

Questioning

The job of a cop who questions you is not to get you off easy or help you it is singularly to get a confession or evidence to convict. You are playing a game with him and he wants to win big and cheer as his buddies slap him on the back for a good conviction. The cops will lie, cheat, and scare you to get the big win and scratch another "kill" mark onto their desk. One of the most difficult interrogators is the sweet, caring, and even maternal female interrogator brought in after a rough session with a brute type don't fall for this trick.

If you were in on a direct action alone shut your mouth don't lie or shift blame no matter how nice or cool the cop seems, he wants to win the game. If there is no evidence you will walk free unless you give them something to work with, this includes lying. If you were in an action that really requires more than one person only work with people you have known for a very long time, preferably since you were early teen or preteen. Even well known friends can be co-opted if they get busted and are quietly offered a deal from the DA to turn on the cause so be careful. When interrogated as a group you will always be separated for questioning and part of the way into the questions someone will come in speak to your cop and you will be informed that your friend narced out. If your friend kept to the rules of Security Culture which you must believe in like a religion the cops are playing you against him. You will be offered a better deal if you also confess. This deal the cops offer is a scam they likely were going to have to release you both but you confession just guaranteed an easy conviction and jail time for both of you.

Fear and shame are the main tools of an interrogator, torture is only useful for making a person docile and afraid to run or fight, it is rarely used even by the military for questioning. the questioner will try to have as much information about you as possible before he begins, personal websites like facebook.com, prior arrests, and statements or video from the event will be used to try to paint a picture of you and your personality. With your personality type and motivations established the pigs try to find the lever they need to control you and exploit it. Worst case is if they have power over your partner, many people break when their partner is threatened. Exposure of shameful information is one lever, outing a deep closet homosexual, planting evidence, or revealing financial malfeasance are good levers to control a prisoner with. every effort will be made to keep you in a state of fear, good cop bad cop, threats against friends, threats of long sentence, these are all meant to keep the questioner as the powerful party, keep in mind they are nothing but sad little piggies with no life, pity them, fight the losers!!

Use techniques learned from POW's and POW training to fight your captors. The US government is known to use SERE school instructors and tactics to interrogate alleged terrorist prisoners. Never give the interrogator clues to work from, clues like being thirsty, hungry or how long it has been since you have heard from your partner or family are all levers against you. When answering a question wear your poker face show nothing through facial expressions or body language, try to ignore the questioning with distracting thoughts. One technique in Gitmo type detention camps is subjecting prisoners to sensory deprivation including confinement in small spaces for long periods with exposure to extreme hot or cold temperatures, loud music and noise, sexual embarrassment and humiliation, and the "religious dilemma" like at abu-garib where a Koran was shredded into a toilet. The job of your captors is to generate a state of massive uncertainty, prisoners are hooded, their sleep patterns are disrupted, they are starved for extended periods, stripped naked, etc. If a prisoner is trying to avoid revealing secrets to interrogators, he is less likely to succeed if he has been deprived of sleep or is struggling to avoid intense pain. Sexual humiliation and ridicule, where naked prisoners have women laugh at the size of the men's genitalia or lack of masculine appearance is reported to be part of military interrogation training. These trained soldiers come home often to become cops and prison guards. Depending on what you have been taken in for you might find yourself facing a "anti-terror" investigator with sweeping powers. Don't let the head games get to you, remember that these are all levers to get you to break, they fight for the power of money, but you fight for freedom and human rights.

Court

Get a lawyer, make all the phone calls you need don't worry the one phone call thing is from the 1940's. (In Europe though, you still can make only one phone call, so think well about who you call.) Don't make any deals and find a lawyer willing to go to trial. If you need ask for a public defender, make sure she is willing to fight, most lawyers want to make a deal and avoid a trial. If you cut a deal you will have a record for life, not good for employment or later interaction with the law.

Prison

If you somehow ended up getting well framed or caught working for the cause (and hopefully not for shoplifting) you will be sent to one of the highly profitable prison corporations. Here they will not really try to reeducate you, the purpose is to store the undesirable people that can't legally be executed and maybe get some sub minimum wage labor. Prison is just like high school except you don't get to go home at the end of the day.

Do not act defeated or scared. Many of these guys are master criminals and feed off of fear and helplessness.
Keep your yap shut as much as possible until you know the institution or the people well. Prisoners who are higher on the "food chain" don't appreciate big-mouthed newbies.
If you haven't started smoking, prison's not the time to do it, smoke just enough in front of guards so you will be allowed to buy. If the institution permits smoking, cigarettes are used as open currency. If you piss off somebody, you can usually pay them off with smokes, so keep a stash around.

Any penal institution is a real drag. The boredom, mixed with a group of angry people of the same sex along with bad food makes life suck. If you've been there for a week or 10 years, you will hate being ordered around. There is no real way to truly deal with this...they design prisons to suck for a reason, so you won't return.

Every male penal institution is like this in some way, but there will ALWAYS be a hierarchy of prisoners. Because of the higher incarceration rates of male Revolutionaries, most of this article (unless otherwise noted) will be about male institutions.

Arrival

When you arrive remember to keep your dignity and to shut your mouth. Don't ever accept any favors until you know the rules of repayment. Shut your mouth about radical politics, try to blend in. Try to act the strong silent part don't embarrass people, these small egos are easily threatened, and that can lead to violence. When you arrive in prison, everyone will want something from you. Don't be an asshole, but make sure they know that the answer is no. You're far too irrational, sad and shaken up to make any deals at this point.

Protection

This is a hard issue for any white leftist going to prison. For African, Latino and even Indigenous people, there are ready made gangs to offer you protection. This is not to say they are right (They aren't. Even gangs like the Black Gurellia Faction or La Raza are now drug dealing scum with affiliates on the outside) but not being stabbed is much better than being stabbed. However, being a white leftist leaves one with few, if any options. The two main white prison gangs, the Aryan Brotherhood and the Nazi Low Riders are hardcore reactionary scum and will not let anyone who claims to be left of Mussolini in. If you point out that they regularly deal with people of color and betray their racist ideals, you will find yourself bleeding out in a dark corner. Anyone who has been to prison will not fault you for finding protection inside, just be sure to not believe their bullshit totally. This is the hardest choice you will ever make, but remember that loners in prison are dead and gangsters might not live much longer.

Respect

Respect is the most important thing to cultivate at prison. Do not disrespect other inmates unless you fancy a shanking. It is hard to balance respecting inmates without being too submissive, watch the other inmates and you can figure it out. It also helps to get into regular weightlifting, as being big and strong will earn you respect among the inmates, as will refusing to co-operate with cops and guards, doing them favors and standing up for yourself when disrespected. If you allow another inmate to disrespect you and do nothing, any respect you might have had will evaporate.

Rape

Homosexual rape is not a big a problem, just don't act submissive. If you are gay stay celibate, prison homosexuality is a different from outside gay culture, many inmates are dominator abusers. Women should avoid eye and physical contact with any male guard and always keep her body covered (this might help a little) as guards are famous for raping inmates with no disciplinary consequences, anything could set them off.

Guards

The guards are not your friends, prison guards are mostly cop dropouts, they don't like the inmates, they will play head games with them to feed their own small ego. If you get too tight with the guards the inmates may feel threatened, after a few months you will have a core of fair-weather friends among the inmates as long as you don't act like a narc. If you do narc out other inmates, especially for favors from the guards, expect a shank in the kidney.

Depression

Do everything you can to keep from getting depressed, working out is a good way to keep up, reading and composing are excellent ways to feel productive. If you do get depressed it will make you an easy target for prison thugs inmate and guard alike, even if you are depressed use every bit of acting skill to fake it, sometimes succeeding in faking yourself out will help you get over the bad patches. Study of law and following case law is a great way to spend your time and builds strong intellect. If you put your head to it you might, with prison correspondence school, come out ready to take the bar exam. Exercise is another way. Prisons usually have weights and dip bars, you can run laps in the yard and do situps, pushups and squats in your cell. Regular exercise helps a lot to keep your mind occupied, and the increases in strength and size will improve your confidence.

Work Crew

If you go down for minimum security you may be assigned to road work or even forest firefighting crew, these are real work for almost no extra pay, but you do get outside which is good for your sanity. If you get a chance to escape here take it but be aware that the cops have been playing the runaway game for a long time and they have thought about many easy escape plans already.

Drugs and weapons

Contraband including weapons, drugs, and other goods are difficult to hide. Drugs are a good way to get in trouble and while a knife or other weapon might seem useful, it can screw you in a parole hearing and get you a additional sentence. A strong reputation and avoiding enemies is much more safe and useful than a knife.

Parole

As a political prisoner you might be passed up for parole several times. Even though you don't feel any hope appear before the committee and act in an reasonable educated matter. This committee may have some hip members in it and if you act with dignity even to the point of admitting a past mistakes they might feel better about letting you go. These tactics likely work in the case of a thuggish crime, thought crimes are much less likely to parole.

Solitary

If you are really considered dangerous you might get stuck in solitary with nothing in the cell, some prisons will give you a bible and nothing else, take it if it will help you from going nuts. Find something to mentally take you away, but regularly give yourself sanity checks that are based on a mental checklist you make at the beginning of your incarceration. Don't let the guards be your scale for sanity they are most vile sick men and women or will be after a few years of exposure to Prison Inc.

Tap Code

Prisoners of war devised tap code to communicate through walls when in solitary confinement, it was easier to learn, teach, and remember than morse code, all letters were arranged on a 5x5 grid the first set of taps started with one on top and five on the bottom this was followed by one tap for left and five for the far right c and k are considered the same for spelling. Eye blinks, rake scrapes, or foot taps are all examples of ways to transmit this easy code.

A . . B . .. C, K . ... D..................... E..........

F .. . G .. .. H I........... J..........

L ... . M N................ O........... P......

Q....... R............ S........... T........... U......

V......... W.......... X........... Y............ Z.

Escaping

It will be difficult to explain prison clothes to passers by if there is a known escape, have normal clothes sent to you while in the joint, maybe you could make something from bedsheets without getting caught, get clothes on the first opportunity.

If you really make it out play homeless in a nearby city for a week or two while quietly and legally obtaining supplies, don't contact any friends or try to use a shelter, and thenGet the Hell Out of Dodge and get to a nonextraditing country, your time in the US is over.

see Radio about prison crystal radio.

Kit

Spies and prisoners have been carrying escape kits to prison for hundreds of years in the only hiding place a naked man has. Most of these capsules are smooth aluminum or plastic and screw together. Inserted forcefully, or if the capsule comes open, a person could be severely injured. The CIA made such kits for spies, one was a metal capsule shaped .22 gun with a rubber covering, another appears as if they wanted to start a prison metal shop with a 35mm wide monster kit. The second kit contained:

a small pliers/wire cutter/tool handle
two saw blades
metal reamer
flat and round metal file
drill bit
Metal chisel
two knife blades

Cutting Metal

CAUTION!! This Uses High Voltage and is DangerousIf you really have a good reason to believe cutting bars will get you free, use your diode that you have scrounged to make the AC power in the wall into metal cutting DC. With your length of power cord and a diode on one side connect a piece of junk metal on one side and the other pole to your bar (or other metal to cut) add urine or salty water or liquid in a puddle and set your electrode as far as possible from the bar. Watch for bubbles don't let the reaction go to fast it will boil away your water or burn out the wire or diode. If you need a resistor to keep voltage down use some pencil lead or a long puddle of urine or salt water. Stop and make sure you are cutting the bars and not your scrap. CAUTION!! This Uses High Voltage and is Dangerous

Sodium Chlorate

CAUTION!! This Uses High Voltage and is DangerousIf you can get some pencil lead, a diode, a jar (non conductive), and access to AC power you can make an oxidizer that you can use to make a kind of gunpowder or explosive. start electrolysis with the pencil leads as your electrodes use a diode in-line to one lead to make the AC power into useful DC. Keep adding clean water when levels drop never let the electrodes get deep enough that the wire is in the water. The salt after 64 hours should be converted to more then 50% sodium chlorate which will be filtered through a paper cone with the filter discarded, the liquid is dried and the resulting powder mixed with sugar or flour as an incendiary or if confined an explosive.CAUTION!! The best use for this would be making some sort of tear gas bomb from sugar, cayenne pepper, and sodium chlorate to cover your escape. Blasting or gunpowder in prison could be the stupidest thing you could make unless using it to escape were a sure thing. With the number of guards available the noise of blasting would lock the whole prison down for weeks and would be useless as a distraction.

Contacts

LIBERTY 21 Tabbard St, London, SE1 4LA (020 7403 3888)

RELEASE - 388 Old Street, London, EC1V 9LT (020 7603 8654)

ALF Prisoner Support Group - BCM 1160, London, WC1N 3XX

EARTH Liberation Prisoners - BM HEAL, London, WC1N 3XX

VEGAN PRISONER Support Group - P0 Box 194, Enfield, Middlesex, EN1 3HD (0181 292 8325)

London ABC - 27 Gloucester St, London WC1N 3XX

CONVICTION PO Box 522, Sheffield, S1 3FF

PAGAN FEDERATION - BM Box 7Q97, London, WC1N 3XX

English Collective of Prostitutes P0 Box 287, London, NW6 5QU

Sexual Freedom Coalition - PO Box 4ZB, London, WiA 4ZB

National Prisoners Movement BMPROP, London, WC1N 3XX (020 8542 3744)

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Fight

Parkour

Last updated: 14 March 2011

Parkour is the art of moving from one area to another as quickly as possible, using only the human body and one's surroundings. A training traceur (or traceuse, if female) can practise in urban and rural areas - even in their own home, or garden. This sport requires equal amounts of speed, strength and balance, but makes any freedom fighter ten times more annoying to the pigs. Much of this article is edited wikipedia content.

It is considered by many practitioners as more of an art and discipline. According to parkour sport founder David Belle, "the physical aspect of parkour is getting over all the obstacles in your path as you would in an emergency. You want to move in such a way, with any movement, as to help you gain the most ground on someone or something, whether escaping from it or chasing toward it."

1 Movements
1.1 Basic movements
2 Accessories
3 Surfaces and Structures to Consider
3.1 Grass
3.2 Chain-Link Fence
3.3 Buildings
4 Emergency Use
5 Training
5.1 Training Grounds
6 Parkour And Other Martial Arts

Movements

There are fewer predefined movements in parkour than gymnastics, as it does not have a list of appropriate "moves". Each obstacle a traceur faces presents a unique challenge on how they can overcome it effectively, which depends on their body type, speed and angle of approach, the physical make-up of the obstacle, etc. Parkour is about training the bodymind to react to those obstacles appropriately with a technique that works. Often that technique cannot and need not be classified and given a name. In many cases effective parkour techniques depend on fast redistribution of body weight and the use of momentum to perform seemingly impossible or difficult body maneuvers at speed. Absorption and redistribution of energy is also an important factor, such as body rolls when landing which reduce impact forces on the legs and spine, allowing a traceur to jump from greater heights than those often considered sensible in other forms of acrobatics and gymnastics.

According to David Belle, you want to move in such a way that will help you gain the most ground as if escaping or chasing something. Also, wherever you go, you must be able to get back, if you go from A to B, you need to be able to get back from B to A, but not necessarily with the same movements or passements. This brings up the newbies rule of thumb. Don't jump off anything you can't climb up. If it's an 8 foot wall and you can't get up it, you're probably not in shape to jump off it. If it's 15 feet and you're comfortable going up, then fuck you can probably make it down.

Despite this, there are many basic techniques that are emphasized to beginners for their versatility and effectiveness. Most important are good jumping and landing techniques. The roll, used to limit impact after a drop and to carry one's momentum onward, is often stressed as the most important technique to learn. Many traceurs develop joint problems from too many large drops and rolling incorrectly. Due to large drops parkour has sometimes received concerns for its health issues. There is yet no careful study about the health issues of large drops, and traceurs stress gradual progression to avoid any problems. American traceur Mark Toorock and Lanier Johnson, executive director of the American Sports Medicine Institute say that injuries are rare because parkour is based on the control of movements not on what cannot be controlled.

The majority of injuries are sprained ankles and bruised arms/legs (bone bruises). Be careful to give yourself extra time to recover, particularly from sprains, as the part of your body will be temporarily weakened. Sometimes after a significant impact you will feel a weakness in the muscle surrounding the area: generally giving it a minute or two to rest will get you back in shape to move to a safer location. Even a few seconds pause will help you catch your breath and regain concentration after a fall, if you really have to move.

Basic movements

There are many movements in parkour but be aware that it is the combination and effective use that makes it superior - if you're on the run from the cops you shouldnt be doing fancy moves - common sense is a must when traversing landscape in this way. The basic movements defined in parkour are:

Landing - Bending the knees when toes make contact with ground (never land flat footed; always land on toes and ball of your foot).
Roll - A forward roll where the hands, arms and diagonal of the back contact the ground. Used primarily to transfer the momentum/energy from jumps and to minimise impact preventing a painful landing. Identical to the basic Kaiten of martial arts such as Judo, Ninjutsu, Jujitsu, and Aikido.
Vault - To move over an object with one's hand(s) on an object to ease the movement.
With two handed vaults, there are essentially three possibilites. Swing both your legs out to the side, one to the side one between your arms, or both between your arms to let you swing through.
Swinging your legs between your arms is effective when traversing a barrier next to a wall, with one hand on the wall. This maneuver can be combined with a short (one or two steps) vertical wallrun to let you "vault" 6-7 foot obstacles quickly. Practice on a vending machine. Plus it just looks impressive as fuck.

Wallrun - Taking a step or two up a wall to gain height either to scale an object, clear a gap, or clear a gap.
Vertical wallruns require sprinting at the wall and planting your nondominant side foot a little over half your height away from the wall. Then the step on the wall is taken that same distance up the wall. One must be careful not to push their balance too far back or they will break off the wall early.
Horizontal wallruns mean approaching the wall at a 45 degree ankle to balance momentum at the wall (for grip) and parallel to it. Be sure you can take at least four steps on the wall moving horizontally before you attempt to clear any gaps.
Balance - Walking along the crest of an obstacle; literally "balance." Try walking down a length of chainlink... hell of a practice exercise
Cat balance - Quadrupedal crawling movement along the crest of an obstacle.
Underbar, jump through - Jumping or swinging through a gap between obstacles. One usually grabs above the opening and swings through feet first.
Dismount, swinging jump - Hanging drop; lacher literally meaning "to let go." To hang or swing (on a bar, on a wall, on a branch) and let go, dropping to the ground or to hang from another object.
Pop vault, wall hop - Overcoming a wall, usually by use of a kick off the wall to transform forward momentum into upward momentum. A passe muraille with two hand touches, for instance one touch on the top of a wall and another grabbing the top of the railing of the wall, is called a "Dyno". Begin as you would a vertical wallrun.
Turn vault - A vault involving a 180° turn; literally "half turn." This move is often used to place yourself hanging from the other side of an object in order to shorten a drop or prepare for a jump. You must switch the placement of one hand from one side to the other during this maneuver. Also, use your arms to pull you in closer to the wall so that you can land on a ledge or on a portion of a railing.
Speed vault - To overcome an obstacle by jumping side-wise first, then using one hand, while in the air, to push your body forwards.
Thief vault, Lazy vault, switch hands - To overcome an obstacle by using a one-handed vault, then using the other hand at the end of the vault to push oneself forwards in order to finish the move.
Cat pass/jump or (king) kong vault - The saut de chat involves diving forward over an obstacle so that the body becomes horizontal, pushing off with the hands and tucking the legs, such that the body is brought back to a vertical position, ready to land.
Dash vault - This vault, similar to the lazy vault, involves using the hands to move oneself forwards at the end of the vault. Unlike the lazy vault, one uses both hands to overcome an obstacle by jumping feet first over the obstacle and pushing off with the hands at the end. Visually, this might seem similar to the saut de chat, but reversed. David Belle has officially rebuked this vault however, and thus its inclusion as a parkour movement is debatable.
Reverse vault - A vault involving a 360° rotation such that the traceur's back faces forward as they pass the obstacle. The purpose of the rotation is ease of technique in the case of otherwise awkward body position or loss of momentum prior to the vault. The rotation can be modified to 270 degrees to allow a sharp turn.
Pull-up or climb-up - To get from a hanging position (wall, rail, branch, arm jump, etc) into a position where your upper body is above the obstacle, supported by the arms. This then allows for you to climb up onto the obstacle and continue.
Armjump, cat leap - To land on the side of an obstacle in a hanging/crouched position, the hands gripping the top edge, holding the body, ready to perform a muscle up.
Drop - Literally 'jump to the ground' / 'jump to the floor'. To jump down, or drop down from something.
Gap jump - To jump from one place/object to another, over a gap/distance. This technique is most often followed with a roll.
Precision jump - Static jump from one object to a precise spot on another object.
Tic tac - To kick off a wall in order to overcome another obstacle or gain height to grab something. It's a modification of the wallrun maneuver, and is quite useful for gaining height. The peak of your reach in a wallrun is actually about half your height away from the wall, as you are still applying upward force while leaving the wall.

Accessories

There is no equipment required, although practitioners normally train wearing light casual clothing:

Light upper body garment - such as T-shirt, sleeveless shirt or crop top. Polyester jackets are okay if you need a little extra warmth or protection without sacrificing flexibility.
Light lower body garment - such as light pants/trousers or light shorts. Avoid jeans as they restrict your knee movement
Comfortable underwear.

The actual gear in itself, only consisting of:

Comfortable athletic shoes that are generally light, with good grip.
Sometimes, sweat-bands for forearm protection.
Rarely, thin athletic gloves (with rubber grips exhibiting only a mild adhesion), for protection in much the same ways shoes protect feet, due to the fact practitioners grab hold of abrasive objects (brick walls, fences, etc). Bicycle gloves with open finger tips work, as they have a padded palm, but are designed for flexibility; also the fingertips are open allowing for easier climbing.

However, since parkour is closely related to methode naturelle, sometimes practitioners train barefooted to be able to move efficiently without depending on their gear. David Belle has said: "bare feet are the best shoes!" In addition, it is worth noting that many traceurs feel as though gloves are pointless due to the fact that they rely upon their callouses, I suggest you rely on callouses due to the fact that you may not have gloves with you when you must use pk.

Training Gear:

Shoes, or barefeet
Shirt, hoody, jacket, or no shirt depending on what you like to wear and the weather
Pants, joggers, jeans, swimming trunks, shorts

Truly the point of parkour is to be able to use it at a moments notice to flee your pursuers so I advise training in what you usually wear; and conversely, wear that in which you would train. For example, if you are a student train in your uniform/what you wear to school, the same applies to all professions.

It's doubtful that one would be able to carry much more than a pocket knife while running. Any equipment that is being carried must be strapped tightly in place. The belt (except the back) and possibly chest provide opportunities to store items up against a traceur's body, but any items MUST be firmly pressed against the body to prevent bouncing around and leaving bruises.

A scarf is commonly seen in winter, good at keeping you variably warm when needed but can be used during evasion to wrap wire or pad sharp edges it might even be strong enough to throw over a rail and pull your self up in an emergency.

A note on shoes:

If you're doing parkour anywhere near seriously, and you're not going barefoot (think: broken glass, barbed wire, etc.), You'll need to look for a few factors in your shoes. You want:

Very grippy rubber on the sole. (wallruns, traversing steep roofs, etc) Non-marking rubber soles meant for gym basketball... suck.
Sole texture must extend over the toe. (wallruns and tic tacs...)
Similarly to how the sole material extends over the toe of good shoes, this should not be the case on the ankle. (it breaks from landing)
You want a fairly thick and firm ankle. Around 3/4" of solid rubber over the heel. (landings!)
Shoes with inbuilt shock absorbers are terrible: they make you tire faster, make it impossible to bike if you need to, and the spring gets compressed all the way from tiny drops and becomes useless past a few feet.
Many shoes that fit this criteria are expensive. Simply steal them. (walk in with one pair of shoes, leave with another.)
Note that these criteria can and should be adjusted to each runner's unique style and preferences. (I know a guy who wears combat boots to support his ankles. Another wears skate shoes because he likes the grip offered by a flexible sole. Do some experimenting if you must!)

Surfaces and Structures to Consider

Grass

Grass provides softer landings than concrete, but can also be hiding broken glass, or just be damn slippery. Even a six foot drop paired with unexpectedly slippery grass can mean an ankle sprain.

Chain-Link Fence

Chain-link is not indestructible. If you weight below 200 pounds and aren't intentionally trying to break it, it probably won't; but it has been proven through author's experience that chain-link will unwind if a couple of average weight guys are intentionally abusive.
Be careful to look at the top of the fence. You must note whether there are points or not, and whether there is a reinforcing bar running across the top to aid your grip, and make the fence shake less when climbed.
Fence construction is also significant. Sometimes they have a top bar, but it's merely slid into place on two bolted on mounts. This holds entirely by friction, and has been known to give while a traceur is crossing it.
If barbed or even razor wire is present it can be a bitch, but this is where awareness of your environment comes into play. A tree or wall near the fence, a structure taller than the fence, or even things such as corner posts or gates will simplify life for you.
Razor wire is brutal, if you fall in a bunch of it, don't even think about moving (you'll injure yourself more and probably bleed out) and wait for somebody (hopefully a friend, climbing barbed wire does not look good to emergency services) to get the wire out of the way to help you get out.

Buildings

Wall surface can drastically change your mobility against building. Brick provides a moderately grippy surface; which isn't very abrasive should you need to push off it with bare hands. Rough cinderblock walls provide incredible grip, but aren't mild on the skin. Some cinderblock walls have a mildly shiny paint on them. It eats shoes, slips like hell, and makes the wall a pain in the ass to use for propulsion.
Roof material varies, but oftentimes: flat roofs are very conductive of sound. Also, flat roofs on smaller buildings don't always hold up well to impact. Sloped roofs are usually sturdier, but present their own series of issues (which should be self evident. Don't fall off and die.).
Reliability of external structures:
Avoid putting your full weight on a gutter, it'll break.
Fire department plumbing, and the valve for the hose tend to be pretty firmly attached.
Be careful with electrical boxes, they've proven usable, but some have shown signs of strain at 180 pounds.
Wall lamps break off VERY easily.
Security camera brackets are solid, the cameras themselves are not.

Emergency Use

You should be constantly identifying all possible routes of access and escape as you move around town in daily activity. As you train thoroughly, this will become instinctive. You will begin to notice: "Hey, I could hop that fence, I can cross that roof, I can cut through those woods...". When it becomes time to move quickly know how and where to ditch your pack or gear if you are carrying any. A toss onto a roof or into dumpster as you begin your evasion gives you some chance of retrival at a later time, your stuff is not as important as escape in most cases. Carrying your gear while employing emergency parkour is difficult and slows you down when you need to get away. Since Parkour is a come as you are skill similar to hand to hand martial arts you are only as good as your training, so get out and do it every day. As said before it is important for you to evade whatever is chasing you however you may not wish to merely run away. You may wish to lure, assist, or even act as a decoy. Thus several factors come into play in this "controlled" chase.

Distance - How far away are the people chasing you?
Speed - How fast will they be able to reach you?
Ability - Are they going to be able to easily fall into your trap or do they traverse obstacles with ease flawlessly clearing even the toughest of challenges?
Number - How many people are chasing you?
Danger - What will these people do to you if you fail?

The point of taking these variables into account is that they allow you to understand your current situation and effectively control it, tailoring the outcome to your individual or group's needs.

If pursued by police vehicles, or if evacuating an area expecting such forces to be deployed, try to move perpendicular to roads, cutting through alleys/yards/woods/whatever stands in your path. If you do so, you are impossible to follow with vehicles, and often concealed from their sight. Hint: crossing an interstate can buy you several miles ahead of a car if timed carefully as to avoid traffic.

KEEP A CLEAR HEAD AT ALL TIMES!!! No matter what do not let your mind stray at any point during the chase or even when training, serious injury or death may occur.

Training

Practitioners generally train in groups or, when said group is unavailable, by themselves. Training with somebody of similar build offers the opportunity for some (non-economic) competition and lets you really push yourself. Usually beginning traceurs should try to find a group near them or read tutorials due to the fact that it is good to have someone around or even a video to critique you. The bulk of a traceur's training should be focused around bodyweight exercises such as the squat, lunge, pushup, pullup, and hanging leg raise. It is also advisable to do some cardiovascular exercise such as running so as to have your skill to be readily usable in an outside environment. Our experience is that much muscle pain and even some joint pain is the result of skipping your stretching at the start of every workout, especially important is stretching the massive muscles of the legs. Failure is not an option.

Warming up is also important to help your muscles achieve their full potential. If you just go outside and start doing wallruns, you'll notice your maximum height increase sharply (up to a meter) over the first 3-6 runs, and decline very very gradually as you tire.

Below will be updated soon.

Squat
Lunge
Pushup
Pullup
Hanging Leg Raise
Additional exercises
Ankle Raises - Planks - Variations of the squat, pushup, pullup, and hanging leg raise.

Go find something to vault, to wallrun, to climb. Get out there and prepare for the movements by doing them. There is no better way to target the specific muscle groups to the right extent for your individual body.

Some say that eventually parkour will break down your body if done with too much impact or hyper-intensive for too many hours a week; if your body is breaking down or for women your period stops, you're over doing and failing to get proper nutrition. Injuries are the result of mistakes or abuse of your muscles and joints and failure to let them build and heal. This is where planned conditioning and competent coaching comes into play and helps to keep you in the game.

Also note that some sports may help you in parkour. For example after a few months experience rock climbing you will become far more efficient and redistributing your weight and it will come more naturally. Parkour sometimes integrates some climbing movements anyway. Cycling also won't hurt, as it trains some muscles on your legs (although admittedly not all the right muscle groups) and your respiratory system for endurance. Some kiddie sport like airsoft or paintball, although a money whore, will train your awareness of your environment.

Training Grounds

Ideally, you want your whole world to be your training ground, but this isn't always possible. Consider that people call the cops for stupid reasons, that being identified as the traceur isn't always strategically advantageous, and that having people know what paths you're likely to take is an unwanted vulnerability.

Places that work:

In Front Of Office Buildings: They generally have some rails to play on and you get a nice 15-60 min. training in before you get kicked out.
Unused baseball fields. They offer you with plenty of chainlink to pracitce climbing/vaulting. Covered dugouts offer a small structure to practice climbing and rolling off of. Nicer ones may also have small buildings on site that offer you more training material.
Construction yards and construction storage. Not too far away from me, there is a yard with an utterly massive pile of 1 yard concrete pipes. It is an excellent means to practice moving over a series of obstacles. Also the curved front of a bulldozer is an excellent surface to practice horizontal wallruns on, as the curve makes it mildly easier. Go higher and take more steps as you progress.
Beware that if you are spotted somebody might call the cops for trespassing. If this happens you can usually just run away, as it is rarely worth the effort to chase you down.
Empty playgrounds. (scaring children isn't nice... and neither is landing on them.) They usually have low fences to vault, structures one can jump off of, shock absorbing ground if you fuck up, and bars to do pullups and swing on.
The rear of a strip mall. You get a nice solid wall to wallrun on, nobody else ever goes back there, and if you figure out how: beautiful rooftop view.

Avoid:

Rooftops for anything but scenery: they WILL conduct the sound of your movements, and you'll get kicked off the property and maybe even the cops called
Places of excessively high risk: getting injured because your training ground had a concrete surface for rolling instead of grass is fucking stupid
Private Residences: people will assume you're a theif. not good.

Parkour And Other Martial Arts

Parkour is extremely useful, hell I'd rather run than fight, but if put into a situation where I must take out my opponent, I shall do it without hesitation and without unnecessary harm to my opponent. Parkour and other martial arts compliment one another however this does not mean that they are the same. I recommend Bujinkan for everyone however not everyone wishes to do it, so I leave you with this, if put into a situation where you must run from people that wish to hurt you and you become trapped what shall you do?

1: Put that efficient mindset which is a byproduct of doing parkour to use! Find out the most effective way of taking out your opponent, or, if you cannot take out your opponent, run around.

2: Parkour teaches you how to handle your momentum. If you HAVE TO fight, there are times when it can be used to your advantage. For example: if you learn to reverse out of a wallrun, you can perform a very forceful flying kick when it's least expected.

Get the Hell Out of Dodge

Last updated: 21 August 2011

So you have really done it this time! You have gotten in over your head so badly that you have to bail out of the fight in Amerika, much like the Dalai Lama had to do in Tibet. Perhaps you just think Amerika is so rotten it's not even worth saving (wuss!). That's ok, your new job is to help fuel the freedom revolution worldwide. If you've never been out of Amerika, you'll be surprised at how good our English-speaking friends in other countries have it compared to the on-going fight here in Amerika, but you may also be surprised what liberties they also have totaly given up. First, however, you have to cross that border without the pigs getting you and then set up your new life. Here is a bit of pre-planning that should help you be on your way to becoming Joe Canadian/Australian/Whatever.

1 Prep Work
2 Taking some money
2.1 Civil Forfeiture
2.2 Euros and Dollars
2.3 General Delivery
2.4 Gold and Silver
2.5 Credit cards, Checks, or Bank transfers
2.6 Drugs
2.7 Electronics
3 Getting Across the Border
3.1 Canadian border
3.1.1 Overland hike
3.1.2 Clothing
3.1.3 Orientation
3.1.4 Legal surface crossings
3.1.5 Air and Boat
3.2 Mexican Border
3.2.1 Over Land Hike
3.2.2 Legal surface crossings
3.2.3 Air and Boat
3.3 Caribbean
3.3.1 Boat Crossing
4 Air Travel and Stay ID Requirements
4.1 Mexico
4.2 Canada
4.3 Europe/UK
4.4 East Asia
4.5 Southeast Asia
4.5.1 Thailand
4.6 South Asia
4.6.1 India
4.6.2 Nepal
4.7 Middle East
4.7.1 Dubai
4.7.2 Israel
4.7.3 Turkey
4.8 Africa
4.8.1 South Africa
4.9 South Pacific
4.10 South and Central America
4.11 Costa Rica
4.12 Guatemala
4.13 Other
4.14 Australia
4.15 New Zealand
5 Papers
6 Visas
6.1 Asylum
6.2 Student Visa
6.3 Religious Worker Visa
6.4 Tourist Visa
7 Residency
7.1 Sponsors
7.2 Get Married
8 Citizenship
9 Extradition Treaties
10 Making your New Home Work
11 LANGUAGE LEARNING SOFTWARE

Prep Work

Having open accounts and friends in a non-extraditing country cut both ways, it can either make setting up a new life quite easy or it can be a big finger pointing a police or bounty hunter right to your door. Many nations allow tourists and foreigners to open bank accounts, some even have strong privacy laws similar to what the Swiss used to be famous for before they broke their word. The United States knows that as its economy goes deeper into the death spiral people will be trying to get out with some cash to restart their life. Heavy pressure is being brought on those countries who allow financial freedom in the name of finding tax evaders, money launders, and drug kingpins. It is already getting harder and more expensive to do this above board with big fees to renounce US citizenship and tighter monetary controls on bank and wire transfers.

The primary thing to remember is that anyone but especially law enforcement will make moves legal and illegal against your communications including mobile phone and long distance, Internet communications, and financial transactions especially bank and credit related to gain access to those records.

One person who identifies him/herself as "a Former U.S. Citizen" wrote a 26 page booklet entitled American Expatriation Guide: How to Divorce the U.S. Government. You can download and read it for free here:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/30923462/American-Expatriation-Guide

Taking some money

One of the biggest aids to setting up a new life is money: you will be able to bribe if you need to at the border, set up in a hotel, and buy your food for the first night until you can link up with or figure out the local scene. The money trail is the easiest way to track a fugitive, and huge parts of the FBI and other agencies are full of fat cops checking suspicious bank transfers. Bank employees are required to report all suspicious transactions such as large cash withdrawals, large international wire transfers and large purchases of traveler's checks. Since you may not have yet developed the street smarts for your new home, robbery and theft are a problem, so split up your stash in several places, both on your person and where you are staying. Expect many methods of getting some money to cause a loss of value of over 50%, that is still better than getting caught or having no money.

Civil Forfeiture

Be aware that carrying cash or anything of value is inherently suspicious to cops, if any law enforcement officer or agent should become aware of you carrying an 'unusual' amount of cash or other commodity it is up to their discretion to confiscate it by charging the cash with a crime, money has no constitutional rights and no writ of habeas corpus. We have heard that over $100 to $200 is about the limit before the cops start grabbing, hoping for a bonus new cop toys, or for a big find a nice promotion. You will need to file a lawsuit and prove that you acquired the money in a legal way. This is a popular and highly incentivised way for cops to acquire cash, homes, business, boats, aircraft, and vehicles which are sold at auction to support the seizing agencies budget. Damned if you do, damned if you dont; if you make to hide the cash you are even more suspicious, but carrying the cash is enough reason to seize it, nice eh'?

Euros and Dollars

These two currencies are the most internationally recognized corpgov currency, with the US dollar having a bit of an edge in acceptance as of 2007. In many nations is is seen as "real" money vs. their own inflatable currency, but with the recent volatility in the dollar, Euro, and UK Pound currencies world-wide, trust is wavering.

In case you think that hiding cash the secret neck strap, bra, and in the pants wallets from travel stores are a big secret, think again, many crooks know about these extra pockets although they are still safer than your wallet in a back pocket. Zippered in the belt stashes and hiding emergency cash under a shoe insole seem the safest quick places now.

General Delivery

Gold and Silver

In any country in the world there will be someone buying gold and often silver as well, just have your eyes open for robbery even by the shop owner, don't bring your whole stash in at any time. The easiest and least costly way to get gold in the US at the time of this writing is to buy bullion coins, preferably from a no sales tax state. These have little if any collector value overhead and if you go with the Canadian Maple Leaf or American Eagle, they will be recognized worldwide. A small amount hidden in a change purse could be worth a few thousand dollars. Silver "rounds" are commercially minted medallions that have one troy ounce each, and are popular with the Survivalists. "Junk Silver" is the term used for old silver coins that have little if any collector value, and are bought and sold only for their silver content. Silver, at the time of this writing, is priced too low per ounce to be an efficient mobile way to carry value, but the price per ounce has been on the rise and will likely continue to become more practical as time goes on. Jewelery if bought as junk in a bin might be a good way to buy gold but there is no easy way for an amateur to know whether he or she is being ripped off with electroplate junk. Don't waste your time trying to play the gem and diamond game unless you are already a established player, it is too easy for a novice to get ripped off and the cartel overhead both buying and selling can burn you badly.

Credit cards, Checks, or Bank transfers

Don't even think of having someone wire you money, send a check, or credit/debit card unless you are under a safe false identity. This will be a big easy red arrow that authorities can follow right to you. After a few weeks or month someone far away from you, who already has a reason to visit, can bring you the money or cash a check and open a tourist account at a bank. Many fugitives are easily caught by leaving a money trail.

Drugs

Many nations in the Middle East and Asia have very harsh drug laws to make the United States happy, and some even impose a death penalty. If you intend to use drugs to carry value across borders, be very careful, the drug business is cutthroat and there is as good a chance that they will rob a stupid American as pay a fair price for your stash, or you will loose your profits trying to bribe the cops out of trouble. Drugs should be a last resort for transfer of wealth.

Electronics

A shaving kit full of small expensive items like computer memory, large capacity flash memory cards, and even processors carry a high value if new. It may be difficult to find a buyer who will give a fair price, but offer at several computer shoppes. Hurry to liquidate your stash after arrival before the stuff becomes obsolete.

Getting Across the Border

If you plan on getting out of the continental US you have a few options you can fly out First Class and enjoy the drinks and movie but unless you are using good fake ID you are running the risk of agents greeting you at the airport or being denied by a "no-fly-list" status. You might try taking a sailboat or ferry over the border, the ferry might work if you are a low priority and look just like everyone else on the ferry. A nice hike is the classic way to get across a border, you run a low risk of border agents catching you unless you are at a place that they patrol hard. Some border nations like Canada and even more distant ones like Australia and the UK are tightly wound into thte general police cooperation culture rampant in the Anglosphere, use caution especially if you have known contacts who you may run to. See also:Sail Away for more ideas.

^Image:Shadowroadcross.png

Canadian border

While many are looking towards keeping illegals out of Amerika from Mexico, very few worry about the Canadian border (primarily because nobody is crazy enough to move here these days). Doing so legally will mean being tracked by the American Empire using a passport or border crossing ID. But escaping to the land of socialized medicine, lax pot laws, and friendly people is easy as 1, 2, flee!

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Overland hike

It's a pretty easy skip to make it across the border. About 95% of the US/Canadian border is either untouched wilderness, farming plains, or forest. First, pick out where you want to hike from and when. If you do go to Canada, please know where you're going. If you can only speak English, the French speaking region of Quebec isn't the best place to go. In my opinion, Toronto is the best place for English speakers to go. If you can speak French, I would suggest driving through Vermont, due to the fact that many of the border stations do not stay used all night. Just to be safe, bring a legal friend to scope out whether or not there are guards. If you're needing to flee in the winter, spending a few days hiking through Washington State into British Columbia. will be a much better option than going through the freezing plains on skis pulling a sled. Whatever you do, plan your trip as well as you can: Take into effect weather, food, clothing, shelter, water (or water sources) and orientation. see also Backpacking

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Clothing

Get an idea of the climate of the area you'll be in. In a place like western BC, it can be rainy at many times, and highs usually never go above 80 or below 30. Move a wee bit up into the mountains, and the snowy season begins in September and doesn't end until May. Go out to the plains of Saskatchewan and summertime highs may easily reach 95, but winters are fierce, with lows almost always below 0. In any instance, it is best to camouflage yourself with the terrain. Avoid using white or bright-colored clothing unless you're trekking through snow.

Orientation

While the average Amerikan will say "LOL, just head north!" it takes a little more effort than this. If you're planning a trip, water sources, avoiding small towns, border guards, or other obstructions must be kept in mind. If you print out contour maps of the area (and know how to use them), you can navigate just fine with a compass. You can learn how to use a compass with a map at www.learn-orienteering.org/old/ (https://web.archive.org/web/20110825094312/://www.learn-orienteering.org/old/)

If you've forgotten your compass, or it's packed away in your bag, a simple way to find your orientation in the daytime is to take a stick and poke it in the ground, with the tip pointing to the sun so there is no shadow. When the Earth moves under the sun, the stick will be casting a shadow pointing to the East.

Legal surface crossings

This requires an Amerikan passport or special border crossing ID. Since you will be going into Canada, you will not have to deal with US Border Guards, though Canadian Guards are well known for being very precise. There is a good chance your trunk/car may be searched, and they may have drug dogs (so keep the weed at home if possible). While the Canadians do have their own independent passport screening system if you're on the run from the Amerikan Gestapo, it will come up in their system. The important thing is to be friendly to the border guards, do NOT be impatient with them; this will arouse suspicion in their eyes

Air and Boat

You will meet a customs agent as you exit the air terminal or boat, just like the car crossing be ready for questions about if you have a handgun, if you brought drugs, or other contraband. Be cool and everything should be fine.

Mexican Border

If you have to get out Mexico may not be the top choice for place to stay since it is too close and obvious to Uncle Sam. Most US law enforcement agencies operate in Mexico for the expressed purpose of getting those who flee the US. You might be able to use a trip through Mexico to get to another destination without getting caught.

Over Land Hike

Cross border walks are best made shortly after sundown, be sure to bring plenty of water. Have a map and compass and know the town you are heading for.

Legal surface crossings

Mexico welcomes your dollars, gringos have them and are allowed to visit. The border guards will want to know your business and destination know a place that you can tell them you are going.

