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Letter Re: The Virtues of Fasting Experience for Well-Rounded Preparedness
Greetings!
I have an idea that I have been wanting the patriot survival community to consider. Here it is:
Basically we are able to go without food for much longer than most people know. This is not true with water to be sure. A normal, reasonably healthy human body is easily capable of going three to six weeks on very, very little nutrition and remain completely mentally alert and even physically active. During a prolonged fast you will not be able to pick up as much furniture as normal but you may easily be able to walk for 100 miles!
The biggest concern with fasting is that it not begin too abruptly. Most trouble comes from toxic reactions not lack of nutrients. Its better to reduce junk foods, sweets, red meat and unnecessary drugs & medications before embarking on a serious fast. A series of single-day or two and three day fasts are rejuvenating like nothing imaginable! Juice fasts and broth fasts and even solid, bland diet (rice & red lentils) are intermediate steps. Health food stores often have written material on fasting techniques.
Fasting is very healthy and has an unmistakable spiritual side to it as well. It increases mental health and will power. It is an excellent occasion to practice prayer, meditation and all sorts of mental work. Benjamin Franklin, for one, extolled the virtues of keeping the mind full and the bowels empty. This is all in the preparatory phase while you are teaching yourself how to fast, how your body reacts, how your mind reacts, what to make of any "hunger pains" and in general learning that you don't need to consume all you are accustomed to. Watch your will power grow!
Once you are "hardened off" and experienced in "coming closer to your own inner nature" (you now know how to consume your own substance without cutting off an arm or leg to try to keep the stomach full) you should wax serene in circumstances where others may easily fall prey to panic. In cases of stand off, siege, emergency or just plain prolonged lean rations you can totally, effortlessly and fearlessly rise above the circumstances.
I can tell you of how it has worked for me, in Hurricane Andrew for example, where people rioted or scuffled needlessly over ice. But I had not intended to write so much. I just wanted to get the idea across. Best Regards, - WL
JWR Replies: Those unaccustomed to fasting should first consult their doctor for a checkup. Your tolerance for fasting will vary greatly, depending on your diet, your body type (fat reserves), your blood sugar chemistry, and your activity level. Rather than water fasting--which can be debilitating and precipitate some acute health problems--I recommend occasional juice fasting, to maintain your electrolyte and blood sugar balance. My general advice is to build up to fasting gradually, while very carefully watching for adverse reactions, such as dizziness, confusion, or hallucinations. Even someone with regular fasting experience should never fast more than 36 hours while living alone. There must be someone there to watch for signs of distress or incipient syncope (fainting). Fasting can be beneficial, but as with anything else, when done to excess, it can be harmful.
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Hard Times at Here--Are You Ready?
The hard economic times that I--and many others--warned you about are now here. We are clearly now in the opening stages of a full-scale depression that will last a decade or longer.
This news article (sent to me by SurvivalBlog reader Eric C.) .about an unemployed couple in Indiana is a microcosm of what we will be witnessing for the next decade. Take a few minutes to read it.
Our pampered society is in for a rude wakening. Now, at the risk of sounding unkind and judgmental, the term "white trash" comes to mind. Note that this man in Indiana had no savings, plenty of debt, and obviously no food reserves. Also note that despite his "austere" budget on unemployment insurance, he wastes hundreds of dollars per month as he smokes cigarettes, drinks soda pop, drinks beer (in large quantity), gambles, and pays for commercial car washes. His wife still carries a Blackberry with an airtime contract. Why are they buying disposable diapers, when they could be washing cloth diapers? The article also mentions that the husband has gained 40 pounds in the year since he was laid off. Did he consider planting a vegetable garden? Or washing his own car? (Both would have saved money and provided exercise.) This couple needs a serious lesson in budget priorities. They say that they are worried about their children's school grades, yet they still have a television and XBox games. It is time for a garage sale, to sell those time-wasting gadgets. Then regularly-scheduled trips to the local library, to get their children literate!
This gent is in his thirties, yet he has ruined his health with drinking, smoking, and over-eating. He and his wife seem to view military service as a last resort for their high school senior son. Well, I have a news flash for them: Both the son and the father should have enlisted! In 2006, the US military raised its maximum age of enlistment to 42. (BTW, as the economy continues to worsen, I expect the military to raise their standards considerably and eventually begin turning away large numbers of candidates, just as they did in the 1930s.)
