Second of two stories

From Staff Reports

BLACK MOUNTAIN — “Prep Vehicles” should be chosen for sustainability, reliability and maintainability, guest speaker Tim Glance told the crowd at the 2nd Annual Sensible Mountain Preparedness Seminar May 4-5 at Ridgecrest Conference Center.

“Pick a vehicle that fits your needs,” the number of people one needs to transport, intended use, terrain expected and driver’s abilities, he asserted.

“I recommend four-wheel-drive ... always,” Glance said.

The seminar drew about 700 people on May 4 and about 1,100 people on May 5. It was organized by Carolina Readiness Supply in Waynesville.

The keynote speaker was Dr. William Forstchen, author of the New York Times bestseller, “One Second After.” He is a history professor at nearby Montreat College. The book tells of a fictional electro-magnetic pulse (EMP) attack on the United States and the action is centered in Black Mountain.

The June edition of the Daily Planet featured a story on the talk by Forstchen and an interview with Brooklyn Bagwell, casting director of the National Geographic TV series “Doomsday Preppers.” Bagwell did not address the seminar, but had a table in the vendor area, where she was seeking prospective participants in the show.

Glance, who is taking over Old Grouch’s Real Military Surplus in Clyde from his father Buddy, told the crowd on May 4 that he is a former U.S. Army warrant officer — and thus is fastidious about maintenance in particular and details in general.

He said a possible EMP attack would “fry” solid-state devices, transistors and microchips.

Gas-powered vehicles, built before the mid-1970s, lack solid-state devices, so they are considered more likely to remain operable if an EMP hits, although he said some models built as late as the early ‘90s “can be retrofitted.”

As a former Army warrant officer, he said with a laugh, “Preventative maintenance was drilled into my head.”

To that end, he said, “most breakdowns are preventable. A little work now makes your vehicle more reliable when you need it most. Replace parts before they wear out or break. Check your vehicle often. Check your gear you carry. Don’t skip recommended maintenance intervals.”

Earlier, he stressed that maps are “excellent” and one should always have spare parts and tools. “One spare is a must; two is better, if you can fit” it in.

He also recommended packing a battery-operated compressor and a tire plug kit, which “can make changing a (flat) tire unnecessary.”

In general, he said one should pack all of the basic hand tools needed “for any job on your vehicle that can be done in the field.”

As for spare parts, Glance said, “At a minimum, (pack) all belts, hoses and common failure parts” for one’s vehicle.

A more advanced spare parts kit would include an alternator, starter, carburetor or fuel-injection pump, water pump and U-joint.

“Research your vehicle to learn what can fail and what is hard to get” during a crisis.

For those who are not mechanically included, Glance recommended, “Carry it (a spare part), even if you don’t know how to repair it.” He said the chances are someone will have the skill to make the repair, if a mishap occurs.

While he said one can save lots of money from buying certain parts at a junkyard, he noted that it is better to buy belts and hoses at a parts store.

Regarding communications devices for prep vehicles, Glance said there are three major options, including a CB radio, a scanner and a ham radio.

“A CB radio is good ... and it has the most users that also — at times” — provides “one of the must unreliable information from malicious users.”

As for scanners, he said, “If I had to choose one of the three, it’d be a scanner.” He called a scanner “a must to get real-time information after a disaster.

Glance called a ham radio ‘The best, most reliable communication, but it requires some effort to get licensed” to use one legally.

“When it all comes down to it, ham radio  operators will be the last ones talking in the world.”

However, Glance said “the ideal setup is all three” — a CB radio, a scanner and a ham radio. He added, “In some states, it’s illegal to have a scanner in your vehicle.” Glance suggested that one check his state’s laws on the matter.

Next, he addressed recovery equipment, including a shovel, ax, saw, high-lift jack, traction aids (planks, chain-link fence), recovery straps, tow straps, tire choices and a come-along cable-puller.

As for fuels, he said “gas is very dangerous. If carried in a vehicle’s trunk, he recommended “not more than 5 to 10 gallons.” If one is carrying fuel outside a vehicle, “more is OK,” but “avoid the crush area on the rear.” He suggested rotating surplus gas every six months.

He said one should avoid storing ethenol, and that diesel “is far stafer and stores much longer” than other fuels. He stressed that diesel should be stored in a metal container that is not 100 percent air-tight.

Glance also urged people to keep enough of all other fluids to replace if all are lost. “Military metal cans are best. If you get get thick plastic, though, use it.”

Further, he said one should pack engine oil, transmission fluids and “lubes for your (vehicles’) rear-ends”

Among the many other items he suggested packing is a 5-lb. fire extinguisher, ABC- or BC-rated. He suggested getting it inspected every six months “and know how to use it.

During a question-and-answer session afterward, Glance told a questioner that biofuel can be stored for “up to two years.”

A woman asked whether a stick shift or automatic transmission would be better in a “prep vehicle,” if an EMP were to hit.

“If it’s not a computer-controlled transmission, modern automatics are nice,” but if one prefers a stick shift, Glance did not see any problem with opting for one.

Someone pressed Glance for a specific vehicle he would recommend for use in a possible cataclysm.

“The old diesel-powered Blazers and Suburbans ... because you still have four-wheel-drive” — and they are built to last. Glance also said that those sturdy vehicles have been popular for many years, so parts would be plentiful in junkyards.