Air and Boat

Regular airline and pleasure cruise access, California and Texas yacht owners frequently cross the border for a holiday.

Caribbean

It used to be that hijacking a flight to Cuba was an easy way to safely flee the US if the heat was really on. Now it is much more difficult to make residence anywhere in the Caribbean. Remember that many islands are US or UK territories with full extradition.

Boat Crossing

You could boat out of the US from Florida, not a difficult or particularly long escape, although the Coast Guard swarms this area on drug patrols, and an unusually small vessel would be suspicious. The longer voyages from Mississippi and Alabama are preferable if you want the least chance of American detection. Once you come into territorial waters the coastal patrol or police will expect at least a radio call as you enter, when you come to dock the fact that you are an American would be clear and that dock master will likely want to see your ID and passport. Often there are specific ports that must be visited before docking and egress of the crew is allowed.

Air Travel and Stay ID Requirements

Mexico

Some border zones in Mexico only require a drivers license. Passport recommended, no visa required.

Canada

Passport or frequent crosser ID, no visa needed for US citizens.

Europe/UK

The UK and Europe are easy once you clear the border, there is no border stops between EU nations now. If you are traveling between the UK and Europe, there is however passport checks and baggage searches on both sides of the ferry, and security on the Chunnel.

Ireland is a good choice, they are in the EU, proud of their independence from the UK and NATO, and speak English. Northern Ireland is still currently occupied by the British army and police so they will turn you over to Amerika as quickly as anywhere in that former empire.

East Asia

Most East Asian nations are very ethnocentric unless you have a valuable skill getting any kind of long term visa might be difficult, one exception is teaching English. Hong Kong is a bit easier because of the significant English minority but again permanent stay is tricky. People of Asian descent often find themselves looked down by the locals upon unlike their white friends.

Southeast Asia

Thailand

Thailand is one of the main destinations for US expat's. Low prices, low rent, and a government friendly to long term visitors all make Thailand an excellent destination. Thailand is not all sex, it is a beautiful, somewhat free, kingdom with nice people and a very large international tourist population. They do cooperate with law enforcement and will extradite to the US. Be careful as there is no express freedom of speech protection.

South Asia

India

Those with high tech skill can usually find work, English speakers can also seek out a living if they can get hired training outsource call centers.

Nepal

A big tourist destination, unless you can afford and are accepted long term at a temple and are self supporting this is a difficult place to live.

Middle East

Dubai

If you bring money Dubai is happy to give you a place to live, opportunities for underground work in domestic work and slave wage construction work.

Israel

If you are Jewish or descendant of an Israeli Arab this is the easiest country in the world. Instant citizenship and about $10,000 assistance, subsidized rent, tax breaks for 3 years, and language lessons. Israel will not allow immigration and will extradite to the US or EU for most felonies especially violent or terror related.

An alternative is kibbutz living; kibbutzim (plural of kibbutz) are socialized farms numbering about 270 throughout Israel. On a kibbutz you may grow crops, work in orchards, fish and poultry farms, or even manufacture things like irrigation systems. In the old days, all property was communal, and children were raised together in children's houses. These days most kibbutzim are cooperative organizations in which there is both shared and personal property. Some kibbutzim offer Hebrew and Arabic language classes. Some kibbutzim have special programs for new immigrants to help you get settled in.

It is possible to volunteer on a kibbutz while you are in Israel on a tourist visa. While you work you will get free food and housing, usually in a dormitory style. Most volunteers stay for 2-6 months, but you may be able to stay indefinitely if you can get citizenship. To apply, you must have a valid passport and contact:

Kibbutz Program Center Volunteer Department for Takam-Artzi 18 6 Frishman Street Tel Aviv 61030 Israel Tel: 972-3-527 8874 or 972-3-524 6156 Fax: 972-3-523-9966 KPC Email: kpc@volunteer.co.il

Turkey

Turkey is easy to get into, you pay $25-30 dollars at the airport for a 3-month visa. A lot of people stay indefinately by traveling to Greece or Bulgaria every 3 months and then returning to get their visa renewed. One of our writers found a job in Istanbul as a nanny for a Turkish family, there's several groups there who will set you up with a job as a nanny/mother's helper. You will need a few letters of recommendation from previous childcare jobs or at least from someone you babysat for. The language is completely different from English, but after a few weeks you will get along okay. Turkey uses the Roman alphabet (ABC, etc.) so you can read signs right away and learning vocabulary is easy. Be warned: Do not carry drugs into this country for any reason (Midnight Express is exaggerated, but is based on a true story). Do not accept invitations from strange men on the streets to go partying and drinking with them, they will stick you with the bill and forcibly take money from you. There is some unrest in the country with regard to the Kurds and our writer got tear-gassed when she accidently stumbled into a riot, so keep your eyes open and be careful.

Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa is an easy destination if you want to do some sort of missionary work, otherwise scratching out a living might be tough unless you have telecom, petrolium, or water utility skills. An African-American might be disappointed to find that most Africans consider them just another American to get cash from.

South Africa

South Africa is a combination of first and third world. Some predominantly white areas in Johannesberg and Capetown are English speaking.

South Pacific

Indonesia is a good place in Southeast Asia. It has no extradition treaty with America, and the dollar can go far in the cities that are not dominated by tourism. It has over 11,000 islands.

South and Central America

Costa Rica

Costa Rica has a large population of Amerikan expatriots and there are a lot of tourists. Many people speak English and some towns even have English-speaking bars and restaurants that cater specifically to Amerikans, it's beautiful and everything is relatively cheap. There is a Quaker school there which would be a good refuge.

Guatemala

For those who want to escape North Amerika, need a place almost unknown to the USA, and is a mix of Hawaii, Mexico, and Bumfuck, Nowhere, Guatemala is for you. Mayan history and culture thrives in Guatemala, a bonus for those with an open mind. Rent is cheap, and not much is expensive, 1 Quetzal (plural Quetzales) is about 12 cents. Should the situation come to it and you need to flee, sail or fly to Cuba, Amerika doesn't give a shit about that country.

Other

Australia

Australia is an amazing destination and the culture is not too different from the United States in some ways more similar than Canada. It is easy to find a compatible mate, get married, and gain residency

New Zealand

New Zealand is not aligned to the United States in foreign policy and has a more liberal outlook on the world, it is a beautiful place to marry for fakes or real and take residency.

Papers

See also Identification Papers for ideas on getting fake travel ID.

Visas

Asylum

In most places refugee status is difficult to get especially if you are a fugitive for normal criminal charges, you risk being deported in cuffs with a US marshal on both sides if you go this route. Some nations will give refugee status if you face a possible death sentence, but part of a extradition deal may be a promise from the US government not to seek the death penalty.

Student Visa

If the man is after you a student visa in your legal name might not be issued, the new country may also share their student visa data with US law enforcement.

Religious Worker Visa

This takes some preparation. Many nations will allow religious workers to enter as a leader or worker for an existing community. Start by creating links to worldwide religious organizations in your community by approaching sympathetic clergy and expressing interest in this kind of work in case you will ever need this out.

Tourist Visa

A tourist visa usually has a short expiration date. Sometimes this is all you have time to get and if so you need to use your time well in finding a way to integrate and get a better visa or go illegal inside your host country.

Residency

Your ultimate goal is likely permanent residency, there are several ways to get it which vary from nation to nation.

Get Married

A real or sham marriage is a well known way to get permanent residency, in some countries a bribe is also required to get this to work, but in many places nothing happens without a bribe.

Citizenship

There are several ways to get instant citizenship, although it will require a bit of paperwork and research. Contact the embassies of all nations that you would consider living in. Especially concentrate on nations that your parents or grandparents may have immigrated from, some nations even accept your ethnicity as a way to claim (almost) instant citizenship.

If your family has been in the United States for too many generations or you are unable to document family immigration use the tactics inIdentification Papers but with a twist, look for immigrant families, lists of names might be found from newspaper stories or biographies. Trace back and find a child living or dead near your age who has never been out of the country or expressed an interest in filing for citizenship in that foreign country. This is not uncommon for European minorities who had to run away during wartime. Using the paperwork you have ordered and being sure to get it certified with an apostille (usually about $5 from the state records agency), you have started the process of getting all of the foreign citizenships you might ever need.

Be sure you invest in a passport once you get your identity, but before you do inform the embassy that you would like to file for a name change so you will not have such an outlandish American sounding name once you move back to your ancestral homeland.

Extradition Treaties

If the man figures out that you are hiding out in a nation friendly to the US they will seek an extradition hearing as allowed in the extradition treaty they have likely signed. You get a court hearing in most places to decide if the charges are too bogus to even be real, if the charges are reasonable you will be extradited. Also remember that if you are wanted for something US courts consider it legal for federal agents to enter another country and kidnap you, even if this violates that nation's laws -- so keep your head low!

The following nations have a history of not extraditing US citizens:

People's Republic of China (Hong Kong area extradites!)
Mexico (only if the sentence imposed in a US prison is greater than a Mexican jail term. Mexican authorities DO have the ability to kick you out for being there illegally, though.)
Russia (Absolutely no extradition for Russian citizens, limited extradition for others)
EU Countries, Canada, Australia, New Zealand (will not extradite if the death penalty is involved)

This Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_extradition_treaties link gives a listing of all nations who have ever signed extradition treaties with the US, notice many nations did so long ago and the treaty predates the sitting government, in these places it may not be in force. Even if there is no treaty a stern request along with pressure or gifts may cause that nation to give you over.

Making your New Home Work

The expat editors of Steal This Wiki have known many attempted emigrants from the United States who fail because they did not use their heads and pre-plan their exit properly. Here are some important tips to remember for when you make the jump.

Use the worksheet/phrasebook in International Communications to help you in the first few days in your new host country, have a new friend fill out all of the words and important phrases.
You are not a citizen of the new country, your rights are limited and you can be kicked out at any time
You are not in America, try to learn the new culture and integrate, you are a guest
If you do not find a support group with some political power in your new country you will have a difficult time
Try to spend at six to eight hours a day speaking the new language without resorting to English
Make a culture and language notebook and add to it every day review it before bed and in the morning
Avoid anything that could lead to argument or law enforcement contact, revenge is a phone call and a deportation away
Do not get involved in petty crime like shoplifting or drug buying and selling , this is the easiest way to show up on police computer databases or be deported and reported to US authorities
Depending on why you left you should think about integrating with other American expats, they often know lots of tricks to get proper papers and other services, unfortunately the trick is often expensive bribery or fat fees
If you are on the run stay away from other Americans no matter how cool they seem there may be a reward out for you
Stick post-it notes on your stuff with the foreign nouns, say the noun when you see the item or use it
If you are unable to do the foreign language thing choose an English speaking country, work on faking a local English accent, spend a few hours a day on speech therapy with a accent sensitive local, this will help throw off local cops
Be watchful of depression, moving to a strange country and possibly unable to return is very hard, learn breathing and meditation exercises
Write a daily personal journal about your feelings and review your progress
Don't turn to alcohol or drugs for help if depressed, exercise works better, drag yourself out for exercise even when unmotivated.
Set yourself goals to accomplish every day, write a list.
Especially when you are new be sure to walk with confidence, a timid western foreigner invites robbery.
Men should never wear shorts or go without a shirt until you get a good understanding of if this is acceptable and honorable.
Women should stick to long skirts and loose long sleeve shirts covering the abdomen and neckline at until they understand what less clothing may imply about them in the new culture
Do not flirt at all until you very clearly know when this is appropriate.
Do not get into a situation where you will test the "No! means No!" rule, not all men worldwide understand that once they are out on a date and get turned on by making out or flirting, the partner saying the word NO! means hands off.
Understand that in most parts of the world Americans are stereotyped as very rich, an easy source of money, lazy, impulsive, and easy to get into bed, this is what locals will think of you too.
Never photograph police, soldiers, infrastructure, or military equipment, this is an easy way to disappear to jail.
Never show off shiny new equipment or bags, dirty and de-label ASAP.
Have spending money in two pockets, stash the rest, nothing makes for bad bargaining than counting a big wad on the counter.
It is better to give nothing to a panhandler than to give too little and insult him
If you give to a nearby panhandler you have an expectation to continue supporting him and others nearby as long as you stay
Put away the camera, this makes you look like a tourist, tourists have money, robbers want money.
Avoid transfusions, needles, surgery, and IV medication if possible, contaminated medical treatment in the third world is common.
Put a lock or doorstop on your door
Door or window alarms can be purchased at some travel stores against late night prowlers.
Be cautious when taking a cab for kidnappers.
When taking a room look for entry points from adjoining balconies and windows, roof access, and attic spaces into your room, robbers are known to use this access to rob tourists.
Be vary cautious taking a drink with strangers, alcohol conceals many "date rape" type drugs used on both men and women for rape and robbery.

LANGUAGE LEARNING SOFTWARE

Anyone looking to get the hell out of the CorpGov Empire should seriously consider the idea of becoming somewhat fluent with the native language of where they are heading to. One of the main tenets of the Perpetual Tourist lifestyle is to be low profile and look like a local as much as possible. If you have the money for it, then Rosetta Stone Language Program is worth the money to invest with a couple of months time to learn a language. This is what the CorpGov Diplomats in the Imperial Military and in the Imperial Foreign Oppression Department (AKA State Department) use to learn a language with. If you don't have the money for it, pirate it, or check out this site as it seems to have some free and cheap language programs that could help you to learn the language of where you're going to. One thing is for sure, it's a hell of a lot easier to hide out somewhere if you look like you should be there, knowing the language and all, than it is to look like some sore thumb Gringo bastard who doesn't know his head from a hole in the ground. Here is one site to try http://www.vistawide.com/

Here's a link to some open source translation software http://www.babelfish.org/translation-software-free.htm

The BBC World Service broadcasts around the world in various languages, and has thoughtfully provided the world with their own free on-line language courses. http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/

Disguise

Last updated: 14 March 2011

Disguise

1 Intro
2 Glasses
3 Dye and Hairstyle
4 Clothing
5 Acting
6 Piercings and Tattoos
7 Distraction
8 Hard to Change features

Intro

Disguise is the art of changing you appearance without making it appear that you have done so.

If you think that a wig and fake mustache are a good disguise you have allot to learn. People often remember faces by only a few features. A big nose, style of glasses, smile or facial tic all are features we use to memorize the faces of people around us. A disguise is designed to give people something else to notice or even something that was not there before. What is important to remember is that we do not want the disguise to be so interesting that people will remember it even if it effectively covers your identity. A bad disguise is worse than no disguise!

Glasses

An easy way to throw people off is to find some thick rim safety glasses or low power reading glases (don't impair your vision), don't use something too retro that stands out, they should be passable as real glasses. If you always wear glasses you should have a few weeks supply of contacts and solution, many manufacturers will mail you free samples.

If you need a short term disguise, the old IRA standby of aviator sunglasses, a bandanna worn desperado style over the mouth and nose and a hat makes you nearly impossible to identify, but this is the sort of thing you wouldn't want to be wearing in public. Taking the bandanna off leaves you with a good disguise, but you can still be recognized by advanced surveillance just by your mouth and nose.

Dye and Hairstyle

A bad dye or bleach job will stick out like a sore thumb, the same with a bad haircut .

An easy haircut is to use the shorter trimmer tips on an electrical beard trimmer to give a close cut for someone with long hair, an even better one is to shave it totally off, which can greatly alter your appearance. A bad dye job is one that does not match facial hair and eyebrows, also it is obvious as it grows out.

Shaving and a preppy haircut are surprisingly effective disguise when combined with a new wardrobe.

Clothing

If punk is your style switching to button shirts and khaki or a suit is a huge disguise. Don't do the nice clothing thing if you don't know how to act the part, that will stand out.

When dressed up be sure to walk and move in a purposeful way with your chin up, a mobile phone you can constantly pretend to jabber on is a good prop to make people feel they need to look away, don't be annoying or loud though.

Try to wear the plainest clothing possible. Logos, bright, unusual colors and odd styles of clothing will make you easier to identify. Jeans, solid colored shoes and a solid colored shirt make you very hard to spot when worn in conjunction with a hat and sunglasses.

Acting

Whatever your race or ethnicity all good hard working Amerikans try to be WASP's. Remember this and suppress your natural in your face humor if you are trying to stay off the radar. Every morning repeat this mantra for ten minutes "I am a good hard working WASP". Looking shifty, stressed, or worried will stick out more than your appearance even if your face is all over the papers and TV. Be cool...

If you can find a good acting class they will actually teach movement, posture and attitude modification, advanced classes will even teach how to fake an accent properly.

Piercings and Tattoos

All forms of piercing, body mods, and tattoos must be covered up. Wool hats can cover ears and eyebrows, bandages long sleeves and gloves can all be used to cover up hands.

Distraction

A bandaid plaster or some acne cover-up on your forehead is sure to distract the casual interaction like at a bank or convenience store. Don't get too elaborate with distraction as it might begin to draw attention.

Hard to Change features

The following are very difficult to fully disguise:

Race: There are medication that will darken the skin, spray or natural tanning may also work but this will not alter other race specific facial features.
Sex: hard to fake, going for the androgynous frumpy look might work.
Age: difficult to fake even with stage makeup, up close it often looks fake
Height: good posture or slouching will alter apparent height.
Head Shape: Some medications can cause swelling in the face but be careful of side affects.

Facial Features: Drastic measures include the home nose job which involves a "surgeon' who knows how to give a nice punch and then reset the cartilage, this gives minimal alteration of the face long term but leaves you with two black eyes for a week or two.

Drastic changes in diet can cause drastic changes in appearance both weight gain and loss but this takes time as does building a muscular appearance.

Infiltrating

Last updated: 11 January 2011

1 Intro
2 Disguise
2.1 Business Dress
2.2 Accessorize
3 Behavior
4 Insider Help
4.1 Unhappy Workers
5 Security Systems
5.1 Cameras
5.2 Motion and Infrared Sensors
5.3 Alarm Line
6 Hostile Situations
6.1 Planning
6.2 Weapons
6.3 Briefcase
6.4 Escape
7 Outside Links

Intro

With the proper disguise a person can openly walk into most low to medium security buildings. The most important trick to daylight infiltration is to look like you know where you're going. People are less likely to stop someone if they look busy or in a hurry. A second trick is to look as if you belong. It sounds easy but it can be harder than it looks. For example, everyone is comfortable with the UPS man, so coming in with a dolly full of boxes is to be expected if you have the uniform. A soft drink stocker is expected to have a dolly full of pop cans. Nobody needs to know that they are empty and are only at the surface.

Disguise

Perhaps the easiest disguise for a larger building is a pizza delivery man. After a little persistent search on eBay, a hat and polo shirt/t-shirt with a big pizza company's logo on it can be picked up second-hand for about $15. Whatever car you have should have a pizza "light" mounted on the top...which is basically a magnetically-attached light that plugs into your cancerette lighter socket. You can simply get one of these by ordering a pizza, and when the delivery guy comes with the pizza, have a fellow brother/sister swipe the light while the transaction takes place.

Quite often you can get through a building without second-glance by simply dressing up a bit. Very few people will ask questions to a man with a decent-looking business suit on. After all, would you want to be the piss ant worker who asks the VP of Ass-kissing for your company what he's doing there?

If a building requires an ID inspection to get into a building, this is not very difficult to replicate usually. Try to get a good look at the badges by the people entering the building. Notice the actual ID and its features, then notice what most wear their ID's on (attached to a cord, on a clip, etc.). The most important thing, however, is to see how carefully the security guard inspects them. If he barely looks up from his episode of Jerry Springer to wave you in, simply flashing a baseball card at him may suffice. If he carefully inspects it for a brief moment, he's checking something specific (usually picture or expiration date).

Business Dress

An important tool for a revolutionary fighter is a nice set or two of business clothing. By wearing the ceremonial costume of CorpGov you will become almost invisible to many police, security, and other enforcement bodies who are expecting to see pierced, dreadlocked punks. Wearing clothing of this type will allow you entry into most offices and banks unhindered. With some planning you can claim to have business with a manager, sometimes the security desk will even have access to the building directory and help you find the office you want. Once you arrive if protest is what you like do a Clark Kent and rip off those ties and coats to reveal t-shirts with your slogan. If you tell a no-brand thrift store you need to make a job interview they might give you a discount on this type of clothing, but often a department store with an old guy as a salesman is a better choice for your monkey suit as sloppiness in dress and hair is a giveaway that you really don't fit in the starched CorpGov environment.

Although the best method is to observe actual employees of the targeted company, here's a good rule to go by: in 21st century United States most higher-ups will be seen wearing a quality matched wool suit coat and trousers, white shirt, conservative tie, dress black shoes and well trimmed hair. Female Manager types will also be seen in a wool tailored skirt and matching jacket, makeup, medium heels or flats, and styled hair. Even in high tech where lax dress is the rule, tech managers might get away with more casual, but the creepy biz-school types still go for the suit. Creepy means nobody bothers you.

For impersonating your average wage slave, wear a quality set of trousers, belt, dress shoes, and nice, button-down, tucked-in (VERY IMPORTANT) dress shirt, and tie. Many men these days have their hair cut short to reduce "antihippie" profiling, hair drug test anxiety, and time and money to care for.

Accessorize

1) Cell Phone

Most people have a cell phone close at hand. One way to fake the cell phone is to get a holder/case and a plastic dummy. With the right holder, no one will be able to tell the difference. For men, attach this on your belt. For women, the cell phone is less important as many women carry it in their purse or pocket (out of sight). Thus, the charade is unneeded.

What is special about the cell phone is it creates an impenetrable "don't bother me" bubble and social norms cause most people to respect this. Use this magic "don't bother me" effect to your advantage.

2) Briefcase

Briefcases are an expected accessory for medium level executive types. Often there is now a cursory search of briefcases and purses when entering office buildings. If you can slip your secret stuff into the walls, false bottom, or folders inside you are likely to get in with no problems unless there is an x-ray scanner which is very rare. The more important the exec the smaller the briefcase is, but assistants may have a huge support load to carry for their boss.

Behavior

To look like you you belong, you must feel like you belong. Copy the busy slave brisk walk, watch how the monkeys walk and move, a few days of study will be valuable. If you give off a sense of authority, suspicious people will often stay away to prevent being questioned by the bigwig from corporate. It can be useful to have a well dressed accomplice who you give orders to, like a mobile secretary or assistant-type taking notes and such.

Posture is as important as clothing. Suck your stomach in, roll back your shoulders, and do NOT stick out your chest. Make sure to hold your head high. Do not deviate from this. Slouching afterwards will cause your shirt to wrinkle.

It is just fine to ask questions of employees how a system or program works. Ask them to demonstrate; most users will even turn over their login password so they can show you a login. Remember: you are a corporate bigwig; why shouldn't they let the VP of auditing see all of this inside information? Let a kissup who wants a promotion lead you around or show you the vital areas. He can be your cover.

Confidence, coolness, and a bit of arrogance will get you a long way. Keep moving and everyone will think you are passing through and you know where you are going. If you pause as if lost or make a worried eye contact, the questions and suspicions will begin. Look on the directory outside and know a few manager names to drop as a last ditch dodge if people start asking questions. You will likely get one shot at infiltration, so make it count. People might talk around the water cooler and might figure out there is no VP of Auditing after your visit. There is little chance of an employee admitting that he was the dolt who gave you a login or password, so even if there is a security audit later on, all may not be lost.

Due to continuing enforcement of 1970's-era "30 day" password rules and rules requiring random letters and numbers in a password at many companies, you can usually get most of the login information you need from a note in the desk drawer, cubicle wall, or a post-it note stuck to every monitor.

If you are setting up a snoop, secret server, or other device, waltz right in and set it up -- unless it is very suspicious you should have no problem. A regular empty tower computer case is a great toolbox, you can sneak all kinds of things in hidden inside.

Insider Help

Unhappy Workers

Remember, the low-paid janitors, handymen, cafeteria workers, etc. are looked down on and paid little (usually minimum wage), while the bosses earn thousands, perhaps millions. They will probably help you out for a small price or as a way to "get back" at their employers.

Keep your eyes open for higher-ups that are overly nasty to their employees. Many employees with unnecessarily mean supervisors would gladly look the other way if you wanted to sneak into an office to look at files, get keys, etc.

If you troll the pubs near the business you can often lift a pass key/card from an employee. Sadly, many office workers are very lonely. Thus, some attention from an interested party can often get amazing results that years of hacking would fail at. "Accidentally" meet up with your mark if they like to frequent a bar and lift what you need once they are full of liquor.

Security Systems

You will need good information on the security in the place you wish to infiltrate. Know where cameras and sensors are located, and how sensitive they are, play with the sensors and see what lights the indicators during a daytime visit if possible. An insider might know if the security system is tied into door locks and if there are any alternate escapes. If you do screw up and set off the alarm then go toS.E.R.E. mode.

Cameras

The crude way to disable a camera is to zap it with a few paintballs or spraypaint, this makes it clear that tampering has happened when the donut boys make their rounds. With the availability of cheap lasers a more sophisticated attack can be made. Tape the switch down on the laser and aim into the camera lenses as you are coming around the corner, use a dental mirror to help you see around, this will almost always wash out any image on the camera, since you have work to do laser-dazzle the hands free way, stick the laser high up on the wall with modeling clay(remember clay takes fingerprint impressions). All that this will do is wash out the image on the camera, if you aim is good and the guard is stupid he might not notice the laser is shining into the camera when he checks things out. If you tie string through the clay you can yank your laser around a corner after you get past.

Making a laser dazzler from a green laser pointer or scavenged blue-ray DVD burner laser module or even a regular DVD burner has a better chance of blotting out the whole camera image and possibly even burning out a camera without any obvious outside damage. It might do to wear laser goggles or at least use wrap around sunglasses with laser resistant film taped inside (get at a science supply store or university physics lab, know the frequency of the laser you are using) since these are powerful lasers.

Motion and Infrared Sensors

Motion sensors emit a sound or microwave emission and if there is a Doppler change in the returned microwaves or sound the sensor will alert, many sensors will blink a light if this happens and not trip the alarm right away. If you move very slowly you should be able to get past the motion sensor. Some motion sensors if blocked with a piece of wood(sound) or aluminum foil(microwave) they will alarm. Most sensors have an advertised sensitivity cone of 90 degrees. Believe it or not, holding a sheet between you and the sensor, while walking slowly can do wonders.
Infrared sensors detect a sudden change in the ambient infrared signature of the room, if you can slowly reveal yourself or cover your infrared with a piece of furniture so that the little detect light is not indicating you have probably made it in. Covering the alarm may set off an alarm since this will cause a sudden change in detected infrared energy. Better to put a desk or couch in between your movement path and the sensor.

Alarm Line

If you can simply disable the alarm connection line (some dial on a normal phone line some have a dedicated alarm line) this might be the best option, be sure to put a resistive load back onto the line (have a multimeter and selection of resistors handy), a cut alarm line will always indicate a fault and security or police will usually be called. Once the line has been disabled you will likely still have to contend with loud sirens on site if you trip the system. Be wary a few alarms use a wireless transmission to the security booth or alarm company. Do not assume a power outage will knock out the alarm, most have batteries.

Hostile Situations

Your best escape is knowing where to run. Once trapped, you might be forced to fight, making your legal situation much worse should you be arrested. For more good escape info see S.E.R.E.

Planning

Remember, no matter how perfect and planned your operation is, there will always be several factors to give you away, which you must be prepared for in advance. If possible, find as many plans of the building you are to infiltrate in advance, and study them - make sure these plans are as up-to-date as possible. Mark all entrances and exits, rooms you will be targeting, and possible areas of importance to both yourself and staff. You will need to memorize the entire building layout - failing this, at least make sure you can remember the way to at least three escape routes at all times. Don't forget to look into underground escapes which are sometimes overlooked at first by the cops, electrical, telephone, and sewer access tunnels might be the best way out, an insider or public records may help you find this information.

Weapons

If the situation warrants it take a concealable weapon along with you. Seriously consider the cost/benefit ratio of when choosing to bring a weapon it could move a misdemeanor breaking and entering charge to a serious assault or weapons felony even with less than lethal devices.

A great device for emergency exits is the small fire extinguisher turned pepper spray blaster in Weapons for Street Fighting, it should clear out a floor or two even in a large building. Of course, you will need a gas mask or respirator and goggles in your bag to use it effectively.

Briefcase

Briefcases should really be used on every infiltration, because the uses of the items stored inside outweigh the risks. Wait outside the building you are targeting when staff are leaving - check out the size and shape of the briefcases they are using, so you will be able to blend in even more. Now, here comes the most interesting part - packing your briefcase. Keep it light, but don't leave out any of the essentials. Take a plan of the building, a balaclava (don't try any other method of covering your face, as masks, helmets etc. are impossible to conceal in a briefcase), and a paintball marker and around fifty paintballs - these can be used to temporarily "blind" CCTV cameras, but you will need to practice well to hit your target, don't forget how loud a paint marker gun is. After these items, the contents of your briefcase will vary depending on the style of your mission. (In some jurisdictions a paintball gun/marker may be considered carrying a weapon in commission of a crime.)

Escape

If you have been discovered, you will need to get out - fast. The quickest way to clear an entire building is to activate the fire alarms, either by holding a lighter to a smoke detector, or smashing an alarm, then just slip into the nearest crowd and walk out. This method will attract a lot of attention when a fire is not discovered anywhere - however, by then you can be far away, with ease.

For a less dramatic exit, simply head to any of the three possible exits you memorized earlier, and slip out when nobody is watching you. Claiming you are going for a cigarette is a great excuse, and nobody will notice your failure to return before at least five minutes have passed.

If you cannot have a getaway car and driver of your own running outside, notify a brother or sister in advance, so that upon receiving a phone call from you they can arrive outside of the building and collect you. If timed well, this particular method of escape can be pretty effective - you can usually escape a long time before your actions are discovered, and even longer before the pigs arrive.

If you are are discovered and trapped, your only other options apart from surrendering can become life-threatening. While dangerous, heading for the roof will help you get extra time, and can also get you a better view to consider your options.

If there are any nearby buildings, and you have packed rope and a grappling hook, you could attempt to use the rope as a zip-wire to get across; however, this is hard enough in a group, and by yourself this would be extremely hard to pull off. This technique requires between thirty and fifty pounds of specialized rope gear and lots of training. Rope rescue and technical climbing training is very useful in the event of an unexpected "Spider-Man" type getaway.

Another much less risky method of escaping using rope is to tie one end of the rope to something extremely secure at the top of the building, say a few prayers if you're religious, and abseil down the building. Remember the rope is your life at this moment, and you are taking a calculated risk if you don't use the correct safety equipment, but there isn't always time. For this method to work, you are probably going to need to create a distraction of some sort (e.g. letting off a very large smoke device or having friends chuck a few pepper gas grenades near the cops to tear their eyes up) and immediately begin to run when you hit the ground. If you need to abseil, leave the rest of your equipment behind.

When planning for a roof abseil/rappel escape at a minimum wear a self rescue belt(look in a rope rescue catalog), a descent device of your choice, and some 5mm spectra cord at least ten meters longer than the building. Look for an anchor that will take at least a ton of pull use a loop at least a meter in length and tie a figure-eight follow through knot. Use your jacket or other thick clothing as edge protection anywhere the rope hits concrete, army surplus firehose is the best edge guard but heavy. Don't ever use hardware store rope, it might just break when you are on it. Anything less than UIAA certified climbing rope, carefully inspected for cuts and dents, is unacceptable for situations where your life is on the line.

Depending on the height of the building you are in, and how close the surrounding buildings are, you can attempt a running leap; however, the chances of the distance and height allowing you to pull this off are very slim, so always be sure you can successfully pull off the jump. Even with a running start, it's unlikely you'll make a jump of more than six or seven feet. Mistakes will get you killed, so this is not an escape method to be used lightly.

See more escape inS.E.R.E.

Outside Links

Urban Exploration Resource http://www.uer.ca/ has many good forums and data on inflitration of various closed areas

Locksmithing

Last updated: 16 August 2011

(Redirected from LockSmithing)

This is not a freebie so much as it lets you get free...

1 Alarm
2 Car Door Locks
3 Tubular Locks
4 Picking Lever Locks
5 Warded Locks
6 Pin Tumblers
6.1 Freeze the Lock
6.2 Lock Bumping
6.3 Traditional Tension and Pick
6.4 Door Jack
6.5 Push Knife
6.6 Drilling
7 Combination Locks
8 Kaba Simplex Vulnerability
9 Videx CyberLock
10 Copy a Key
10.1 Plaster Mold
10.2 Align and File
10.3 Impressioning
10.4 Tin Can Copy
11 Hand Cuffs
12 Prox cards
13 Magnetic Stripe Cards
14 Practice and Advice
15 Stick a Lock
16 Locks this guide can't cover
17 Outside Links

Alarm

Beware that in many instances where you encounter good locks, there is likely to be an alarm system in place.

Car Door Locks

Older cars can be unlocked with a metal yard stick that has a 1/2 inch notch cut into it, start hooking near where the door key box appears to be. This risks setting off side airbags and injuring the user in cars equipped with them...

Car doors (and even ignitions) usually use wafer locks, and the priority is light weight and safety over security. These locks generally have poor tolerances and can accept half height cuts. This makes tryout keys, jiggler picks, and special "slimline wafer picks" highly effective. These all essentially go through every possible key combination very rapidly until the lock turns.

The wafer locks are also vulnerable to the same type of impressioning as the pin tumblers generally found on doors.

Tubular Locks

Tubular locks (aka cylinder key locks or rim locks) have to be picked pin by pin. Rotate them about 20 degrees after the pins are in place and press a piece of clay firmly in the lock to create a key. Be careful not to deform it when removing it and allow it to harden thoroughly before use. Don't forget to turn the lock back so nobody notices while you're waiting for your key. This will get you into vending machines and sometimes let you operate security system keyswitches. The Van-Lock, a flat face tubular lock has the same vulnerabilities.

Also a special picking tool exists but it can cost anywhere from $30-200, and such a purchase raises suspicion.

Picking Lever Locks

These are old looking locks with a typical keyhole shape. They can be which can be opened with two pieces of stiff wire, one to apply rotation and the other to raise levers in to place. You only need to torque one pin, generally behind the rest, and most keys only have about 2-3 levers (high security varieties with as many as 20 exist). Practice makes perfect, so buy a deadbolt like from your local hardware store for about $10 and see what works best for you.

Warded Locks

Truly old locks, those that came about before lever locks, and cheapo padlocks use this locking mechanism. They'll be either old with the traditional "keyhole" shape, if they're warded door locks, or on a padlock you'll generally see a rotating disk as the keyway, which will often be zig-zag shaped (MasterLock will). Theses really are a joke of security, to open them you need to rotate one lever inside of the lock. The only thing preventing this is a series of obstructions so you can't just jam a flat piece of metal in the keyway. These can be opened with a firm piece of bent wire, or for convenience one can use special warded picks. Masterlocks contain two levers that must be operated at once.

Masterlock skeleton key: Acquire a Masterlock warded key, it has a different shape to it's head, is double sided. It will only have two "heights", either having protrusions or not. File off all but the two at the tip, and then carefully play with how deep it's inserted into the lock. You should now be able to consistently open all padlocks with this mechanism with a simple counterclockwise rotation of your skeleton key.

Pin Tumblers

By far the most common type of lock, there are a multitude of ways to defeat these:

Freeze the Lock

A number of locks are vulnerable to properly executed freon attacks. Freeze the cylinder so that it becomes (relatively) brittle. Use liquid nitrogen if it's available, or try emptying an air duster into the lock. Immediately after freezing the lock, put a chisel in and strike as firmly as possible with a hammer. Hopefully after this the lock will be willing to turn. This should also work against wafer locks.

Lock Bumping

A very effective and easy way to open almost any lock. Have a key fitting the lock cut to maximum depth on all cylinders leaving shallow elevations between, the tip and shoulder are filed back 1mm, your bump key is ready. If tapped with a screwdriver handle, while applying a gentle turning pressure in the direction of opening, will bounce the pins separating them and allowing the lock to turn after a few tries. If you want to make your own bump key, all you need is a file and a key; go here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwTVBWCijEQ) to learn how to make one. Or click here (http://www.capricorn.org/~akira/home/lockpick/bumping.pdf) if you want to learn more about the theory and application of bump keys.

This will require either getting appropriate keys or keyblanks to cut down.

Blanks for Schlage and Kwikset, common residential locks can be had at your local hardware store or shopping mall key cutters. Try asking an unproffesional employee at the mall to cut you a 999 key. Some blanks, like BEST and other institutional locks, may require a bit of effort to track down, but can be found online.

Using a pick gun or vibration pick with a tension wrench is a variation on bumping, and works similarly. Be sure to keep your impact length low, put the blade directly under all of the pins, and hold it flat to deliver a vertical impact. Gradually increase the impact length if the lock doesn't spring open in a few tries, and beware that you may overset pins and need to release tension (if you've bumped it around ten times and it's not opening).

Bumping will NOT open wafer locks

Traditional Tension and Pick

The traditional method of lock picking is slow and requires quite a bit of skill. There is no magic Magnum PI ten second unlocks without the practise of a competitive unlocker. The technique involves applying tension in the opening direction of the lock with a flat torque wrench made from a hairpin or bought in a picking kit, a pick or rake is introduced and an attempt is made to align all of the pins in their sticking spots in the mechanism where they are held by the tension from your wrench. If you want to learn this useful technique, you should read the MIT Guide to Lock Picking, available here (http://www.capricorn.org/~akira/home/lockpick/) and here (http://www.lysator.liu.se/mit-guide/Main.html) .

This should also work against wafer locks.

Door Jack

If you can use a jack of some sort to bow out the door frame even deadbolts might be defeated in seconds, put plywood squares at the contact points to prevent scarring the door frame. Any lock can be compromised by bypass.

This technique is often employed against steel doors by locksmiths. The door features a "deadlatch" to prevent people from jamming a card into the door to open it. Using a wedge or jack, one can spread the door frame and latch far enough apart that the deadlatch mechanism disables. Then, one simply slips a credit card or butter knife between the two and pushes the door open.

Push Knife

Some doors are not equipped with a deadlatching mechanism or have one incorrectly installed, and you can push the bolt back into the doorframe with a credit card or butter knife, springing the door open.

Drilling

This technique works best for pin tumbler locks. Identify where the pin stacks are, then drill through them at the top of the plug (cylindrical part the key enters, which you rotate) where the plug meets the lock body. The drill bit only needs to be slightly wider than the pins. Once all pin stacks have been drilled through, insert a flathead screwdriver in the lock and turn. A carbide end mill in a die grinder will go even through anti drill pins with relative ease.

And to think that some locksmiths have said "criminals don't drill locks"...

Wafer locks are harder to drill, but it is possible to use a hole saw and cut around them. Another possible method is to insert a blank key and with the top of the handle filed off, then to drill like a pin tumbler. This should cause all wafers to bind at the top of the plug, and proceed to destroy that point. Afterwords, the blank key should be able to turn the lock easily

Combination Locks

Used on safes and padlocks they can be opened by listening to the clicks of the mechanism, beating the combo out of its owner, or dynamiting the safe. The safecracker listening to the clicks is often offended by the sound of detonating dynamite next to his head.

Mutli-dial combo locks, including those used for bicycles, can often be quickly picked by applying opening pressure, then rotating the dials one by one until they stick on a number (with a little click of a peg going into a hole). Normally this process can be done in a few seconds and will open the lock. Some locks have additional security features where the wheels will bind in a few wrong positions, the simplest way to overcome this is to feel all the wheels that resist turning. If they feel like they're scraping, they're probably a wrong number and should be rotated farther; if they feel like they're stuck on a number but not scraping against a piece of metal, they're most likely correct.

Cheap padlocks can be shimmed with a properly cut piece of thin aluminum, from a beverage can material for example. It is also often easy to break cheap locks by holding on tightly and jerking it hard a few times until it opens, assuming you have no bolt cutters.

Buy a cheap bendy saw (.99cents at some stores) and simply saw through the narrowest metal part of the lock. This works on padlocks and some bike locks too, and only takes about a minute.

Kaba Simplex Vulnerability

The Simplex is a type of mechanical push-button combination lock often deployed as high security on government and corporate buildings. It resembles a lever handle with a rectangular area above it, containing about five vertically stacked buttons. In a recent "restricted to security professionals" release, the lock was bypassed in a matter of seconds.

A powerful magnet (450+ lb pull force) is placed on the left side of the lock at approximately the level of the bottom of the buttons. The handle should then engage the latch and allow you to operate the door successfully.

Videx CyberLock

A new line of electronic retrofit locks has found itself onto store fronts and vending machines around the nation. These locks are advertised as very high security, but can be bypassed with very little skill, given the right knowledge. Since they're shaped to match older mechanical locks, they're placed anywhere regular locks could be.

A paperclip can be shaped to fit the keyway quite accurately, and is used to rotate the lock. First, the paperclip is put in place. Next, a powerful magnet is applied to the face of the lock. Afterwords, the lock is struck with a plastic or rubber hammer to cause it to vibrate. This should move an internal component forward, where the magnet will hold it.

At this point, the paperclip should become able to turn the lock and unlock whatever it was "securing".

Copy a Key

Plaster Mold

OSS officers in WW-II sometimes carried a key kit containing plaster of paris and talcum powder to take a double sided impression of a key. The talcum powder would keep the two plaster sides from sticking as the impression was taken. A special low melting point alloy would be melted with a candle and poured into the mold making hopefully a perfect if flimsy copy key. One possible alloy is Cerrotru or other Cerro alloy, Bismuth-Lead, Tin, Cadmium & Indium Alloys which melt at between 160° F and 281° F, low enough that a candle or even boiling water would work. Tin and bismuth can also be melted to make a similar melting alloy.

Align and File

Matching a proper blank to a functional key in a vice and carefully filing by hand will produce a working copy. It can help to blacken the working key with a candle, so that you can know when to stop filing as soon as the soot scrapes off. Remember that the only thing you need to get right is the height of the flat parts between peaks. Also, alignment is crucial!

This is only necessary with keys marked "do not duplicate" and/or cut on obscure blanks (BEST, Arrow, Yale) because in the time spent in this method you could easily have it replicated at a key cutter. It's still worth a shot at various unprofesional key cutters if it says "do not duplicate" as there really isn't much legal weight behind the stamp.

Impressioning

This technique is wonderful because it creates a working key to the lock, or even master keyed system, without access to the original key. This requires getting a fitting key blank. Ideally one would then make a mold of that and produce either a soft metal (copper or lead) blank.

Using pliers or vice grips, insert the key into the lock, apply as much rotational force as possible without bending the key, and then jiggle it up and down forcibly, repeat this turning in the other direction.

Now look at the top of the key, where either the pins or wafers should have scratched it. Pins will generally leave a circular mark near the center of the top of the key, wafers often mark the edges, or create a line across the key. Make a couple passes with a fine file in these areas, and try again.

Be sure to angle the metal between two flat areas, otherwise the key will get stuck in the lock, or not enter.

Performing this technique should get you a working key in anywhere from 5-60 minutes depending on the lock and your expertise.

Tin Can Copy

Get some scissors A square of thin metal Gluestick A ruler And a printer

First scan your key- you could take a photo with a ruler present if you're in a pinch ( you can also use a quarter for a reference size, and edit it with photoshop) print the scan or images as copies to a 1:1 scale same size as the key cut them out with paper around the edges.

Stick key number one onto a piece of the metal Cut it out, but leave metal around the teeth

Now use the ruler to force a v shaped groove into the key along the grove on the picture Now that you have the correct grooves, you can line up the key with the second printed copy, at this point you will need to cut the second printout exactly around the profile of the key (teeth included). Now it will become apparent why we left some extra on the teeth; the groove will have shortened the height of the key and so the teeth now need to be cut higher up on the metal.