It is also noteworthy that this man is on anti-depressants. He is not alone. Consider this article that was sent to me by Karen H.: Antidepressant Use Doubles in US, Study finds. That is alarming just by itself, but just consider what will happen if and when the Schumer Hits the Fan, and all those patients run out of their medications. (And their booze, and their cigarettes, and their marijuana, and their MTV, and their Crackberry instant messages, and their chocolate, and their American Idol, and their Dunkin' Donuts, and their porn, and their meth, and their soap operas, and their "Energy" drinks.) This could get very ugly, very quickly, once so many millions of suddenly very cranky, very desperate people start roaming the streets. My suggestion is: Don't be near then, in any significant numbers. Move to hinterboonies.
In summary: I had no idea that wallowing in self-pity was such exhausting, time-consuming work. At least they have a comfortable couch and recliner. This old quote mentioned by a SurvivalBlog reader sums up their situation: "The Lord does not bless the farmer who leans on his hoe."
Here is my advice for SurvivalBlog readers on how to survive the currently unfolding Depression:
- Work cheerfully and diligently. It is slackers that find themselves unemployed first.
- Get debt free and stay debt free. Take on no new indebtedness, and pay down the debts you already have.
- Learn to distinguish essentials from non-essentials.
- Write a budget, and stick to it. Whittle it, as necessary, to avoid debt.
- Sell off your useless Beanie babies and assorted knickknacks.
- Increase your savings
- Build up your food storage
- Diversify your investments. Don't put all your money in one bank.
- Check your bank or S&L's safety rating at TheStreet.com. Check your stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and insurers, while you are at it.)
- Hedge your investments with some tangibles
- Sell off any vacation or rental properties that don't have retreat potential
- If you move, then it should be to a place near a secure job, and preferably to a piece of farm or ranch land that provides some self-sufficiency.
- Develop a second stream of income.
- Release yourself from your addictions. Pray fervently, and if need be, seek help.
- Plant a garden.
- Stay in shape.
- Be willing to accept work that is lower paying or less appealing
- Be charitable.
- Most importantly: Get right with God. (Believe, repent of your sin, confess Jesus as your savior, and be baptized.) It is time to pray hard, folks! I believe in predestination. If you are reading this, and feel convicted to make change in your life, then you are fulfilling what God has had planned for you since "before the foundations of the Earth."
Forgive me for ranting, but that article about the unemployed family in Indiana got me a bit riled up.
One suggestion, in closing: If you get laid-off, do not move to a relative's basement in Michigan. Instead, move to where you can find work, even if it hard, "rolled up sleeves" work.
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Controlling Pain Where There is No Doctor, by Bill R.
Some of you are probably asking yourself what this has to with Survivalism. Pain is our brain's way of letting us know that something is not right. You touch a hot stove and it warns you to pull away. With any number of things that can set off TEOTWAWKI, The result will be the same. Traumatic, stressful, pick your favorite term; it’s all the same. Increased stress levels in the body create tension. We have all heard the term ”your psychology affects your physiology”, nothing could be more true. I think it is an excellent idea to go through practice drills in as many what if scenarios as you can fathom. One of the things I have not seen accounted for however is the effect of stress and pain has on our daily routines .The moment the hammer drops we will probably get by on adrenaline for a short period. The first part is preparing our bodies for the culture shock that will probably happen overnight. I would say the majority of the people reading this have an ample food supply, guns, ammo maybe even a detailed plan on what to do. But how many of us have a way to reduce stress? If you do not have one during ”peaceful” times, how much less ready will your mind and body be prepped when the situation demands it of you? I am not here to tell you what method you should choose. One of mine is prayer. Whatever yours are, cultivate them now as you do everything else. This leads me to the title of the article.