Cut the teeth with continual reference to the printout. This is the crucial part, it must be very accurate. Make sure the teeth are not slanting to one side, if this is the case then the thin metal may slide down the edge of the pins and not push them up. Use scissors with a good pointed cutting end and try to cut only using this end- this allows you to get quite accurate cuts without maneuvering the scissors around risking bending the teeth.

You will have to turn the lock with a mini Flathead or a torque wrench as the metal is usually to weak. Wiggle it in the lock very gently- if it does not work the teeth may be bent or slightly off- print out more images just in case.

Hand Cuffs

These are simple warded locks with a locking pin on the other side of the cuff. That is what the little nub on the back of a cuff key is for. Almost all hand cuffs use identical keys, sew on into the back of a belt or your pants. Although it is almost impossible with the double sided nature of cuffs to unlock yourself, two friends could save each other. A loop on the key makes it harder to drop when your hands are behind your back. Shimming the ratchet with a piece of steel or aluminum can might be an option if you are running from the prison work crew, but if they have been double locked a shim may not work. Buy a hand cuff set for fooling around with your partner and try to escape while distracted by...............................................

Prox cards

Most prox cards have an encrypted chip that is fed a signal and then responds with an answer via radio frequency. A reader/writer for your card would be needed to hack it. These Readers have become for more accessible in recent days, even store like RadioShit carry them now. It's quite possible, with some antenna and power hacking, to read these chips from about a dozen feet away. This means you can walk by an employee or sit by them in starbucks with your laptop, and produce a copy of their working key for your own use. See Infiltrating for related content.

Magnetic Stripe Cards

These are easy to copy and have mostly gone out of use except with ATM and credit cards in the US and Canada. You can see the four tracks found on most magnetic cards by dusting with fine iron oxide it looks like a narrow bar code in dust, you need to align four heads designed to write to these data tracks.

Practice and Advice

All of these techniques, even bumping, require practice. Buy several different kinds of locks and start playing with them, figure out what a combination lock sounds like when you enter the right combination and what clicks happen at wrong numbers. Learn the feel of a lock pin that is caught at the halfway point so you can go to the next pin.

A good motto for entry is try before you pry. Look for unlocked windows and back doors, maybe kicking the drywall will get you through, is the wall of that bank vault made from easily sledgehammered cinder block? Why spend twenty minutes working on the front door when the fire escape leads to an open window in back?

Stick a Lock

Superglue will seize a lock. Blast the lock with a shot of carburetor cleaner to remove any oils then shoot a whole tube into the keyhole. The lock should be out of operation and difficult to remove since the pins will be seized, don't do this as a gag, it is an expensive fix as the door may also need to be replaced from the violent removal of the lock mechanism.

Another, although slightly easier to fix approach, is to get a key that fits the system, and file the top part of it to a barbed edge. This will let the pins raise over the key and drop past the barb, but not in reverse. Now they have a non-removable key that will cost hundreds of dollars and several hours of locksmith work to remove.

Locks this guide can't cover

There are many varieties of high security mechanical locks that it's not reasonable to expect anybody reading only this text to get open. If you see any of the following brand names, it's probably time to move on, or whip out the drill: Medeco, BiLock, Schlage Primus, Abloy Protec, Keymark, Mul-t-Lock, etc.

While most electronic locks are considered high security, they will fail (open, or become inoperable) either from powerful magnetic fields, applying high power across the pins, or microwaving.

Outside Links

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lock_picking

http://www.instructables.com/id/E3RGSYZ641EQHOASFH/ Making a Padlock Shim

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand_cuff#Escaping

http://mia.ece.uic.edu/~papers/etc/pdf00002.pdf MIT Guide to Picking Locks

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_To_Pick_Locks

http://www.lockpicking101.com/

http://crypto.com/photos/misc/sfic/

Caching

Last updated: 15 January 2011

One of the side affects to the impending demise of the Amerikan empire will be shortages, many empires have been known to use food shortages to force their will on the commoners in exchange for daily bread (Do a web search on "Biafra" to see what kind of horror this entails). Caching our vital supplies is an important part of bringing down the pig empire. It is also a good idea to disperse a few sets of travel or wilderness gear and a way to get around like a bicycle or cross country skiis.

1 Food Caching
1.1 MRE's
2 Gun Cache
3 Bicycles
4 Marking a cache

Food Caching

The Mormons, besides being a little square, have one radical idea; storing food for a rainy day. A storm is brewing and we want to eat too, so here are some things that pack and store well, some of them even come from our own victory gardens.

MRE Meals (medium-long life)
Canned Foods (short-medium life)
Coffee (short-medium life)
Dried Beans and Corn (medium-long life)
Dry Fruit and Raisins (short-medium life)
Dry Milk (medium life)
Flour - Preferably Whole Wheat (short life)
Honey (long life, will keep indefinitely if kept sealed and cool)
Hot Chocolate Mix (short-medium life)
Instant Mash Potatoes (short-medium life)
Oatmeal (medium life)
Olive Oil in bottles or jugs (medium-long life)
Oven Dried Meat Jerky (short life)
Pasta (medium-long life)
Rice (medium-long life)
Salt & Spices (medium-long life)
Sugar (long life)
Tea (medium-long life)
Vegetable Shortening in cans (long life)
Vinegar (long life)
Whole Kernel Wheat (long life)
Whole Nuts (medium-long life)
Wine (stored with corks down), Hard Liquor/Spirits (long life)

All shelf life estimates assume a cool dry and sealed environment short life=1-2 years, medium life=2-5 years, long life=10 or more years

Most of these foods can either be grown or bought in large containers, the bulk foods section can often order 50lb sacks or 5gal buckets of these foods. Get some clean buckets made from food-grade plastic with good undamaged seals. Drop a block of dry ice into the bucket and then fill with your food, loosely place the lid, after 30 minutes seal the bucket. This eliminates almost all of the nutrient damaging oxygen and safely kills any bugs without poisoning the food.

If a can is bulging at the top and/or bottom, there is a very good chance the food inside is not safe to eat.

Only use long life foods for buried storage. Rotate through storage foods using oldest first in your normal diet, try not to store foods you would not normally eat. (Helpful mnemonic: "Eat what you store, and store what you eat.") Try to store some treats like chocolate or hard candy in your stash; If times are rough, unpalatable foods might not be eaten by picky eaters and people have been known to starve this way.

MRE's

If you know of a military surplus store, a good Army quartermaster, or if you're simply eBay savvy, try to grab some MRE's (Military abbreviation for "Meals, Ready to Eat"). We now also have DIY low budget pouch canning instructions for a MRE substitute from a research and support team who has been making these meals for radical activists at the bottom of Roadside Chow chapter. An MRE is sealed in a thick plastic pouch and contains an entree (they come in both meat and vegetarian versions), a side dish and dessert (often a cookie or dried fruit), crackers or bread and a spread (usually peanut butter, jelly or cheese flavored spread), a beverage powder to mix with water, and an "accessory pack" containing chewing gum, a moistened towelette, a matchbook, packets of salt, pepper and sugar, either a fork or a spoon, a packet of instant tea or coffee (which will come with a packet of creamer) and a small pack of toilet paper. Some even come with a tiny bottle of Tabasco pepper sauce and a "Flameless Ration Heater". That's a plastic sleeve used to warm your food. Put your sealed meal in, add water to activate the magnesium in it, let the water heat the food through the sealed pouch, and you have a hot meal (Yum!). Follow the directions printed on it so you don't burn yourself. (They're also a source of hydrogen if you want to make a floating weather balloon UFO from a big trash bag.)

One MRE contains around 2-3,000 calories, which is about what you need for a light walking stroll all day. If you're doing hill/mountain climbing, 1 1/2 to 2 should suffice. MRE's are known to cause constipation and stomach upset in some so drink lots of water, eat enough fiber, and carry baking soda to stop the gut burn. A few MRE's make a great caches to pre-stash along a possible evacuation route.

Don't feel like you're supporting the Amerikan Department of Destruction by purchasing these; most were probably stolen anyway, particularly the ones you might find at the gun shows. If they say "U.S. GOVERNMENT, COMMERCIAL RESALE IS UNLAWFUL" on the package, they're the real thing. Just a warning: Current MRE's are sealed in tan plastic. MRE's in dark brown were made in 1995 or earlier and may not be safe to eat.

You can tell how old a MRE or MRE component is by looking for a four digit code on the package. The first digit is the last digit of the year, and the next three is the day of the year it was packaged. So, an MRE with the code "5314" was packaged in the year 2005 (or 1995?) on November 10th (the 314th day). The shelf life of an MRE depends on what temperature it was stored at. If it was kept at 90 degrees Fahrenheit, it will stay safe for about 5 years. At 60 degrees, it can stay safe for 10 years.

A trick in the field is to cut the pouch of the food open lengthwise so you can eat out of it like a bowl. The food is often more filling than flavorful, so if you feel like it, bring a long a few small packages of spices to perk up your

A number of companies that make MRE's for the Military or other Government operations (Ameriqual, International Meals Supply, Sopakco, Wornick) also make knock-off versions for civilian sales. They typically have no more than 1,500 calories per meal, so adjust your planning accordingly. They're the ones with the brand names on them (aPack, Eversafe, Meal Kit Supply Canada, MREStar, Sure-Pak) or sealed in clear plastic, and the ones you'll probably find in camping or Army Surplus stores. You can read more info about both military and civilian MRE's at http://www.mreinfo.com/.

There are some civilian versions of MRE's that are made with all off-the-shelf items, like Coyote Camp Fireline Chow, which are designed for forest firefighters and long distance hikers. The downside is that their shelf life is only one year.

Another type, often called "Menu C" and sold through MREDepot, is a dead-ringer for the military MRE's, except they have sightly different graphics on the pouches (There is no "US Government Property" notice and the soldier logo is circular instead of oval) and there are extra snack items. These were produced by one of the major MRE manufacturers for a US military contractor working in Iraq and contain either real military or civilian MRE components. Since they were never made for the US Government, they're the closest to an actual government issue MRE as a civilian can legally buy.

The US also produces a other types of rations:

Humanitarian Daily Rations (HDR), which are vegetarian, but may have a small amount of dairy ingredients. The packages are bright yellow or salmon pink. Each one is supposed to be a day's ration and will have two entrees.
Tailored Operational Training Meal (TOTM), which is more of a "box lunch" version and doesn't have as much items as a regular MRE.
Long Range Patrol Food Packet (LRP) and Meal, Cold Weather (MCW), which have dehydrated items that need water added. LRP's are in tan plastic, MCW's are in white.
First Strike Ration (FSR), which is a stripped down version of an MRE with three meals in a single pouch (Mostly shelf-stable pocket sandwiches and energy bars).
There are special Kosher and Halal rations which are marked as such. They're known as "Meal, Religious, Kosher (or Halal)" and are in cardboard boxes instead of a mylar bag.

A bit a warning about the toilet paper you'll find in US Government MRE's: The paper is known for having a very coarse texture and isn't very "user friendly". Military folk have often called MRE toilet paper "John Wayne paper" because it's "rough, tough, and doesn't take any shit from anyone".

Gun Cache

A firearm must be prepared before caching it in the ground, a grease gun can be used to fill the cleaned dry barrel and goop up the internal mechanical parts. Vaseline petroleum jelly also works well. The outside is also coated and then the whole gun is wrapped in paper then plastic sacked so the grease is sealed in. The protected firearm is placed into a heavy-duty PVC pipe with one pipe cap already cemented on and sealed, a large silica gel moisture absorber which has been baked at 200 Degrees for two hours is a good idea to add. Place a plastic bag wad into the tube to keep the gun from sliding up the the end that the second pipe cap is at. Glue the second cap on with plenty of PVC cement, after everything is sealed, paint the end cap that is safe to saw off.

Ammunition can be cached like your greased up weapon. It is a good idea to bury ammo, a gear vest, some good boots, and a little food next to your rifle so you will be ready for action if it gets so bad.

Bury the cache away from buildings, roads, running water, buried utility lines, etc. Roads move, gas lines are dug up, houses are added on to, all possibly uncovering your cache or making it unreachable. A good place might be 20 feet due north of a lone tree. If you bury it right at the base of the tree, the tree may blow over, be struck by lightning, or burn down, possibly exposing the roots and bringing your cache to the surface. Even if the tree eventually dies, the stump or resulting depression can still be located many, many years later. I cut down a giant elm tree nine years ago, had the stump ground out, and can still locate the exact spot.

Don't mark your cache with a stake or rock. Even empty fields are occasionally brush-hogged, or burned off with wild-fire. Any marker at all will be a dead give-away to the cache location. If you must mark it, put the marker a set number of paces away in a certain direction, e.g. 4 paces due south of the cache. In case the marker is removed, try to measure a second way to get to it, e.g. 12 feet east of this stone, or 40 feet south of that boulder.

Lastly, don't write down the GPS coordinates of your cache. If you do write it down, mark it in code, or only record the last few digits or each coordinate. Anyone with a GPS-equipped cell-phone or hand-held GPS unit and a little time to kill may go dig up random coordinates they come across.

Bury the cache deep enough to avoid casual discovery, but not so deep that it takes all night to dig up - three feet is a good compromise. Farmers do not plow more than one foot deep, and commercial metal detectors cut out at about two feet. Remember to disguise any signs of recent digging, and visit the cache after a few months to check for a depression due to settling of the dirt. Bury the cache 'standing up' in the hole if at all possible - it will require a smaller hole that way, and leave fewer signs on the surface. It will also provide a smaller footprint to metal detectors.

Bicycles

Our favorite mode of transportation is the bicycle. When times get tougher, these will be in great demand. Plan to have several reserve bikes bought at thrift store prices for when everyone wants one.

For caching purposes the hardware can be removed and stored in grease or oil or spares can be purchased. The following are especially sensitive to the elements:

chain
cables and cable tubes
sprockets
tires
inner tubes
springs

If possible store the bicycles in a heated dry room, garages in anywhere but the driest areas will rust a bicycle in a few years. Bicycles kept outdoors should have all hardware, tires, and inner tubes removed and placed into a waterproof bucket with silica gel packets, plan several hours to reassemble such a prepared bicycle. Clean well and spray all exposed steel parts remaining like the sprockets with a heavy marine spray grease.

Marking a cache

If you are caching your things outside you will need a way to find the treasure, be careful to bury in a place that they are unlikely to excavate, plough, or build on or you will loose your cache. A piece of aluminum can with hints impressed onto it and nailed to the upper side of a branch on a prominent tree or landmark is hard to see from the ground and will last for years, painting the badge black or green makes it harder for a hiker to find it by chance but also for you to find. To help you find your cache lay a medium sized rock over the final burial site in case the area gets overgrown. Don't place all of your trust that GPS will help you find a cache, in the future it may be switched to another system. Be cautious that you are not observed while placing your cache or you may find it missing when you need it.

13. The Underground

Last updated: 26 February 2011

The Underground

The Pledge Of Allegiance Defiance

I pledge defiance to the United States of America, and allegiance to that for which it once stood. I believe in my God(s), not yours, and in liberty and freedom for all.

Many underground organizations continue to exist, including the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) and the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). It should be noted that many sisters and brothers have paid the ultimate price and many continue to pay for resisting the U.S. government. Members of the Black Panther Party, Black Liberation Army, MOVE, and many Black and Latino freedom fighters remain in prison. Organizations such as the Anarchist Black Cross Network, Anarchist Black Cross Federation, the Jericho Movement, and the Prairie Fire Organizing Committee struggle for their freedom.

11. Original The Underground

Amerika is just another Latin dictatorship. Those who have doubts, should try the minimal experience of organizing a large rock festival in their state*, sleeping on some beach in the summer or wearing a flag shirt. Ask the blacks what it's been like living under racism and you'll get a taste of the future we face. As the repression increases so will the underground-deadly groups of stoned revolutionaries sneaking around at night and balling all day. As deadly as their southern comrades the Tupamaros. Political trials will only occur when the heavy folks are caught. Too many sisters and brothers have been locked up for long stretches having maintained a false faith in the good will of the court system. Instead, increased numbers have chosen to become fugitives from injustice: Bernadine Dohrn, Rap Brown, Mark Rudd, hundreds of others. Some including Angela Davis, Father Berrigan and Pun Plamondon have been apprehended and locked in cages, but most roam freely and actively inside the intestines of the system. Their growth leads to persistent indigestion for those who sit at the tables of power. As they form into active isolated cells they make apprehension difficult. Soon the FBI will have a Thousand Most Wanted List. Our heroes will be hunted like beasts in the jungle. Anyone who provides information leading to the arrest of a fugitive is a traitor.

Unless you want to use our music to attack our politics as the governor of Oregon did to drain support away from demonstrations against the AmeriKKKan Legion. In such a situation the concert should be sabotaged along with political education as to why such an action has been taken. Don't let the pigs separate our culture from our politics.

Well fellow reader, what will you do when Rap or Bernadine call up and ask to crash for the night? What if the Armstrong Brothers want to drop some acid at your pad or Kathy Boudin needs some bread to keep on truckin'? The entire youth culture, everyone who smiles secretly when President Agnew and General Mitchell refer to the growing number of "hot-headed revolutionaries", all the folks who hope the Cong wins, who cheer the Tupamaros on, who want to exchange secret handshakes with the Greek resistance movement, who say "It's about time" when the pigs get gunned down in the black community, all of us have an obligation to support the underground. They are the vanguard of our revolution and in a sense this book is dedicated to their courage.

If you see a fugitive's picture on the post office wall take it home for a souvenir. But watch out, because this is illegal. Soon the FBI will be printing all our posters for free. Right on, FBI! Print up wanted posters of the war criminals in Washington and undercover agents (be absolutely sure) and put them up instead. Since the folks underground move freely among us, we must be totally cool if by chance we recognize a fugitive through their disguise. If they deem it necessary to contact you, they will make the first move. If you are very active in the aboveground movement, chances are you are being watched or tapped and it would be foolhardy to make contact. The underground would be meaningless without the building of a massive community with corresponding political goals. People above ground demonstrate their love for fugitives by continuing and intensifying their own commitment.

If the FBI or local subversive squad of the police department is asking a lot of questions about certain fugitives, get the word out. Call your underground paper or make the announcement at large movement gatherings or music festivals; the grapevine will pass information on to those that need to know.

If you're forced to go underground, don't think you need to link up with the more well-known groups such as the Weathermen. If you go under with some close friends, stick together if it's possible. Build contacts with aboveground people that are not that well known to the authorities and can be totally trusted.

You should change the location in which you operate and move to a place where the heat on yon won't be as heavy. A good disguise should be worked out. The more information the authorities have on you and the heavier the charges determine how complete your disguise should be. There are some good tips in the books on make-up listed in the Appendix. Only in rare cases is it necessary to abandon the outward appearance of belonging to the youth culture. In fact, even J. Edgar Freako admits that our culture is our chief defense. To infiltrate the youth culture means becoming one of us. For an FBI agent to learn an ideological cover is a highly disciplined organization is relatively easy. To penetrate the culture means changing the way they live. The typical agent would stand out like Jimmy Stewart in a tribe of Apaches.

In the usual case the authorities do not look for a fugitive in the sense of carrying on a massive manhunt. Generally, people are caught for breaking some minor offense and during the routine arrest procedure, their fingerprints give them away. Thus for a fugitive having good identification papers being careful about violations such as speeding or loitering, and not carrying weapons or bombing manuals become an important part of the security. It is also a good idea to have at least a hundred dollars cash on you at all times. Often even if you are arrested you can bail yourself out and split long before the fingerprints or other identification checks are completed.

If by some chance you are placed on the "10 Most Wanted List" that is a signal that the FBI are indeed conducting a manhunt. It is also the hint that they have uncovered some clues and feel confident they can nab you soon. The List is a public relations gimmick that Hooper, or whatever his name is, dreamed up to show the FBI as super sleuths, and compliment the bullshit image of them that Hollywood lays down. Most FBI agents are southerners who majored in accounting or some other creative field. When you are placed on the List, go deeper underground.

It may become necessary to curtail your activities for a while. The manhunt lasts only as long as you are newsworthy since the FBI is very media conscious. Change your disguise, identification and narrow your circle of contacts. In a few months, when the heat is off, you'll be able to be more active, but for the time, sit tight.

Identification Papers

Communication

Fight

Identification Papers

Last updated: 29 August 2011

Go back toThe Underground

1 Identification Papers
1.1 Possible Sources
1.2 My IDs Were Lost/Stolen/Destroyed!
1.3 Fake ID Cards
2 Using a Corporation as an Identity
3 Real ID, Fake Person
4 International Driving
5 Other Notes

Identification Papers

Before anything else, please keep this in mind: The only way you can obtain a legitimate passport from a foreign country is from that country's government. On-line brokers who promise passports on the cheap are not to be trusted.

If you need to get out of the country, borrow the passport of a friend who looks like you and is not being tracked by the police. Just like fake ID for beer, try to get matching credit cards and other ID. Another possibility if your passport is a sure bust at the border is to enter through Canada or Mexico and take a nice hike across a wilderness border area. Once across your American papers will not be heavily scrutinized unless you start annoying the pigs.

Another concept is the "Camouflage Passport", which is promoted to US citizens traveling overseas. Technically, it's a make-believe passport with the name of a country that either no longer exists (ie: South Vietnam), changed its name with the old name on the passport (ie: Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe), or has a name similar to that of a real country (ie: British West Indies), complete with your photo, vital statistics and lots of phony Visa stamps. You're supposed to show them to potential kidnappers or terrorists to "prove" you're not from the USA ("No, no! I'm not American! I'm really from West Timor!").

In the USA, these are legal to own as long as it's really your name and photo in it, you to don't try to pass them off as real to a government or law enforcement agent and you don't try to get a Visa with it. Elsewhere, you might have some explaining to do if the Customs agents find this in your suitcase. Some companies will also sell "back-up" ID such as a Driver's License and a library card to further "prove" your nationality. Some new-country projects also sell their own passports that look very legit.

The US Customs Service is wise to these since they keep a list of the passports that they recognize. In short, if it isn't on their list, tough luck. However, they might bluff out a local cop in a small town ( "What's a feller from

British Honduras doin' round these here parts?"). Do a web search on "Camouflage Passport" for dealers. Just remember that they're made on a custom basis, so they're not cheap, and since the September 11th attacks, much harder to get.

Official looking "secondary" ID cards can be found in some stores and shopping centers/flea markets that cater to immigrants, both legal and illegal. The cards are often decorated with American flags, quasi-official looking seals and clip-art of bald eagles or the Statue of Liberty and made to look very "government issue". However, they're known as "ancillary" documents that are supposed to be used as back-up ID with your official ID card, and not intended to be official ID on their own. You're required to supply legal ID (driver's license, passport, birth certificate, Resident Alien card, etc.) and sign a legal release (also called a Notary Statement) verifying the information you're giving is legit.

Some check cashing services will offer a "check cashing card" with your photo, address and Social Security Number for a few bucks. If you get one, guard it with your life, since your SSN can be used in Identity Theft.

Possible Sources

NSK ("Neue Slowenische Kunst" or "New Slovenian Art"), a Slovenian artists collective that includes the Industrial band Laibach, have formed a "global state" called NSK State. They sell NSK passports that look very official, and for €50 (about $70 USA), one can be yours. Just how you use this "symbolic document" is up to you. According to reports, some people used them to leave occupied Sarajevo during the 1995 civil war when authorities refused to recognize Bosnian passports. Their website is: http://wtc.laibach.org/ , or you can write to:

NSK Information Centre, P.O. Box 101, 1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
UPDATE: Due to confusion over the legitimacy of these passports (especially in African countries), the Laibach/NSK website no longer lists them for sale and their issuance may be curtailed. A full report is here: http://www.gla.ac.uk/~dc4w/laibach/nskpassport2008.html

A small group called the World Service Authority issues "World Passports" that may or may not be recognized by a number of countries. They officially aren't recognized by the USA, but they've been successfully used in over 150 nations on a case-by-case basis (As they say in the car commercials, "Your mileage may vary."). They also offer "World Citizen" ID cards, birth & marriage certificates, and the like. Check their website at http://www.worldgovernment.org/ or write to them at:

World Service Authority, World Office, 1012 14th Street NW, Suite 205, Washington, DC 20005, USA

A serious attempt of starting a nation over the internet is "Wirtland". The group issues ID cards to its "Witizens" (if you're willing to wait 3-5 months after your Residence Permit is issued). For full information, visit their website at http://www.wirtland.com .

One group called the High Vibrations Academy ("A Space For Growing In Higher Consciousness") offers a "Common Law ID Card". You can read about it here: http://www.highvibrations.org/IDCenter/ , or write to:

High Vibrations Academy, 3311 Mission Street, San Francisco, California. [94110] (Yes, that's how they list their address on their website.)

The Republic of Timucua is a Native American group attempting to resurrect their tribe. They are offering free citizenship in their tribe and a very official looking ID card for their tribe for only $20 U.S. You might want to check them out. You could perhaps at least claim that you're a minority who could get special privileges when it comes time to work in a CorpGov job. Their website is at http://republicoftimucua.synthasite.com/ and their mailing address (listed on their Citizenship Application form) is as follows:

Native American Tribal Republic of Timucua, Tribal Government Complex, 4573 Palmer Ave., Jacksonville, FL 32210

Back in 1977, British bookseller Richard Booth proclaimed the little medieval market town of Hay-on-Wye (on the England-Wales border) to be an "independent kingdom". While this was mostly a publicity stunt for the many bookstores there, he does sell "Kingdom of Hay-on-Wye" passports for the tourist trade as well as honorary knighthoods and titles of nobility through "The Original Hay Peerage for Aspiring Lords and Ladies". Check the website at http://www.richardbooth.demon.co.uk/haypeerage/otheritems.htm or write to:

The Castle Scribe, Hay Castle, Hay-on-Wye, Hereford, HR3 5DG, UK

Another micronation is the self-proclaimed Principality of Sealand (located on Fort Rough Tower, a former WW2 gunnery platform in the English channel) which sells photo ID cards and "Deeds of Individual Noble Title Ownership" so you can call yourself Lord, Lady, Baron or Baroness. No other nation officially recognizes Sealand and their Noble Titles might not get you listed in Burke's Peerage and Gentry, but still the Noble Title certificate might look cool on your wall. Check out the website at http://www.sealandgov.org/shop.html. If you want to send the folks at Sealand a letter (via their post office box in England), write to:

Bureau of Internal Affairs, Principality of Sealand, SEALAND 1001, c/o Sealand Post Bag, IP11 9SZ, UK

Stuart Hill owns the little (2.5 acres) Scottish island of Forewick Holm in the Shetland Islands chain, claiming it to be British and not Scottish based on his own research. He is selling citizenships to his self-proclaimed "Crown Dependency of Forvik Island", and may be issuing identity documents in the future. You can visit his website at http://www.forvik.com/, or drop him a line:

Stuart Hill, Steward's Residence, The Crown Dependency of Forvik Island, Forvik, Shetland, ZE2 9PL, UK

The Embassy of Heaven Church is an odd Christian Fundamentalist group that professes to be (quoting their website directly) "Christ's ambassadors and Citizens of Heaven, called out of the world to preach Heaven's message." They provide driver licenses, registrations, passports, business licenses, birth certificates and other documentation, but they don't have a very successful track record in being recognized by "worldly authorities". Their website lists a number of their members who have been arrested for driving with "Heaven" license plates and using "Heaven" driver licenses, so you might want to take this as a warning. In 1997, their property in Oregon was seized by the Sheriff's Department for non-payment of property taxes, despite their claim that it was a "separate nation" and tax exempt. Still, if this is your trip, you might find it worthwhile. Check out their website at http://www.embassyofheaven.com/ or drop them a line:

Embassy of Heaven Church, P.O. Box 337, Stayton, OR 97383-0337

If you've got the money, or are starting your own country, professional film & TV prop-maker Anthony "Indy" Margole can make a custom passport for you. Just what you do with it is your own responsibility, and they aren't cheap. Visit his site at:http://www.indyprops.com

My IDs Were Lost/Stolen/Destroyed!!!

As we mention elsewhere in the project, sometimes losing your IDs can be more of a pain in the ass than losing cash. Fear not, though. It is going to take legwork but even those on the run and destitute can get more IDs.

Birth Certificate. You are going to have to contact the Vital Records department of the state and county where you were born. It is easiest if you go in person, but if you have since moved far from the place of your birth, they are going to have to mail this to you. The information needed varies according to each county or parishes system. There are two forms of birth certificate in most states: the long form and the short form. The short form is cheaper and does pass for getting most replacement IDs and employment I-9 compliance, but some folks will want to see the long form which has more information.
Social Security card. An additional Social Security Card can be given up to 10 times in a lifetime for no charge. Of course, this is easy to get another copy of if you already have a valid picture ID, know your Social Security Number, and know your parent's maiden and full names. If you do not have a picture ID, you can claim a disaster or emergency. The office can take employee IDs, medical records, bills, and other things. The office is then going to give you a notarized print out that will satisfy anyone that wants to see a social security card like a potential employer and will mail the new card to you depending to an address you give them.
Driver's License or State ID. With Social Security card print out in hand along with payroll stubs, bills in your name, and anything else you can dig up, you can now go to the DMV This is going to cost about 15 USD to 30 USD depending on where in the Empire you get it. If you have already taken the required exams and have no suspensions against your license, you should be able to get one without much trouble as long as all the documents are in order. If not, all is not lost. Because picture IDs are so commonly used to change checks into cash and to conduct any serious business, all states issue State ID cards with "NOT A VALID DRIVER LICENSE" or "IDENTIFICATION CARD" printed conspicuously on the front.

A word about warrants, attachments, and lost picture IDs

Questions have been raised by many anonymous folks with warrants and owing fines on the internet about losing picture IDs and if the cops stationed at the DMV are automatically going to come up and handcuff them if they show up. Of course, from our searches on the internet, no one is answering. However, we do have some of the answers. If the attachment is for merely traffic like a DUI or civil fine, of course they may not give you a DL but make you get a regular State ID. If your fine is from a misdemeanor or violation of a misdemeanor probation, this depends on the state. Some state DMVs are only hooked up to traffic and Child Support Enforcement databases. Others do have links to State misdemeanors or county/city misdemeanors. So, it really depends where your misdemeanor is and if that place wants the extra hassle and expense of caging your ass then carting you off to wherever. So, if the attachment is for a misdemeanor, you should be okay as long as you get the ID in a further away county or parish. Preferably, you can also get this in another state. Most states are not going to mess with other state's misdemeanor warrants and leave you be and let you get your IDs. However, you may eventually want to take care of it since it can show up on some background checks and screw you out of some employment if you ever get straight. Of course, if you get stopped in that state, they may take your car and your person! If you have a felony and they are looking for you, you are at your own risk. Know that whenever you apply for an ID, you are giving them information they can use to come look for you onto a database. Most felonies, the Empire tracks down ruthlessly.

Fake ID Cards

If you're buying Fake ID through the mails or the Internet, you're on your own. The industry is loaded with shady dealers that will rip you off with either no delivery or a very fake looking fake (such as a misspelled state name, legal disclaimers written across the top in small print, or excessively thick laminate). While these may work for getting beer at your local quickie-mart, they more than likely will not get you onto a plane. Furthermore, good luck trying to get your money back, since admitting you were trying to get a counterfeit identification document will get you into serious trouble. Also, by United States Federal Law (17 USC 1738), any privately issued ID card that you obtain through the mails that has your date of birth on it has to say "NOT A GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT" on both sides in at least 12 point type. Even if you do find someone who will make you one without ripping you off, expect

A laminate machine like the ones found in CorpGov human resource departments can make very convincing fake IDs. These things are also entirely legal to own and available at any office supply store!

A laminate machine like the ones found in CorpGov human resource departments can make very convincing fake IDs. These things are also entirely legal to to pay 100 USD to 200 USD because of the expensive equipment, skill, and risk involved needed to make a believable one. own and available at any office supply store!

It is possible, with some effort and experimentation to make your own if you have access to the proper equipment and have okay editing skills. Let's go over some of the finer points.

A breakdown of the PDF417 barcode found on the back of many state issued IDs. Note that you still need some kind of reader and an actual ID because different states store the information in different orders.

Older appearance. If the person in the photo does not look like the person presenting the ID or the picture looks like a 14 year old and reads age 22, this is not going to work. Fake IDs are limited to those who appear older than they really are.
Computer. Most modern computers will do, even an eight year old trash computer running Puppy Linux in a pinch (though it will be painfully slow). The main thing is it needs to be able to run some kind of photo and art manipulating program.
Software and files. Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia Fireworks, or GIMP (preferably GIMP shop) is needed. Adobe products tend to cost hundreds if purchased. However, pirated copies with cracks appear from time to time on P2P networks like the Pirate Bay with the risk of viruses. GIMP shop is open source and free. GIMP is available for Window$ and Linux. If you are in college, signing up for a class in web design can many times get you free editing software as well. You are also going to need an ID template. You can find these at your friendly Pirate Bay and other sites. Most IDs use the Micro$oft Arial font for text. If you have an operating system that does not have this, you will have to install it or make do with a font that is somewhat close.
Printer. A pigmented based inkjet printer like an Epson printer with DuraBrite ink gives the more believable product. Most dye-based ink jet printers will work fine, too, but not as great as a pigment based ink jet. A laser printer still works, but many times the ink looks a bit off and may not look very passable. Be sure to print on highest quality photo settings. Be sure to print on one sheet of paper - both front and back.
Paper. Cheap typing paper is going to bleed through and not work. Get Artisyn paper or Artisyn Nano Extreme.
Passport photo or digital photo. No, a shitty webcam just will not do. You are going to need a really good quality photo of the person. Paying for a passport photo works as well as using a good quality digital camera. If you are using a real photo, you are also going to need a decent scanner. If you take the photo from a digital camera, you can just transfer the picture to the computer through a memory card. Be sure to look at what color background the DMV uses in ID photos. You may have to fiddle around for a bit with your software to get the background color to match. Either that, or if you are fixing to take the picture yourself, go to a place that sells cheap fabric of the same color and hang that in the background.
Magnetic Stripe. Almost all IDs have this nowadays. Of course, you can forgo this step at the expense of having an ID that will only pass if you flash it really quick without taking it out of a wallet. But, if you already have gotten most of the stuff thus far we know you want more utility. The strip on the back are one of two kinds: either HiCo or LoCo. These can be hard to find, but a search for employee ID products will help you out. If you want to risk adding the ability for the ID to pass a scan (NOT POLICE) to get past things like stores that scan IDs for drinking age, you need a bar stripe encoder and reader. This gets really expensive. The magnetic stripe has all the info on the front of the ID in a certain format that differs state to state. Read a real ID through the scanner to see what format the information is in, then encode the fake information into the stripe that you will be putting with the fake.
Barcode on back. The wierd barcode on the back is information recorded in a format called PDF417. These converters can be found with a bit of an online search. The information contains varies and you may want to do a bit of research as to the set up for the state ID you are trying to emulate.
Laminate Machine. Avery, Arcadia EasyIDea, or GBC makes custom laminators for places like corporations to make employee IDs. While one of these produces really professional results, the machines can cost a bit. Covering the printed paper and laminate with a cloth and running an iron over it can work, too.
Good scissors or X-Acto blade. Employee nametag products like EasyIDea Microperforated Artisyn or a butterfly pouch make this pretty easy. But the cheaper stuff take a bit of fiddling. After sealing the plastic, you are going to need a real ID as a template to cut the edges to conform to the shape of an ID.
Hologram. If you want to make something truly convincing, you are either going to need to use a commonly available generic hologram or Perl-X paint. Some of these products come with adhesive film tape you can apply. The state holograms can be a bit tricky, and requires a bit of artistry and practice to get right. After all, there is an art and research side to everything.

Once you get something like this, be sure to be responsible. Remember, just because you can now go to a store and get shitfaced drunk off of a case of beer does not mean that is a good idea. However, if you are a minor who is forced out on the street due to abuse, a fake ID is a ticket to work if you look and act the part. Be aware, unless you combine the bar stripe info with fake info attached to a real social security card which has never been fingerprinted - local three letter agencies will nail you to a wall. Any check that sends the information encoded on the magnetic stripe to a database, most fake IDs will not pass. Blacklights and highly trained personel can usually spot even the best fakes with close examination and tools. Use this only to get a beer or get a job in rough circumstances while underage. It will not work for plane tickets, bank accounts, hooking up utilities, DMV checks, and getting a passport.... and you definitely do not want a cop to find it with your real ID if he body searches you.

One caution against selling fake IDs. If you think it is a good idea to make thousands equipping the entire tenth grade class of a high school with your newly found talent, think again. The more IDs you put out, the more chance some dumbass who does not take seriously proper use of a valuable tool or give two shits about Security Culture is going to get busted with this thing. Even if the dumbass does not narc you out, almost all modern printers capable of making good IDs print out a microscopic pattern on the paper identifying the model and serial number of the printer and who knows what else, depending on the printer. One phone call to the manufacturer, and authorities then have where it was bought. If a warranty was registered or drivers were installed using the internet, it is highly possible to find who did it. Just FYI.

If you are just looking to get work, there is another way. You are still going to need to look and act the age. Take your IDs and make a shitty photocopy of them. Then, slightly wet the last birthday year number on the copy. Take an eraser and gently scrape off the top of the paper where that number is. Then, do careful pen work to write in the new birthday year. Photocopy this sheet of paper again. Put the final copy with your resume and paper application. This method will not work with some large places with strict HR departments. But, since most places usually take and photocopy IDs anyways, you can just give them this. Tell the interviewer that "I knew you were going to need to make copies of my IDs, so I went ahead and made some for you". This has the added benefit of making you appear to be insightful and prepared to an interviewer. If they ask to see the actual documents, you can always claim you do not have them on you.

Using a Corporation as an Identity

Here's another idea that one could use for an identity that some books such as J.J. Luna's "How to be Invisible" outline. The basics of the idea are this. The CorpGov recognizes corporations as "artificial persons" which can own property and draw income. They even issue identification numbers for such "artificial persons" in the form of a Taxpayer Identification Number which the Infernal Revenue Service issues. This is a nine digit number similar to the SSN but instead of the SSN 123-45-6789 pattern that most individuals are familiar with, the TIN format is 12-

3456789 or 12-34-56789. This number could very easily be manipulated to the SSN form if needed for a private reason and for purposes of dealing with the CorpGov could be used the same as format it was issued in.

One may be wondering, "Well what about a Driver's License and all if I go this route?" Well to make it appear to be a person you name the corporation something like Billy Bob Thorton, Inc. and simply drop the Inc. part when dealing on paper with entities such as the DMV and go to some far off state like Idaho or something like that which only require a birth certificate to get an ID card and don't worry with SSN's. There are about 8 to 10 states like this that issue either both ID's and Driver's License without verifying an SSN or at the least issue an ID without verifying an SSN and the only thing needed is a Birth Certificate.

One may be wondering, "Well what in the world do I do to get a Birth Certificate?" Very simple apply for what's called a Delayed Birth Certificate or forge one. Barry Reid's "Paper Trip 3" describes in detail how to get a delayed birth certificate and who are the easiest states to get one through. The simple answer to who is the easiest to get this through is to go to a rather socially liberal state and get one of these issued as they usually ask less questions about why you might not have been born in a hospital and have gotten a birth certificate a long time ago.

Well once you have this Delayed Birth Certificate in whatever name you want it is much easier to obtain all of the other identity info needed. Also use the TIN as your SSN and it is recommended to have your own business to work at or work as a contract labor person for someone rather than a direct employee. Granted if you're going along with the system you'll have to pay capital gains tax and maybe some other taxes for corporations but you'll be able to have a durable identity in whatever name you want and the pittance costs of taxes might certainly be worth that. Also it is recommended that when you set up your corporation, name a phantom person it's Registered Agent or have someone you can totally and completely trust named as the Registered Agent for it. Well good luck and all with this method.

Real ID, Fake Person

The best and safest I.D. is the real thing, printed in a government office or bank. Here is how you can become a new person who can apply for her rightful identification papers.

1- Visit a cemetery or view obituaries finding a baby or child who was born near your birth year and died before 15 (important). Then, check the Social Security Death Index online to see if they are listed. If they are listed, then their death was reported to the social security administration and all attempts to get a number/card will fail.

2- Order a Birth certificate from the state the infant was born (it is better that this be distant from your home).

3- Rent an apartment in this name as a secondary room mate and begin receiving and paying a few bills in this name.

4- With mail and birth certificate you can safely try to get a social security card, claim you have lived with friends, on drugs since your early teens, or been homeless never working legit.

5- Take your stack of ID and get a drivers license.

6- Most important with all of this ID get a new passport.

7- Open a bank account, this could be useful later to have a safe debit card to use overseas.

You should do this several times, months apart and stash your ID in caches in several cities in case you ever need to flee the country quickly. This system might work (someone let us know) in Canada with modifications.

If leaving the US is a concern a few ounces gold or many silver coins can be converted on the gray/black market in almost every country. They are also not subject to inflation. Forget diamonds or jewels; they are too variable and most legit buyers will not give you anything near their real value.

International Driving

If you're going to drive a car outside the USA, and you have a USA driver's license, it's best to get an International Driving Permit (IDP) in case you get pulled over by a cop who doesn't speak or read English. But be warned! There is no such thing as an "International Driver's License (IDL)" or "International Driving Document (IDD)". There is only an International Driving Permit, and it's nothing more than a multi-language translation of your own existing driver's license. No matter what anyone tells you otherwise, it isn't a license to drive on its own, and you can't get an IDP unless you already have a real driver's license. In the USA, only the American Automobile Association (AAA) or American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA) through the National Automobile Club (NAC, a motor service club for businesses) can issue them. To get one, go to or call your local AAA or AATA/NAC office or visit their websites for more information (aaa.com, thenac.com). You don't have to be a member to get one, but membership can get you a discount. Avoid the websites or any dealers offering IDLs or IDDs (since they're useless rip-offs), or charging as much as $300 for an IDP. The AAA and NAC sell them for less than $20 plus tax and they're good for one year. You will have to provide two passport-sized photos of yourself (on film, no digitals), but call to see if they can take the photos for you at the office. If not, photos can be had at most local copy shops.

(Outside the USA, contact your country's agency in charge of auto registration and ask who issues International Driving Permits.)

Most USA auto insurance policies don't cover driving into Mexico. Before you go, call your insurance agency to check on your policy. If your coverage isn't valid in Mexico, ask if they offer a short-term policy for your trip, or can recommend an agency that can.

If you're driving your car into Canada, get an Inter-Provincial Insurance Card from your auto insurance agency before you go. It proves your coverage is good in Canada, and can save you lots of problems if your car is stopped by the Mounties.

Other Notes

Neutering your passport does not invalidate it. More correctly, a "faulty" RFID chip does not make your passport invalid -- but intentional damage will invalidate it (in addition to potentially landing you in jail.) Moral of the story? Make sure that there's no evidence that you intentionally destroyed the RFID chip.

A neutered RFID passport will cause additional scrutiny at checkpoints and borders, a better idea might be to foil wrap your passport except when scanning in the airport so it is unreadable by passers on the street. There are currently attempts to hack and rewrite passport chips; this is an option on early passports whth standard RFID although if hacks become common expect added security for later models.

Communication

Last updated: 30 August 2011

Go back toThe Underground

1 Communication
1.1 Modern Communications
2 CB vs Ham Transmitters
3 Frequency charts
3.1 OpSec
3.2 Low-band frequencies
3.3 VHF frequencies
3.4 UHF frequencies
3.5 FRS and GMRS
4 Pocket Radio
5 Sat-Com
5.1 J-pole Sat-Com Yagi Antenna
6 Brazil SatCom Nuts
7 Phones
8 Taped Broadcasts
9 Secure SneakerNet
10 Easy Cyphers
10.1 Solitare Encryption and Decryption
10.2 Algorithm
10.3 Book Code
11 Original COMMUNICATION

Communication

Put new stuff here.

Modern Communications

In a age where all phones are pre-tapped to some degree and a tap can legally be put on a person, meaning every phone they could or do use, staying in touch when you have gone to the mattresses can be tough. Part of being underground and hiding out is staying quiet but if you are a leader your continuing free existence may be needed to rally the troops.

CB vs Ham Transmitters

Surprisingly a well grounded CB radio with a horizontal to the ground wire antenna 264 cm (104') long suspended or sloped 5 meters from the ground gives good sky wave when the sunspot cycle is high and local/regional propagation, with the bonus that is almost impossible to trace, the downside is most of the time you range maxes out at 4-10 miles even with a good antenna. Try to buy a CB radio that can easily be modified for out of band transmission and if you have the extra cash sideband really increases the range and free channels. Better yet for the price of a very good CB you can get your hands on a used HF radio transmitter, tuner, and set up a wire stealth antenna. With a medium power HF ham radio set you could keep in contact with almost anyone within a few hundred miles a who has a shortwave receiver but your radio will have to transmit on AM mode, or have conversation with other members using HF radio gear over several thousand miles. Try to keep the transmit power set as low as possible so neighbors won't report the radio operator jamming their TV and trackers will need to search harder. Using a horizontal antenna it is nearly impossible to triangulate or trace location beyond the general region of the country the transmitter is in. To calculate antenna length of a half wave antenna wire divide 492 by your frequency in Megahertz (MHz), antenna length is measured in feet for this formula, of course you will learn that nearly everyone cheats and uses a tuner trading away transmitted watts for ease of change in band. If you are bad at morse code pre-key your transmission into a tape recorder and when the time comes run the tape with the radio on AM or Single-Side-Band mode into the mike, morse works much better at long range than voice, you can also tape and slowly decode received messages, most CB sets wont do CW or morse code mode anyway but you can hack a code keyer by wiring your code key directly into the transmit pin and looping it with a 600hz tone ocillator on mic input pin, use upper sideband setting when transmitting this way. Many shortwave radio sets will receive CB frequencies but combining the low power of legal CB radios with the short antennas on shortwave sets usually leads to short reception ranges.

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Frequency charts

Although the term "business band" refers to several discrete frequencies that are not grouped into a single band, the frequencies are grouped by band and listed below. They are mostly only useful for scanning the local Wal-Mart manager or Mc'key-D's drive through box but you never know what cool stuf they have wired into the system. Some businesses have already moved to store centralized digital 900mhz or higher ISM bands using systems integrated with the stores telephone switching system. What is fun is many of these frequencies are actually available in some of the two-way no-license-required radios sold at these mega stores! You actually have a somewhat legal right to annoy the store manager now.

OpSec

It is important to note that these few frequencies can be easily programmed to be monitored by any cheap scanner, it is reasonable to expect that these frequencies will be monitored by the police at any protest event if they notice us using radios. We recommend either used or inexpensive Chinese walkie talkies designed for commercial and amateur radio operations which can program thousands of frequencies, newer ones can be concealed and operated via Bluetooth or cord headsets just like the FBI.

Thanks to wikipedia.org for the table (gnu fdl)

Low-band frequencies

Mostly tow, delivery, and taxi companies use these freqs.

Name Frequency Notes

27.490 MHz Low power, itinerant

27.510 MHz Low power

27.553 MHz Low power

30.840 MHz Low power

33.120 MHz Low power

33.140 MHz Low power

33.400 MHz Low power

35.020 MHz Low power

35.040 MHz Low power, itinerant

42.980 MHz Low power

43.040 MHz Low power, itinerant

VHF frequencies

You can buy and use MURS radios in the USA without a license, these frequencies are also used by businesses, some radios can be hacked for greater transmit and receive ability.

Name Frequency Notes

Red Dot 151.625 MHz Itinerant

151.820 MHz Un-licensed Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS); 2 watts, 11.25 kHz bandwidth

151.880 MHz Un-licensed Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS); 2 watts, 11.25 kHz bandwidth

151.940 MHz Un-licensed Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS); 2 watts, 11.25 kHz bandwidth

Purple Dot 151.955 MHz

154.515 MHz

154.540 MHz

Blue Dot 154.570 MHz Un-licensed Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS); 2 watts, 20 kHz bandwidth

Green Dot 154.600 MHz Un-licensed Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS); 2 watts, 20 kHz bandwidth

UHF frequencies

Name Frequency Notes

White Dot 462.575 MHz GMRS

Black Dot 462.625 MHz GMRS

Orange Dot 462.675 MHz GMRS

Brown Dot 464.500 MHz Itinerant

Yellow Dot 464.550 MHz Itinerant

Silver Star | 467.850 MHz |

Gold Star

Red Star | 467.875 MHz

467.900 MHz |

Blue Star

467.925 MHz

469.500 MHz Itinerant

469.550 MHz Itinerant |

FRS and GMRS

You will often hear businesses using inexpensive FRS and GPRS radios instead of commercial frequencies, these are UHF radios. Much like ignorant activists businesses and event leaders will transmit in the clear without code words. If you find a GMRS repeater and know the PL tone you have an important tool, this allows you to transmit over a large area of the city with your little walkie-talkie. GMRS is supposed to be a pay-for license service, no test, here are the freqs so you can scan these too.

Name	Lower frequency (repeater output) (MHz)	Upper frequency (repeater input) (MHz)	Motorola convention	Icom F21- GM convention	Notes
"550"	462.550	467.550	Ch. 15	Ch. 1
"575"	462.575	467.575	Ch. 16	Ch. 2
"600"	462.600	467.600	Ch. 17	Ch. 3
"625"	462.625	467.625	Ch. 18	Ch. 4
"650"	462.650	467.650	Ch. 19	Ch. 5	Use not permitted near the Canadian border.
"675"	462.675	467.675	Ch. 20	Ch. 6	Suggested nationwide emergency and road information calling. Nationally recognized coded squelch for 675 emergency repeater operation is 141.3 Hz.
"700"	462.700	467.700	Ch. 21	Ch. 7	Use not permitted near the Canadian border.
"725"	462.725	467.725	Ch. 22	Ch. 8

This second set of frequencies shows the interstitial ranges shared with the Family Radio Service. These frequencies can only be used for simplex operations.

Name Frequency (MHz) Motorola convention Icom F21-GM convention Notes

"5625" or "FRS 1" 462.5625	Ch. 1	Ch. 9
"5875" or "FRS 2" 462.5875	Ch. 2	Ch. 10
"6125" or "FRS 3" 462.6125	Ch. 3	Ch. 11
"6375" or "FRS 4" 462.6375	Ch. 4	Ch. 12
"6625" or "FRS 5" 462.6625	Ch. 5	Ch. 13
"6875" or "FRS 6" 462.6875	Ch. 6	Ch. 14
"7125" or "FRS 7" 462.7125	Ch. 7	Ch. 15

Pocket Radio

Why not build from scratch, kit, or buy a small QRP radio and keep it in your pack. Have a regular time that a friend with a quality antenna and radio setup listens for you. You can keep in touch over hundreds or even thousands of miles using morse code and a transmitter/receiver the size of a pack of cards that is almost impossible to trace. There are many designs on the internet for building such a radio set from easy to get parts. Many QRP radio kits are made to fit an Altoid mint tin, this makes it possible with some creativity to hide a transceiver inside a normal AM/FM walkman type radio case, this disguise might mean that the pigs will return your radio if they pick you up. We have even seen radio transceiver kits smaller and lighter than paperback book for around $100 that let you transmit SSB voice or with minor modifications RTTY data when plugged into a laptop or PDA, these have a range from hundreds to even thousands of miles with a decent wire antenna and good location.

See Backpacking for some wilderness radio tips for the wilderness fugitive.

Sat-Com

If you have a 2 meter band ham radio or something hacked for that frequency range that will do five watts, you can uplink to the amateur radio low Earth orbit communications satellite system. These radios are easy enough to find at a radio swap or online auction for under $100. Most satellites downlink in the 440mhz band except the amateur radio transponders on the International Space Station which uplink and downlink on 2 meters saving you money on gear. So for most satellites you either need a scanner which will work in this band for receiving part of the communications or, to save weight and space, get a dual band 2 meter/440 radio, then the uplink and downlink frequencies are both in one radio. It is important that the dual bander is able to do full duplex between the bands for satellite ops. Lastly, to work most effectively, you should use a good yagi antenna to aim at the satellite; The wimpy rubber antenna on the radio you get is too weak. Some satellites require a PL tone to activate the transponder/repeater, there are kits to add this to hacked old commercial/police/fire/forestry radios but most used ham radios include this for less than the kit.

You can DIY a yagi antenna with measured and cut pieces of solid ground wire, measuring tape, or scrap aluminum arrow shafts, stuck into a shaft of wood, although there is a thing you can buy called an arrow antenna becoming popular with satellite radio backpackers but the $5 DIY antennas are about 10% more powerful than the $150 arrow antenna and are easier to hold if you make them on a longer pipe or pole.

If you get good with satellite it means you can have reliable communications covering a whole continent with a pocket size radio and a tiny power budget, although it only works when there is a ham satellite passing over and sometimes blackouts of an hour occur.

For worldwide communications you need some kind of computer or data device; some satellites have a data store and forward function which will store something like a satellite radio email which a friend can retrive, another mode, digipeater beams your signal to earth stations and forwards it as an email.

There are good free open source satellite tracking programs for laptops and even the oldest PDA's, some let you print out a satellite almanac for a specified date parameter, some also compute the doppler shift live so you can tune your radio. If you have no tracking program, sweep your antenna toward the north or south and scan the known downlink freqs until you hear a OSCARS satellite beacon or voice traffic, most satellites have a regular polar orbit so it should be easy to make a repeating tracking chart.

After reviewing the satellite design and the tech involved we have determined that this is a easy mode for the pigs to direction find if they suspect you of using this to communicate. As long as they can record the downlink transmissions from the satellite and have the orbit information they can calculate your position by the Doppler shift of the uplink signal. This tech is most commonly used by the SAR satellite teams to find crashed aircraft, lost campers, and life rafts and takes several passes to pinpoint a location but even one pass gives a search area of about 100 miles, perhaps even tighter.

The the high speed of satellites leads to a Doppler shift up to +0.10Mhz on oncoming sats and up to -0.10Mhz with satellites that have already passed overhead, directly overhead they will be right on frequency. If you have no satellite information you can scan the 70cm band for downlinks between 435.00-438.00, more difficult is guessing the 2 meter input frequency, but scan 145.80-146.00 for powerful stations, you can also monitor the satellite downlink and run through the uplink band transmitting a tone and you know you are there when it comes back on 70cm.

J-pole Sat-Com Yagi Antenna

For those who know antennas here is the design for a cheap high performance j-pole yagi for the 2m/70cm sats and long range tight band hilltop to hilltop communications. The 2 meter side will be cross polarized from the 440mhz side, meaning they are crossed against each other at 90 degrees. We will list the antenna elements in the order they are found from the bottom or rear of the antenna. The driven element is a j-pole meaning the right side is twice as long as the left and bent back to the center looking like a big J, your coax cable is zip tied to the wood pole and the center wire is soldered to the tip if the J and the sheath wire is soldered to the middle of the full length piece of the wire, you can goop this up with hot glue to strengthen it after you test it. If needed, the tip of the J can be bent a little so you can stick it into your wood pole. We suggest a two foot or so tail on your antenna pole after the reflector element so you can rest the end against your stomach or belt giving you arm a rest as you hold the antenna on the satellite, many people strap their radio to the pole behind the reflector element. There are many designs with good pictures on the net.

2 meter band side:(3 element)

Reflector 41 inches tall - 8.5 inches forward is the driven J element a wire 58.75 inches of wire the left side bent back to the center making a 38.5 inch tall J, the parallel double wire side must space those wires one inch apart - 20 inches forward a 37.0 inch tall element

70cm(440mhz) band side:(six element)

Reflector element 13.5 inches - 2.5 inches forward is the driven element, 19.875 inches of wire bent back on the left side to the center for the J shape 13.0 in wide .375 or 3/8 inches between the double wires side of the J - 5.5 in forward is element-1 12.5 wide - 11.5 in forward element-2 12.0 in - 17.5 in forward element-3 12.0 in - 24.0 in forward element-4 11.0 in

Brazil SatCom Nuts

Our friends in the Amerikan DOD have launched easier to use satellites than the amature system, they are more sensitive and downlink with much more power. To use the FLTSATCOM and UFO satellites pirates typically take an ordinary 2 meter band ham radio transceiver, which operates in the 144- to 148-MHZ range, and add a frequency doubler made from coils and a varactor diode. That lets the radio stretch into the lower end of FLTSATCOM's 292- to 317-MHz uplink range(remember to do the math when setting your frequency). Another path is to hack a 220mhz band ham radio to stretch into the military band. Set the difference between uplink and downlink frequency or repeater offset to +41-MHz. Most radios are by default set to +-0.60, remember if you are using a hacked radio with a frequency doubler to set the offset to +20.5. You could also just find a military surplus air band radio transmitter at a surplus store or auction site and attach a proper antenna and ham radio linear amp as required, use a proper scanner for the receive side if there is no rx/tx frequency offset on an older set. Some radios will require setting two frequencies into memory and setting one as repeater input and one as output, verify it works by transmitting with one radio while a scanner is set to your downlink frequency, no PL tones or codes required! You will need a transciever with at least 20 watts output and a yaggi antenna cut specifically for these frequencies to use these satellites, you will also have to calculate where in the sky your satellite is, it does not move from this point as it is geostationary, so once you hear chatter you can hard mount it like a TV satellite antenna.

The lowest frequency channels are 9-127 which are 25khz wide and spaced 100 khz apart so ch#9 is 292.850Mhz uplink and 251.850 downlink and ch#10 is 292.950 up and 251.950 down, etc. This is a linear transponder so whatever frequency bandwidth you uplink with(within the capacity of the satellite) it will beam down with, don't sweat the military channel plan too much, but realize that if you blow away 500khz of on a regular basis there is a big incentive to shut you down.

It seems the FLTSATCOM and UFO satellites can't be frequency selectively turned off from the ground without disrupting the legit comms, else the US government would be actively blocking the pirates. That said, the US Department of Destruction is jealous that pirates have figured out their use of unguarded space radio transponders, if you use these assets expect your voice to be recorded, and attempts made to track you down. This is more of a danger in urban areas where easy line of sight tracking can be used, in rural areas it is more difficult and requires electronic survey aircraft sent to search you out. So science geek, since there is no movement of the satellite vs the ground they can't use the doppler tracking trick, but they can triangulate your position using one or two other satellites, some simple math, and timing the transmission arrival so dont over use this asset. These crackdowns happen every few months in Brazil where there is major CB style chatter on the overhead FLTSATCOM satellite, we have never heard of this happening in the US, UK, or Europe so far although Portugal is home to many of the transatlantic Brazil chatters who introduced the hack. So far this information is cobbled from information in news reports out of Brazil, scanner recordings from the satellite, and the US military FM 6-02.90 TACSAT field manual.

Phones

Your voice is really your fingerprint and the police can use it, with the help of modern computers, to hunt you back to the telephones you use. If you are in trouble get rid and never use again both your current cell phone and the SIM card inside, don't make calls on a residential phone, even pay phones are risky.

Taped Broadcasts

Abbie's advice on voice and video tapes is very good. Be sure to have a generic indoor background unless you need to show that you are in a certain location, a clean blue sheet is a perfect backdrop as there is no way to guess where you are and a video editor can easily make a pleasing background. Background sound is even more important on the audio of both voice and videotapes. The audio can give away your location better than the video, make sure to have good white noise or soft music covering the background and that you are taping in a quiet room, have a friend with some quality sound editing software check out the background and edit out any passing sirens, trains, or recognizable noise.

Secure SneakerNet

Files can be burned to CDs or stored in USB drives and distributed, carrier pigeon delivered, or mailed from an out of town drop box, then a GPG passphrase and signature is used to unlock operation details for secure meets and backup plans that are somewhat less likely to be compromised than without the codes.

Easy Cyphers

Solitare Encryption and Decryption

(Copyright Wikipedia GNU FDL(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Copyrights) ])

The algorithm generates a stream of values which are combined with the message to encrypt and decrypt it. Each value of the keystream is to be used for one value of the message, thus the keystream will need to be the same length as the message.

1. Remove all punctuation and convert the characters to the same case.

2. Convert all the characters to their natural numerical values, A = 1, B = 2, etc, Z = 26.

3. To encrypt a message, add each keystream value to its corresponding character in the plaintext, rolling over back to 1 if the resulting value exceeds 26. To decrypt, subtract each keystream value from its corresponding character in the ciphertext, rolling back up to 26 if the resulting value should be lower than 1.

Algorithm

This algorithm assumes that the user has a deck of cards and two jokers. For simplicity's sake, only two suits will be used in this example. Each card will be assigned a numerical value: the first suit of cards will be numbered from 1 to 13 (Ace through King) and the second suit will be numbered 14 through 26 in the same manner. The jokers will be assigned the values of 27 and 28. Thus, a 5 from the first suit would have the value 5 in our combined deck, the value 1 in the second suit would have the value 14 in the combined deck.

The deck will be assumed to be a circular array, meaning that should a card ever need to advance below the bottom card in the deck, it will simply rotate back to the top (in other words, the first card follows the last card).

1. Arrange the deck of cards according to a specific key. This is the most important part as anyone who knows the deck's starting value can easily generate the same values from it. How the deck is initialized is up to the recipients, shuffling the deck perfectly randomly is preferable, although there are many other methods. For this example, the deck will simply start at 1 and count up by 3's, modulo 28. Thus the starting deck will look like this:

1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 2 5 8 11 14 17 20 23 26

2. Locate the first joker (value 27) and move it down the deck by one place, basically just exchanging with the card below it. The deck now looks like this:

1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 2 27 5 8 11 14 17 20 23 26

3. Locate the second joker (value 28) and move it down the deck by two places.

1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 3 6 28 9 12 15 18 21 24 2 27 5 8 11 14 17 20 23 26

4. Perform a triple-cut on the deck. That is, split the deck into three sections. Everything above the top joker (which, after several repetitions, may not necessarily be the first joker) and everything below the bottom joker will be exchanged. The jokers themselves, and the cards between them, are left untouched.

5 8 11 14 17 20 23 26 28 9 12 15 18 21 24 2 27 1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 3 6

5. Observe the value of the card at the bottom of the deck, if the card is either joker let the value just be 27. Take that number of cards from the top of the deck and insert them back to the bottom of the deck just above the last card.

23 26 28 9 12 15 18 21 24 2 27 1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 3 5 8 11 14 17 20 6

6. Note the value of the top card. Count this many places below that card and take the value of the card there. This value is the next value in the keystream, in this example it would be 11. (Note that no cards are changing places in this step, this step simply determines the value).

7. Repeat steps 2 through 6 for as many keystream values as required.

Book Code

Much less secure but quicker to use than the card cypher a book code gives the page and location of a sentence or word on a page several such instructions makes a readable message, both parties must have the exact same edition of the book. With the advent of massive book digitization this code might be easily broken in the future, and even now is not considered secure since the book you are using may be known to the police or government.

Original COMMUNICATION

Living underground, like exile, can be extremely lonely, especially during the initial adjustment period when you have to reshuffle your living habits. Psychologically it becomes necessary to maintain a few close contacts with other fugitives or folks aboveground. This is also necessary if you plan to continue waging revolutionary struggle. This means communication. If you contact persons or arrange for them to contact you, be super cool. Don't rush into meetings. Stay OFF the phone! If you must, use pay phones. Have the contact person go to a prescribed booth at prescribed time. Knowing the phone number beforehand, you can call from another pay phone. The pay phone system is superior to debugging devices and voice scramblers. Even so, some pay phones, that local police suspect bookies use, are monitored.

Keep your calls short and disguise your voice a bit. If you are a contact and the call does not come as scheduled, don't panic. Perhaps the booth at the other end is occupied or the phone you are on is out of order. In New York, the latter is usually true. Wait a reasonable length of time and then go about your business. Another contact will be made. Personal rendezvous should take place at places that are not movement hangouts or heavy pig scenes. Intermediaries should be used to see if anyone was followed. Just groove on a few good spy flicks and you'll figure it all out.

Communicating to masses of people above ground is very important. It drives the MAN berserk and gives hope to comrades in the struggle. The most important message is that you are alive, in good spirits and carrying on the struggle. The communications of the Weathermen are brilliantly conceived. Develop a mailing list that you keep well hidden in case of a bust. You can devise a system of mailing stuff in envelopes (careful of fingerprints) inside larger envelopes to a trusted contact who will mail the items from another location to further camouflage your area of operation. A host of communication devices are available besides handwritten notes and typed communications. Tape recorders are excellent but better still are video-tape cassette machines. You can wear masks, do all kinds of weird theatrical stuff and send the tapes to television stations. At times you might want to risk being interviewed by a newsman, but this can be very dangerous unless you conceive a super plan and have some degree of trust in the word of the journalist. Don't forget a grand jury could be waiting for him with a six months contempt or perjury charge when he admits contact and does not answer their questions.

The only other advice is to dress warm in the winter and cool in the summer, stay high and...

Asylum Seekers

Last updated: 2 March 2009

1 Intro
2 Law Enforcement Contact
3 Safe Houses
4 Legal Asylum
5 Continuing the Fight
6 Fugitive Support Kits

Intro

As the worldwide struggle for freedom grows and the oppression increases to match there will be many more opportunities for us to provide asylum to dissidents both foreign and domestic. It is part of our revolutionary responsibility to find safe hideouts as well as assisting these front line fighters in continuing to fight in this worthy war. Always have an extra bed or couch ready in case there is a knock at two in the morning and a whispered plea "I need sanctuary".

Law Enforcement Contact

The largest hazard is routine traffic stops and petty crime busts. These brushes with the cops bag more activists than real police work. Our Bedouin lifestyle makes finding us at any one address difficult.

It is important to provide any fugitive with a good set of matching identification and a good cover story, playing deaf is often easier than trying to cover an accent or inability to speak English. The importance of good fake identification papers will only intensify once a national ID system is implemented. See Identification Papers for more ideas.

Safe Houses

The safest location to hide a fugitive is with a retired non-activist volunteer, think the auntie or grandmother type. They have the lowest priority on police lists and probably live in suburbia where the cops are called for loud parties. If the fugitive is trying to stay off the radar they must not use Internet or telephone from the safe house.

The asylum seeker must abandon or hide their vehicle in another city, vehicles are the easiest clue to find and trace back, a simple trade will inevitably lead back to our asylum seeker as well. Depending on how your host pays for food and supplies additional cash only, no club card purchases above and beyond what is normal should be made so a quick check of credit or club card purchases will not red flag the cops.

If you are unable to use an existing occupied residence as a safe house you will have to make the hideout as unnoticeable as possible whatever form that takes. A safe propane stove and several weeks of food, water, and fuel as well as some secure method of dealing with garbage and sewage are absolutely required for whatever accommodations you pick.

Changing clothing style and getting a haircut can alter appearance as can adding or removing glasses. Wigs and skin makeup are allot of trouble and a sure giveaway if left on too long.

Legal Asylum

If you are protecting a fugitive from a nation at odds with the United States it might be possible to obtain legal asylum from the state department and a legit residence visa. Having a pool of volunteers willing to get "married" to asylum seekers will increase the odds of success in getting a visa. Be in contact with an immigration attorney and always get advice from them about the current state of affairs with the State Department and what is the best course of action.

The following is directly from http://www.uscis.gov visti for more information.

You may apply even if you are in the US illegally. You may apply for asylum regardless of your immigration status as long as you file your application within one year of your last arrival or demonstrate that you are eligible for an exception to that rule based on changed circumstances or extraordinary circumstances, and that you filed for asylum within a reasonable amount of time given those circumstances.

The Asylum Officer or Immigration Judge will consider whether any bars to asylum apply. You will be barred from being granted asylum under INA - 208(b)(2) if you:

1. Ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in the persecution of any person on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion
2. Were convicted of a particularly serious crime (includes aggravated felonies). Committed a serious nonpolitical crime outside the United States
4. Pose a danger to the security of the United States
5. Firmly resettled in another country prior to arriving in the United States (see 8 CFR - 208.15 for a definition of “firm resettlement”)

You will also be barred from being granted asylum under INA - 208 if you are inadmissible under INA - 212(a)(3) (B) or removable under INA - 237(a)(4)(B) because you:

1. Have engaged in terrorist activity;
2. Are engaged in or are likely to engage after entry in any terrorist activity (a consular officer or the Attorney General knows, or has reasonable grounds to believe, that this is the case);
3. Have, under any circumstances indicating an intention to cause death or serious bodily harm, incited terrorist activity;
4. Are a representative of
1. a foreign terrorist organization, as designated by the Secretary of State under section 219 of the INA, or
2. a political, social, or other similar group whose public endorsement of acts of terrorist activity the Secretary of State has determined undermines United States efforts to reduce or eliminate terrorist activities;
5. Are a member of a foreign terrorist organization, as designated by the Secretary of State under section 219 of the INA, or which you know or should have known is a terrorist organization;
6. Have used a position of prominence within any country to endorse or espouse terrorist activity, or to persuade others to support terrorist activity or a terrorist organization, in a way that the Secretary of State has determined undermines United States efforts to reduce or eliminate terrorist activities.

Asylum status may be terminated if you no longer have a well-founded fear of persecution because of a fundamental change in circumstances, you have obtained protection from another country, or you have committed certain crimes or engaged in other activity that makes you ineligible to retain asylum status in the United States.

If the above does not help try contacting:

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

1775 K Street, NW, Suite 300

Washington, DC 20006

Telephone: (202) 296-5191

Website:http://www.unhcr.ch

Continuing the Fight

Extreme care must be exercised and the strictest Security Culture must be followed when communicating with the outside world, see Communication for more ideas.

Fugitive Support Kits

An important revolutionary act is to assemble support gear for those who have been driven underground. These are similar to what those in the survivalist movement call "bug out bags". We are a little more realistic and realize that the fantasy of running to the woods and living off of squirrels and berries is very far fetched even for a survival expert. These kits should have some wilderness gear but should be designed with urban survival and border crossing primarily.

It is OK to go with budget items, if that is what it takes to build more of these support kits. The finest mountaineering gear would probably not even be warranted where our underground fighters will be going. This is not to be left scattered around your house, everything should be loaded in the pack and stored in a dry place, you might store the food seperately in an easy to grab bag. It is very important to have one or more of these bags ready to go at very short notice. People need to know you are willing to provide these emergency support kits to fugitives. If somebody comes by your apartment at three in the morning with their face covered or turned away and loudly whispers "I need an escape kit" be happy that they are practicing Security Culture give them the kit and forget any identifiers so you won't be able to help the cops. You might also keep such a kit stashed someplace safe for fugitives to grab by themselves, see Caching. If you need to ask for a kit do it in a deniable way to keep the supporter out of trouble. It might do to have such a bag packed for yourself in case you are ever in trouble.

Look in Backpacking and Camping and Pack your bag for more item descriptions as well as ways to economize, of course look for the most generic gear possible to avoid attention. The suggested list:

Large frame backpack in good condition
Season appropriate jacket and clothing(is winter coming, what is the weather at the northern border)
Sleeping bag or blanket (a taped plastic cover might be good in rainy areas)
Tent or tarp tent (depending on climate plastic sheet tarp might be OK)
Stove and fuel or sterno and sterno stand (a can stand is OK)
Camping pots and handle
Eating utensils
"Stinger" water heater
Sleeping pad and/or hammock
Change of clothing or two (men's large pants and shirts fit most or can be cut off if you include a belt)
Sturdy shoes or boots (can be difficult because of sizing)
Batteries
Bottles for water
Ready to eat foods (tuna in bags, heavy cereal(like grapenuts), nuts, sweets, cheeses, sausages)
Easy to prep foods, couscous, raamen, soup base, condiments and spices
Instant coffee or tea (For long hours of running or driving)
Hair dryer (for heat and drying clothes)
Hat, clear safety glasses(should look like normal glasses), and sunglasses to disguise face, hair dye and bleach, razors, scissors, comb, mirror.
Printout of this book
Washcloth, towel, drain plug, and soap
Big black marker
Highway and local wilderness maps and compass

Other items might be appropriate depending on the conditions and needs of the underground for example a car, bicycle, weapons, cash, fake ID, communications equipment, whatever. A mobile phone, credit card, or calling card are all probably bad ideas since they are very easily tracked.

--- Liberate ---

Last updated: 6 August 2011

Help us out!!! If you have recently been in, live in, or have knowledge about a city you feel a brother or sister may be interested in.. by all means edit away! Many may be stuck in small, piss-ant towns and want to know if the grass is greener in a far-away destination that they can not get from wikipedia or tourist ad. While we try to keep each city up to date, you will notice many cities have sparse info, some non-existent content, some way out of date, and some that are incredibly useful. Let's make more examples of the latter.

To add your city to the list, simply add the city's name, enclosed by double brackets. If you "edit" this page, you'll see how the rest of the list is formatted. Once you add the city to the list, click on it and use the Free This City Template to start populating each page. When adding new cities here, please also add them the main table of contents.

If you are a reader wanting to get the hell out of where you are or just a change of scenery, check out Urban Living, Rural Living, Squatting, and The Street which are really good general articles with lots of advice.

There are also some very good city forums where folks share good information here:http://www.city-data.com/

Free New York

General Guide

Please provide a general outline of the city and its neighborhoods/boroughs/parts of town, including information about political leanings, police forces, population, income levels, social services, etc.

Housing

Truly free housing is VERY hard to come by in NYC. You might still could break into an abandoned building and squat on the downlow. Otherwise, try connecting with local 'freegan' groups, or Food Not Bombs, and you might meet someone who heard from "a friend of a friend" where the squats are.

C-Squat (155 C Ave, East Village) http://www.myspace.com/seesquat155 Among the last 'ol skool' squats in the city. Appears to now be some kind of co-op.
Flux Factory http://www.fluxfactory.org/residency/about/ If you're a creative type, you can apply for residency with the Flux Factory, which provides studios for artists for between $500-700 a month. The Flux Factory is located in Long Island City, Queens.

Parking

Many neighborhoods have free, alternate side parking. This means that, twice a week, for about 1.5 hours in middle of the work day, parking is not allowed on one side of the street, allegedly for "Street Cleaning", though it's debatable how often the city actually uses that time to clean the street.

While some call this an inconvenience, I call it an opportunity. By knowing what streets have alternate side parking on what days and at what times, you can always count on being able to find a spot in middle of the day. These streets typically have no other parking restrictions, so, if you show up just as street cleaning is ending, you are guaranteed a parking space and you don't have to move your car until the next street-cleaning day.

Most of Manhattan has street cleaning twice a week for 1.5 hours. Each side of the street either has street cleaning on Monday & Thursday; Tuesday & Friday; or Wednesday and Saturday. If one side of the street has street cleaning on one of those pairs of days, the other side of the street will typically have street cleaning on another of those pairs of days at the same time of day. Obviously downtown has expensive parking, from from about 80th street upwards, the side streets have no meters and now you know the best time to find parking.

Street cleaning is not in effect on holidays, but traffic patterns are different on holidays since people are not on their usual weekday schedule, so it's much less predictable but usually possible to find a free parking space. See http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/motorist/scrintro.shtml for a list of days that Alternate Side Parking is not in effect.

In Brooklyn and Queens, street cleaning is usually one day a week for 1 hour.

Food

Food Not Bombs does regular food sharings in Tompkins Square Park every Saturday at about 3pm. If you'd like to volunteer or make a donation, drop by ABC No Rio after 1pm on Sundays, or email fnb@abcnorio.org

The Food Bank for New York City has a truly amazing listing of food pantries and soup kitchens across NYC. Go to http://www.foodbanknyc.org/ and click 'Get Help'.

Free/low-cost markets, produce, butchers, day-old bakeries, etc.

Food banks, missions, church meals, etc.

Medical Care

Planned parenthood, free clinics, free medical advice, Medicare resources, low-cost clinics, etc.

<strong>Free Clinics

New York City Free Clinic (16 East 16th Street, New York, NY 10003) (917.544.0735/ 212-206-5200 to schedule an appointment) Offers comprehensive care.
Columbia Student Medical Outreach (21 Audubon Avenue, New York, NY 10033) (212.342.4719) Offers screening, testing, physicals, x-rays, and social work services, among other programs. Also operates a 24/7 call center.
ECHO Free Clinic (1894 Walton Ave, Bronx, NY 10453) (800.836.1316) Free for adults 19 years and older. Does NOT see children. Open Saturday's 9am-12pm. Services include: "adult routine medical exams, physicals, vaccinations, prescriptions, women's health visits (including gynecology exams and Pap smears), social services and counseling by appointment."
East Harlem Help Outreach Partnership (EHHOP) (1470 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10029) (626.942.6519) Only for residents of East Harlem, age 22 or older. Walk-in urgent care and non-urgent care by appointment only.
Center Care (646-556-9300) is the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center's health program which addresses the needs of LGBTQ New Yorkers. Provides counseling, support groups, cancer support, and also referrals to gay/trans-friendly medical professionals.
PCAP (1800-522-5006) is for pregnant NY residents. This program provides routine medical checkups, hospital care during labor and delivery, and much more. Call or visit http://www.health.ny.gov/publications/6000/

Gynecology: The New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Partnership offers annual gynecological care for free, if you are a NYS state resident, uninsured, and making less then $24,500 a year.

Mental Health

The Door's Adolescent Counseling Center provides free and confidential counseling services using multiple treatment modalities designed to meet the diverse needs of New York City's disadvantaged young people. Services include individual, group and family counseling, art therapy, case management, crisis and life stabilization services. The Counseling Center staff includes counselors, art therapists, social workers and a psychiatrist. Each of these professionals has specific expertise in providing services to young people in foster care; gay, lesbian, bisexual populations; HIV affected youth; young people with substance abuse issues and young people involved in or with histories of involvement in the juvenile justice system.
If you're under 23, the Jewish Board of Children and Family Services' Youth Counseling League offers a sliding scale for an assorted amount of mental health services (as well as homeless services).

Legal Aid

ACLU, free legal aid/counseling, pro bono attorneys, etc.

The most active legal defense group for radical leftists and revolutionaries is the National Lawyers Guild (NLG). The Center for Constitutional Rights and many community organizations (such as the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement) help working class communities of color through community self-defense programs. You can find more about the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement at: www.mxgm.org

ACLU of NYC: www.nyclu.org

Armed Forces/Deployment Avoidance Counseling

Legal aid, resources, etc. You probably want to contact the War Resisters League (who have their national headquarters in New York) or the Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW).

Play

See Free Play section, include details for this city.

Beaches, Swimming Pools, Parks, Sports, Museums, Music, Theatre, TV shows, Movies, etc.

American Museum of Natural History is always free, as is the Metropolitan Museum of Art (suggested donation).
MoMa is free on Friday Nights, from 4pm-8pm.
On Friday nights, the Guggenheim museum is "pay what you wish" (suggested donation).
The grandly named Hall of Science, in Queens, is free on Friday afternoons (2pm-5pm). Many events are also free.http://www.frommers.com/destinations/newyorkcity/A24004.html

- National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center

Museum/Attraction Review

New York City

Frommers.com

American Folk Art Museum is another destination that is free on Fridays, if only for two hours. (6pm-8pm)
The Brooklyn Museum is free one Saturday a month, from 5–11 p.m.
Also free the first Saturday of every month is The Studio Museum of Harlem, a small African art museum.
Parts of the Scandinavia House are free, while the third and fourth floors cost a modest $3 to see ($2 for students and seniors).
The Museum of Arts and Design has a "pay-what-you-want" admission price Thursdays, 6-8pm.
The Asia Society shows Asian-American art, for free, on Fridays from 6pm-9pm.
If your Friday's aren't already filled, then take a look at Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. It's free from 5pm-9pm.
Most of the Jewish History Museum- minus the Yeshiva University Museum- is free, regardless of the day.
Another related landmark is the Jewish Museum, which free on Thursdays from 5pm-8pm.
On the first Thursday of each month, the Dahesh Museum of Art offers free admission.
National Museum of the American Indian is always free, and is definitely worth a look, whether or not you have American Indian ancestry.
The Bronx zoo offers free admission on Wednesdays, as does the New York Botanical Gardens, also in the Bronx. The gardens also offer free admission on Saturdays, from 10am-noon.
Brighton Beach is free to use, and is about a $2 subway ride.
Orchard Beach is definitely the hidden gem of the Bronx. It's free to use, and is three times the size of central park (where else are you going to fit 26 sport courts, and a concert stage?)
It costs nothing to walk around Coney Island, except maybe some therapy in the future.
Screw Broadway. Shakespeare in the Park offers free performances all summer long in Central Park. (Note: You might need to arrive early (and we mean 5:00 AM early) for tickets. The lines for them can get REALLY long)
If you wanna see a good game of baseball, tickets to watch the awesome Brooklyn Cyclones at Key Span park (in Coney Island) can be had for about $10.
Jalopy (315 Columbia St; G to Carroll St) hosts all sorts of cool and affordable concerts and old-timey music classes. They also serve beer in adorable canning jars and sell cookies on the honor system (but pay up! they're made by a local small baker who needs support).
Also see free event listing at freenyc.net

Information

General weather, traffic, news resources, etc.

Winters in New York are typically long and make travel difficult. Winters are too cold and summers are too hot.

For underground news, check out the Indypendent and the New York City Independent Media Center (IMC): nyc.indymedia.org

Underground Papers

The New York Rat, The Indypendent, The Industrial Worker, and many others are available at Bluestockings Book Shop on Allen Street in the Lower East Side.

Miscellaneous

Any other freebies

Time's Up! (NYC Direct Action Environmental Organization) has many free events and participates in Critical Mass: www.times-up.org

Bluestockings (NYC Radical Book Shop) has free poetry readings, free music, free art, and free thinking: www.bluestockings.com

The Yippie! Museum & Cafe has $0.50 coffee and free music or poetry every Friday and Saturday night. A hangout for local SDSers and members of the Youth International Party, both young and old. Cures Not Wars runs the National Mobilization for Cannibis Liberation every month and is located on the second floor: http://www.yippiemuseum.org/

If you're looking to get a pet neutered, there's a couple of options. IF you have proof of public assistance (welfare, Medicaid, Medicare, food stamps, SSI disability, TANF, or public housing) then you can get your pet neutered for FREE at the ASPCA Mobile Clinic. If you do not have proof, then the fee is $99, which includes the spaying or neutering plus several vaccinations. It's best to show up early for this Mobile Clinic, as the lines tend to be long! It's recommended to get there by 5:45 (and yes, that's A.M.!). http://www.aspca.org/aspca-nyc/mobileclinic/ or call 877-SPAY NYC. Otherwise, make an appt with the Humane Society of NYC. Spaying will run you about $40. http://www.humanesocietyny.org/about/services.php or call 212-752-4840.

If you're an economically disadvantaged woman who needs appropriate clothing for a job interview or interview coaching, check with Bottomless Closet: http://www.bottomlessclosetnyc.org/ or call (212) 563-2499. For men, similar assistance is available at Career Gear: http://careergear.org/

For free furniture, always check Craigslist. The NYC Craiglist 'Free' section always has lots of listings for free mattresses, beds, cribs, dressers, etc. Sometimes salons also offer free haircuts. Beware of bed bugs!

If you're searching for a gay-friendly church, this is a good listing of churchs in NY that are identified as gay-affirming: http://www.gaychurch.org/Find_a_Church/united_states/us_new_york.htm

Public Transit

Subways, Buses, Ferries, Shuttles, etc. Most bus drivers in New York City will let you ride for free if you ask them politely. And if the metrocard reader on the bus is broken, everyone rides for free.

Don't get caught jumping the turnstile, especially at locations like Union Square where the pigs have a post inside the station as well as cameras, unless you are looking for a ticket or jail time. If you're white and a college student, the racist pigs are more likely to give you a ticket than to take you to Central Booking at 100 Chambers Street. It used to be if you bent a Metrocard diagonally in the center you could break the magnetic strip and get a free unlimited pass, but I believe this was fixed a few years ago. Make sure not to do this inside of the station and to do it out of the view of the authorities. This is illegal, and difficult to do.

One thing you can do is collect discarded tickets, swipe them at the ticket reader to see if they have any money left on them, even a few cents, and if they do get the station attendant to consolidate them onto one card.

Another thing you can do is wait just outside the subway turnstiles and ask people exiting to swipe you in. Most New Yorkers have unlimited metrocards so the swipe will cost them nothing. MTA Employees (the ones in the blue shirts with the MTA badges) don't care when people do this, but the pigs do, so make sure there are none around.

If you have a charitable friend who has an unlimited metrocard, they can give it to you and claim they lost their card. If they have a receipt or they bought it with a credit/debit card, they'll be refunded the remaining value of the card ($104/30 for every day left on it) and they can purchase a new one. The refund comes within a few weeks. You can do this twice in a calendar year. Unlimited metrocards can be swiped at the same subway station once every 18 minutes, and swiping onto a bus is free for 2 hours after you swipe onto the subway and vice a versa.

When the subway isn't running correctly because of construction or other bullshit, sometimes above-ground shuttles replace the trains. (This generally only happens in the outer boroughs, and occasionally in Harlem.) You're technically supposed to either have a transfer ticket from the subway or pay to get on the shuttle, but no one ever does. Squeeze in and ride.

The Staten Island Ferry is free, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.

While not free, Chinatown buses are (usually) much cheaper than Greyhound, although they're becoming increasingly more expensive (and the routes are limited).

Free Clothing and Furniture

See Free Clothing and Furniture section, provide details for this city.

Assorted Freebies

See Assorted Freebies Section, provide details for this city, including other topics. Whatever fits and is useful.

Survive

Go to the Survive section and provide any city-specific details, including new topics.

Original Fuck New York

HOUSING

You can always sleep up in Central Park during the daytime, although the muggers come out to play at night. Free night crashing can be found in the waiting room of the Pennsylvania Railroad station, 34th St. and 7th Ave. The cops will leave you alone until about 7:00 AM when they kick you out. You can put your rucksack in a locker for twenty-five cents to avoid it being ripped-off.

The Boys Emergency Shelter, 69 St. Marks Place, (777-1234) provides free room and board for males 16-20 years of age. The Living Room can be found on the same block. It's a heavy religious scene, but they will help with room and board. Their hours are 6:30 PM to 2:00 AM, phone 982-5988. Also on the Lower East Side is the Macauley Mission at 90 Lafayette St.

On the West Side, there's a poet named Delworth at 125 Sullivan St. that houses kids if he's got room. The Judson Memorial Church, Washington Square South always has one or more housing programs going. If you're really hard up, try the Stranded Youth Program, 111 W. 31st St. (554-8897). Teenagers 16-20 are sent home; if you don't want to go back but need room and board, give them phony identification.

The Graymoor Monastery (CA 6-2388) offers free room and board for young people in the country. They provide transportation.

FOOD

Hunt's Point Market, Hunt's Point Ave. and 138th St. in the Bronx will lay enough fruit and vegetables on your family to last a week or more. Lettuce, squash, carrots, cantaloupe, grapefruit, even artichokes and mushrooms all crated. You'll need a car or truck and they only give stuff away in the early morning. Just tell them you're doing a free food thing and it's yours. Outasight!