Unless you are Amish or are like the few readers of SurvivalBlog that are already modern versions of Grizzly Adams, the overnight transition will be more mental and physical than you have been accustomed to. Mentally I have already explained the mind-body connection..What can we do in the physical? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Here it comes: ”exercise”. This is much more than dropping a few here and there for the yearly family photo. A stronger, fitter body will not only reduce stress levels but will be able to handle a greater physiological demand. A stronger body will put you in a better position to defend yourself. When the last tick of the clock hits it’s point, you are where you are, and that’s it! That said, even the strongest bodies get sore and get injured. I have heard horror stories at the gym (where us city folk exercise). A man dropped some weights on his finger. The trainer urged him to stick his finger in the hot tub. That was a big mistake. This is an easy way to remember what to do INJURY = COLD (the area is already inflamed, heat will expand tissues more) SORENESS = HOT (heat soothes sore muscles, not injuries!) There are different ways to approach it. Without an MRI, you cannot know just how serious but you can start reducing the impact. After an injury, the area should be iced (if possible) 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off. This should be done [during waking hours] for several days. Anymore than 15-20 minutes of direct contact will have the same effect as heat, counterproductive. All that work on the Ponderosa will not only have you singing shoulda coulda woulda’s on being better prepared, it will also leave every muscle in your body begging for mercy. I have done massage on some of the strongest men around (the “Power Team”) and I assure you that pain is universal. Here is a non-medicinal pain survival equipment list for you:
- Two tennis balls
- A huge encyclopedia
- A low-back chair(like you used to have in school)
- Any good simple book on acupressure or trigger points
- A rolled-up towel
I could make a list a mile long but these five will do wonders for you.
Using tennis balls: this is good, no, great for the back. Laying on your back on the ground, place one tennis ball on either side of your spine (not on the spine). Start with the cervical, then move down to thoracic, then lumbar. Typically 10 minutes in each area should do the trick. Another way to stretch that lower back out is lying once again on your back. Place the large book or encyclopedia under your sacrum for 10 to 15 minutes. This technique uses your own body weight to release the muscles they surround, thereby relaxing them. Have you ever cooked a chicken? When you pull the skin off that milky white layer over the muscle is the fascia, it holds the muscle in place. Changing the angle of your lower back does wonders. The next thing is the low back chair. I like chairs that go about mid back. Sitting in the chair in the normal way, reach behind the chair grabbing the top of the legs (you can go lower as you stretch). Do not bounce! Pull for a few seconds at a time while leaning backwards over the chair edge, creating tension on your arms but stretching your back. At this point you probably wondering what in the world a rolled up towel can do for you. Hopefully by then you have already memorized all of your survival books , but chances are if you have not, you will be doing some serious reading. Sitting in a higher back chair or even a wall, place a rolled up towel east to west underneath your shoulder blades. This will help keep you in alignment and take pressure off your upper and middle back that develops from slouching as we read.
If these things seem too simple, well then I can assure you that they work. "Simple" is the key when your resources are limited. The American Indians used to have the children of the tribe walk on their backs for those with ailing backs, so I think you can adapt to these simple cures. Why not just pop an aspirin? Well, first off all if you have access to pain meds, they will be very valuable and the less you have to rely on them the better off you will be. Keep in mind that no pill will cure an injury or eliminate the cause of the pain. It will merely cover it up for awhile. Why not just treat the cause of the problem instead of the symptom? We have little control over the circumstances that come our way. We can either be more prepared or less prepared. Learn how to take care of your body if you want it to take care of you.
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Often-Overlooked Readiness: Preparing for Joy, by Carla
I am sitting here and it is raining, and raining and raining and... Four inches so far, nobody can water like God can! After our last rain, everything in the garden had a tremendous burst of energy. The dreary, raining day for some folks though, is especially depressing. I enjoy those occasional days, when I feel like I can actually sit down at the computer without feeling guilty because there is so much to do outside that I really shouldn't be here.
It got me to thinking again about “what if?” How can we defeat those occasional bouts of dreariness, especially if and when TEOTWAWKI comes along? Making sure every ones attitudes stay uplifted might be one of those things that make living in a very, very hard time a little more bearable.
You’ve always heard the saying, “if momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” Well, momma, start with yourself first. Make sure your priorities are straight, your head, your body (I’m especially in need of that), your spiritual life, and your relationships are in great shape. Remember, you and your family are a team. It is going to be you and them against the world. Ya’ll will possibly be the only ones you engage with for a while. Your relationships to each other is of vital importance. Pick your battles, which is something I have to be very conscious of. Make sure everyone in the family knows how vital their contribution is. Even if it is just the little ones trained well enough to know how to mind and do their chores. It will save a lot of added frustration especially if things are in really bad shape.