The large slaughterhouse area is in the far West Village, west of Hudson and south of 14th St. Get a letter from a clergyman saying you need meat for a church-sponsored meal.

The fish market is located on Fulton and South Streets under the East River Drive overpass in lower Manhattan. You can always manage to find some sympathetic fisherman early in the morning who will lay as much fish on you as you can cart away.

https://web.archive.org/web/http:/wiki.stealthiswiki.org/wiki/Image:Orig48.jpg][

If you pick up on a car, take a trip to Long Island City. There you will find the Gordon Baking Company at 42-25 21st, Pepsi Cola at 4602 Fifth Ave., Borden Company at 35-10 Steinway St. and Dannon Yogurt at 22-11 38th Ave. All four places give out samples for free if you call or write ahead and explain how it's for a block party.

Along 2nd and 3rd Avenues on the upper east side are a host of swank bars with free hors-d'oeuvres beginning at five. All Longchamps are good, as is Max's Kansas City.

For real class, check the back pages of the New York Times for ocean cruises and those swinging bon voyage parties. If you look kind of straight or want to disguise yourself and see the other half at it, sneak into conventions for drinks, snacks and all kinds of free samples. Call the New York Convention Bureau, 90 E. 42nd St. MU 7-1300 for info. You can also get free tickets to theater events here at 9:00 AM on weekdays.

Other free meals can be gotten at the various missions.

Bowery Mission - 227 Bowery (674-3456). Pray and eat from 4:00 to 6:00 PM only. Heavy religious orientation.
Catholic Worker - 36 E. First St. Soup line from 10:00 to 11:00 AM. Clothes for women on Thursday from 12:00 to 2:00 PM. Clothes for men after 2:00 PM weekdays. Sometimes lodging.
Holy Name Center for Homeless Men - 18 Bleeker St. (CA 6-5848 or CA 6-2338) Clothes and morning showers from 7:00 to 11:00 AM.
Macauley Mission - 90 Lafayette St. (CA 6-6214) Free room and board. Free food Saturdays at 5:00 PM. Sometimes free clothes.
Moravian Church - 154 Lexington Ave. (MU 3-4219 or 533-3737) Free spaghetti dinner on Tuesday at 1:00 PM.
Quakers - 328 E. 15th St. Meals at 6:00 PM Tuesdays.
Wayward - 287 Mercer St. Free meals nightly.

The International Society For Krishna Consciousness is located at 41 Second Ave. Every morning at 7:00 AM a delicious cereal breakfast is served free along with chanting and dancing. Also at noon, more food and chanting and on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:00 PM, again food and chanting. Then it's all day Sunday in Central Park Sheepmeadow (generally) for still more chanting (sans food). Hari Krishna is the freest high going if you can get into it and dig cereal and of course, more chanting.

The Paradox Restaurant, at 64 E. 7th St. is a neat cheap health joint that will give you a free meal if you help peel shrimp or do the dishes.

MEDICAL CARE

The latest dope on family planning and the new abortion law can be obtained from Planned Parenthood, 300 Park Ave. (777-2015). They provide a free directory on city-wide services in this area. The Black Panther Free Health Clinic on 180 Sutter Ave. in Brooklyn is radical medicine in action. If you ripped off this book, why not send them or another group mentioned in this book a check so they can continue serving the people. Two fantastic clinics on the Lower East Side are the St. Marks People's Clinic at 44 St. Marks Place (533-9500), open weekdays 6-10 PM and NENA at 290 E. Third St. (677-5040) which also functions as a switchboard for the area.

The Beth Israel Teenage Clinic at 17th St. and 1st Ave. 673-3000 ext. 2424) services young people. Millie at the Village Project, 88 2nd Ave. can arrange for free glasses. The New York University Dental Clinic, 421 First Ave. will give you the cheapest dental care in Gotham. Stuyvesant-Poly Clinic, 137 Second Ave. (674-0232) has an emergency day clinic with the quickest service. Dial-a-freakout is 324-0707. Ambulance service is at 440-1234. You ought to know the cops accompany ambulance calls. The following is a list of the New York City Health Department Centers. They provide a number of free services including X-rays, venereal examinations and treatment, shots for children's diseases, vaccinations, tetanus shots and a host of other services.

Manhattan

Central Harlem-2238 Fifth Ave. AU 3-1900
East Harlem-158 E. 115th St. TR 6-0300
Lower East Side-341 E. 25th St. MU 9-6353
Manhattanville-21 Old Broadway MO 5-5900
Morningside-264 W. 118th St. UN6-2500
Washington Heights-600 W. 168th St. WA 7-6300

Bronx

Morrisania- 1309 Fulton St. WY 2-4200
Mott Haven-349 E. 140th St. MO 9-6010
Tremont-Fordham-1826 Arthur Ave. LU 3-5500
Westchester-Pelham-2527 Glebe Ave. SY 2-0100

Brooklyn

Bedford-485 Throop Ave. GL 2-7880
Brownsville-259 Briston St. HY 8-6742
Bushwick-335 Central Ave. HI 3-5000
Crown Heights-1218 Prospect Place SL 6-8902
Flatbush-Gravesend-1601 Ave. S NI 5-8280
Ft. Greene-295 Flatbush Ave. Ext. 643-8934
Red Hook-Gowanus-250 Baltic St. 643-5687
Sunset Park-514 49th St. GE 6-2800
Williamsburg-Greenpoint-151 Mayier St. EV 8-3714

Queens

Astoria-Maspeth-12-1631st Ave. L.I.C. AS 8-5520
Corona-Flushing-34-33 Junction Blvd., Jackson Heights HI 6-3570
Jamaica-90-37 Parsons Blvd. OL 8-6600
Rockaway-67-10 Rockaway Beach Blvd.; Arvenne NE 4-7700
Richmond-51 Stuyvesant Place SA 7-6000

The key to getting overall medical care for free is to pick up on a Medicaid card. You can apply at any metropolitan hospital. After filling out a long form and waiting three weeks you'll get your card in the mail. Have a good story when interviewed about why you're not working or only making under $2900 a year. There is an age limit in that only folks over 21 can qualify, but the rule is liberally enforced and younger people can get the card with the right hardship story.

LEGAL AID

The Lawyer's Commune is a group of revolutionary young lawyers pledged to make a limited income and handle the toughest political cases. They handle all our cases. Find them at 640 Broadway on the fifth floor (677-1552).

New York radicals are fortunate in having a number of good legal assistance agencies. One of the following is bound to be able to help you out of a jam.

Emergency Civil Liberties Committee-25 E. 26th St. 683-8120 (civil liberties)
Legal Aid Society-100 Centre St. BE 3-0250 (criminal matters)
Mobilization for Youth Legal Services-320 E. Third St. 777-5250 (all types of services)
National Lawyers Guild-5 Beekman St. 277-0385 or 227-1078 (political)
New York Civil Liberties Union-156 Fifth Ave. 929-6076 (civil liberties)
New York University Law Center Office-249 Sullivan St. GR 3-1896 (civil matters)

DRAFT COUNSELING

Bronx

Claremont Neighborhood Center - 169th St. and Washington Ave. 588-1000. Hours are from 2:00 to 10:00 weekdays.

Brooklyn

Black Anti-Draft Union - 448 Nostrand Ave.
Church of St. John the Evangelist - 195 Mayier St. 387-8721
Society for Ethical Culture - 53 Prospect Park West SO 8-2972

Manhattan

American Friends Service Committee - 15 Rutherford Place 777-4600
Chelsea Draft Information - 346 W. 20th St. WA 9-2391
Community Free Draft Counseling Center - 470 Amsterdam Ave. 787-8500
Greenwich Village Peace Center - 137 W. Fourth St. 533-5120
Harlem Unemployment Center - 2035 Fifth Ave. 831-6591
LEMPA - 105 Avenue B 477-9749
New York Civil Liberties Union - 156 Fifth Ave. 675-5990
New York Workshop in Nonviolence - 339 Lafayette St. 227-0973
Resistance - 339 Lafayette St. 674-9060
Union Theological Seminary - 606 W. 122nd St. MO 3-9090
War Resisters League - 339 Lafayette St. 228-0450
Westside Draft Information - 602 Columbus Ave. (89th St.) 874-7330
Woman's Strike for Peace - 799 Broadway 254-1925

PLAY

Botanical Gardens

Conservatory Gardens - Central Park, 105th St. and Fifth Ave. Seasonal display. LE 4-4938
Brooklyn Botanical Gardens - Flatbush and Washington Aves. Rose Oriental Garden, Rose Garden, Native Wild Flower Garden, Rock Garden, Conservatory. Seasonal display. MA 2-4433.
New York Botanical Gardens, Bronx Park, 200th St., east of Webster Ave. Gardens and Conservatories. Seasonal displays. Parking fee: $1.00 on Saturday, Sunday and holidays. Open: Grounds - 10:00 AM to dark, Greenhouses - 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. 933-9400.
Queens Botanical Gardens, 43-50 Main St., between Dahilia and Elder Aves., Flushing. TU 6-3800.

These gardens are really beautiful places to fuck around for a day. The best ones are the Bronx and Brooklyn. Bring a picnic, a few friends, some grass, and plant the seeds. It's all free. Zoos

Central Park - 64th St. and Fifth Ave. Free. Open 11 AM to 5 PM.
Children's Zoo - 64th St. and Fifth Ave. Open 10 AM to 5 PM. Admission is 10 cents. No tickets are sold after 4:30 PM. Free story-telling sessions with motion pictures or color slides at 3:30 PM, Mondays through Friday.
Bronx Park - Fordham Road and Southern Blvd. WE 3-1500. Open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM. November, December, January closes at 4:30 PM. Admission on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays is 25 cents for adults and children over 5 years. Free on other days and all legal holidays. Children's Zoo closes November 1st.
Barrett Park Zoo - in Richmond, Broadway, Glenwood Place and Clove Road. Open daily 10 AM to 5 PM. GI 2-3100.

Unlike the barbaric cages in Central Park, the 18-acre Flushing Meadow Zoo in Queens has been designed so that visitors can view the animals and buds in their natural surroundings, without bars. Take the Main Street Flushing Line Subway (train number 7) from Times Square to 111th St. in Queens. Bronx Zoo which is the largest in the United States and Flushing Meadow Zoo are fantastic.

Beaches

Brooklyn - Coney Island Beach and Boardwalk ES 2-1670
Manhattan Beach - Oriental Blvd., from Ocean Ave. to Makenzie St. DE 26794
Bronx - Pelham Bay Park - Orchard Beach and Boardwalk TI 5-1828
Queens - Jacob Riis Park - Jamaica Bay, Beach 149 to Beach 169 GR 4-4600
Rockaway Beach - First St. to 149th St. GR 4-3470
Richmond - Great Kills Park - Hylan Blvd., Great Kills EL 1-1977
South Beach and Boardwalk - Ft. Wadsworth to Miller Field, New Dorp YU 7-0709
Wolfs Pond Park - Holten and Cornelia Avenues, Princes Bay YU 4-0360

Go to the beach on weekdays as it usually is very crowded on the weekends. The best beach by far is Rockaway. lt has pretty good waves.

Swimming Pools MANHATTAN - OUTDOOR POOLS

Carmine Street Pool - Clarkson St. and Seventh Ave. WA 4-4246
Colonial Pool - Bradhurst Ave. and W. 145th St. WA 6-8109
East 23rd Street Pool - Asser Levy Place MU 5-1026
Hamilton Fish Pool - E. Houston and Sheriff Streets GR 7-3911
Highbridge Pool - Amsterdam Ave. and W. 173rd St. WA 3-2360
John Jay Pool - 77th St., east of York Ave. at Cherokee Place. RE 7-2458
Lasker Memorial Pool - Central Park, 110th St. and Lenox Ave. 348-6297
Thomas Jefferson Pool - 111th St. and First Ave. LE 4-0198
West 59th Street Pool - between West End and Amsterdam Avenues. CI 5-8519

MANHATTAN - INDOOR POOLS

Baruch Pool - Rivington St. and Baruch Place GR 3-6950
East 54th Street Pool - 342 E. 54th St. and Second Ave. PL 8-3147
Rutgers Place Pool - 5 Rutgers Place GR 3-6567
West 28th Street Pool - 407 W. 28th St. CH 4-1896
West 134th Street Pool - 35 W. 134th St. AU 3-4612

BROOKLYN - OUTDOOR POOLS

Betsy Head Pool - Hopkinson and Dumont Avenues DI 2-2977
McCarren Pool - Driggs Ave. and Lorimer St. EV 8-2367
Red Hook Pool - Bay and Henry Streets TR 5-3855
Sunset Pool - Seventh Ave. and 43rd St. GE 5-2627

BROOKLYN = INDOOR POOLS

Brownsville Recreation Center - Linden Blvd. and Christopher Ave. HY 8-1121
Metropolitan Avenue Pool - Bedford Ave., no phone; call SO 8-2300
St. John's Recreation Center - Prospect Place and Schenectady Avenues HY 3-3948

BRONX OUTDOOR POOLS

Crotona Pool - E. 173rd St. and Fulton Ave. LU 3-3910

BRONX - INDOOR POOLS

St. Mary's Recreation Center Pool - St. Ann's Ave. and E. 145th St. CY 2-7254

QUEENS - OUTDOOR POOLS

Astoria Pool - 19th St. and 23rd Drive, Astoria AS 8-5261
Flushing Meadow Amphitheatre - Long Island Expressway and Grand Central Parkway, Swimming pool and diving pool. 699-4228.

RICHMOND - OUTDOOR POOLS

Faber Pool - Faber St. and Richmond Terrace GI 2-1524
Lyons Pool - Victory Blvd. and Murray Hulbert Ave. GI 7-6650

The pools are generally crowded but on a warm summer day you don't care. The pools are open on weekdays from 10 AM to 12:30 PM. There is a free period for children 14 years of age and under. No adults are admitted to the pool areas during this free period. After 1 PM on weekdays and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays there is a 15 cents charge for children under 14 years and a 35 cents charge for children over 14 years.

Free Cricket Matches

At both Van Cortland Park in the Bronx and Walker Park on Staten Island every Sunday afternoon there are free cricket matches. Get schedule from British Travel Association, 43 W. 61st St. At Walker Park, free tea and crumpets are served during intermission. I say! Free Park Events

All kinds of activities in the Parks are free. Call 755-4100 for a recorded announcement of the week's events. The freak center is the rowing pond around 70th St. and Bethesda Fountain around 72nd St. in Central Park, although it floats. Busts are non-existent. A complete list of all recreational facilities can be obtained by calling the New York City Department of Parks.

Museums

American Academy of Arts and Letters, American Numismatic Society, and the American Geographical Society are all located at Broadway and 155th St.
Asia House Gallery - 112 E. 64th St. Art objects from the Far East.
Brooklyn Museum - Eastern Parkway and Washington Ave. Egyptian stuff best in the world outside Egypt. Take IRT (Broadway line) express train to Brooklyn Museum station. (Don't miss the Gardens in back.)
The Cloisters - Weekdays 10 AM to 5 PM, Sundays 1 PM to 6 PM. Take IND Eighth Avenue express (A train) at 190th Str. station and walk a few blocks. The number 4 Fifth Avenue bus also goes all the way up and it's a pleasant ride. One of the best trip places in medieval setting.
Frick Museum - 1 E. 70th St. Great when you're stoned. Closed Mondays.
The Hispanic Society of America - Broadway between 15th and 16th Streets. The best Spanish art collection in the city.
Marine Museum of the Seaman's Church - 25 South St. All kinds of model ships and sea stuff. Also the Seaport Museum on 16 Fulton St.
Metropolitan Museum - 5th Ave. and 82nd St.
Museum of the American Indian - Broadway at 155th St. Largest Indian museum in the world. Open Tuesday to Sunday 1 to 5 PM. Take IRT (Broadway line) local to 157th St. station.
Museum of the City of New York - 103rd St. and 5th Ave. LE 4-1672
Museum of Modern Art - 11 W. 53rd St. CI 5-3200. Monday is free.
Museum of Natural History - Central Park West and 79th St. Great dinosaurs and other stuff. Weekdays 10-5 PM, Sunday 1-5 PM.
Museum of the Performing Arts - Lincoln Center, Amsterdam Ave. and 65th St. 799-2200
New York Historical Society - 77th St. and Central Park West. TR 3-3400
Chase Manhattan Museum of Money - 1256 6th Ave. All banks, especially Chase Manhattan ones are museums when you get right down to it. Liberate them!

Music

Summer Musical Festival in Central Park. About the closest you can come to good free rock music. There are concerts every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday in the months of July and August. It only costs $1.00 or $2.00, and everybody in the music world plays at least once. The concerts are held at the Wollman Ice Skating Ring. Occasionally there are free rock concerts in Central Park.
The Greenwich House of Music located at 46 Barrow St. in the West Village puts on free concerts and recitals every Friday at 8:30 PM. For a complete schedule send a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
The Frick Museum, 1 E. 70th St., BU 8-0700, has concerts every Sunday afternoon. The best of the classical offerings. You must hassle a little. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope that will arrive on Monday before the date you wish to go. One letter, one ticket. The Donnell Library, 20 W. 53rd St. also presents free classical music. The schedule is found in "Calendar of Events" at any library.
The Juilliard School presents a variety of free stuff: orchestral, opera, dance, chamber music, string quartets and soloists. Performances take place most Friday evenings at 8:30 PM, from November through May.
The Museum of the City of New York, 5th Ave. between 103rd St. and 104th St. every Sunday at 2:30 PM, October through April. Phone first: LE 4-1672. Classical.
New York Historical Society, from December through April, has glee clubs, string groups, and classical singers performing on Sundays at 2:30 PM., 170 Central Park West (near 77th St.), Phone TR 3-3400 for schedule.
Brooklyn Museum has classical concerts by assorted soloists and groups and are presented free every Sunday from October through June at 2 PM, Eastern Parkway and Washington Ave. NE 8-5000.

Television Shows

You can sometimes pick up tickets to television shows at the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau, 90 E. 42nd St. For the bigger and better shows you have to write direct to the studios. If you do write, do it as far in advance as possible. CBS, 51 W. 52nd St., asks you to write two months in advance. Sometimes you can get last-minute tickets for the Ed Sullivan Theater, 1697 Broadway. For NBC shows, write NBC Ticket Division, 30 Rockefeller Plaza. There is also a ticket desk on the NBC Mezzanine of 30 Rockefeller Plaza where tickets are given out for the day shows on a first-come-first-served basis. It's open Monday through Friday from 9-5. ABC, 1330 Sixth Ave. ask you to write two to three weeks in advance for tickets. You can get tickets up to the day of the show by calling in or visiting the ticket office of ABC, 79 W. 66th St. or 1330 6th Ave. (LT 1-7777). Metromedia also gives out free tickets to their shows and you can get them by writing to WNEW-TV, 205 E. 67th St. (LE 5-1000).

Theater

The Dramatic Workshop, Studio number 808, Carnegie Hall Building, 881 7th Ave. at 56th St. Free on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8:15 PM. JU 6-4800 for information.
New York Shakespeare Festival, Delacourte Theater, Central Park. Every night except Monday. Performance begins at 8:00 PM, but get there before 6:00 PM to be assured of tickets.
Pageant Players, the Sixth Street Theater Group and other street theater groups perform on street corners and in parks. Free theater is also provided at the United Nations Building and the Stock Exchange on Wall Street. If you enjoy seventeenth century comedy.
The Equity Library Theatre gives performances of old Broadway hits at the Masters Institute, 103rd St. and Riverside Drive. They perform Tuesday through Sunday at 8:30 PM and Sunday at 2:30 PM. Free tickets are not always available so phone ahead (MO 3-2038) for reservations. No shows during the summer.
The Museum of Performing Arts, 111 Amsterdam Ave. offers plays, dance programs and music. Shows start at 6:30 PM. Tickets are handed out at 4:00 PM. Saturday shows start at 2:30 PM. You can write for a calendar of events to 1865 Broadway or call 799-2200.

Movies

The New York Historical Society, Central Park West and 77th St. presents Hollywood movies every Saturday afternoon. TR 3-3400 for a schedule.
At the Metropolitan Museum, Fifth Ave. and 82nd St., you can see art films every Monday at 3:00 PM. TR 9-5500 for a schedule.
New York University has a very good free movie program as well as poetry, lectures, and theatre presentations. Call the Program Director's Office 598-2026 for a schedule.
The Film Library in the Donnell Library, 20 W. 53rd St., 790-6463, has a wide variety of films which may be borrowed free of charge. The Library system also presents film programs throughout the year. Pick up a Calendar of Events which lists the free showings at all the branches.
The Museum of Modern Art is free every Monday and they have a free film showing at 2 and 5 PM. Get a schedule at the Museum. They have the largest movie collection in the world.
Museum of Natural History, Central Park West between 77th and 81st St. (TR 3-1300), presents travel and anthropological films on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons at 2:00 sharp, from October through May.

Every movie that plays in New York has a series of screenings for critics, film buyers and friends of the folks that made it. Look in the Yellow Pages under Motion Picture Studios and Motion Picture Screening Rooms. Once you get the feel of it, you'll quickly learn who shows what, where and when. They always let you in free and if not give some gull story. (See Free Entertainment section). If you see previews in a theater or notice a publicity build-up in the newspapers, the movie is being screened at one or more of the rooms.

INFORMATION

Daily News-220 E. 42nd St., will answer any questions you put to them. Well almost!
General information: 883-1122
Sports: 883-1133
Travel: 883-1144
Weather: 883-1155
For the latest news, call the wire services:
AP is PL 7-1312, UPI is
MU 2-0400.
The New York Times Research Bureau, 229 W. 43rd St., 556-1651, will research news questions that pertain to the past three months. Liberation News Service at 160 Claremont Ave., will give you up-to-the-minute coverage of radical news. Call 749-2200.

UNDERGROUND PAPERS

East Village Other-20 E. 12th St., 255-2130
Liberation-339 Lafayette St., 674-0050
Other Scenes-Box 8, Village Station, 242-3888
Rat-241 E. 14th St., 228-4460
Win-339 Lafayette St., 674-0050
For others, call Underground Press Syndicate, Box 26, Village Station, 691-6073

MISCELLANEOUS

Dial-A-Beating-911
Dial-a-Demonstration 924-6315
Dial-a-Satellite-TR 3-0404
Time-NERVOUS
Weather-WE 6-1212.
The Switchboard-989-0720, at the Alternate U, is open 6 PM to 3 AM.

THE SUBWAY SYSTEM

The first thing to do is get familiar with the geography of stops you use most frequently. Locate the token cage. Check to see whether the exits are within easy view of the teller, off to the side, or blocked from view by concrete pole-supporters. Next learn the type of turnstile in use. Follow the hints laid down in the Free Transportation section.

The rush hours are always the easiest times. Just go through the exits as people push open the door. Also at crowded hours, people go single file past the turnstiles, one after another in a steady stream. Get in line and go under. The people will block you from view and won't do anything. Even a cop won't give you much hassle. Some subway stations have concrete supports that block the teller's view. Where these exist, slip through the exit nearest the pole or slide by the turnstile.

Turnstile jumping is such a skill, it's going to be added to the Olympics. There are three basic styles common to New York and most cities and each needs a slightly different approach.

The Old Wooden Cranker-(Traditional) You have to go under or sail over this type. Going under is a smoother trip. Going over is trickier since you need both hands free to hurdle and it's a quicker, more noticeable motion.

New-Aluminum-Bar-Turnstiles-Which-Turn-Both-Ways-For-Exit-and- Entrance-Approach it with confidence. Pretend you're putting in a token with your right hand and pull the bar toward you one third of the way with your left hand. Go through the space left between the bars and the barrier. Not for heavyweights!

New-Aluminum-Bar-Turnstiles-Which-Can-Be- Used-Only-For-Entrance-They won't pull towards you, and so, you must go either under or over them.

NOTE: There is no way to tell a New-Aluminum-Bar-Turnstile-Which-Turns-Both-- Ways-For-Exit-and-Entrance from a New-Aluminum-Bar-Turnstile-Which- Can-Be-Used-Only-For-Entrance unless there is a sign. You have to try it first. Therefore, it is important to remember which kind is in use at your local station so your technique will be smooth. Once you're through, remember in your mind you've paid. Ignore everybody who tries to stop you or tell you different. If someone shouts just keep on truckin' on toward your track. Don't stop or run. Insist you are right if you ever get caught. We have been doing it for years, got caught twice and let go both tunes when other passengers insisted we paid. Everybody hates the subways, even the tellers.

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FREEBIES

Clothing Repairs

All Wallach stores feature a service that includes sewing on buttons, free shoe horns, and shoe laces, mending pants pockets and linings, punching extra holes in belts, and a number of other free services.

Furniture

By far the best place to get free furniture in New York is on the street. Once a week in every district, the Sanitation Department makes bulk pick-ups. The night before, residents put out all kinds of stuff on the street. For the best selection try the West Village on Monday nights, and the East Seventies on Tuesday nights. On Wednesday night there are fantastic pick-ups on 35th St. in-back of Macy's. Move quickly though, the guards get pissed off easily; the truckers couldn't care less. This street method can furnish your whole pad. Beds, desks, bureaus, lamps, bookcases, chairs, and tables. It's all a matter of transportation. If you don't have access to a car or truck, it's worth it to rent a station wagon and make pick-ups.

Ghosts

If you would like to meet a real ghost, write Hans Holtzer, c/o New York Committee for Investigation for Paranormal Research, 140 Riverside Drive, New York, NY. He'll put you in touch for free.

Free Lessons

Lessons in a variety of skills such as plumbing, electricity, jewelry-making, construction and woodworking are provided by the Mechanics Institute, 20 W. 44th St. Call or write them well in advance for a schedule. You must sign up early for lessons as they try to maintain small courses. MU 7-4279. Poems

are free. Are you a poem or are you a prose?

Liberated Churches

Saint Mark's in the Bowery, Second Ave. and 10th ST. (674- 6377
Washington Square Methodist Church, 133 W. Fourth St.,
Greenwich Village (777-2528); Judson Memorial Church, Washington Square South (725-9211).

Flowers

At about 9:30 AM, free flowers in the Flower District on Sixth Ave. between 22nd St. and 23rd St. Once in a while, you can find a potted tree that's been thrown out because it's slightly damaged.

The Staten Island Ferry-Not free, but a nickel each way for a five mile ocean voyage around the southern tip of Manhattan is worth it. Take IRT (Broadway line) to South Ferry, local only. Ferry leaves every half-hour day and night.

Drugs

In the area along Central Park West in the Seventies and Eighties are located many doctor's offices. Daily they throw out piles of drug samples. If you know what you're looking for, search this area.

Books

You can always use the library. The main branch is on Fifth Ave. and 42nd St. The Public Library prints a leaflet entitled "It's Your Library" which lists all the 168 branches and special services the library provides. You can pick it up at your nearest branch. They also publish a calendar of events every two weeks which is available free. If you have any questions call 791-6161.

You can get free posters, literature and books from the various missions to the United Nations located on the East Side near the UN Building. The Cuban Mission, 67th St., will give you free copies of Granma, the Cuban newspaper, Man and Socialism in Cuba, by Che Guevara and other literature.

Maps

A free subway map is available at any token booth. Good if you're new in the city and don't know your way around.

Pets

ASPCA, 441 E. 92nd St. and York Ave., TR 6-7700. Dogs, cats, some birds and other pets. Tell them you're from out of town if you want a dog and you will not have to pay the $5.00 license fee. Have them inspect and inoculate the pet; which they do free of charge. A place to look for free pets is in the Village Voice under their column Free Pets. Radio Free New York

WBAI FM, 99.5 on your dial. 30 E. 39th St. (OX 7-8506).

Free Schools

Alternative University, 69 W. 14th St. (989-0666). A good radical school offering courses in karate, Mao, medical skills and other courses. They will send you a catalogue listing current courses.
Bottega Artists Workshop, 1115 Quentin Road, Brooklyn, 336-3212 has art taught by professionals for a free.

GENERAL SERVICES

Contact-220 E. Seventh St. Open 3 to 10 PM. Raps, contacts, mailing addresses, counseling, sometimes food.
Traveler's Aid-204 E. 39th St. MU 4-5029
Village Project-88 Second Ave. Open 2 to 6 PM. Same as Contact.

Free Portland, OR

General Guide

Portland is a hip left-libertarian leaning city with some of the best tolerance for radicals as US cities go. It has a population of 562,690 in a metro area of around two million, it is the third largest city in the Pacific Northwest AKA Occupied Cascadia and 23rd largest in the United States. Bicycling and public transport are among the best in the world. If you like good coffee, craft brewed beers, cycling, high tech, and radicals for all causes Portland has what you want.

In 2006, Portland was ranked overall number 1 of 50 U.S. cities by the organization SustainLane on quality of life and economic factors that affect personal sustainability. According to Grist Magazine, Portland is the second most eco-friendly city in the world.

Portland is divided into 5 quadrants - North, Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, & Southwest. The Willamette River divides East & West; Burnside Street divides North & South. Sellwood, Hawthorne, Woodstock, Brooklyn, Alberta, Mississippi are "hip" neighborhoods where a person can find housing near amenities and transportation. Rising prices in Northeast have displaced the African-American community that for many years was "redlined" into that area.

Downtown has plenty of places to hang out with south park blocks and PSU having both free WiFi and benches plus an occasional power plug. Downtown the Pioneer Place mall is like any other but the decor and lighting of the underground food court area has a futuristic blade-runner feel. Pioneer courthouse square has an amphitheater and people hang out around there, bikes are forbidden to be ridden in the square and the private security can evict anyone since the city has set this up as a private space but it is a free speech zone. Don't leave without hanging out at the Powells largest used bookstore in the world 1005 W. Burnside www.powells.com. Northwest is another trendy area, prices are high for rent but there are nice parks and the bike ride down from the zoo down to Burnside is a long scenic one. Dignity Village alternative housing experiment is near the Portland airport.

Housing

Dignity Village

After much protest, relocation, and negotiation a city recognized squatter camp exempt from building codes, occasionally troubled by internal political turmoil. For safety reasons children are not allowed to reside in dignity village. There is a limit to amount of residents and/or a waiting list to get in. Also, all new residents must be approved by a council interview. http://www.dignityvillage.org

The Rules:

No violence toward yourself or others.
No illegal substances or alcohol or paraphernalia on the premises or within a one-block radius.
No stealing.
Everyone contributes to the upkeep and welfare of the village and works to become a productive member of the community.
No disruptive behavior of any kind that disturbs the general peace and welfare of the village.

Among the services offered by Dignity Village for their residents are:

Showers
Sanitary facilities
Private and communal food and flower gardens
Communal cooking and refrigeration facilities
Emergency transportation
Access to education
Access to counseling
Distribution of donated food, personal items and construction material
Internet access
Weekly community meetings
On-site medical care on a scheduled basis by volunteer doctors and nurses
Access to prescription medication assistance
Rudimentary first aid
Access to telephone

SafeHaven

SafeHaven - Eligibility Criteria

Must have one or more children under the age of 18.
Must be homeless
Must have been clean and sober for 30 days prior in intake

If you have questions about SafeHaven Shelter for Families, or are in need of homeless family services, please call (503) 246-1663 ext 100 between 8:00am and 5:00pm Monday - Friday.

Goose Hollow Shelter

First United Methodist Church, 1838 SW Jefferson St. Shelter Manager's Desk (during shelter hours only) - 503.228.3195 ext. 203 Email: ghfs@fumcpdx.org

Families staying at the Shelter are provided an evening meal and a light breakfast. They have access to showers, laundry facilities, sleeping areas (partitioned for families), and constructive activities for kids. Thanks to many donations received throughout the year, they maintain a pantry of personal toiletry items and a clothes closet of re-cycled clothing for shelter families.

Transition Projects

The Community Service Center staff provides resource information and services to homeless and other very low-income adults. Located at the corner of Northwest Glisan Street and Fifth Avenue, the Community Service Center is open: Monday through Friday 8:30 AM to 12:00 Noon 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM

Call 503-823-4930 to be placed on the shelter waiting list, or visit us at 475 NW Glisan Street, http://www.tprojects.org.

Hotline

24-Hour Shelter Referrals call 211 or (503) 222-5555.

Alternative

We have known "homeless" Portlanders who lock up their bicycle on shore and row to one of the urban area river islands staying in self built cabins on these rarely patroled islands. Once in town they bike trailer the kayak and lock up bike and boat at the university for classes.

Forest park is the largest urban park in the USA. There is enough depth that you can usually find a place to tent up off of bicycle or walking trails. A father and daughter lived hidden for five years in forest park using tarps for shelter while teaching the girl from a set of encyclopedia.

Food

Excellent Dumpster diving at the plentiful organic food markets and if you ask at the independent stores most clerks are cool and will load you up with the days spoils before they hit the dumpster.

Portland farmers market is good farm grown produce with plenty of organics open when in season Saturday at PSU, Wednesday Downtown, Thursday Eastbank, Thursday Ecotrust http://www.portlandfarmersmarket.org/.

The Portland chapter of Food Not Bombs serves free vegan meals every Wednesday (Dawson Park), Friday (Colonel Sumners Park), and Saturday (Under the west end of the Burnside bridge) starting at 5:30.

Medical Care

Outside in Clinic and homeless assistance center

1132 SW 13th Ave in Portland just north of the I-205 overpass from Portland State University 503-535-3800 Health and counseling services for the homeless and low income population, they do not turn anyone away, some days they even have doctors for the naturopathic medical school.

Oregon health plan

OHP provides benefits to low income people and families especially pregnant mothers and children, some people are required to pay monthly premiums, non-mothers and men are often rejected for care under the OHP.

http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/healthplan/.

Legal Aid

Oregon State Bar Association http://www.osbar.org/public/legalinfo/1172.htm The Modest Means Program is a reduced-rate legal service program administered through the Lawyer Referral Service. The number to call in the Portland area is 503-684-3763 or, toll-free elsewhere in Oregon, 1-800-452-7636.

Legal Aid Services of Oregon serves people with low-income and seniors. If you qualify for food stamps you may qualify for services from Legal Aid Services of Oregon. Child Support Hotline: Statewide service of legal aid programs throughout Oregon that provides help to low-income persons who have problems with getting or paying child support. 1-800-383-1222 Monday 1:00 - 4:00; Thursday 9:00 - 12:00. Public Benefits Hotline, Statewide service of legal aid programs throughout Oregon that provides help to low-income persons who have problems with applying for or receiving public benefits such as Welfare, Food Stamps, or Social Security. 1-800-520-5292 http://www.oregonlawhelp.org/ English and Spanish services.

Armed Forces/Deployment Avoidance Counseling

Legal aid, resources, etc.

Play

More beautiful wilderness nearby than you could imagine, Mt Hood for skiing and boarding all year round, national forest for camping and anti-logging action, beach and rivers for fun in the water, Columbia gorge for the best wind surfing in the world, Rock climbing is scattered all around the metro area.

Futsal

Portland Futsal (3401 SE 17th Ave) is a converted warehouse designed to give soccer fans a place to play after work. Open play occurs twice a week, Wednesday and Friday 8-11, and though there is technically a charge of $5 per hour a little resourcefulness will get you in and out for free. Beautiful facility, good soccer players, good vibe.

Zoobombing

Zoobomb is a weekly bike event that meets every Sunday around 8:30PM across from Rocco's Pizza (949 SW Oak) in Portland OR. Bring a bike if you have one, MAX fare ($1.75), bike lights, and any saftey gear you want to wear. You are welcome to bring snacks and drinks but you MUST clean up everything you bring with you. Leave no trace. Its a good time and you WILL have fun!

HELMETS ARE ENCOURAGED - RIDE AT YOUR OWN RISK

http://zoobomb.net/

Information

Portland has a temperate rain forest climate cool winters with occasional snow days which quickly melt away and mild warm summers, the city is very hilly as it is built on and near small volcanoes it is bisected by the Wilamette and Columbia rivers. The cycling infrastructure is amazing with bicycle paths on almost every road in the metro area and progressive bicycle traffic laws.

Underground Papers

Street roots vendors can be found at busy crossroads throughout the Portland metropolitan area and at special events and farmers markets. A newspaper by the homeless for the homeless, covering a vast array of civil and human rights, political, local and international issues. Homeless or Jobless Street vendors can sell this paper to make money with dignity and pride. The street vendor keeps 70% with the other 30% going for the operations of Street Roots. http://www.streetroots.org/

Most Underground print publications are also online but there is free internet at city libraries. Papers with alternative content

Wilamette Week http://wweek.com
Portland Mercury http://portlandmercury.com

Portland is at the forefront of the zine movement, they are everywhere.

Portland Indymedia Center is a media resource with community submitted articles and editing. http://portland.indymedia.org/

Miscellaneous

Personaltelco.net provides free WiFi to many neighborhoods and locations http://www.personaltelco.net
Freegeek is a good source of cheap computers and electronic equipment, free if you have a good cause. Volunteer for 24 hours and receive a free computer. FREE GEEK

Community Technology Center 1731 SE 10th Avenue 503-232-935 http://www.freegeek.org/

Bicycle Collectives

Bicycle Repair Collective

A full-service shop at 4438 SE Belmont (503) 233-0564

Citybikes

A worker-owned cooperative shop with 2 locations on SE Ankeny - 734 SE Ankeny - (503) 239-6951 and 1914 SE Ankeny - (503) 239-0553

The Recyclery

Known for their great selection of used bikes and regularly scheduled swap meets. 1417 SE 9th & Madison (503) 734-8831

The Community Cycling Center

operates a full-service professional bike shop. Proceeds from the shop benefit our year-round bicycle education programs for low-income youth and adults. 1700 NE Alberta Street 503-287-8786 Retail@CommunityCyclingCenter.org

KBOO 90.7 FM

Community Radio Programing Non Corporate - The Communities Voice

Public Transit

Light rail and trolley are free in the center of the city, Bicycles are allowed on buses and light rail for free with ticket purchase. Be sure to take a ride on the OHSU cable tram, it runs from the Willamette river up one km to the state medical university which is on the tallest mountain in the city. A fun ride and beautiful view of the city with a 500 foot elevation change bike or skateboard ride down into the city, $4.00 a ticket in 2007.

Ticket Prices:

All Zone: $2.35 (Valid for any ride within time-stamp)
1 and 2 Zone: $2.05
Honored Citizen: $1,00 (disabled and elderly passengers)
Youth: $1.50 (ages 7-17 and students in high school or pursuing a GED).
LIFT Paratransit All Zone: $1.85
Children under 7: Free when accompanied by fare paying passenger
Day Pass: $4.75 (Valid all day, and for all zones)

http://trimet.org/fares/index.htm

Light Rail

Blue line runs 33 miles east west covering nearly all of the metro area from Hillsboro to Gresham, Red line runs 26 miles from Beaverton to the downtown area on blue line then splits to the airport, Yellow line runs 7 miles north from downtown to the Expo Center near the Oregon Wasington border.

Rail

Find the big neon "Made in Oregon" sign shaped like the state of Oregon with a deer jumping through and you will be headed toward the Amtrak station, as you get closer begin looking for the neon "Go by Train" sign, that is on Union Station. Blue line MAX to downtown get off at the last stop west of the Wilamette River right before the Steel Bridge and head north, the station address is 800 NW Sixth Ave. The rail and bus stations are in the light rail and bus fareless square section of the city.

Amtrak trains leave Union Station on three routes.

The Coast Starlight north-south line from Los Angeles to Seattle; major stops on the route are Portland and Eugene, Oregon; Sacramento, Emeryville (for San Francisco), Oakland, San Jose, Santa Barbara, and Oxnard, California.
Empire Builder line runs east-west from Portland to Chicago. Major stops include Milwaukee Wisconsin, St. Paul Minnesota, Spokanne Washington and dozens of stops between, the line splits toward the end to reach either Portland or Seattle.
The Amtrak Cascades commuter trains run north-south between Vancouver, British Columbia and Eugene, Oregon, and stop in Portland several times daily in both directions. The following stops are made: Vancouver BC, Bellingham Wa, Mount Vernon Wa, Everett Wa, Edmonds Wa, Seattle Wa, (Passengers change trains here) Seattle, Tukwila Wa, Tacoma Wa, Olympia-Lacey Wa, Centralia Wa, Kelso Wa, Vancouver Wa, Portland Or, Oregon City Or, Salem Or, Albany Or, Eugene Or.

Long Distance Bus

The Greyhound bus station is across the street from Union rail station so you can compare prices and take the cheapest ride.

Air

Take the red line MAX light rail to get to the airport. From Portland Airport international flights regularly depart to Japan (Tokyo), Singapore, Germany (Frankfurt), Mexico (Guadalajara, Mexico City, Cabo San Lucas, and Puerto Vallarta), and Canada (Vancouver, British Columbia) as well as flights to US destinations.

Free Clothing and Furniture

See Free Clothing and Furniture section, provide details for this city.

Assorted Freebies

See Assorted Freebies Section, provide details for this city, including other topics. Whatever fits and is useful.

http://portland.craigslist.org/zip/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freecycleportland/

Survive

Go to the Survive section and provide any city-specific details, including new topics.

The people in Portland are usually very nice but something like 10% are carrying a concealed handgun at any time, violent crime is quite low by national and world standards.

Gresham (an Eastern suburb) is considered more plagued by meth than the rest of town and has a reputation as having increased property crime but is still quite safe compared to nearly all urban areas in the world.

General Guide

Free England

Housing

There are several anarchist squats in London that would (most likely) be happy to let you crash for a few days.

Food

By law Restaurants, Pubs and Clubs are not allowed to refuse the request of tap-water.

Many Churches also have the Alpha scheme of providing free meals on occassion. Look around.

Pret-a-manger throw away sacks of food every day ... plenty of good stuff from cakes to salads and smoothys. Its always bagged in it's original packaging, so not as skanky as it sounds.

Medical Care

All I can say is, got to love the NHS.

Legal Aid

ACLU, free legal aid/counseling, pro bono attorneys, etc.

Armed Forces/Deployment Avoidance Counseling

Legal aid, resources, etc.

Play

See Free Play section, include details for this city.

Beaches, Swimming Pools, Parks, Sports, Museums, Music, Theatre, TV shows, Movies, etc.

Information

General weather, traffic, news resources, etc.

Underground Papers

Self-explanatory

Miscellaneous

Any other freebies

Public Transit

Subways, Buses, Ferries, Shuttles, etc.

Free Tube / Overland Rail Travel / London Buses

Many a time when you don't have a topped up oyster card or hard earned cash to spend on the over-used, over-priced, and over-glorified London transit system, you can get it for free! There are many tube stations (And now overland rail stations) that don't require you to pay to board. Also, do not forget the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) - I think only two stations have barriers. There are occasionally ticket collectors or 'Revenue Protection Officers', but they are quite rare as of my writing (March 2008).

There are many ways of doing it but the trick is to remember which stations have gates, and which don't. You'll find a lot of them on the fringes of Zones 2 out to Zone 5 that will have no gates. You should also remember that a lot of tube stations aren't manned after 10pm anyway, and you can simply slip under the gates or jump them without hassle. My best example of traveling using the London transport system for free would be to say, start your journey on the DLR (using Shadwell as an example) and then riding it to Bank. Once the train pulls into Bank, you are past the barriers and inside the tube station, and inside the tube network.

Now what? Exiting the tube. There are a few ways to do this. Places like Waterloo or Highbury and Islington have only "tap sensors" meaning that if you want to tap your card, you can. (Be aware, Waterloo only has this on the "Waterloo and City" line side of the station). Stations are still fantastic for 'bunking' trains as most do not have electronic gates or guards checking the tickets.

Another example from getting from across the city would be to get on the DLR, Go to Stratford, take a National Rail service from Stratford all the way to Willesden Junction, change to the overland to Clapham Junction (Which you can walk out of) and bingo! You've just gone from North East zone 3 to South West!

Buses are currently an odd situation in London right now. Whilst I don't have much advice for the standard double-decker buses, you may have encountered the "bendy" buses. These long saviours of money generally are put on long routes, such as Ilford (Essex) to Oxford Street. They very rarely have inspectors at all, and you can get on using any of the 3 doors they have. The more packed the bus, the better - RPOs won't get on or even try checking tickets. As you will see that 50% or so of the people using it don't 'tap their oyster' or pay to get on either!

Notable routes are:

Route 25 - Ilford, Stratford, Bow, Mile End, Aldgate, Bank + 'The City', St Pauls, Chancery Lane, Holborn, Tottenham Court Road, Oxford St
Route 38 - Clapton, Hackney, Dalston, Canonbury, Islington, Bloomsbury, Holborn, Tottenham Court Road, Westminister, Victoria

There are a lot of others too - Update this if you can!

Bunking Trains

A few things to remember - The RPOs are on commission, they will try and push you for tickets. If you are caught, be as apologetic and human to them as possible. They will probably just kick you off anyway, but some of the nicer ones will let you ride for free. "Sob stories" (My cat / aunt / child died) etc also work well. Hiding in the toilets works well, an old favourite. You get your privacy, have a sleep if needs be, and without the fear of getting caught. UNLESS you do it on a packed train. Don't use the large disabled toilets either, there are only a few and frequently in use. If you are using toilets, memorising the stations you stop at is a must. You don't want to get out too early or too late!

Pretending to fall asleep also works very well, quickly unpack all your items and look like you've been there a long time, then lie down and pretend to be sleeping - most RPO's won't want to disturb someone sleeping. This works best when you have two seats side-by-side to yourself, as you can lye down on your side without anyone seeing your face.

If you're not brave enough to completely bunk the trains, provided you are still youthful(!), you can always get a child's ticket, which is usually half the price of a standard ticket. If you're too old to pass as a child, and intend on getting a day travelcard for the tube, for instance, buy a child's ticket anyway and pull the "falling asleep" when the inspector comes.

London To Portsmouth

Journey time: Around an hour and a half

Waterloo - Ungated

Surbition - Gated from 8am to 6pm

Woking - Gated (Fence at the side you can jump though)

Guildford - Gated (However, there is a side door with the code "3524" and they let people just walk through - Blag it, say you were using the car park and now just leaving the station)

Farncombe - Ungated

Godalming - Ungated

Milford - Ungated

Whitley - Ungated

Haslemere - Ungated, Sometimes Guard

Liphook - Ungated

Liss - Ungated

Petersfield - Ungated

Rowlands Castle - Ungated

Havant - Gated one ONE side

Bedhampton - Ungated

Cosham - Ungated

Fratton - Ungated on ONE side

Portsmouth & Southsea - Gated

Portsmouth Harbour - Gated

(If you're looking to get off at Portsmouth, my advice is to get off at Fratton and walk - it's about a 15 min walk to Portsmouth Harbour)

Somerset To London (South West Trains)

Journey time: Around 3 hours Journey cost: Upwards of £40

Travelled this line a few times, Axminster, Crewkerne and Yeovil stations are all ungated as is London Waterloo, your destination. However, there is an average of 2 ticket inspectors per journey. I recommend falling asleep (or pretending to), although someone really dedicated could stay in the toilet.

London tips

Try bunking between two ungated stations at rush hour, the carriages will be too packed for the ticket inspectors to get on.

If your feeling thorough wait at the end of the platform where back of the train will pull up. As it goes past look in to see if there's any inspectors (easy to spot with stupid hats, lurching around in pairs). Now your sure the trains clear walk up to the front grab yourself a newspaper till the next stop, and then check that platform as the train pulls in. If there's any inspectors you'll see them, if there's not... rinse and repeat.

Waterloo doesn't have gates always ticket checkers though. Instead duck through the underground entrance on the platform ... this is sometimes blocked by yet more checkers if you come in from Wimbledon etc, maybe 1 in 10 times(platforms 1-4 in Waterloo). If this is the case then jump onto the train back to Vauxhall and switch to a train that pulls into a higher numbered platform (in Vauxhall walk down the steps and get a train to waterloo on the platform closest to the bus station and tube station entrances)... these aren't ever covered. Just go down the underground entrance on the platform which leads to a couple of different exits, and your within walking distance of central London.

Abusing Open Returns

If a transfer is required between London terminals DON'T use your return segment in the Tube machines as again this will date your ticket. Use the same method as at the destination and original stations by presenting your ticket to the attendant RPOs for a cursory glance and they should open the gates for you.

Hopping the train between Cardiff and Newport, Wales, UK

This has become more difficult in recent times, due to the addition of electronic gates in both Cardiff and Newport stations, but if you are real determined (or even just slightly determined) it is still possible.

I found this trick when I started film school, commuting between Cardiff (pseudo-metropolitan, yuppie infested pit - pretty parks though!) and Newport (post-industrial townie infested pit - good alternative nightlife though!) and finding myself unwilling to spend the money for one stop.

Basically, in Cardiff Central train station, you would go up in the elevator, where there was no one collecting tickets, to platform 1/2 and hop on the Great Western London train on its way from Swansea. The train is real fucking long, and they don't usually bother to check tickets between Cardiff and Newport as it is only one stop. Sometimes though, they do, and then you gotta be on your toes and be ready to bail discreetly in the opposite direction.

Then, in Newport you would go out the front door. Easy Peasy.

Of course, the goldern era of free train travel between Cardiff and Newport is coming to an end. There are now gates on the elevator entrance in Cardiff, and on the front entrance in Newport. Bugger.

But wait! There's more!

Using my devious mind I have discovered a yet unfilled security hole. Basically, to get to Newport you have to get on a train at Cathys train station, a small stop in the student area of the city, right by the student union in fact. You then ride the train into Central Station (the train will stop at Queen Street station before getting to Central), switch to platform 1/2 and get on the London train there! In Newport just take the car park exit, unless the gates happen to be down, which they often are.

hopping from Newport to Cardiff you wanna get on the Swansea train. Its the same train going the other way. You can't miss it; its a real long, blue Great Western train with First Class up front.

Oh yeah, And if you like reading The Times you can grab a copy from first class.

Happy Hopping!

Free Clothing and Furniture

While not completely free, charity shops provide very cheap clothing. Not only is this a good place to get dressed by, it also allows for cheap materials, books and the like.

If you are desperate for free clothes and furniture, just visit a charity shop in the evenings, after they have closed. People keen to donate goods will often leave items outside, to be collected in the morning by the shop.

See Free Clothing and Furniture section, provide details for this city.

Assorted Freebies

See Assorted Freebies Section, provide details for this city, including other topics. Whatever fits and is useful.

Survive

Go to the Survive section and provide any city-specific details, including new topics.

Free Black Rock City AKA Burning Man

Last updated: 21 April 2011

1 General Guide
2 Housing
3 Food
4 Medical Care
5 Legal Aid
6 Play
7 Information
8 Underground Papers
9 Miscellaneous
10 Public Transit
11 Free Clothing and Furniture
12 Assorted Freebies
13 Survive

General Guide

Burning Man is an annual event held in Black Rock City, Nevada. The event starts on the Monday before, and ends on Labor Day. The event is described by many participants as an experiment in community, radical self-expression, and radical self-reliance. However, as organizers have noted, "Trying to explain what Burning Man is to someone who has never been to the event is a bit like trying to explain what a particular color looks like to someone who is blind.". It takes its name from the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy on Saturday evening. In 2007, 47,366 people participated in The Burning Man Project. http://www.burningman.com/

Participants are encouraged to express themselves in a number of ways through various art forms and projects. The event is clothing-optional and eroticism is openly displayed by some participants.

Tickets are around $300 and reentry bracelets are an additional charge, that is lots of collected cans and plenty of missed meals if you are poor, so think before you purchase, tickets must be pre-purchased. To be fair, the organizers spend several weeks afterwards cleaning up the mess and they offer scholarships and adjusted rates for those with low incomes. As a warning there are real cops there who do make arrests, and some people will take advantage of the bodies and property of others sometimes without consent just like in the real world. But if you can manage to get in it will bend your mind and leave stories for years to come.

Housing

Trailers, tents, whatever you like but it has to be removed at the end without a mess. Heavy winds and dust storms sometimes occur so heavy stakes and a steel mallet are a must for anchoring tents. Try to position your tent and any shade structures to present the smallest possible profile to the wind (prevailing south-southwest to north-northeast). Weight the interior corners of your tent; stakes that are 12-inches or longer are recommended. Lengths of rebar make excellent stakes, but all exposed ends must be capped (empty 1-liter plastic soda bottles will do the trick) to prevent foot/leg injuries.

Food

Bring your own food and several gallons of water for every day of your stay bring plenty extra food to share your favorite dishes with others.

Medical Care

Trained emergency medical personnel are on duty 24 hours a day, and emergency evacuation is available. According to medical staff, the most common problems are dehydration and lacerations from stepping or tripping on unprotected rebar or tent stakes.

Legal Aid

Over the years, numerous restrictions have been put in place, such as:

An imposed curved grid street structure.
A speed limit of 5mph
A ban on driving, except for approved "mutant vehicles" and service vehicles.
Restrictions and imposing of safety standards on mutant vehicles.
A ban on camp fires and Tiki torches.
Burning your own art must be done on an approved burn platform.
A ban on fireworks.
A ban on firearms.
A ban on dogs.

If there is trouble with the cops or somebody else find a Burning Man Ranger to help you out, the Rangers are there to chill everybody out and keep the peace.

Play

Run around neked meet freaky cool people, hang lights on yourself, your stuff, and your bike, freaks out the trippers. Bring a ghetto bike the playa is big and you cant drive your car there, you have to bring your own repair gear.

Information

Underground Papers

Burning Man Information Radio (BMIR) is at 94.5 FM, broadcasting critical travel, emergency, and general information, 24-7. Get the REAL news, weather, events, and Black Rock City information. In case of emergency, tune into 94.5 FM. Stop in Center Camp at BMIR and record your events for broadcasting between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. daily. Tell the city what you're up to, live! BMIR 94.5 FM

Miscellaneous

Public Transit

Do NOT bring a "good" bike to the event. Dig: the desert will reduce a valuable bike to a rust bucket posthaste. If you must use quality wheels, it's wise to set aside some coin and time to have it serviced upon returning home--it'll need the TLC. The playa is notoriously corrosive on unprotected metal, particularly after it rains. At the very least, take along some chain oil for spot lubrication. For improved traction and handling, wider tires generally work out better than road bike tires.

Hitch or pay to ride the shuttles to town if you were stoned and forgot to bring supplies.

Free Clothing and Furniture

Run naked, but wear sunscreen!

Assorted Freebies

Survive

Because of the event's harsh environment and remote location, participants are expected to be responsible for their own subsistence. Since the LLC forbids any commerce, with the exception of the items stated in Decommodification, participants must be prepared and bring their own supplies such as water, food, proper clothing and shelter, just to name a few.

Free Tibet

Last updated: 10 January 2011

1 History
2 Free Food and shelter
2.1 Camp with nomads
2.2 Stay at Buddhist monasteries
3 Free Transportation
3.1 Getting in
3.2 Getting around
3.2.1 Pilgrim Bus
3.2.2 Mountain Bike
4 Free Education
5 Free Medical Care
6 Free Communication
7 Free Play
8 Free Dope
9 Assorted Freebies
9.1 Maps
9.2 Burials
10 Legal Aid
11 Support
12 Fight
12.1 Funding

History

In 1950, Mao's single minded bloody idealism took him to Tibet to get rid of social hierarchy, not realizing 2/3rds of land in Tibet was controlled by nomadic herdsman. Since the occupation china has committed an endless list of human rights atrocities culminating in the genocide of 1.2 million Tibetans, along with enforcing policies to marginalize them from their own country, extracting resources back to china and limit the free practice of religion.

Free Food and shelter

Camp with nomads

Nomad tent communities are found in Amdo and Kham. In Amdo the biggest camp is on the Tsekog Grasslands at 3500m and a 5 and a half hour train from Lhasa. During the summer, white and black Tibetan tents can be seen everywhere. Your fine to set up your own tent but try and talk to the nomads, they are often extremely hospitable and may offer you stay in their tents and offer you butter tea and yak jerky. Ask to help where you can and try your hand at milking yaks, herding sheep, and riding horses. Offer them clothing and food if you can as a parting gift. The Tagong grasslands in Kham have a long cultural past but suffer from thievery, violence and banditry which have made for exiting stories of people staying there but perhaps not for those looking for a relaxing time.

Stay at Buddhist monasteries

The best are in out of the way places where you get the feel of the gompas, if they are small and remote; Chiu and DriraPuk and ZutulPuk in West Tibet, any of the Lake Manasarovar gompas have views not available elsewhere on planet earth. There are several on the northern route from Lhasa also, off the road a little.

The big monasteries run guesthouses separate to the monastery like dorms, often very basic, where you can stay for the night, but generally you do not have any contact with the monastery or the monks themselves as the Chinese authorities are keeping a close eye. Many travelers avoid these for having too many Chinese influences, too political or too metropolitan but some of the more notable ones are at Ganden, Samye, Tsurphu, Rongbuk (Everest) and the Kailash trail. It would be wise to bring your own sleeping bag and a few extra munchies to add to the basic food. You can usually get Thukpa (noodle soup) meat and potatoes and/or perhaps fried rice.

Tibetan monasteries are still places parents send their kids to get an education so most young monks know some English. If you write it down and keep it simple, they'll probably understand.

Free Transportation

Arranged tour companies such as the Himalayan Adventure Company, Snow lion tours and Tibetan connections are the only legal means of traveling since china stepped up security after protests.

Getting in

If you keep your head down it is possible all be it sketchy way to getting round without a permit. Often if caught they'll just send you back the way you came.

The road from Golmud is possible to travel by way of hitch-hiking on trucks if you are well prepared (camping equipment, food and water for a day). Expect to spend a few days. There are police checkpoints on the way but the only one that is a problem is the one 30 km or so out of Golmud. If you walk around it and a few km beyond you should be able to get a ride without too much of a problem. There are plenty of places to eat on the way but be prepared to get stuck in the middle of nowhere. There are also are places to sleep ranging from truck stop brothels to comfortable hotels, however these should be avoided as you're likely to get picked up by the police.

From Kashgar much of the way is technically off limits. However there is a steady stream of hardy travelers coming this way, usually hitching rides on trucks. The road is totally unpaved for over a thousand kilometers with villages and water few and far between. The main advantages of this way is that it passes by Mount Kailash and through a beautiful, very remote region inhabited by nomads. You should be very well prepared to travel this way and take everything you would need for independent trekking: camping equipment suitable for freezing temperatures even in summer, a good tent and at least a few days of food (there are a few truck-stop places on the way but not always when you want them). Expect the trip to take two weeks or more. From Kashgar it's much farther to go to Lhasa via Urumqi and Golmud but the better transport (trains and good paved highways) make it no more time consuming to travel this way. There are many interesting things for the tourist to see on the way and it is worth considering traveling this way instead of via Mount Kailash.

Getting around

Hitchhiking can be a good way to get around the country for someone who is flexible and has a lot of time. It can, however, mean you end up getting stuck without a lift for days. In the west of the country this probably means hanging around truck stops, as the distances are far too long to walk, and finding water would be a major problem. Trucks often break down though and it can take a long time before the journey continues. Hitchhiking in general is not free and a small fee is expected. In central and eastern Tibet, there's more water and villages, and so walking becomes a more reasonable option. In short, hitching may or may not get you to your destination any quicker, but at least it offers a change of scenery.

Pilgrim Bus

Public buses will refuse you ticket without a permit but the pilgrim buses are often free charge and trek out of the capital at ridiculous hours of the morning towards the surrounding monasteries with hoards of local monks, pilgrims and traders. It is here you meet the real people of Tibet, often the Tibetans are happy to see you exploring their country and welcome you with open arms, getting off these buses at one of the monasteries is often the start of a great adventure. It is from these places, or from being dropped at your request in a passing hamlet, that you can find tractors traveling up to mountain top monasteries rarely visited by tourists, quarry trucks of miners heading deep into the mountains for weeks of work at a time or boats setting along the river bringing in and out fresh veg from surrounding villages. Be warned, the big monasteries all contain police outposts that do check you out!! Keep your head down and think about where you're heading. Once on the road it becomes a glorious freedom... you begin to depend on the one truck a day/s that drives the routes between hamlets. Time becomes a concept of light and dark and you find yourself living the life of a sworn monk in the remotest of temples high in the mountains.

Mountain Bike

There are a surprising number of tourists traveling Tibet by bicycle, both foreigners and Chinese. The roads vary from rough dirt tracks to good quality paved roads. There are restaurants, truck stops and shops scattered around often enough so that you don't need to carry more than a day's worth of food (with the important exception of the west of the country). The roads are often well graded, being built for overloaded trucks. 26 inch wheels would be preferable as 700c (ISO 622) are almost unknown in China. Good mountain bikes are available in large cities of China or in Lhasa. Golmud is not a good place to get a bicycle (assuming you want it to get you past the check point 30 km outside of town). Cyclists have reported that distances cited in the Lonely Planet guidebooks can be quite inaccurate so be very well-prepared. or horseback along well layed out trails or hitchike with freindly locals.

Free Education

Most classes are taught in the Tibetan language, but mathematics, physics, and chemistry, are taught in Chinese. Tuition fees from primary school through college are completely subsidized by the central government. Though they openly propaganda rise e.g. portraying the Chinese as liberators and the Dalai Lama as a tyrant.

Free Medical Care

There have been numerous reports of forced sterilizing, go to people you can trust.

Free Communication

Cell phones (voice and SMS text), e-mail, video sharing, and internet are heavily monitored and censored by Chinese authorities as part of "The Great Firewall". Any site or wording that makes reference to the Dalai Lama, the Falun Gong religious movement, potential acts of terrorism, or anything that may portray the Communist rulership in a bad light are blocked or censored. It is common for folks to receive text messages and e mails with words taken out through state required automated software. Many internet cafe computers can be required to keep special hardcoded spyware installed by the factory for "safe surfing". Enough messages sent out that need to be blocked may attract attention of militant Chinese authorities, so assume all electronic communications to be tapped.

Of course, there are from time to time proxies and various ways around the censorship. However, these work arounds are shut down as soon as discovered and change often.

Free Play

Buddhist Festivals are lively events that bring together Tibetans from all over the plateau. The more than 100 major and minor festivals that take place throughout the year include horse racing, dancing, singing, praying, and displays of religious artwork.

Find Tibetan art in Repkong, known as the cradle of Tibetan arts it is famous for producing some of Tibet's best thangkas and painted statues. The city's main monastery, Wutun Si, allows visitors to meet the local artists and purchase a painting or two.

Free Dope

A large amount of Tibet is open pastoral land, so you may be tempted to plant weed to fund the Guerrillas or your own stash. Or maybe smoke a bowl to help meditate with the Buddhists..

BUT...

IF you try to sneak drugs over Chinese controlled borders OR try to buy or sell drugs in Chinese occupied areas.... you risk not only imprisonment but your LIFE and there is little any embassy or amnesty group can do to help you!

China has some of the harshest drug laws in the world, more so than some Middle Eastern countries. There are many cats that went on vacation to Hong Kong or other places in China serving 20 year sentences for just a joint! Growing your own or selling is worse! China regularly executes drug sellers. They even have an annual televised event where they round up everyone to execute in public to celebrate "International Day Against Drug Abuse and Trafficking"!

Assorted Freebies

Maps

Good road maps of Tibet are common in China, but only in Chinese. These are of limited use even for people literate in Chinese as the Chinese names are very different from the ones used by the Tibetans. They are useful for reading road signs, even for people with low literacy in Chinese.

The Star publications map is probably the best. Amnye Machen Institute[2] publishes an excellent map of similar scale and detail but with the Tibetan names, with a version written in Latin script and one in the Tibetan. It makes a useful companion. Tibetmap.com has a free downloadable set of maps covering much of Tibet with detail almost good enough to use for independent trekking.

Burials

Ask the locals to give you a sky burial so you can live on as gracious birds.

Legal Aid

Silencing by Torture, imprisonment and executions is still rife under Chinese occupation, if you are at risk at all try to escape over the border. The Tibetan-Nepali border is heavily guarded and people have been shot to stop them reaching the Tibetan government in exile and because an agreement between China and Nepal to reduce the number of refugees entering Nepal.

Support

Clean up so you leave no trace after trekking and camping. Only employ local Tibetans as guides, patronize local Tibetan businesses, and purchase supplies directly from farmers and nomads or in local markets. Invest in the next generation of Tibetans by supporting the Kumbum Shambaling Orphange School.

Fight

Protect the borders, take up guerrilla warfare in the Kunlun, Quiing and Jin Sha Jiang mountain ranges, take out the Qingzang railway. Tibetans' tendency in the 50s was to form large groups, complete with their herds and families, and so were easy targets for the Chinese Air Force. They also fought vigorous battles with large groups of Chinese soldiers in which they suffered heavy casualties. Showing the need to stay mobile, only attacking in skirmishes with the element of surprise. Once you've shown to be a repetitive strain on the enemy's resources, the Chinese army will be forced to withdraw from these areas.

Funding

Hiding weapons underground and farming during the day to complete attacks at night is a Vietcong technique which has the benefit of the Chinese not knowing their enemy, but leaves you unarmed to inspecting ruthless Chinese.
Keeping mobile and hidden is best, trading service in return for supplies off locals when the coast is clear. Having a trained doctor with you is best.
Growing weed to fund the cause is riskier than fighting, do not advice supporters to take this tactic in Chinese occupied areas.
Outside donations; set up a PayPal account and get it publicized on the web hosted in a country outside China. PayPal has in the past held money over revolutionary accounts. To stop them doing this you need to hack their site and/or flood them with traffic so other people can’t use them. Once they find their site in jeopardy you'll find they quickly back down.

--- Appendices and Tables ---

Common Phrases in Different Languages

Last updated: 6 July 2011

This section to the book is a selection of useful survival words and phrases, intended for when there are no available tourist phrase books. By necessity this must be short and kept to a small number of languages. Language inclusions are in the following order: English, Spanish, French and German. Alternatively, the reader could pencil in the local translations to these important words when he has access to a local translator, wherever he is.

Military pilots used to be given a book called a pointey-talkie with pictures and useful phrases in both English and the local language for use if they had to escape. Modern world travelers also often are seen carrying a general purpose phrase book in preference to a dictionary. Any phrase "cheat sheet" is infinitely less useful than basic knowledge of the local language and instantly points you out as both an American and a potential naive robbery victim new onto the streets. A major problem with phrase books is that unless the answer is a yes or no you might never find the exact phrase that the local has just said. This section is not to be a substitute for learning a language or even a phrase book but rather a survival tool used with some gestures until either a guide or larger book can be obtained.

It is important that if you find someone who speaks some English to use only clear statements. For example "restroom" might be interpreted as a "resting room", a room for sleeping; instead be blunt and ask for a toilet. Always be simple and clear using the least amount of words possible. Never use slang, your pop slang words just don't translate into anything useful and might cause trouble. If you change your mind during a conversation be sure the other party understands clearly that you have changed your intent. Get your guide to repeat back what you said at the end of a conversation to ensure he has the right idea. It is a good idea to use drawings or write out what you are saying if this improves understanding. Don't worry too much if you confuse the gender of a word, people will almost always understand unless you are speaking about people, when in doubt just use masculine form.

Remember what we said inGet the Hell Out of Dodge don't flame too radical when visiting outside your home nation or if you are on the run until you get to know the cultural expectations.

1 Directions
2 Locations
3 Medical
3.1 Body parts
3.2 Pain
3.3 Treatment
4 People
5 Verbs
6 Other Words
7 Numbers
8 Other Phrases
9 "Pointy-Talky" books
10 Links

Directions

English	Spanish	French	German
*directions*	*direcciones*	*directions*	*Richtungen*
left	izquierda	gauche	links
right	derecha	droite	rechts
forward	adelante	vers l'avant	vorne
continue	continue	continuez	weiter
to the end	al extremo	a l'extremite	bis zum Ende
intersection	intersection	intersection	Kreuzung
traffic signal	senal de trafico	feux de signalisation	Ampel
railroad track	pista del ferrocarril	voie de chemin de fer	(Eisenbahn-) Schienen
river	rio	fleuve	FluB
bridge	puente	pont	Brucke
overpass	paso superior	passage superieur	Uberfuhrung
north	norte	du nord	Nord
south	sur	sud	Sud
east	este	est	Ost
west	oeste	occidental	West
yes	si	oui	Ja
no	no	non	Nein
I don't understand	No entiendo	je ne comprends pas	Ich verstehe nicht
please repeat	Repita por favor	sil vous plait repetition	Bitte wiederholen
speak slowly	hable lentamente	parlez lentement	Langsam sprechen

Locations

English	Spanish	French	German
*Where is the ...*	*Donde esta el/la ...*	*Ou est le/la ...*	*Wo ist der/die/das ...*
food store	tienda	magasin de nourriture	Lebensmittelladen
toilet	labavo	toilette	Toilette
hotel	hotel	hotel	Hotel
youth hostel	albergue juvenil	pension de la jeunesse	Jugendherberge
hospital	hospital	hopital	Krankenhaus
embassy	embajada	ambassade	Botschaft
building	edificio	batiment	Gebaude
office	oficina	bureau	Buro
airport	aeropuerto	aeroport	Flughafen
rail station	estacion del tren	station de rail	Bahnhof
automated teller machine	cajero automatico	machine automatisee de teller	Geldautomat
postal office	oficina postal	bureau postal	Post
bus station	estacion de autobuses	gare routiere	Bushaltestelle
doctor	doctor	docteur	Arzt
telephone	telefono	telephone	Telefon
Internet cafe	cibercafe	Cafe d'Internet	Internetcafe
English bookstore	Libreria inglesa	Librairie anglaise	Englisches Buchgeschaft
bookstore	libreria	librairie	Buchgeschaft
hardware store	ferreteria	magasin de materiel	Baumarkt
bank	banco	banque	Bank
police station	comisaria de polidas	commissariat de police	Polizeirevier
government ministry of ...	Common Phrases in Different Languages - Steal This Wiki
el ministerio de ...	ministere de gouvernement de la ...	Ministerium fur ...
car rental shop	tienda del alquiler de coches	magasin de location de voiture	Autovermietung
bicycle shop	tienda de bicicletas	magasin de bicyclette	Fahrradgeschaft
camping area	area de acampada	secteur campant	Campingplatz

Medical

Body parts

English	Spanish	French	German
*My ...feels bad*	*Mi ... se siente mal*	*Mon ... sent le mauvais*	*Mein/meine ... tut weh*
head	cabeza	tete	Kopf
eye	ojo	oeil	Auge
ear	oido	oreille	Ohr
nose	nariz	nez	Nase
stomach	estomago	estomac	Bauch
abdomen	abdomen	abdomen	Bauch
lower abdomen	bajo vientre	abaissez l'abdomen	Unterer Bauch
chest	pecho	coffre	Brust
lungs	pulmones	poumons	Lungen
throat	garganta	gorge	Rachen
teeth, tooth	dientes, diente	dents, dent	Zahne, Zahn
arm	brazo	bras	Arm
hand	mano	main	Hand
leg	pierna	jambe	Bein
foot	pie	pied	FuB
lower back	espalda	abaissez en arriere	unterer Rucken
spine	espina dorsal	epine	Wirbelsaule
kidney, kidneys	rinon, rinones	rein, reins	Niere, Nieren
bladder	vejiga	reservoir souple	Blase
vagina	vagina	vagin	Vagina
penis	pene	penis	Penis
testicle, testicles	testiculo, testiculos	testicules, testicule	Hoden, Hoden
wound	herida	blessure	Wunde
injury	lesion	dommages	Verletzung
bone	hueso	os	Knochen

Pain

English	Spanish	French	German
*types of Pain*	*tipos de dolor*	*types de douleur*	*Schmerzarten*
sharp pain	dolor agudo	douleur pointue	stechender Schmerz
ache	dolor	mal	Schmerz
pressure	presion	pression	Druck
sore	dolorido	endolori	Schmerz

Treatment

English	Spanish	French	German
*Treatment*	*Tratamiento*	*Traitement*	*Behandlung*
I do not want a transfusion	No deseo una transfusion	Je ne veux pas une transfusion	Ich mochte keine Transfusion
My blood type is (A B AB O)	Mi tipo de la sangre es (A B AB O)	Mon type de sang est (A B AB O)	Meine Blutgruppe ist (A B AB null)
[[httphttp://wiki.stealthiswiki.org/	wiki/Common_Phrases_in_Different_Lan	guages 5/11
Only use new needles	Common Phrases in Different Languages - Steal This Wiki
Utilice solamente las agujas nuevas	Employez seulement les nouvelles aiguilles	Verwenden Sie nur neue Nadeln
I will pay for a new needle	Pagare una aguja nueva	Je payerai une nouvelle aiguille	Ich bezahle eine neue Nadel
... has his/her blood type	... tiene su tipo de la sangre	... a son type de sang	... hat dieselbe Blutgruppe
... wants to give blood for a transfusion	... desea dar la sangre para una transfusion	... veut donner le sang pour une transfusion	... spendet Blut
Call an ambulance	Llame una ambulancia	Appelez une ambulance	Rufen Sie einen Krankenwagen
I have American insurance	Tengo seguro americano	J'ai l'assurance americaine	Ich habe eine amerikanische Krankenversicherung
Would a larger hospital be able to help?	₍,Un hospital mas grande podria ayudar?	Est-ce que un plus grand hopital pourrait aider ?	Konnte ein groBeres Krankenhaus helfen?
I am diabetic	Soy diabetico	Je suis diabetique	Ich bin zuckerkrank
I am allergic to ...	Soy alergico a ...	Je suis allergique a ...	Ich bin auf ... allergisch
I am taking ...	Estoy tomando ...	Je prends ...	Ich nehme ...

People

English	Spanish	French	German
*People*	*Gente*	*Les gens*	*Leute*
me, I	yo	^je	mir, ich
wife	esposa	epouse	Ehefrau
girlfriend	novia	petite amie	Freundin with definite article: die Freundin, meine Freundin
husband	marido	mari	Ehemann
boyfriend	novio	petit ami	Freund with definite article: der Freund, mein Freund
friend (male)	amigo	ami	Freund

amiga	amie	Freundin
father	padre	pere	Vater
mother	madre	mere	Mutter
daughter	hija	fille	Tochter
son	hijo	fils	Sohn
relative	pariente	relatif	Verwandter (male)/Verwandte (female or plural)
soldier	soldado	soldat	Soldat (male)/Soldatin (female)
police officer	oficial de polida	officier de police	Polizist (male)/Polizistin (female)
man	hombre	homme	Mann
woman	mujer	femme	Frau
boy	nino	gargon	Junge
girl	nina	fille	Madchen
sir/mister	senor	monsieur	Herr
madam/Mrs.	senora	madame	Frau
miss	senorita	manque	Frau

Verbs

English	Spanish	French	German
*Verbs*	*Verbes*	*Verbes*	*Verben*
came	vino	soyez venu	kam
went	fue	est alle	ging
is coming	esta viniendo	vient	kommt
is going	va	va	geht
fell	cayo	est tombe	fiel
hit	golpeo	coup

Common Phrases in Different Languages

traf (sb. hit sth.)/stieB (sb. hurt a bodypart)
drove	condujo	a conduit	fuhr
rode	monto	est monte	fuhr (anything with weels)/ritt (anything with legs)
ran	funciono	a couru	rannte
took	tomo	a pris	nahm
stole	robo	etole	stahl
collision

(vehicular) | colision (de vehfculos) | collision

(vehiculaire) | Kollision, Autounfall |

drank	bebio	a bu	trank
ate	comio	a mange	aB
repair	reparar	reparation	repariere (requesting, informal)/reparieren Sie (requesting, formal)
broke	roto	casse	hat kaputtgemacht (sb. broke sth.)/ging kaputt (sth. broke)

Other Words

English	Spanish	French	German
*Other Words*	*Otras Palabras*	*DAutres Mots*	*Andere Worte*
Who	Quien	Qui	wer
what	que	ce qui	was
where	donde	la ou	wo
when	cuando	quand	wann
why	porque	pourquoi	warum
how	como	comment	wie
forbidden	prohibido	interdit	verboten
allowed/permitted	permitido	laisse	erlaubt
impossible	imposible	Common Phrases in Different Languages - Steal This Wiki
impossible	unmoglich
possible	posible	possible	moglich
please	por favor	svp	bitte
thank you	gracias	merci	danke
you're welcome	de nada	vous etes bienvenu	gern geschehen
sorry	lo siento	desole	Entschuldigung
excuse me	perdon	excusez-moi	Entschuldigen Sie mich
asylum	asilo	assylum	Asyl

Numbers

English	Spanish	French	German
*Other Words*	*Numeros*	*Nombres*	*Zahlen*
one	uno	un	eins
two	dos	deux	zwei
three	tres	trois	drei
four	cuatro	quatre	vier
five	cinco	cinq	funf
six	seis	six	sechs
seven	siete	sept	sieben
eight	ocho	huit	acht
nine	nueve	neuf	neun
ten	diez	dix	zehn
twenty	veinte	vingt	zwanzig
thirty	treinta	trente	dreiBig
one hundred	cien	cent	hundert, einhundert

two hundred	doscientos	deux cents	zweihundert
three hundred	trescientos	trois cents	dreihundert
one thousand	mil	mille	tausend, eintausend
two thousand	dos mil	deux mille	zweitausend
three thousand	tres mil	trois mille	dreitausend

Other Phrases

English	Spanish	French	German
*Other Phrases*	*Otras Frases*	*DAutres Expressions*	*Andere Phrasen*
Can I pay more to make it happen faster?	^Puedo pagar mas para hacer que sea mas rapido?	Est-ce que je peux payer plus pour la faire se produire plus rapidement ?	Wenn ich mehr bezahle, geht es dann schneller?
I don't have that much money	No tengo tanto dinero	Je n'ai pas que beaucoup d'argent	Ich habe nicht so viel Geld
Is it available cheaper elsewhere?	^Es mas barato en otro lugar?	Est-il meilleur marche disponible ailleurs ?	Gibt es das irgendwo billiger?
I am not happy	No soy feliz	Je ne suis pas heureux	Ich bin nicht glucklich
I am happy	Soy feliz	Je suis heureux	Ich bin glucklich
I am frightened	Estoy asustado	Je suis effraye	Ich habe Angst
let's be friends	seamos amigos	soyons des amis	Lass uns Freunde sein
I am not interested	No estoy interesado/a	Je ne suis pas interesse	Ich bin nicht interessiert
I have no cash	No tengo dinero efectivo	Je n'ai aucun argent comptant	Ich habe kein Geld
Please stop	Pare por favor.	Svp arret - faveur de por d'alto	Hor auf (informal)/Horen Sie auf (formal)
I am seeking (residency,	Estoy buscando (residencia, ciudadama, asilo)	Je cherche (residence, citoyennete, asile)	Wie bekomme ich eine

Aufenthaltsgenehmigung? Wie werde |

citizenship, asylum)			ich Staatsburger? Wie bekomme ich Asyl?
Can I stay here?	^Puedo permanecer aqw?	Est-ce que je peux rester ici ?	Kann ich hier bleiben?
I am lost	Estoy perdido	Je suis perdu	Ich kenne mich nicht mehr aus
I am sick	Estoy enfermo/a	Je suis malade	Ich bin krank (permanently)/Ich fuhle mich krank (I feel sick)

"Pointy-Talky" books

The above-mentioned books that can be used to point at various things are still in print today. The most widely used ones are "Point It: Traveller's Language Kit" by Dieter Graf, "The Wordless Travel Book" by Jonathan Meader and various books and booklets produced by Kwikpoint, Me No Speak and ICOON. Besides bridging language barriers overseas, they can be used for the hearing or vocally impaired.

Links

For those with internet access, the website http://www.spanish-kit.net/ offers an on-line course with free downloadable material for off-line studying.

Babelfish can provide quick (if rather basic) translation for many common languageshttp://world.altavista.com/

The BBC offers free online language lessons http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/

Cheap Chow

Last updated: 12 August 2011

Go back to Free Food

Some of these recipes are designed to easily feed many members of the underground at a low price. By avoiding expensive processed packaged foods, trace back of labels and cartons is reduced, leaving less of an evidence trail, and also benefiting your health. Moreover, you reduce unnecessary use of cardboard, plastic bags, and inks. If your food comes from your own greenhouse, field, or pet chickens and goats you won't rely on the cruel and fragile CorpGov food supply chain.

We have split the page and moved the more portable recipes to the Roadside Chow section, so be sure to check that out for more road tested guerilla recipes.

1 Spanish/Latin American
1.1 Spanish Beans and Rice
1.2 Tortillas
1.3 Masa
1.4 Tamale
1.5 Refried Beans
2 Pan-Asian, Wok-Cooking, and Rice
2.1 Wok Cooking
2.1.1 Tools in Order of Need
2.1.2 Stir Fry
2.1.3 Water Fry
2.1.4 Deep Fry
2.1.4.1 Tempura
2.1.4.2 Pot Sticker
2.1.4.3 Wonton and Egg Roll
2.1.5 Steaming
2.1.6 Cleaning and Seasoning Your Wok
2.1.7 Flavor
2.2 Chinese Pancake Wrap
2.3 Edamame
2.4 Tempeh
2.5 Rice
2.6 Seitan
3 Pasta/Italian
3.1 Egg Noodles
3.2 Garlic Bread
3.3 Jewish Noodle Cake
3.4 Italian Red Sauce
3.4.1 Tomato Paste
4 Misc. Meal Staples and Snacks
4.1 Potato and Roots
4.2 Tough Meat
4.3 Popcorn
5 Indian/South Asian
5.1 Lentil Curry with Chapitis Bread
6 Soups
6.1 Tomato and Cheese Soup on the Cheap
6.2 Split pea soup
7 Oats and Grains
7.1 Energy Bars
7.2 Whole Kernel Wheat
7.3 Oatmeal
7.4 Grits
7.5 Granola
7.6 Simple Cookies
7.7 Biscuit Mix
7.8 Bread
7.8.1 Beer Bread
7.8.2 Self-Rising Flour
7.8.3 Pancakes
7.8.4 Sourdough Bread
7.8.5 Steam
7.8.6 Pizza
7.8.7 Store Loaf
7.9 War Cake
7.10 Hardtack Crackers
7.11 Baking Powder Substitute
8 Pie
8.1 Pie Shell
8.2 Mock Apple Pie
9 Cheese and Dairy
9.1 Sour Milk
9.2 Powdered Milk and Eggs
9.3 Eggs
9.4 Egg Substitute
9.5 Mozzarella Cheese
9.6 Cheese
9.7 Cream Cheese
9.8 Sour Cream
9.9 Yogurt
9.10 Parmesan Cheese
10 Drinks
10.1 Fruit Juices
10.2 Tea
10.3 Coffee Substitutes
10.4 Lemonade
10.5 Smoothies

Spanish/Latin American

Spanish Beans and Rice

Beans and rice are complete protein food with plenty of carbohydrates and a little fat too, if this is all you can afford you will do fine, plus it packs well dry for traveling. For road rations if you get the chance boil up the beans and rice on a stove until soft, drain, and dry at around 200F(100C) for around an hour spread on an oven pan, it should dry into hard brittle clumps, these will soften much more quickly than raw beans and rice, then you can add flavorings. If you are really pinched for time fry the beans in a pan for a bit or cook in pressure cooker, this makes it soften much faster in a regular boiling pot. A bit of hot sauce makes the basic recipe interesting, or...

Making Spanish rice gives this complete but boring vegan food a little kick.

Boil up and soak your dry beans soak overnight, discard this water, pre-boiling while you prep the rice speeds things up
Stir fry the rice until you see a little browning on the tips or edges
Add tomato sauce, beans, salt, and your favorite spices
Slow cook until beans are soft, pressure cook for 30-45 minutes at 15psi, or pour hot into a Thermos container and let the stored heat soften the beans reboiling as required

Tortillas

Find out if there is a Latino supermarket or open air market in your area. These types of places will often sell large amounts of tortillas in various sizes for very little money, often cheaper than you can make them. They are tough, flexible and a good source of starch that you can wrap almost anything in. A good idea is to combine leftover foodstuff into various chili-like recipes or stir-fries and wrap them in tortillas. This also can cut down on mess (no plates) if your eating on the run, or simply don't have the resources (water) to clean dishes all the time. An aluminum tortilla press is cheap at most stores catering to the Mexican community.

People in Mexico have been making the corn tortilla for generations from dried ground corn masa:

4 cups masa or corn flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
2.5 cups hot water

Flour Tortillas are also enjoyed in Mexican cuisine.

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 to 1/3 cup vegetable oil, lard, or shortening
1 cup warm water

The dough should be just a little sticky adjust water and oil for best results. Break flour dough into balls and allow dough to rest for about 10 min to strengthen it. Roll or tortilla-press both types into thin discs and stack floured or between plastic or paper. Cook on a hot dry fry pan, flip every 30 sec until it puffs a little and brown marks start to show. With flour tortillas the thinner you make them the stronger they are, less oil makes them stronger too.

Masa

for masa you will need:

1 1/2 pounds (1 quart) dried white field corn
2 tbs. "cal" slaked lime (mineral not the citrus fruit)

Wash the dried corn and drain. Mix the lime into 2qt water and boil until dissolved. Boil corn 2 min. for tortilla flour or 15 min for tamale masa. Place corn in colander and rub between hands under flowing water until hulled and white; if you don't clean the corn kernels well they will have a disgusting lime flavor. Grind or crush the corn in a mortar or grinder. Make several of these batches and freeze them flat in tied plastic shopping bags.

Tamale

Hard work and long preparation but a good cheap way for a poor sympathizer to feed a hungry squad of activists. Don't waste your time on a small batch- the same effort goes into a huge batch. These are portable in their husk and save well if sealed in a freezer, as one batch can last a week or two.

Boil just expired meat(or however you got it) for two hours until very soft (if meat is your thing) and save the stock for a soup. When done, shred meat with your hands. Substitute shredded TVP, spicy stir fry, sliced mushroom, or tofu for the meat to vegify the recipe. Experiment, but don't boil them. Knead in 1/2 cup oil, 6 Tbs chili powder, 3 Tbs cumin, 1 Tbs black pepper, and 2 Tbs salt that you have been warming (not frying) in a pan. You can experiment with the chili powder if you are fickle with spiciness.

Put corn husks into warm water to soften for two hours. Now put the 2 lbs. of Masa in a large bowl and add the following: dry 3 Tbs paprika, 3 Tbs salt, 1 Tbs cumin seeds, 3 Tbs Chili Powder, 3 Tbs fine dried garlic. Mix well dry and add 2 cup oil. Take about 1/2 cup of this dough and spear it into a corn husk, add 1 Tbs meat and wrap up fold over the end. Steam the whole batch for two hours or pressure cook in a steam basket for 30 min at 15psi, when done the dough should be firm.