Make sure you have something that is special to you stored back--I know this may sound irrelevant and maybe even a little selfish, but just a small bottle of perfume, or a little lipstick, after you come in from a long, hot, sweaty day in the garden, to clean up and smell and look pretty, will give you (and him) a nice, uplifting feeling. You are the heart of the home, make it a place that gives your family a feeling of warmth and welcome when they are there. Grow a few hardy flowers that like hot weather and do well without much rain. We never know from year to year how much rain we will get. Cut them and put them on the table. Save your dish water to pour on them if the weather is dry. It will lift everyone's spirits to come to the table with a nice tablecloth and flowers. Your conversation makes a difference, too. Talk about memories, funny stories, you might even start writing them down so you won’t forget them when they happen. You will be the one who makes a vital difference in attitudes, and this is true even when things are normal. Make plans for birthdays or other special days. Birthday candles do not take up much space and cost very little , they are a very important part of birthdays, especially the little [single digit] ones. Folks like me have to have permission from the Fire Department! You know what is important to your family as far as holidays and families times. Prepare for those special times.
What about things to do [at quiet times]? My husband loves puzzles. I will have some puzzle books put back. My daughter is like me: she loves art. If you have a child who loves to draw, make sure you have some art supplies on hand. A reader? G.A. Henty
is one great author, especially for your boys. Even my daughter loved his books, lots of history in great mysteries. Get online and find some of the older books or look at used bookstores, thrift shops, or your local library. They get rid of older books every once in a while, so be on the look out for those old classics. Don’t do the “fast food” type of books that you can read in 15 minutes. Give them something that takes a while and better yet, have daddy read to the family at night. Just a few chapters, discuss it and enjoy a peaceful evening.
Games are a great family time and some of them are just for fun, some help learning skills. Whatever your family enjoys and make sure you have a few for all ages. You need those old fashioned ones, because the computer may not be working. We have made our own games. We’ve dug some small holes in the ground and found some old washers and used them similarly to horseshoes. Since we home schooled, geography was taught by buying plastic posters of the continents. Each person would have a different place and we would ask about rivers, mountain ranges, countries, anything that was on the map could be formed into a question. Charades, an old game is great if you have visitors. Music is wonderful. Maybe you have a musician in your family. Sing together. It makes a light-hearted atmosphere and gets everyone away from all the talk about news and what is going on. There are web sites on line that can give you many more ideas, and now would be the time to prepare.
If you have folks who like to sew, knit, crochet, woodwork make sure they have a few items that could give them some time to be creative. All work and no play makes a really bad attitude. It is a good way to make gifts as holidays and birthdays come along. Make your own cards and stick one on a bed or on the mirror to tell your family how much you appreciate their hard work and their good attitude. A little praise goes a long way.
Preparing for fun and relaxation is as important as preparing for physical needs. Fear and bitterness are some of the worse life threatening things that will bring the whole household down. Having a lot of time on your hands, gives time to think about what I don’t have, or what I’m missing. Just adding some of the fun items will keep your family occupied in good, clean, happy, useful business.
Don’t forget rest~satisfying rest. When you are overworked, tired, hungry and worried your responses to folks can be well, not nice. That can lead to arguments and a lack of teamwork. Making sure everyone gets a restoring night's sleep will help get them ready for another day of taking care of business. Don’t forget to say your prayers. God has got you through another day.
Your relationship with God, knowing that you belong to Him and that your family does, is the first thing you need to have total faith in. Know that although you have prepared to the best of your abilities, that nothing happens to us that does not pass through God’s “hands” first. You must know that what He allows in our lives, He has either caused, or will use for our good and His Glory.
These are just a few ideas. There is so much information on the web now, that finding other ideas are only a mouse click away. Make a notebook and keep ideas in it. If you do not have the time right now to get things together, with the notebook you won’t forget about them. This might be good for the kids to do.
Depression is a killer, of the spirit and sometimes of lives. Just a little joy in hard times makes things go so much easier. When you can laugh during adversity, it might make a difference in getting your life back to normal. “A merry heart doeth good, like a medicine.” So remember while you’re storing up the beans, rice, tools and ammo, don’t forget to store up some joy. - Carla
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Medical Insurance for Prepared American Families, by Pat C.
The American healthcare system is collapsing and it will continue to do so no matter what comes out of the current debates in Washington. As a result, healthcare in the United States will continue to rise in cost. Worse, healthcare will become difficult to obtain; specialty care is already scarce in some areas and many rural counties do not have even one doctor who will accept Medicare patients. There are many reasons for these developments that are too complicated to outline here but it’s important to be aware of these trends because they will affect your ability to obtain care when you need it.