Refried Beans

Get a sack of dried pinto beans, take 3 cups of raw beans and remove any dirt, bad beans, and pebbles then rinse the beans off in a strainer or colander. Add your beans to a pot of cold water several inches above the beans, and soak overnight. Add 1/4 onion chopped, 1 crushed jalapeno pepper, 4 Tbs salt and 1 tsp garlic (crushed and shelled) or other spices and flavors you like. Bring to boil and simmer for 1/2 hour or more (three hours is a typical simmer if you were unable to overnight soak), you will know the beans are ready when the skins just start to split or when they are soft. Strain the water out of the beans. Place 1/4 cup oil into your wok or fry pan. When the oil is hot but not smoking, start adding beans. They only need 3-4 min in the fry until they are easy to smash, then add hot water to this mash until it is your preferred refried bean thickness.

Pan-Asian, Wok-Cooking, and Rice

Wok Cooking

Our friends in China have long been enslaved by successive forms of government. Their poverty survival can be a lesson to us, especially how they cook in a fuel and food efficient style using the traditional wok. As the wok is probably the most versatile tool you can carry for cooking, unless you are a solo backpacker it is worth the weight in your gear.

Forget what you are used to eating in Asian restaurants, these menus full of fried sugary treats are typically reserved for the past and current privileged class. Instead we will focus on the cooking style which is centered around preparing whatever food is available.

Tools in Order of Need

Look at an Asian market for best prices

uncoated carbon-steel wok (non-stick coating burns/wears out quickly)
wok spatula/shovel, steel
cutting board
bamboo chopsticks
bamboo stackable steamer
carbon steel chopper cleaver (sharpens better than stainless) and cutting board or mat
fry skimmer (metal web ladle)
bamboo wok scrubber brush
serving ladle

Stir Fry

Add a few tablespoons of peanut, canola, sunflower, or other high temperature oil to the bottom of a seasoned wok, heat until a drop of water sizzles. Add hard vegetables which require the most cooking first like garlic or onion, as these cook you can add vegetables, spices, and meats in order of their required cooking time. Don't overload the wok to where the heat source doesn't support a sizzle sound. Get the hottest flame possible and cook quickly; constantly turning the mix. At the end about 30 seconds before you kill the flame you can add sugar and soy sauce or a teaspoon of corn flour/corn starch to thicken the sauce. Serve over noodles or rice.

Peanuts fry up nicely from raw in their red skins, they should be a bit browned and kept separate until served. Cayenne peppers are often stir-fried separately before a fancy meal and add heat to the cooking oil even after they are removed. Be sure to have a powerful stove or stir frying won't work quite right, air blown charcoal, a powerful gas or electric stove top, or a mountaineering stove work well but a hot plate is on the weak side. Flat bottom woks are for electrical stoves and round bottom with a wok ring are used with gas.

Some recipes call for deep frying meats which have tempura or starch paste coatings, these should be allowed to drain their oil as you quickly stir fry the rest of the vegetables or sauce.

Water Fry

A quarter cup of water and a lid are usually enough to quickly thaw and cook medium size frozen meats in your wok. As the water boils off break up the meat and add oil, spices, and vegetables to finish the cooking. Quicker from frozen but not always as tasty as fresh stir fry.

Deep Fry

Oil is expensive but tasty, and it will help you get enough fats for the week if you have abandoned a western diet. Be careful to keep the oil temperature low enough, watching the bubbles once you are experienced or use a candy thermometer to help you keep it to about 350F. Filter cooled used oil with paper towel or a piece of cloth and save the used oil in a jar for later reuse.

Tempura

To make tempura mix the following in a bowl.

¹ egg
1 cup ice water
1 cup all purpose flour

Quickly mix leaving a lumpy mixture, use chopsticks to dip your veggies into the tempura batter and drop into oil until golden brown.

Pot Sticker

The wrapper used for pot stickers can be made by mixing a 2-1 ratio of white flour to boiling water. Mix until smooth and knead when cooled. Roll flat and sprinkle with corn starch to keep from sticking. Roll with rolling pin until about 1-2mm thick.

1 cup - Boiling Water
2 cups - All Purpose Flour
Cornstarch (to prevent wrappers from sticking together)

For pot stickers, which are a 4 inch circle of thicker wrapper with a tablespoon of stir fried meat and cabbage or other filling folded in half and pinched shut at the edge, wetting the edge with a few drops of water often helps, now it looks like a fat pocket. Steam and freeze in a plastic bag and cook later or stir fry several pot stickers in wok with a tablespoon of oil until brown spots start to show on the outside. Serve with a bowl of soy sauce with a dash of sesame oil, some also add rice vinegar or cayenne pepper oil for dipping sauce. Pot stickers are a treat and take a bit of work to make compared to simple stir fry, if you are investing the time make a big batch and freeze the extra.

Wonton and Egg Roll

Wonton wrapper

¹ egg
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 to 1/2 cup water, as needed
Extra flour as needed
Corn Starch or baking sheets to prevent sticking

Mix egg 1/4 cup water and salt, add to bowl containing the flour and knead until smooth. Add water or flour to get the right moisture. Sprinkls corn starch and use a rolling pin to make very thin. Wontons are used for steamed or fried pouches of food or used as noodles in soup.

Egg rolls are the wonton wrapper rolled thin and filled with stir fried meat spiced with ginger and garlic and fresh shredded carrot and cabbage. Cut 7x7 inch squares of wrapper and add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of filling, wet the edges to help them stick when closing, be sure to fold over the sides of the roll. Oil fry until golden brown and allow to cool on a drip rack or paper towel. A good dipping sauce is to heat pineapple juice and catsup with a bit of corn starch as thickener for a sweet and sour sauce, add vinegar garlic and sugar as needed, in a pinch heated sugar and vinegar will work.

Steaming

A bamboo or metal steamer can be used to steam fish, meat, vegetables and even small breads and cakes quicker than a traditional oven. An alternative to bamboo is to use a perforated steamer disc and the wok lid to keep the steam in, tilt the lid or get one with a vent so there is room for steam to escape.

Steamed buns are made by making a sweet bread dough and adding a tablespoon of stir fry to a disk of risen and punched down bread, bunch to the bottom and pinch shut, put the ball on a piece of baking paper or foil and let rise again in a warm place for 30 minutes, steam for 15 min. hom-bows can be wrapped in cling-wrap plastic after steaming and frozen, to reheat microwave in the plastic, steam heat, or put under your jacket and eat warm.

Cleaning and Seasoning Your Wok

Clean with hot water and a wok brush, do not use soap as this will strip the nonstick seasoning coat of cured oil. To season stir fry a meal of non disintegrating vegetables with a tablespoon or two of peanut, canola, or other high temperature oil, some meat is ok after the veggies are beginning to soften, potatoes will break up and stick to your wok and are best steamed, boiled in soup or deep fried as chips/fries.

Flavor

Experimentation will lead to success with Asian food. Use fresh or dried garlic, ginger root, black pepper, anise, cinnamon, cloves, soy sauce, white pepper and whole cayenne pepper or whatever sounds good to you. The Thai add lemon grass, coconut milk or meat, peanuts, and curry, best served on rice noodles. Look around at the local herbs at the roadside for other flavors. Restaurants put in a little corn starch (1tsp.) in the last minute of stir-fry to thicken watery sauces.

Chinese Pancake Wrap

Easy enough to make and minimal ingredients required, this can be used to make a roll up meal or a base for fancy meals like mu-shu.

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 to 1 cup boiling water, as needed
3 tablespoons sesame or other oil, or as needed

Mix boiling water and flour stirring the whole time. Knead until you have smooth dough, cover and let dough rest for 30 minutes. Cut the dough in half on floured surface, roll each half out until it is 1/4-inch thick. Cut into 3-inch circles of dough with a clean can. Brush or sponge 1/2 teaspoon of sesame(sesame oil tastes better) or other oil over one side of 2 dough circles. Sandwich the circles, so that the oiled sides are together. Roll out the double pancakes with rolling pin to 6-inch circles. Cover rolled out circles with damp towel to keep the rest moist while you cook them. Heat a dry heavy frying pan or wok over low heat. Cook pancake pairs one pair at a time until browned on both sides. Remove the paired pancakes from the pan and pull them apart. These can be frozen and reheated but are best served fresh.

Edamame

You can buy frozen, prepackaged bags of shelled or unshelled soy beans, called edamame. For under three dollars you can have a pound of one of the best sources for near-complete protein (it contains most of the various proteins you can't produce on your own). You just bring 6 cups of water with a pinch of salt to a boil, add the edamame, let it boil again for 5-7 minutes, and then drain. Rinse with cool water and then add salt (preferably rock salt). You may need to add more salt later. Buying the pre-shelled edamame sometimes saves you money, as you get a pound of just the beans, not a pound of both beans and shells.

Tempeh

A favorite among vegans, tempeh is used a protein substitute taking the place of meat, it is a fermented soy product which unlike tofu retains the whole bean leading to much less loss of total nutrition in processing. Tempeh is Indonesian in origin. There is a website giving away the starter for the shipping price http://www.tempeh.info/starter/free-sample.php Unfortunately it appears that air culturing the beans wont work, but if you keep a bit of the sample culture alive by having a constant fermentation going you should do fine. Tempeh is more nutritious than unfermented soybeans.

To make 1kg tempeh you need the following ingredients:

600 g whole dry soybeans
5 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon (about 5g) tempeh starter

Rice

Rice which is available in large sacks is one inexpensive way to get your travel food. Be sure to wash in cold water several times in your pot or clean bucket while agitating until water comes clear for better flavor, dumping out the cloudy water after each wash, fill water about 1.5 cm over the level of the rice inside a pot, make a depression with your finger in the center, cover with the lid and run up to boiling. Once a boil is going, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 min. The rice should have holes with very small bubbles popping from them when you open the pot. Mix and serve in about 5 min with a protein food. Short grain rice prepared like this is perfect for making sushi rolls wrapped in dried seaweed sheets.

Fried rice is made by stir frying one cup dry rice with 1 tablespoon oil until it has a little bit of brown colour on the edges. Mix in two cups water and let it boil down. Stir-fry some veggies and an egg in a separate pan. Once the veggies are just a little before being perfect, add your cooked rice with some oil and a teaspoon or more of soysauce. Stir and mix in the pan until golden brown. This is a bit quicker recipe than the regular rice.

A good recipe is cook the rice, brown ground beef (hamburger, about 1 lb to 1 c of dry rice) and mix together with sauces and seasoning, such as jalapeno salsa which can be got in cans.

Seitan

Also known as "wheat meat", seitan is a meat substitute that is made from gluten extracted from whole wheat flour. According to legend, it was invented by Buddhist monks to keep the younger monks from sneaking off into town when they started craving meat. It is sold today in Chinese groceries, often labeled as "Mock Duck"

The following is a recipe from the Wikibooks Cookbook:

1. Add 2 cups water to 10 oz (280g) high-gluten wheat flour (such as bread flour).
2. Knead together until well-combined and elastic. It is advisable to keep hands wet so that the gluten doesn't stick to the hands.
3. Cover with water and place in refrigerator for 1 hour.
4. Knead under water until water is cloudy; dump cloudy water and replace with clear, cold water. In the beginning the dough can still easily dissolve underwater so it is advisable to only cautiously squeeze it against the bowl. Later you might find it easier to knead over the water, squeezing out the water, and only to dip the mass into the water to wash off the starch, if the mass contains too much water you easily wash out gluten as well. The enriched water can be used to gain the insoluble starch, which settles on the bottom of the container, and what remains can serve as a base for grain milk.
5. Continue kneading and replacing water until water remains clear after kneading.
6. Divide gluten mass into loaf- or roll-shaped halves. At this point, there are several things you can add to the mass.
6.1. Adding soy sauce is recommended; this is traditional in the making of seitan.
6.2. Spices. For example, the seitan can simulate Italian sausage by adding the correct spices, or adding poultry seasoning can make the seitan more similar to chicken or turkey.
6.3. Adding nutritional yeast is recommended, particularly if those consuming the seitan are vegetarian, and especially vegan. The B12 in nutritional yeast is a vitamin that is usually obtained through meats, eggs and/or dairy products.
7. Place halves in pot, cover with vegetable broth or dashi.
8. Bring to a boil.
9. Reduce heat to simmer; simmer for 1 - 1 1/2 hours.
10. Remove from heat and serve as desired or use in place of meat.

A faster but more expensive way is to use gluten flour (also called "vital wheat gluten") and mix water into it. The gluten flour doesn't require rinsing.

Unused portions of Seitan can be kept in broth under refrigeration for up to a week, or can be frozen (drained from broth) for up to a month.

This will make approximately 28 oz (790g) of gluten. Because of their high protein content, gluten "steaks" can be grilled and fried to good effect.

Pasta/Italian

Pasta is cheap and is used in many easy recipes. Pasta in soup, cakes and traditional noodle and sauce dishes are all good for stretching your budget. Get vegetable or whole wheat pasta if you can. It doesn't cost much more and it's a whole lot healthier.

Egg Noodles

The following is taken from the Wikibooks Cookbook:

1 whole egg
1 cup flour
2 to 6 tablespoons of water
1-2 teaspoon of olive oil (optional)

On a smooth surface, heap flour. Push a hole in the center of the flour (it should look like a volcano). Break egg into flour (add oil now if you choose to do so - it will change the flavor and texture). Either knead with hands or mix with a fork. Slowly add water one teaspoon at a time while kneading the dough. You probably will not need all six tablespoons of water (though you may possibly need more). Knead dough until it has a consistent texture. Divide dough into manageable sections. Select one section at a time and keep the rest covered. Roll each section to desired thickness and cut into noodles with a knife. These noodles can be laid out to dry for later use or dropped immediately into a boiling pot of water. Cook to taste. They are good with a variety of sauces. If making a lasagna noodle, just roll sheets of this dough to fit the pan and dry, you should if possible dry it in a preheated toaster oven for around five minutes, this reduces the cooling time considerably with lasagna and other pastas that are not boiled in a pot.

Garlic Bread

Any white or wheat bread (including day old hot dog rolls) can be garlic bread. Mix softened butter, chopped garlic and (optionally) some chopped parsley or any other green herb, and spread the bread with this. Place on aluminum foil and warm in an oven until the butter melts, or flip the bread face down and fry it with butter and garlic in a pan.

Jewish Noodle Cake

From the dirt poverty of the Polish ghettos to the near starvation of turn of the century Jerusalem this is a cheap and exotic way to cook your noodles. Boil up and drain spaghetti or whatever pasta is on sale, add a few eggs to bind and sugar or salt to match your tastes. For sweet kugel, add dried fruits and raisins. For real Jerusalem kugel flavor boil and drain 250 grams of spaghetti type noodles, in another pot evenly pour 3/4 cup sugar into 2/3 cup pre-heated oil (when you start to see heat waves in the oil) and let cook until you see browned sugar begin to rise and bubble from under the white (about 8 min watch carefully or it will burn), mix the drained noodles into the cooked sugar/oil mix and add 2-3 eggs mixing in 1/2 tsp salt and between 1/2 to 1 1/2 tsp black pepper. Bake either mix in covered pan at 250F for 30-40 min.

Italian Red Sauce

For good general use pasta/pizza sauce mix, start with a tablespoon or two of olive oil and quickly fry some smashed and shelled garlic in it, add tomato paste, pepper, basil, oregano, salt and a some red wine or real grape juice; mix and simmer until thickened and tasty. Most of these herbs can be seeded and grown like wild weeds; maybe you can hide other weed in with them! This sauce can be diluted with water for soup: add pasta or small dough balls and veggies, then season to taste.

Don't get stressed if you only have some dumpster veggies and 20 minutes to cook everything, ripe or overripe tomatoes with the bad parts cut off can be added to an onion or garlic stir fry and smashed with your fork when they get really soft, this improvisation will work as a great substitute for most Italian dishes and pizza, much tastier than the canned tomato paste, add other spices to your preference.

Tomato Paste

Tomato paste for storage or big cook-ups can be made from your greenhouse tomatoes, Cut an X in the bottoms and drop into boiling water for 2-3min, then dump drained tomatoes into cold water to help peel skins, cut out seeds, boil chunks with 1/2tsp salt per Liter for an hour. Stir to avoid burning, crush then strain, cook for two to three hours on low stirring until a thick paste. This is great to freeze in plastic bags or preserve in jars, see Farm It.

Tomato sauce is even easier, slice up tomatoes add some water and allow to boil until it turns into a sauce, stir occasionally, add spices, herbs, wine, grape juice, olives, pepper, salt, pepper, what ever you think will make it taste better, slow cooking over a low fire will improve the flavour and concentrate the sauce.

Misc. Meal Staples and Snacks

Potato and Roots

The potato and most vegetables can either be microwaved after poking several times with a fork for around 8 min or more or boiled for 20-30 min. Easy to carry once cool eat like an apple with pepper, Tabasco, or soy sauce. One of the cheapest meals you can buy.

Don't waste money on instant mashed potatoes unless you are backpacking. You can skin and boil several potatoes together until they are soft and mash them yourself. Once mashed, you can add salt, pepper, and/or butter to taste. Mashed potatoes go well with gravy made by cooking scrap meat in water and then adding cornstarch or any other thickening agent and pepper. Try to eat the skins which contain most of the vitamins.

Small whole potatoes are boiled in a can or pot with your stinger for about 20 minutes. Watch the water level.

Tough Meat

Roadkill, meat scraps, or cheap meat is often very tough and stringy. If meat is your thing here is a way to make it edible even if you can only afford junk. From 60-65C (150F) the collagen that makes tough fibers in meat converts to gelatin soft and tasty, at higher temperatures above 100C (210F) the cellular sugars and amino acids combine which toughens up forever and is difficult to chew and digest. Getting over 70C (160F) will kill bacteria. Overnight heating a stew just below boil or roasting in the oven at the indicated temperatures will both preserve moisture content and soften the meat. If you are feeling fancy you can torch off or grille the meat to give it a outer crust.

Another method is to use a "meat tenderizer mallet", which is a small metal or wooden hammer with a flat face that has lots of little pyramids on it. It looks like a tiny version of a medieval weapon, but you can use it to break up the fibers of tough cuts of meat.

In Asian cooking we just slice thinly with a sharp knife or cleaver and stir fry cutting the stringy fibers short.

If possible cook your meat or poultry over rice and veggies or stew it so you will not waste any fats or juices.

Ground meat (beef or turkey) can be extended by kneading wheat germ into it.

Popcorn

If you grow or buy in bulk, popcorn is a cheap and easy snack. Try mixing in spices, adding dry whey, and/or using a bit of oil to make the stuff stick.

Carmel corn is made by heating up butter (or oil) and melting in brown sugar. Add a tablespoon of each until you have the right consistency. It helps to have a friend mix with a spoon while you pour.

Popcorn can also be eaten as a cereal, just like the pilgrims did! Add milk and sugar if you want to give it a try. Stale popcorn also works as a cereal.

An air popper can be run for a long time by dropping a little corn in every thirty seconds or so. This is good for large popping operations. Pop a huge trash bag full if you are on a support team and take out to your activists. If you have access to a microwave oven, don't bother with those pre-packaged bags. Pour a small amount of popcorn and if you like a spoonful of butter or margarine into a large glass bowl and put a glass plate on top of it. If you're poping the corn dry, pour a small amount into a paper (NOT plastic!) bag and fold the top over. If there is a "POPCORN" setting in the oven, use that. If not, put it on HIGH and shut it off three seconds after the last kernel pops.

Indian/South Asian

Lentil Curry with Chapitis Bread

This is an inexpensive meal which tastes great feeds 3-4 adults and costs around a dollar. Cooking the lentils either requires several hours on low simmer or about 45 minutes if you have a pressure cooker. Tools:

4l soup pot, pressure cooker, or #10 coffee can
fry pan or flat metal over fire,
flame or heat source powerful enough to dry bake bread
flat surface and way to roll or flatten dough

You will want to start by cooking your lentils.

2-3 cups dry lentils
1-3 tbsp cumin to taste
1 tbsp tumeric to taste
1-2 tbsp pepper and or garlic
1-3tbsp salt
3 tbsp oil (more optional for added fats in cold weather)
Optional up to 50% or more sliced potatoes, carrots, eggplant, and other favorite meats or vegetables to taste.

Add all ingredients and add water to at least 2-3cm above the level of the ingredients. You will need to continue to add water if slow cooking in a pot or can, a pressure cooker is fast and wont evaporate away much water. Cook for 45 minutes in a pressure cooker or four hours at a low simmer in a pot, the lentils should be very soft almost falling apart. Add water if the lentils are finished but a bit tough or dry and cook for additional 20 min.

Once the lentils are started cooking you can prepare your chapatis dough.

4 cu white or sifted wheat flour with bran/germ separated
2 tsp salt
3 tbsp oil, ghee, or butter
1 1/2 cu hot water

Add dry ingredients and oil, mix in hot water knead into a ball and let rest covered for 10 min. Roll into a long stick and cut into 24 sections. Roll sections into flat circles on a clean surface sprinkled with flour. Allow dough balls to rest and cool for 10-20 min on flour covered surface. roll balls into thin circles of dough sized to fit your fry pan or hot metal surface.

Lay circles of dough onto dry fry pan or surface it should take about 60 sec for dough to puff bubbles let them grow for 30 sec and flip, allow to cook for 30-60 seconds. Add finished chapatis to a stack and cover so they stay warm and soft.

You can eat your lentils and other curry food with the chapatis bread using it like a spoon or a burrito wrap.

Soups

Tomato and Cheese Soup on the Cheap

This recipe will use free to obtain items and will feed about 2 or 3 people. To feed more just multiply the portions by the number of people you're looking to feed.

5 packets of tomato ketchup
5 packets of Parmesan cheese
1 packet of crushed red pepper
2 packets of salt
2 packets of pepper
3 cups of water
(All the packets can be obtained at most condiment bars like at Target or convenience stores)

You need to bring the water just to a simmering boil and then add the ingredients and make sure that they all dissolve into the water. This makes a tasty and nourishing soup that is great when served with some homemade bread. It might not be Campbell's but when it costs you nothing, it's Mmm-Mmm Good! And it's better than no meal at all. You could crank this recipe up by adding a little real meat and cheese secured from free samples in the deli or thicken it up by adding potato flakes or flour as it boils.

This type of cooking is not new. During the (first) Great Depression of the 1930's, many of the poor would make soup at the condiment station at an automat (a type of cafeteria) with ketchup, hot water (normally used tor making tea), salt and pepper. In the days of the Reagan Administration, the US government tried to have ketchup and relish declared "vegetables" to boost school lunch nutritional standards.

Split pea soup

1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
1-pound bag split peas, rinsed and picked through
1 1/2 pound smoked ham hock, a good meaty hambone, or just diced ham (Vegetarians can substitute tofu and add liquid smoke for flavor)
2 quarts chicken stock, water, or combination
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large saucepan, saute onion, celery and carrots over medium-high heat. Add peas and ham hock and cover with stock by a couple inches. Bring to a simmer and cook about 1 hour until soup is thick and peas have almost disintegrated but not quite. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Remove ham hock and let cool. Pull meat from ham hock bone and shred. Garnish with ham and pepper. This soup is healthy, filling, delicious and about as cheap as it gets.

Oats and Grains

Energy Bars

When out on a bike trip or at a demonstration, nothing beats that wilted weak feeling like our energy bars.

1 cup non-instant rolled oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 soy protein powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup crunchy peanut butter or tahini paste
1 cup nuts or dried fruit of your choice/chopped
1 cup dark or white chocolate chunks
1 cup honey or brown rice syrup

Form into a cake and cut up or make cookies like discs, freeze, no baking required, although some of us prefer the crunchy taste when we cook them dry, they also last longer that way. Wrap in foil then plastic wrap so they will last a few weeks without drying out, as long as they don't mold. Spices like ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and cocoa add variety. Add tea or coffee beans raw or roasted or instant powder to the mix to eat on days where you don't have time to make your favorite wake up drink.

If you must improvise mix some sort of starch grain for medium boost, a protein like bean powder, a fat like oil or margerine for compressed calories, and a sugar for quick energy and to help bind everything. Rolled oats, peanut butter, and brown sugar would be fine on a budget.

Whole Kernel Wheat

Popular with Mormons and survivalist types you might also find whole kernel wheat in railroad cars or on farms. Wheat especially the hard red winter variety, used in breads, is high in protein and keeps for many years if properly stored. The soft white variety is better for making noodles and pasta.

For vitamin C on an all wheat ration sprout some wheat kernels in a damp sponge or shallow container.

A quality grain grinder is an expensive but worthwhile investment. Minimum price is around $100 for a Corona beer makers stone grain mill, better grinders use steel burs and can cost around $300 but can be connected to an electric motor. We knew a vegan traveler with survivalist dreams who for years carried a handheld manual coffee grinder for whole wheat, he rarely used it since it was so much work, maybe he finally figured a way to turn it with his bicycle tire. Inexpensive soft metal burr hand mills usually work fine until the first pebble mixed into the grain is ground through them, then the burrs get dulled and are mostly useless, take the time to carefully inspect the wheat you are grinding for foreign objects.

If you just cant find a grinder, pound with two stones for a crude flour or porridge, you can also boil it up whole in soup or like rice.

Oatmeal

Those little packets of "Instant Oatmeal" may be nice, but they add up the costs something fierce. You can also buy big boxes of quick oats if you have a safe place to store them. They are also pumped full of sugar which isn't a sustaining source of energy. Buy a big box of loose oatmeal, and make your own by putting 1/3 to 1/2 cup (or if you're really hungry, a full cup) of dry oatmeal into a bowl, then add an equal amount of hot (but not boiling) water. Cover the bowl with a plate, wait a few minutes, and remove the plate. Hot oatmeal! If it's too thick, add more water. Want spices, fruits or flavors? Add them yourself! Get creative!

Quick oats can be cheaply made by running whole oatmeal through a food processor or blade type electric coffee grinder until it looks like quick oats from the store.

Oatmeal can also be eaten cold with milk and sugar, or mixed in with yogurt.

Grits

Long a staple of working class people in the USA's Deep South, grits are a type of porridge made from white corn or hominy (which itself is made from hard kernel corn dried on the cob then removed and soaked in a solution of baking soda, lime, or wood ash). It makes a good side dish or can be eaten for breakfast. You can find grits in the cereal section in larger supermarkets, often near the oatmeal.

To serve 2 to 4 people, you can prepare Quick Grits in a small saucepan by adding 1/2 cup of dried (but not instant) grits into 1 1/2 cups of water and stirring over a flame it until it simmers (For a single serving, use 1/4 to 1/3 cup grits to 1 cup of water). It first appears watery, but thickens as it absorbs the water. Instant Grits (in the little packets) can be made by adding boiling water and stirring. For an authentic flavor, you can add butter, bacon bits or shredded cheddar cheese. A word of warning: Grits can be very thick, so if it is made in a microwave oven, it can splatter if it bubbles.

Granola

If you want some granola cereal but can't afford it, all you need is an oven or fry pan and some bulk oatmeal, water, and sugar for minimum but the additional ingredients make it nicer.

3 cups raw oatmeal
3/4 cup water or enough to make it damp
3/4 cup sugar, honey, or maple syrup, more or less to taste
1 pinch salt(optional)
2 tablespoons cooking oil, shortening, margarine, or butter optional to enhance crisping
cinnamon as wanted
3/4 cup dried fruit, nuts, seeds, raisins, etc

Mix ingredients in a bowl except fruit and raisins, use your hands and squeeze as you mix it to help get the moisture mixed in. Bake for one hour at 150C mixing with a spatula every 15 minutes or until dry and browned to your liking. Add fruit and raisins after the granola has cooled.

Cooking in a fry pan requires more attention, care must be taken to constantly stir and keep the temperature down so you toast and don't burn the oatmeal, a good indicator that the pan is too hot is if the sugar stuck to the bottom of the pan turns very dark or smokes.

Simple Cookies

2 cups flour
1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs

You can add 1/2 cup rolled oats cutting 1/2 cup flour out of the recipe, or add 3/4 cup peanut butter and a bit more sugar to taste, as always carefully add the flour last so you can adjust consistency of the dough. Raisins, roasted nuts, and chocolate chips or candy bar chunks are all good to add to the recipe. Without eggs these get a little tough if they dry out in the oven but are quite edible. If you don't have eggs you will need to add a bit more water or if you have an apple or a banana you can substitute some mashed fruits for eggs. Bake at 390F/200C for 8-10 min. and keep an eye on them. You can also try using a covered greased fry pan, solar reflector oven, or even a coffee can with a 60W incandescent light bulb wired into it, like the Easy-Bake toy ovens.

Biscuit Mix

Taken from Wikibooks' Cookbook, this is a substitute for those "instant baking mixes" you see in supermarkets.

2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup (80g) shortening
1/4 cup (60ml) powdered milk
1/3 - 1/2 cup (80ml-120ml) water

Blend together dry ingredients and store if you like, when ready to cook cut in shortening to make mixture as granular as possible. Use as you would for "Bisquik" style recipes.

To make biscuits, add 2 cups of mix to 1/2 cup water or milk, knead no more than 5 times (or it will be too tough), roll flat to about 3/4 inch (2 cm), and cut into biscuit shapes (A clean drinking glass will do). Bake on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes at 450 F (230 C).

Bread

Bread takes time to rise but is delicious and inexpensive to make. You can make with as little as flour, sourdough culture or yeast, and water, but salt, sugar, eggs, and oil help add flavor and nutrition. As you add eggs remove an equivalent amount of water, an easy way to do this is fill the measuring cup with available eggs then finish with water. Using yeast means that you do not have to air culture a bowl of flour paste into sourdough, which takes several days. If it is just too cold in your food prep area to keep a culture active or even to let bread rise (try a closed cardboard box with a small wick candle inside, placed in a fireplace for fire safety) try our pancake or cake recipe.

Mix sugar, warm water, and yeast into one large bowl and let it proof (reproduce) while working the other ingredients. Let it proof a long time for a strong yeasty flavor. Once you have a thriving bubbling yeast bowl, you can mix it into the bread bowl with the eggs, flour, oil, eggs, salt, and more sugar if you want a sweet bread. Lots of olive oil and herbs makes a tasty foccacia. Of course if you want to make a granola, fruity, or nutty bread go nuts, ground beans are a great way to balance the amino acids for full nutrition. Try this first and then experiment to your liking:

1 1/2 cups warm water (feels warm to hand, not burning hot)
1 Tbps sugar
1 tps salt
4 cups flour
1 Tbs yeast

Once you have your bread and punched it down you are ready to make a loaf. Let it rise again and bake it at 350F(180C) until it starts to brown on top. If you make a funky loaf at first, try again, as you will develop a feel for the consistency of a dough after a few tries. Ground whole wheat flour or sourdough leavening take more time to soften and rise especially in a cold place, you should mix your dough wet and sticky in the morning and let it rise covered in a bowl all day maybe even longer in winter, it will be much softer and lighter than if you use the quick recipes we mention.

Bread rolled into long sticks is a quicker way to cook your bread, they are also easier if you want to dip into a sauce or spread.

Beer Bread

Another easy recipe for very fast but real tasty bread contains only three ingredients, at least two of which you're likely to have around:

3 c. self rising flour
3 tbsp. sugar
12 fluid ounces beer (which provides the yeast flavor)

Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl, pour into a greased bread pan or casserole dish, and bake for 30-40 minutes in a preheated 350F oven. Darker beers, such as a stout like Guinness, give the bread a richer flavor; but any kind of beer will do. (Don't worry about getting drunk from this. As the beer bakes, the alcohol evaporates.)

Self-Rising Flour

You can turn all-purpose flour into self-rising flour by adding 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt to each cup of flour and sifting it with a fork.

Pancakes

See Pancakes under "Roadside Chow"

Sourdough Bread

Mix 1/2 cup of room temperature water and 1/2 cup flour in a jar, use half of the starter in pancakes or something every day during startup so you don't waste and add back 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup flour mix, try to keep the starter between 80F and 100F (30-38C) too cold and it will take forever, too hot and it will die. After two to five days it will be bubbly and beer or yeasty smelling, you have a starter. You can jump start a sourdough culture by begging a pinch of yeast from a bakery and adding it to the flour paste or adding a few unwashed organic grape skins or using organic wheat flour which are higher in natural yeast. Now keep it alive warm, damp, and covered with a cloth, mix once or twice a day, just keep using and feeding it flour and water. It is OK to refrigerate it once it is running, you can use the cloth held on with a rubber band or punch a hole in the lid to allow ventilation.

To make sourdough bread, mix one cup of water and one cup of water and 1/2 cup starter and let proof (biopopulate) overnight, this is called the proof sponge. Now you can use the proof sponge instead of yeast substituting out one cup of flour and water from the bread recipe. Be sure to add some of the proof sponge and some flour and water back into your starter every time you bake bread to replace what came out for proofing. If possible keep some sourdough starter in a cold place like a refrigerator or outside in winter so you don't have to feed it every day, just once a week or so, you can pour off the clear or dark liquid on top if you want to, it is high in alcohol but disgusting. It will take much longer for this bread to rise than hyperactive store yeast but it will have a soft rich tasty sourdough flavor.

Steam

For dim-sum buns, make your dough by adding 1/4 cup sugar and 2 Tbs oil to the basic bread recipe. Roll and flatten dough into discs six inches wide, add a filling using 1Tbs of sweet stir fry per bun, twist the buns shut and make that side the bottom. Let the buns rise for about half an hour, steam for 10-20 min on wax paper or baking sheet squares. Wrap in cling plastic and freeze for storage, to reheat microwave or steam the wrapped bun.

Steam is also a way to bake whole loafs but it will have a different consistency then regular bread softer with a delicate white crust. If you find dry stale bread you can revive it by steaming for ten minutes and then a quick run in a hot oven.

Pizza

For pizza crust, let rise then roll or throw a flat disc onto a pan and let rise covered for 1/2 hour, then bake for 10 min at 200F. Remove crust from oven add sauce, cheese, and toppings now bake again until the toppings and cheese are done. Look above in Italian cooking for the sauce recipe and below in Dairy for DIY Mozzarella cheese.

Store Loaf

A nice loaf of store-bought bread can also make a rather nutritious, albeit boring meal. If you pay attention to what you buy, you can get a loaf that, if you eat enough slices, will fulfill the overwhelming majority of your nutritional needs. Most chain supermarkets will place loaves of day-old bread or pastries from the bakery section on sale. Be sure to check this area if your local store has one.

If you come across a large stash of day old bread while dumpster diving and are unable to give away or eat all of the wealth put the loaves or buns out in the hot sun and let them dry hard while keeping the birds away. Dry bread can last up to a few weeks and can be steamed back to softness, eaten dipped in soup, or used to make french toast. Hang your bag of bread to prevent mice from getting at your stash.

War Cake

As Marie Antoinette is reputed to have said to the poor French lower classes who were without bread and revolting against the crown; "Let them eat cake". Our cake is quicker than bread to prepare, and can be baked in many ways even if you are without an oven or gas. The recipe below is based on one from the 1930's often called "Depression Cake" (Originally it was made without butter, eggs or milk, since those were hardest to come by at that time). It can be modified using less sugar and adding vegetable chunks and soft corn if you like to eat it with a regular meal. You can remove the baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) and vinegar and use baking powder (2 tsp) but remember that baking powder is very moisture sensitive and can go flat. No rising agents lead to a cake that is heavy and tough. Shaved chocolate bar can be used like cocoa but is not as strong flavored. The other flavors and spices can be added if they are available. Cut and wrap a sheet cake for a days food on the move.

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil, shortening, unsalted margarine, or butter
2 Tbsp. vinegar
2 cup cold water, or cold brewed coffee, or fruit juice (juice can substitute for some or all sugar)
You can mix an egg or two into the second cup of water (in the measuring cup) for a softer cake.
Any or a mix of - vanilla, almond or lemon extract; sweet spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice); unsweetened cocoa; chocolate chips, chunks, or shavings; dry or chunk fruits and berries; ground or chopped nuts; citrus peel shavings; freeze dried coffee; peanut butter; raisins, prunes.

Rub oil on your frying pan, folded aluminum foil or clean paper tray, or 9-by-13 inch baking pan and evenly sprinkle down some flour to coat the bottom (to prevent sticking). Preheat oven to 350F or prepare coals. Mix dry ingredients together first and then quickly add all of the liquid ingredients, mix only as long as it takes to get a smooth mixture. Pour batter into your pan and immediately begin cooking. Bake, steam, or place your pan above a fire or coals or a hot plate on a low setting with a lid or cover until a toothpick or fork comes out clean when poked into the middle of the cake, between 20 min to an hour depending on thickness and ingredients. Wait 20 min to cool then serve, cut up and wrap, or frost. Good sweet spices include cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and some also use anise and fennel seed. Adding freeze dried coffee to chocolate cake is great for waking up before midnight actions.

With the alternative cooking methods practice is required and don't be surprised if you get a hard bottom crust if you cook over a fire. You could also try putting the batter into folded foil pockets or leaf wraps and put at the edge of the red hot coals, oil the inside of the foil if possible and fill less than half full since the cake will rise when cooking.

An easy glaze frosting, like what is on a donut, is made by simmering water or orange juice, starch, and sugar for a minute or two. Frosting is made with butter or oil and powdered sugar. You can add cocoa if you like. Frosting keeps the cake fresh longer by making a barrier for escaping moisture.

Hardtack Crackers

See Hardtack crackers in Roadside Chow.

Baking Powder Substitute

In case the store is out or you forgot to get it.

2 parts Cream of Tartar (NOT Tartar Sauce!)
1 part Baking Soda
1 part Cornstarch

Combine, store in an airtight container, and keep refrigerated.

Pie

A good way to cook a veggie stew or meat is inside a pie crust. For fruit pies just boil fruit even if it is a little green or overripe with a some water until the "stew" gets thick, you may add sugar and sweet spices if you like but it should be fine without. If you are camped out make your pie in a greased and floured dutch oven or clay pot placed in a pile of low coals. Also try a closed BBQ grill or on a rack above coals with a can or cookie tin over it to hold the heat in, try to get a good reusable pie tin and cover with a plate.

Pie Shell

For a standard pie shell, take 1 cup of flour, 1/3 cup shortening, 3 Tbsp water and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cut the shortening into the flour in a bowl then add the salt and water one tablespoon at a a time. Then roll flat with a rolling pin. This should be enough for a 9 inch pie, top and bottom. If you can only get oil you will have to experiment for best results, cook little test circles of pie crust on a piece of foil until you find a good mix for your available ingredients.

Another recipe is taken from a Civil War era cookbook (reproduced verbatim):

Boil six good-sized mealy potatoes, and mash them fine, add salt, a spoonful of butter, and two of water, while they are hot, then work in flour enough for making a paste to roll out, or put into two or three spoonfuls cream, and no butter or water. This is a good crust for hot pies or dumplings.

Mock Apple Pie

This was a staple for Pioneer families when fresh fruit was rare, and was even published on boxes of "Ritz" crackers for many years. It was very popular in World War 2 when most apples were processed for food for the soldiers. You'll need a 9 inch pie pan and pie crust.

36 or so crackers, broken into crumbs (about 1 3/4 cups) {Snack crackers like "Ritz" or their clones are best, but saltines can be used}
1 3/4 cups water
2 cups sugar or other sweetener
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine (or, in a pinch, cooking oil)
2 tsp. cream of tartar (NOT Tartar Sauce!)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Grated peel of one lemon (if you have it)

Rub oil on the inside of the pie pan, roll out half the pastry shell and put the crumbs in. Heat the water in a saucepan and add the sugar and cream of tartar. Bring to a boil then simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir in the lemon peel and juice and let cool until it forms a syrup. Pour the syrup over the crumbs.

Dot the filling with butter/margarine/oil and sprinkle the cinnamon. Roll out the remaining pastry over the pie, pinch the sides to close the shell and cut a small slice in the top to let the steam out.

Bake until the pie shell is crisp and golden (about 30 minutes at 425 F/220 C). Let cool and serve.

Cheese and Dairy

Sour Milk

If you want to prevent your "just gone bad" milk from curdling, keep adding a little baking soda to it and mix until the "bad" smell is gone, this will save it for another day or two.

A far better use of sour milk though is to use it as a rising agent, in any cake, biscuit, or pancake recipe that includes milk you can add 1/2 tsp of baking soda(sodium bicarbonate) to the recipe and then not worry about the baking powder, the baking soda reacts with the lactic acid in the spoiled milk and makes very tasty fluffy pancakes from your rescued milk. If your batter still tastes sour you can add a pinch or more as required baking soda, your tongue will tell. Sour milk subs great in any recipe requiring buttermilk. So don't let that curdled gloppy mess that your roommate is about to throw out frighten you, save this delicious and useful recipe ingredient!

Powdered Milk and Eggs

Powdered eggs and milk are a great way to assure yourself protein and several nutrients when you need to store food or travel light. Dry eggs are good for egg substitute in most recipes. Dried milk is easy to quick mix with water using a clear walled plastic ketchup squirter, Give it a few good shakes to break up the lumps, the squirt bottle keeps undissolved lumps from getting mixed in with your coffee or cereal. 1/4-cup of milk powder to 1 cup of water makes one cup of milk. Powdered eggs reconstitute at different ratios so check the packaging. When using powdered milk and eggs in a recipe dont forget to add the missing water when mixing everything.

Eggs

You can store eggs for long periods from six months and beyond using this trick, it is important to use the freshest eggs possible, so either get them from the hen or catch them when the supermarket truck arrives, hours count here. Rub raw eggs with Vaseline or petroleum jelly from the drug store, don't miss any spots and place in a plastic bag, suck the air out of the bag, store in a dark padded box. When you come to use the preserved raw eggs crack eggs into a cup one at a time, you will know if one has gone bad by the stink, this doesn't indicate any problem with other eggs.

Egg Substitute

(From Kyle Bravo's Making Stuff and Doing Things)

Don't expect to make an omlet with this. It's in case you're out of eggs for baking or if you and your comrades are vegan:

1/2 tsp Potato Starch
1/2 tsp Corn Starch
1/2 tsp Tapioca Flour
5 tsp Water
1 tsp Vegetable Oil

Mix all together before you use it. This will equal one egg.

Mozzarella Cheese

A great way to feed yourself and friends pizza for almost free is using the expired milk you find in the dumpster in a way that preserves it. Most often you need an insider in the dairy department at the supermarket to either give it to you or at least dumpster it in the cartons instead of slashing the jugs and pouring the milk into the sewer. Expired milk has only a few good days left, but it is perfect for making all kinds of cheeses, even if the milk is beginning to turn and curd a bit on its own you can still use it but flavor may suffer if it has gone too far. Rennet tablets are available at many grocery stores, especially the hippy earth muffin ones, and will keep about a year in your pack or three years in the freezer. If they are getting weak use an additional tablet.

Note: Traditional rennet is made from the stomach linings of calves, but vegetarian rennet is made from either fungal microbes or vegetable sources like melons, safflower, fig leaves and thistles.

1 gallon - 2%, 1%, or skim milk (whole milk is too high in fat)
1/2 - rennet tablet
1/4 cup - cool chlorine-free water (bottled spring water or carbon filtered)
2 tsp - citric acid
1 tsp -salt (optional)
1 - thermometer (optional)

Crush the rennet and stir to dissolve in the chlorine free water. Pour milk into a non-reactive pot (no aluminum or cast iron, the acids will either add aluminum or rust to your cheese) stainless steel, Pyrex, or non stick works good. Place the pot over medium heat, and stir the the citric acid into the milk, heat milk to 88°F, you will begin to see the milk curd. At 88°F, add the rennet/water solution and continue stirring slowly every few minutes until the milk reaches 105°F then remove from heat. Large curds will appear and begin to separate from the whey (the clear liquid). With a slotted spoon or mesh strainer, scoop the curd into a large glass bowl. (If it's still too liquid, let it set for a few more minutes). Squeeze the curds gently and pour off as much whey as possible. You can wrap the curds in a handkerchief or nylon stocking to help squeeze out moisture. Heating in a microwave if available on high for a minute, this will soften and help remove additional whey so it is stretchable. Reheat the whey over medium heat and let it heat to about 175°F. You can sprinkle 1 to 2 teaspoons salt into the cheese while kneading and stretching it. The cheese will become stretchy, smooth and shiny. If it is difficult to stretch and breaks easily, dip cheese ball into the hot whey for a few seconds to make it warm and pliable. Then pick it up again and stretch it into a long rope. Fold over and stretch again. When cheese is cool enough to touch, knead it like bread dough until smooth. When you can stretch it like taffy, it is done. Shape it into a log or golf-size balls, then store in a solution of 2 teaspoons salt to 1 cup water, rolled into tiny balls or cooled and shredded you can use it as cheese on your hobo pizzas.

If you are able, you can use the whey in other recipes or once cool drink it straight. Whey is actually very nutritious and high in protein, so don't just waste it. In a serious pinch we have heard of using a cup of vinegar or lemon juice to curdle the gallon of milk but the results are not as tasty and your cheese will have a sour flavor.

Cheese

Take a bucket of warm salted milk or cream and add rennet to start curdling, keep the mix around 98-100F until curdling is done an electric blanket will do the job. Place curds in a nylon stocking and squeeze out extra water, compress using weights into a shape mold with a wood lid and bottom, for a few hours to days inside your refrigerator until as dry/dense as you like. Dip in liquid wax and keep cool if you want it to age and become sharp.

Cream Cheese

Yogurt and sour cream become a spreadable cheese when they are put in a nylon stocking and hung in the fridge over a bowl for a day or two.

Sour Cream

Skim off the cream from separated milk (homogenized milk can be frozen and un-frozen to help it separate or make a centrifuge) and add a splash of live cultured buttermilk to the cream. Let stand out in a warm place for 24 hours (75-80F) or until thick (an electric blanket might do the trick). Save a bit of sour cream in your jar to use as a starter for your next batch. The leftover milk from this is called skim milk.

Yogurt

Yogurt is nutritious, cheap, healthy and delicious. It is easier than ever to make yogurt because much of today's yogurt comes with the active cultures still alive, and you can use these cultures to make your own yogurt. Almost any with active cultures works great: just mix some in with whole milk, put it in a large pot, and heat it until it feels warm, an electric blanket or next to a radiator should work too. In a few hours you'll be eating something much cheaper, tastier and healthier than buying it from a tub. Eating some every day can also prevent digestive problems.

As an aside acidophilus powder (the good active bacteria in yogurt) from a health food store or plain yogurt (no sugar) has been known to kill yeast infections in some people if used several times a day.

Parmesan Cheese

The real block stuff that you have to grind is much better than what is in the shake can for topping your food but both types work for making improvised cream sauces and they pack well for the road. You can try substituting brewers yeast to see if you like the switch, as the yeast actually has more protein.

If you want to make a kind of parmesan cheese follow the above instructions for mozarella cheese then wrap in a clean cheesecloth or nylon stocking and refrigerate or hang in a cool dry place protected from bugs. Once the cheese is hard all the way through wrap in a plastic bag or dip in wax, the longer it is stored once wrapped tight the sharper the flavor will become.

Drinks

Fruit Juices

There is no better way to save money and stay hydrated than by watering down your juice! Although the taste takes a few days to grow accustomed to, the benefits are tremendous. Everyone likes to have some flavor in their drinks, as demonstrated by the terrible trends of powdered drink mixes and "flavoured water," so why not try to be smarter about it?. Treat any standard $3.00 bottle of juice like a $15.00 bottle of concentrate- mixing 1 part juice to 4-5 parts water, experiment to figure out what's best for you. You'll soon learn that a bottle of juice can last you weeks, and will keep you less thirsty throughout the day.

Fruit from the dumpster of a market is often bruised and not appealing for consumption raw, but it is well suited for juicing, don't forget to wash it off first.

If you're at a restaurant and have a limited budget, order water with lemon. It's almost always free, and will add some flavor to your beverage. Furthermore, lemon is a natural source of various vitamins and is good for digestion.

Tea

Sun Tea is a cheap and easy way to have nice iced tea. Just take a couple of quarts of water in a sealed, clear jug, add any type of loose or bagged tea (about a tablespoon or two per jug), set out in the sun for a few hours, and then refrigerate. You can steal as many packets of tea as you could want from coffee stations all over the country, in convenience stores, churches, etc. This is healthier than buying manufactured tea from Lipton or other sources that use acids and preservatives in their concoctions. If you can't stand unsweetened tea, try adding lemon. If you still can't stand it, add some sugar. The sooner you can prevent your children and/or yourself from becoming dependent on sugar, the healthier they will become.

When you or a friend are visiting England, or you come across a store selling British foods, be sure to stock up on tea; you won't know the difference until you have had a quality tea, but you will be disgusted by European and

American teas once you have tasted quality. If you are pulling an all-nighter, there is no better buzz than proper English tea.

An absolutely free and nutritious tea can be made from pine needles. Pick a small fistful of pine needles from a nearby tree (use the greener living ones on the branches, not the brown\gray dead ones on the ground), break them in two and boil in water. Pine needle tea actually tastes pretty good, and pine needles by weight contain more Vitamin C than lemons or limes. Great in the wintertime.

Coffee Substitutes

A simple teaspoon of molasses in a mug of hot water makes a great substitute for decaffeinated coffee. It's already sweetened and very rich to the taste.

Chicory can be ground and brewed or used as a coffee extender. Acorns, after they've been peeled and roasted, can be used the same way, but won't taste as good. Roasted barley grains can be kept whole and steeped like tea.

Dandelion or catsear roots can also be roasted and ground as a substitute for coffee. To do this you're going to need a shovel, as dandelion root can often grow to around 30cm deep. Dig up the dandelions and wash them until clean, than either grate, chop or blend into a small sizable chunk. Some people leave them to dry out or, first cut the roots into chip form and dehydrate, this makes the roasting process easier. To roast, put on a lined tray in an oven at 200 degrees Celsius and roast until dark brown and dry both inside and out the root(around half hour). Like coffee though, the roast really depends on personal taste so experiment. The root can no be further ground and mixed with chicory or coffee for steeping.

Lemonade

Don't buy pre-made lemonade or lemonade powders! For a version that's better and cheaper, get a clean 2 liter soda bottle or a 1/2 gallon pitcher. Pour in 2 cups of warm water, add 1 cup of sugar (or other appropriate sweetener like Stevia), then put the cap on and shake (or stir) until the sugar dissolves completely. Then add 1 cup of lemon juice (The reconstituted stuff from the discount stores works perfectly if it is real) and four cups of cold water, shake/stir again, and enjoy. Add washed and crushed throw away strawberries to upgrade to strawberry lemonade, and/or add homemade vodka (see Free High School) for a little zing. For a cool middle eastern flavor add crushed mint leaves for mint tea.

This can also be made for free at a convenience store beverage station using the lemon packets meant for tea, and the sugar meant for the coffee. Furthermore, while attending a restaurant, order a water with lemon (which is usually perfectly free at a sit-down place of any sort) and mix in a few packets of sugar from the table.

Smoothies

Mixing fruit, ice, and either milk or yogurt in a blender is a good way to get a solid serving of both fruit and dairy in a cool, refreshing beverage. You can also sneak in a carrot or bit of tomato to discreetly add some more minerals and vitamins without disrupting the flavor. The natural sugars of the fruit should be enough to give your smoothies the right amount of sweetness to encourage kids to partake, as well.

Roadside Chow

Last updated: 9 September 2011

1 Roadside Chow
1.1 Cooking Under Pressure
1.2 Spanish Beans and Rice
1.3 Lentil and Rice Storage and Travel Soup
1.4 Ramen
1.4.1 Spicy Ramen Pasta and Soup
1.5 Draining Pasta Without a Colander
1.6 Pasta Sauce Leathers
1.7 Creative Pizza
1.8 Grilled Cheese Sandwich
1.9 Mulligan Stew
1.10 Roadside Soups
1.11 Beggars Chicken
1.12 Creative Cooking
1.13 Car Cooking
1.14 Doughboys
1.15 Hot Water Pot
1.16 Sandwich of Irony
1.17 Field Corn
1.17.1 Plain Corn Bread
1.17.2 Ash Cakes
1.18 Stinger Soup
1.19 Street Salad
1.20 Coffee Bar
1.21 Backpacking Biscuits
1.22 Pancakes
1.23 Pita
1.23.1 Hummus
1.24 Native Fry Bread (Aka: Bannock, A Canadian First Nations Staple)
1.25 French Toast
1.26 Upside-Down Cake
1.27 Easy One Bowl Generic Cake
1.28 Travel Food Planning
1.29 Cheap Backpacker Chow
1.30 Hardtack
1.31 Sprouts
1.32 Cereal Without A Bowl
1.33 DIY MRE (home made storable pouch meals)

Roadside Chow

These recipes are designed to easily feed members of the underground while on the run or operating from a pack, bicycle, train hopping, hitchhiking, or just without a real kitchen. Cheap Chow has more recipes and instructions to adapt for non-standard kitchen operations. Some recipes assume that you have a small budget to assign for a week or two of travel foods others are designed for taking advantage of the foliage or commodity food items found near farms or food transport and distribution depots.

Cooking Under Pressure

If you are planning to consume large amounts of dried beans for their protein, or other dried bulk foods seriously consider a small pressure cooker. With a pressure cooker you can soften beans in under an hour, this would normally take all night in a boiling soup, rice only needs to reach pressure and be allowed to cool, lentils 10 min after the first pressure 'toot'. The expensive models may be nice but can be very heavy, stick with the smaller more portable models and be sure you don't loose the weighted pressure 'jiggler' cap or damage the O ring or rubber pressure seal. No matter what you do be sure there is at least two cm (one inch) of water or liquid at the bottom so the pressure vessel is not warped or the seals or safety systems damaged. Always check the pressure release system for clogs before cooking. Pressure cookers can be safely used with any heat source even the coals of a campfire or a camp stove. Choose something appropriately sized for your movement and food requirements 1.5 to 3 liters is probably good for most mobile people, pressure cookers can be heavy but consider the time and fuel savings when deciding, only buy something manufactured recently with a UL safety approval stamp that you can buy new seals for and that will reach 15 PSI, lower pressures will not cook as quickly.

Spanish Beans and Rice

Pre-cook your beans in an oven for two hours at 200F(100C) so they will soften easier, store in sealed container once cool. Boil water using your immersion boiler in the same pot as the beans (soak them overnight if possible) keep adding water, since the stinger will boil some away, until beans are soft, this can take a long time with larger beans. If possible let the packet or can of tomato sauce float in the boiling bean water to heat up. Pre-boil water and then add the same volume of rice (softening is quicker if you use converted or minute-rice). Drain the beans and add to the rice, add tomato sauce, and spices, if possible pour into a big can carefully floated in your pot and stinger boil the water in the pot to slow cook it, otherwise pour the mixed finished product into a Thermos(or a container wrapped in a sleeping bag) and let sit for 1/2 hour or more.

Lentil and Rice Storage and Travel Soup

Sprouted lentils and rice provide a complete set of amino acids, the building blocks for your body, they also cook faster. Red, orange, and brown lentils also cook at about same rate as rice when started from dry in hot water, unsprouted lentils and rice provide all but two amino acids. Your lentils and rice, and some boiling water can be poured into a thermos, they will be ready in around an hour, although the lentils will often not taste fully cooked using this method. Always add salt or salted flavorings after cooking is complete because salt lengthens the time required to soften the lentils, green lentils take much longer to cook but contain more nutrition. You stinger electrical heater can be used as a "spoon" to slowly mix the lentils and rice in a soup with enough water as they cook, this will most often keep the stinger from getting too gooped up, it might help to attach the stinger heater to a chopstick so the steam isn't so close to your hands.

Ramen

Those cheap little bricks of fried noodles, after having boiling water added (without the flavor packet) and drained once soft, can be used as a foundation for just about anything.

Adding leftover chili can make it spaghetti in meat (or chili) sauce.
After the noodles are drained, add olive oil, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese for Ramen Agilo E Olio. Add some bacon bits for something similar to Spaghetti alla Carbonara.
Let the noodles cool, cut them up, and mix into a salad.
Use it as a base for what ever main dish you're having (eggplant, veggie burger, etc.).
Crack an egg into boiling water(on the burner at full boil) and stir, remember to break the yoke, for egg flower ramen, then add noodles and flavor pack.
Eat the block dry if you don't have time to cook it or have no working burner. Eat it either as a big cake or break off chunks and shake a little flavor powder into your mouth with each bite.
Boil up ramen noodles and drain, add chunked canned chicken or canned shrimp several soy sauce packets and a few sugar packets from the condiment stand at a Chinese restaurant, add powdered garlic and sesame seeds or sesame oil too if you have them.
Again raid the Chinese restaurant condiments this time for the red pepper sauce, boil up your ramen and drain most water add pepper sauce and a spoon or two of peanut butter and stir for a Thai treat, if it gets too thick add back some hot boiled water.
Boil up several bricks and drain well, once drained use as a serving base to pour your stir fried dish on.
If you are using the ramen for other purposes save the flavor packets for later to add to bland meals or soups.
Slice carrots thin and leave on a paper plate in your freezer to freezer burn aka to freeze dry. Leave mushrooms in a paper bag in the refrigerator to dry out. Once dry bag these up for tasty travel soup additions.

Spicy Ramen Pasta and Soup

Boil two cups of water and add a packet of Ramen Noodles. Cook for three minutes stirring occasionally and add Cajun seasoning. After cooking for three minutes turn off heat and add more seasoning if needed. Move the noodles directly to something that can be used for mixing, i.e. a large bowl or plate. Do not strain the noodles, instead leave the broth in the pan you boiled it in, it will come in handy later. Once the noodles are in the mixing dish add Parmesan cheese, more Cajun seasoning, and a little olive oil for texture. Mix up the noodles and transfer them to a new dish or eat it right out of the mixing dish for a nice spicy pasta.

With the leftover broth you can add thin sliced carrots, leftover noodles, and more seasoning. Boil together and once the carrots have achieved a slightly soft state pour into a bowl and serve as soup.

You can make variations of this dish using different seasoning or vegetables. Also you can add a little lime or lemon juice to the broth while cooking the noodles and again when cooking the soup to give it a unique flavor.

Draining Pasta Without a Colander

Draining your noodles when you don't have a colander: leave the lid on your pot but wrap a towel or cloth around the opening. The dry part of the towel will help you hold the pot, let the lid go loose in the towel and tilt to drain the water. Be careful, as your towel is now soaked with boiling hot water. Better and safer is to get a strong nylon mesh stuff bag for your camp pots and use this as a colander.

Pasta Sauce Leathers

You can make a favorite pasta sauce road portable by dehydrating it. Boil down the sauce until it is thick and then pour onto either a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray or onto a large oven roaster bag laid flat. Bake at 50C(120F) until either a soft leather(like a fruit roll up) or let it go longer and you will have a brittle chips you can crack off and put into a bag. Much less chance of a mess than the canned stuff, just dump the bag or leather into a pot with a small amount of just boiled hot water, cover and let sit for several minutes to reconstitute into sauce, add more water if needed.

Creative Pizza

For the crust, use a pita or English muffin (but almost any bread will do). Put on a thin layer of tomato sauce, then whatever toppings you wish (cheese, mushrooms, etc.). Put in a toaster oven and keep a watch on it, since cooking times vary. Your home made pita will also make a very tasty pizza crust, or you can hand make a normal crust, like the bread dough or biscuit dough below. No oven? If you have a fry pan with lid, dutch oven or wok with lid, throw down the dough with sauce, toppings, and cheese cover and place above a low flame or coals. If you are using cooked bread for crust butter the bottom well for a pan pizza flavor. If you are short on time, cook up a biscuit mix crust with baking powder to make it puff a little. If you are out of cheese, stir fry tomatoes and onions until soft and add it to your warmed bread or pizza crust.

1 1/2 cups warm water (feels warm to hand, not burning hot)
1 Tbs sugar
1 tps salt
4 cups flour
1 Tbs yeast

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This recipe is as easy to prepare when camping as when you are at home. Two slices of bread with cheese and whatever other filling you like in between, spread butter or margarine on the outside, cook both sides in a pan until as browned as you like, or seal in foil and flip it over several times in low coals of your campfire.

Mulligan Stew

From the post Civil War collapse through the Great Depression of the 1930's, many of the hobos who gathered in the jungles near a rail line would pool together whatever they had for a meal. The food was cut up and put into a pot with some water and cooked, adding waste bones of any kind and scrap meat or fresh roadkill for added fats and protein. What was finished was often called "Mulligan Stew" or "Whatchagot Stew". In the early days of the personal computer revolution, techies would keep themselves fed during marathon sessions in a similar way, using a wok instead of a cooking pot. The resulting product was nicknamed "Stir-Fry Random" and was often served on a bed of rice or ramen noodles. During the days of America's "Wild West", the camp cook sometimes took leftovers, local vegetation, meat scraps and often the parts of the steer that wasn't normally eaten, and make what was often called "Sonofabitch Stew" for obvious reasons. Whatever you are trying to use, vegetation wise, should be something that you have no doubt about in your mind is NOT poisonous.

Whatever stew you are making you can cook it in an aluminum foil pouch, carefully double fold three edges fill and fold to seal. Then cook the stew in campfires, forest fires, engine blocks, Bill Clinton's shorts, etc.

Roadside Soups

So all you can find is a few handfuls of beans or barley in the corner of a rail car? No problem! Dried grains, legumes, and corn might take around an hour or more to cook but will soften up. Pre-soak if possible and crack them to make them soften and cook faster. Use a pot lid of some sort to keep the heat up. If you can't find enough wood or fuel, bring the food to a boil and dump in a thermos for a few hours, reheat and repeat if it needs more cooking time. It is nice to add salt or spices if you have but this is not required. If you can find things like carrots, tender plant roots or shoots whatever is edible, add these later so they won't overcook. About half an hour before you eat look around for green leafy weeds in a place a few meters from the roadside where weed spray and auto pollution is not so bad. If you can find an egg, drop it in and mix right before taking off the fire. Cooking time: up to four hours from when the beans start to simmer. Check as you cook since smaller grains may cook quicker. If you have little fuel build a fire and then break up into coals, pack the coals around your covered pot and cover with dry soil so it will stay hot for hours.

Beggars Chicken

Take a chicken and if you want to eat the skin pluck the feathers. Stuff the chicken with vegetables and spices, salting the outside and rubbing with pepper and spice is nice. Take a clean paper bag and coat with edible oil, sack in a roaster bag, or use aluminum foil, insert chicken, twist the end of the bag shut. Wrap bagged chicken in clean non-smelly mud or damp clay. Bury the ball of clay and build a fire on top, keep feeding the coals and let cook for at two to three hours.

Traditionally the chicken is wrapped in lotus leaves but any nice smelling leaf and herb wrap will be fine. Stuffing can be potato, pre-cooked rice, rehydrated potato flakes, seasoned day old bread, bread dough, fresh or dried fruit, or whatever else you can find.

This cooking method works well for anything from trapped pidgins to fresh caught fish although you will need to adjust your cooking times for the type of meat. If no bag is available you can omit it although some mud will probably get into the meat.

Creative Cooking

Be creative; Your radiator, hair dryer, clothes dryer, clothes iron, car engine, etc. can be used to heat or brown canned or foil covered food or maybe even boil a pot of water. If there is a chance of boiling temperatures be sure the can has a hole poked in the lid to prevent explosion.

If you are afraid people will smell the illegal cooking in your dorm room and bust you maybe you can set your heat source on the window sill or in a bucket tied safely and hung out the window. Don't spill it, since nobody wants to wear boiling stew. A tied up bucket on a window sill also makes a good freezer/fridge in cold weather.

Car Cooking

Cooking in your car and on car engine blocksCars#Cooking and Heating

Doughboys

Clean off a stick and wrap the end with cookie, biscuit, cake, or risen bread dough. Roast and turn over a campfire or hot coals, a foil or clean leaf wrapping is not a bad idea, else you will be eating somewhat smoky flavored bread.

Hot Water Pot

If the only heat you have is your pot of hot water on a small fire or electrical stinger immersion heater you can still warm canned foods and even cook and bake. Put a few inches of water in a larger can or bucket and heat on the coals to a boil or plug in the stinger, be sure that the stinger is secured so it will stay underwater and wont burn dry. Once the water is boiling you can put your bagged omelet, batter or dough, anything that you can't just stew, boil, or steam directly into the water. Use a well sealed oven bag or if you can't find these a ziplock, or plastic bag. You can also heat canned foods by floating them unopened in the water. To make this work better with a stinger you can wrap the whole works in a blanket for insulation, at a minimum try to cover the top of the container. Your cakes and breads will come out shaped like the plastic sack but will taste just fine, open and poke with a toothpick to see if it is done since it will not brown anywhere.

Sandwich of Irony

You can make a cooked cheese or other sandwich by setting an iron to it's highest setting and ironing your sandwich. Of course this might goop up the iron and make it unusable for clothes (try wrapping the sandwich in aluminum foil first), but it is a good way to hide a cooking device in a dorm room. You might also try using your iron as a hot plate if you can figure a safe way to prop it upside down.

A friend of one of our contributors was told how to heat sandwiches using a room radiator. Wrap the sandwich in aluminum foil and place it on the heat source. When you can smell the food, it's done. It's also quite entertaining watching the hotel security looking for your hotplate when there isn't one to be found.

Field Corn

When riding the rails or hitchhiking you will often find fields of corn waiting to feed you hungry travelers. If you are lucky you will be near sweet corn, but field or dent corn(animal feed) while not sweet is edible, if it is dried out you can pound or grind into cornmeal. You can eat corn raw but cooking will make it taste much better. Pull the silk out of the top but don't remove the husk(leaves covering the corn). Some people will pour a little salty water in to flavor before cooking but it is optional. Wrap the husk tightly and either wrap in foil and place in the edge of the coals or place on a grille and cover, turn every few minutes. Add salt spices and butter to your liking, cooking 1020 minutes. If the corn has already dried hard either boil it in a soup or crush into corn meal and try the recipes below. (Edited from Dishes & Beverages Of The Old South by Martha McCulloch-Williams (1913) http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/)

Another alternative is to remove all but a thin layer of husk around the corn cob, instead of using foil. The only problem with this is that the husk burns rather easily, so direct flame is not recommended.

Plain Corn Bread

Sift sound fresh white cornmeal, wet with cold water to a fairly soft dough, shape it by tossing from hand to hand into small pones, and lay them as made into a hot pan well sprinkled with dry meal. The pan should be hot enough to brown the meal without burning it. Make the pones about an inch thick, four inches long, and two and a half broad. Bake quickly, taking care not to scorch, until there is a brown crust top and bottom.

For hoe-cakes make the dough a trifle softer, lay it by handfuls upon a hot-meal-sprinkled griddle, taking care the handfuls do not touch. Flatten to half an inch, let brown underneath, then turn, press down and brown the upper side. (Sugar will sweeten them up. Baking powder will help them puff. The recipe mentions that they should be eaten drenched in butter but salt destroys this soaking power.)

Ash Cakes

Make dough as for plain corn bread, but add the least trifle of salt, sweep the hot hearth very clean, pile the dough on it in a flattish mound, cover with big leaves--cabbage leaves will do at a pinch, or even thick clean paper, then pile on embers with coals over them and leave for an hour or more, according to size.
Take up, brush off ashes, and break away any cindery bits.
Serve with new butter and fresh buttermilk.
(Aluminum foil or corn husk wrapping should work if on the roadside without a fireplace hearth)

Of course check out fields you pass by for other usable crops to feed yourself as you travel through the countryside.

Stinger Soup

Using a stinger or pocket immersion boiler to boil water, make soup, or a steam food. Be careful, if the water or liquid boils away a commercial stinger will burn out or begin to melt and a home made one might start a fire. The 12 volt stingers you can find at truck stops are much weaker and sometimes won't even bring the water to a full boil.

To make a stinger soup boil solid veggies (onions, carrots, potato, beets, etc) in lightly salted tap water until they are cooked and only then adding a powdered soup base, spices, or bullion cubes that way your immersion boiler doesn't get too gooped up. Soft veggies like cabbage must be boiled with caution since small bits might stick to your stinger the same is true with pasta. If you want pasta in the soup boil the water first then pour it into a thermos if you have one and add the thinnest regular pasta you can find like angel hair spaghetti or substitute rice noodles since they soften faster.

Street Salad

From the original 1970 book and updates

Salad can be made by chopping up almost any variety of vegetables, nuts and fruits including the stuff you panhandled at the back of supermarkets; dandelions, shav, and other wild vegetables; and goods you ripped off inside stores or from large farms. A neat fresh dressing consists of one part of oil, two parts wine vinegar, finely chopped garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Mix up the ingredients in a bottle and add to the salad as you serve it. Russian dressing is simply mayonnaise and ketchup mixed. One suggestion is to add a bit of relish to the Russian dressing. Also, mayonnaise and mild yellow mustard mixed together make a quasi-Dijon dressing.

If you're at a place that has a burger fixings station (Fuddruckers, for example), see if you can get your burger "to go" in a Styrofoam or paper clamshell. Use one half for your burger, and the other for lettuce and tomatoes for your unauthorized salad that you put together on the sly (Don't be greedy, since that attracts attention). Then leave before anyone asks questions. If they have those little paper cups for ketchup, mix your dressing in that. Take a fork, too, unless you consider a salad to be "finger food".

Grab some dark green leafy vegetables from the dumpster behind the organic market or grocery store (wilted is OK), wash them off and add them raw to your salad. Unlike useless iceberg lettuce they have gobs of the nutrients you need to be more revolutionary!

Coffee Bar

Most offices and waiting rooms feature free coffee with sugar and fake creamer. The fake creamer is most often whey powder with vegetable oil and some sugar, it is high in complete digestible protein, half a cup creamer dry or mixed with sugar and hot water will give you strength and a full belly to continue strong for a few hours without a groaning stomach. It goes without saying that you should stuff your plastic shopping bag with any birthday cake, donuts, or popcorn that is found with the coffee. Remember that a coffee machine is both a hot plate and a source of boiled water, if you get creative you can prepare rice, poached or boiled eggs, and many other cheap dishes if you have enough time alone with the machine.

To poach an egg fill the coffee carafe (the glass thing that holds the finished coffee) with hot water and carefully crack and pour egg into the hot water, when you get good this will produce one solid mass, leave it on the hotplate for a few minutes, be sure the hotplate is on, when it is finished dip out with a fork or spoon. This finishes much faster than hard boiling an egg. It is questionable if most coffee maker hotplates will be enough to fry an egg in reasonable time or mess.

If you can score a few single-serving packets of instant soup, you can dissolve it into a cup of hot water. Bullion cubes dissolved in hot water will make a hot broth, but they don't provide much in the way of nutrition. Fair

warning; Both are very high in salt.

Back in 1981, the USDA under the Reagan Administration tried to declare tomato ketchup as a vegetable for USA school cafeteria nutritional standards. While it won't be very nutritionally sound, you can make an erzats "tomato soup" with ketchup, salt, and hot water maybe a dash of pepper too. Back in the Depression this was known as "Automat Soup" since it was made at the condiments station.

Backpacking Biscuits

A variation on the regular biscuit recipe for backpacking is as follows:

12 cups flour
2 tablespoons salt
1/4 cup baking powder
1 pound shortening or 16 fl/oz vegetable oil

Mix dry components together and divide into 2 or 4 cup portions in baggies or other container for convenient use. Add shortening or oil before using; Mark one of your cups to measure the correct amount. Shortening can be stored in reusable plastic "toothpaste" or "jerry" tubes that are sold for holding peanut butter and other pastes at camping stores; use a sturdy plastic bottle with a tough cap if you choose to carry oil.

To make biscuits, add 2 cups of mix to 1/2 cup water or milk, knead no more than 5 times (or it will be too tough), roll flat to about 3/4 inch (2 cm), and cut into biscuit shapes (A clean drinking glass will do). Bake in an oven on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes at 450 F (230 C), in oiled aluminum foil over hot coals until brown, or steam until firm.

Pancakes

Inexpensive and easy to make even with just a dollar store fry pan and one of the stoves in Low Impact Crashing. Use the above biscuit mix (2 cups mix, 1 cup water) with an egg or two added to the water before measuring or try this recipe for on the spot cooking:

2 cup self rising flour.
1/4 cup butter (or oil/fat/margarine)
1 egg (or 1/4 cup rehydrated egg powder)
Sugar and/or Salt to desired flavor
2-3 cup water to desired thickness

(To make self rising flour take 1 cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, or just look for it in the store.)

Make a huge batch of flapjacks and rewarm when you are hungry or eat cold. You can make syrup by adding hot water to brown sugar or even regular sugar until it is wet and heating until it starts to boil and dissolve, but why? You can substitute as much oat or whole wheat flour as you like to change the flavor. You can use these like a tortilla or lauffa and wrap other foods in them, vary the sugar and salt to match the wrapped food. With a thin batter you can make the thin pancakes used in blintzes. Blintzes are just sugar sweetened cottage cheese in thin rolled pancake burritos, top with stirred jelly or applesauce.

Fry in a frying pan or wok with a little butter or oil, don't let them sit too long or get the pan too hot, flip when you start to see bubbles coming through the top, a spatula helps for flipping. We obtained the best results when we used real butter both for the oil component in the recipe but also for they frying oil.

Pita

A steel wok, fry pan, or griddle is all you need to make the easiest of breads, just place on a hot mound of coals or a gas burner until it is really hot. This is a great way to have delicious fresh bread even when you are without a kitchen. Best if eaten fresh, it will keep in your pack for about two days before mould spots begin to appear, refrigerated it lasts about a week, and frozen about a month.

1 packet of yeast or pinch of sourdough starter
1 1/2 cup warm water
3 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoon salt

Make your dough, knead a little let rise for at least 30 min in a warm place or until it doubles, much more time is often required to rise for sourdough. Break dough into balls about 2-3 inches diameter, dip dough ball into a bag of dry flour to coat it, flatten into pita dough disks about 5-7 inches by 1/4 inch thick and allow to rest for at 10 minutes if you have the time. Lightly press down your disc of floured dough onto the hot surface, it might stick at first but will be easily flippable in about a minute or two, flip so both sides go about twice, you will need to practice to get perfect the timing, making the dough disks, and temperature to make this tasty flat bread, a little burning on the outside is normal. You will need to re-season the inside of the wok or cast iron pan after using this method, stainless steel will require quite a bit of scouring, so maybe a second pan for pita is a good idea. You can also try using a bare hot plate or griddle. If you are using an oven bake at 200C(400F), but the results will not be as good as a pan or wok. If you have no time you can mix a dough without yeast and cook in the same way but it will be tougher and not as fluffy.

Hummus

Pita is usually dipped in olive oil and hummus. Soaked overnight and boiled the drained and now soft garbanzo beans (also called "chickpeas") are mashed into a paste with raw garlic, pepper, lemon juice, herbs, and olive oil (really any bean and oil should work to some degree). This adds healthy lipids and protein to your diet when dipped or spread onto your pita or bread. Together pita and hummus is a complete nutrition food. Our best pita requites a sharp knife to cut open the pocket for sandwiches unlike the nasty fake pita found in Amerikan supermarkets.

Native Fry Bread (Aka: Bannock, A Canadian First Nations Staple)

A quick favorite with many once migratory first nations of occupied North America. A large egg sized piece of dough pressed or stretched thin is fried in a few tablespoons of oil in a pan, poke a hole about half an inch (13mm) in the center. Flip your disc with a fork or stick through the hole when you see bubbles forming on the back, watch that you don't overheat the oil. Good with honey or cinnamon and sugar. Use punched down bread dough or this mix:

3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
Sugar as desired

A good thing about frying in oil is that it adds a lot of calories and will help keep you warm in cold weather as it digests. The USDA states that a plate of fry bread has 700 calories and 27 grams of fat.

At many Native American festivals, a popular dish often sold to the tourists is a "Navajo Taco" which is fry bread served with beans, lettuce, shredded tomatoes and sour cream.

Fry bread recipes vary from nation to nation. A number of different fry bread recipes can be found here; http://www.manataka.org/page180.html

French Toast

Get fresh or stale bread and slice it up. Scramble your eggs, stretch your egg supply and make it taste better by mixing in 1/4 cup milk or water for every egg, experiment depending on what you have available. Sweeten with sugar and spice or vanilla added to the egg mix if you don't have syrup. Dip bread in the egg mix both sides and fry in a pan with oil or butter.

(In case you wonder about the name, it has nothing to do with France. The dish was invented in 1724 by an Albany NY cook named Joseph French. Somewhere along the way "French's Toast" became "French Toast".)

Upside-Down Cake

Rub a clean can, fry pan, or pot with oil if you have enough to prevent the cooking fruit from sticking, oiled aluminum foil or baking sheet will work too. Start by simmering fresh fruit or berries in a little water or just pour canned fruit and syrup into your pan or a clean can. Once the fruit is simmering pour cake batter no thicker than two inches on top and cover. Poking the cake with a clean sharpened stick or toothpick is a good way to see if it is done, often 15-40 min (depending on stove, fruit mix syrup, and cake type), if the toothpick comes out clean take your upside-down cake off of the fire. You can run a knife around the edge of a pot or can to unstick the cake and quickly flip the pot or can onto a plate, if done right the cake topped with fruit will come out together neatly onto the plate. You can cook this in a can or fry pan over a campfire because the steam from the simmering fruit cooks the cake above. With practice you will be able to figure the optimum cake batter and fruit syrup thickness as well as heat and time needed to get the cake done without burning the fruit.

Easy One Bowl Generic Cake

Add ingredients to a bowl in this order

1 cup - flour
1/2 tsp - baking powder
1/4 tsp - baking soda
1/4 tsp - salt
1/3 cup - sugar (with baking cocoa you need 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup cocoa)
1/4 cup - oil or veggie shortening
3/4 cup - milk or water
1 - egg (or mix 2 Tablespoons of powdered whole egg with 4 Tablespoons of water)

Mix until even and bake 20 min 180C or use our creative cooking methods, add whatever you like for flavor like spice chocolate chips or berries.

Travel Food Planning

Camping-store-bought freeze-dried food is too expensive to be of any use for sustenance. With a little thought and ingenuity, you can buy and make great light-weight camp food from a regular grocery store's stock and dumpster diving. Use the calorie information available in diet books or container labels to plan a meal; you need to be sure to have enough protein, fiber, and vitamins every day. Have a written meal plan that will meet your daily needs; marking and packing all of the ingredients for a meal in a heavy duty Ziploc or vacuum pack/seal bag makes it easier to prep a quick meal. Your goal when on the move or working is to consume 3000-4000 Calories per day in summer and up to 6000 in high mountain/winter. Our experience with most backpacker and cycle camping newbies is that they underestimate their hunger when planning sometimes as badly as a factor of three or four. It's OK to pack too much food, especially stuff for fatty recipes that contain oil, butter, or margerine which are full of calories and make you feel full.

Cheap Backpacker Chow

Try these ideas instead of the expensive camp store foods:

Boxed noodles and sauce or macaroni and cheese
Parmesan cheese block or powder (for cheese sauces and topping)
Instant rice
Dry Pasta
Tomato sauce for soups or sauces
Oven dried veggies (for soup and stews)
Oatmeal flakes (running it for a few seconds dry in a bladed food processor makes it "instant")
Dried fruits and raisins
Wheat germ (can be added to cereals or used as a ground meat extender)
Heavy Filling Cereals (i.e. Grapenuts)
Powdered milk (reconstitute in a squirt bottle)
Powdered egg mix (be sure to carry hot sauce)
Dry cereal
Cookies, Brownies and Energy Bars
Oven dried and cured meat strips (hard jerky) for snack or soup
Our Biscuit mix for simple cakes, pancakes, and biscuits
Oil or shortening for frying and margarine substitute (A gulp of oil before bed will raise your body temperature as you digest, if you can stand it. Flaxseed oil is rich in Omega-3's.)
Spices, condiments, and sauces
Powdered soup base or bouillon cubes
Chicken, Tuna or other fish sold packed in Mylar pouches
Instant potato flakes
Dried mushrooms (like Portabello or Shitake, buy fresh and allow to dry in a paper bag for a few weeks for soups)
Hot cocoa powder
Liberated MRE Meal Pouches & Components
Hardtack
Honey
Molasses (Sweetener, Decaf Coffee Substitute)
Instant Coffee & Tea
Beans and TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) Meat Substitutes

It is amazing what kinds of fun dishes you can whip up in the woods or a vacant lot, when you are stopped for a few days, or when you have the time and energy. Just be sure that you have something bonehead easy and fast to prepare or better yet ready to eat, for when you set up camp after a hard day of hiking. Vegans need to pay special attention to their diet planning especially to their fat and protein intake when on the move, most of their meals are naturally much less fatty than the average Amerikans, although most good camping foods that are non-perishable are mainly animal-free, make sure enough fat in the form of oil and margarine etc is eaten and beans and TVP (soya chunks) are lightweight and packed with protein.

Keep all food and dirty pans and utensils away from the tent and out of your pack; a hang bag cache thrown over a tree limb will keep most animals out of the food. Bear-safes are required in some places but are heavy. Even if bears are not a problem, smaller animals can wreck your gear trying to get the food. Wash dishes away from camp and at least 150-200 feet from the nearest body of water (assuming you use some sort of cleaning product. We don't want that stuff leaching into streams!)

Hardtack

Hardtack is little more than a large cracker that, if kept dry, could stay edible for months, perhaps years. It's broken and mixed with some liquid (hot water, broth, etc.) to make a porridge, or to thicken soups or stews. If you make enough in advance, it can be eaten on the march or at camp. Hardtack has been known as "sheet metal" or "molar breakers" because it is very hard and dense, so don't try to eat it like a regular saltine. A recipe from the WikiMedia Cookbook follows:

2 cups of flour
1/2 to 1/4 cup water
6 pinches of salt
1 tablespoon of shortening (optional, feels more filling and adds calories)

1. Mix all the ingredients into a batter and press onto a cookie sheet to a thickness of 1/2 inch.

2. Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (205°C) for one hour.

3. Remove from oven, cut dough into 3-inch squares, and punch four rows of holes, four holes per row into the dough (a fork works nicely).

4. Flip the crackers and return to the oven for another half hour.

Sprouts

Sprout beans and raw (unroasted) seeds like wheat, corn, alfalfa, bean, lentil, sunflower, etc., by soaking them overnight in a plastic or glass jar. After soaking them, use a rubber band to secure a bandanna or piece of tent screen to the top of the jar. Rinse and drain the seeds daily and carry the jar in the bottom of your pack. The seeds should sprout in a day or two. Use in soup, pulped in breads, salads or just eat them raw. It is a very nutritious food including sometimes difficult to obtain vitamins. Think of this as an easy way to pocket garden even while traveling.

Cereal Without A Bowl

When you are on the road long haul and you need to make a quick stop for breakfast skip the convenience store and instead hit the grocery store. Pick up a quart of milk and a full size box of cereal. You can either shake the cereal dry into your mouth or grab handfulls of your bachelor-chow and stuff them in, take a sip of milk to wet everything down, chew, swallow repeat. Cereal without bowl or spoon.

DIY MRE (home made storable pouch meals)

One of our research cells recently informed us of a new development, home made MRE's! These can be prepared most easily by a kitchen equipped support cell that has also acquired a pressure canner, similar to a pressure cooker but with a pressure gauge, a supply of microwave safe sealer bags(these have less problems when heated), and a vacuum sealer. This activist ration is intended as grab and go field meals for activists and storable emergency relief supplies for sudden or extended demonstrations and events where food and water supplies are running thin or might be cut off. The goal is 1500 calories per pouch split so about 50% of calories come from carbohydrates, 30% from fats, and 20% from protein. The outer pouch is recycled newspaper or cardboard, one problem is it tends to get wet and heavy if rained on, one green solution was to wrap in a recycled plastic sack, another problem is the price and disposal of the plastic sealer pouches, our research team pointed out that the waste was still less of a problem than metal cans or most packaged supermarket foods. The largest concern is keeping the price down, the best solution is to package and seal only what is available from the dumpster divers, sales, or from cooked grains and legumes, this makes the sealer bags the only fixed price supplies. The storage life is expected to be similar to that canned food, but is currently untested. Part of the team is still producing these meals and they are now currently squatting a building in the northeastern US but may go back west soon. While some meals are shared at events to build interest most are given to underground groups to stock hideouts.

Our techs prepared several different home made stews, non-crispy Asian stir fry dishes, fruit preserves, peanut butter, tamales, humus, and fresh vegetables then sealed them into microwave safe food sealer bags either vacuum sealing them or just sealing the bag with an iron pressed over a sheet of baking paper. If the dish would tolerate it citric acid was added to preserve the food nutrition in a natural way. Several pouches at a time were loaded into racks inside a pressure cooker set to 15 PSI and the meals were cooked for 30 minutes once full pressure was reached, the canner had to be monitored though to keep the pressure valve from releasing as this would often explode all of the pouches inside wasting the contents. It is important that the pressure cooker not be allowed to fully valve, instead as the pressure built up close to a release cold water was trickled ont the cooker, it was also important that there be no air inside the bag and to allow full natural cooling before opening the cooker to prevent blowing the bags. Our team reminded the support teams that attention should be paid to use of spices as it was expected that with long storage some of the natural flavor would be lost. The intention is that hot meals could be eaten cold or warmed from body heat in an emergency, but normally cooked in boiling water, foil wrapped and wired down to a hot car engine, foil wrapped near a campfire, even solar cooked on hot summer blacktop.

To complete these pressure cooked main meals other pouched foods and an accessory packets were also sealed inside a recycled box cardboard or five ply wheat-glue laminated newspaper carry pouch to both protect the sealed food pouches from damage and to block sunlight which might otherwise degrade the foods, the carton could be used as cooking fuel or recycled. Passover matza sheets were found to be the strongest and most vacuum packagable bread substitute (found in the Jewish food sections of some grocery stores) although hardtack may be tested in the next run. Other inclusions in some or all packs were vitamins, matches, aluminium foil and thin wire for improvised heating, several sheets of folded toilet paper, a spoon, energy bar, lemon poppy pound cake, honey, hot peppers, black pepper, salt, tea bags, freeze dry or vacuum sealed ground coffee, powdered milk, sugar, sweetened cocoa powder, vacuum packed parmesan cheese, soy sauce packets, chewing gum, nuts, dried fruit, some pouches were specially marked and had a maxi pad or tampon.

A cool inclusion in the in the experimental meal run is a useful prize. Prizes included chalk, a crayon, several pages of post-it notes, an adhesive bandage and antibiotic ointment, shoe or boot laces, tiny first aid books, condoms, cheap LED lights, seeds, needle and thread, and other cool tiny stuff that the team had around, AA and AAA batteries were considered very useful prizes but decided against because of their weight.

The research team had considering exploring a pouched ultra light dry menu which can either be eaten dry or prepared instantly with hot water although for now they feel there are already enough choices for an activist to acquire at most supermarkets or camping stores. The one exception mentioned was to test at a later date steam converting raw green lentils and brown rice inside a pressure cooker for one hour into something that when dry could be vacuum pouched with a good soup or spice mix into a instant nutritious just-add-boiling-water meal.

Look for activist teams arriving at events soon with these underground production storable travel meals.