Directly related to the healthcare system is the health insurance system which is equally a mess. Following are what I’ve learned in the past 30 years as a health insurance broker in a western state:
Why You Need Insurance
As an insurance broker, I constantly meet people who tell me that they don’t need medical insurance. Most often I’m told “I’ll just go down to the emergency room where they gotta treat me no matter what”. While this is technically accurate it doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily get the care you need. A lot depends on the tax base of the city, county, and state where you live. If your region is financially solvent, the local hospital will probably take good care of you. However, if your local government or state are in trouble, healthcare is the first thing that gets cut, leaving hospitals underfunded and understaffed. Compounding the problem is the fact that reimbursements from HMOs, insurance companies, and the various federal and state entitlement plans (Medicare, Medicaid, county welfare, et cetera) are in many cases lower than the actual cost of delivering care. As a result, the system is starved for funding and providers are in revolt. Older doctors are simply retiring and dropping out of the system. Many of the physicians that remain in practice are canceling their contracts with insurance plans and government schemes and moving to cash-only business models. (In a major city in my state, it’s getting very difficult to find a pediatrician who accepts insurance. Most are now cash only.) As for emergency rooms, it’s becoming difficult for some hospitals to staff their ERs, especially with specialists and surgeons because the outside docs have no assurance that they’ll be paid for treating the un-insured. This results in delays in critically needed treatment as ER directors frantically try to find doctors who will provide care to injured but un-insured (or government-insured) patients.
These trends are causing a serious physician shortage that’s going to get worse as more doctors exit the system. As mentioned, many of the physicians who stay around are limiting their offices to patients who pay cash or have insurance that adequately reimburses them for their time and expertise. A group of surgeons in my town recently constructed their own private hospital about two miles away from the regional medical center. Since it’s private and does not accept government funds, the doctors can limit who gets in. If you don’t have insurance, they send you over to the medical center.
The fact is that the US healthcare system can no longer afford to provide care to everyone who needs it. Most federal, state, and county systems are hopelessly bankrupt and there are 50 million baby boomers now entering their highest-cost years of healthcare needs. In the coming years, who gets treated will be primarily be decided by a person’s ability to pay the bill and private, comprehensive insurance will be one of the few keys that will get you the care you need. Like it or not, in the future the people who have insurance will get treated and those that don’t will be sidelined to long lines for tests, appointment with specialists, and needed surgeries.
How to Get Covered
Aside from cost, the biggest problem with private medical insurance is getting approved. Most states allow insurance plans to decline individuals who have prior medical problems. The debates going on in Congress now include guarantee-to-issue mandates for insurance carriers. However, these mandates – if approved – are years way from implementation. Meanwhile, people with existing medical conditions need insurance now.
Some states in the eastern US mandate guaranteed coverage for all applicants but most states don’t. If you have a pre-existing condition, the only way to get medical insurance is to be part of a group plan, either as an employee or as a business owner. The regulations vary from state to state but most states require insurance carriers to issue group coverage to eligible businesses no matter what the health of the participants. In other words, insurance companies cannot refuse to cover employees of a legitimate group. However, you can’t just call yourself a group and get covered – eligibility for a guaranteed group plan is strictly defined. In most cases, eligibility requires an established business (typically in operation at least 3-to-6 months), with two or more W-2 status employees, working at least 30 hours per week, for at least the local minimum wage. All of these requirements must be satisfied to qualify and carriers require detailed verification of these parameters in the form of business records and payroll reports. So you can’t just call yourself a group and get coverage – you have to have a real business with at least two people on a legitimate W-2 payroll.
For most people, this is a dead end. However, there is a loophole in some state laws that can get you around most of these requirements. The insurance regulations in some states allow corporate officers to count as employees for the purposes of qualifying for group insurance. If your state has this provision you can form a corporation, name yourself and your spouse (or family member, or friend) as corporate officers and become eligible for guaranteed-issue medical coverage no matter what your health history. In my state there is no requirement that the corporation actually engage in a trade or business or have revenues, nor is there a requirement that the officers be on payroll or take a salary. All that’s required is a corporate structure and at least two officers named on the filing documents. Carriers hate this loophole but there’s nothing that they can do about it if it’s part of the state’s insurance code. It’s the law and they have to abide by it.
Cautions: The corporation must be filed in your state of residence and the officers typically have to be state residents as well. Other requirements may apply depending on where you live so discuss the details with a local attorney who works with small businesses and a local insurance broker who is familiar with the group plans available in your area. Also, don’t submit a filing with 10 or 15 family and friends named as officers because they all need coverage. Keep a low-profile. You may technically be within the law but I’ve seen carriers find one excuse after another to postpone approval of a plan because they didn’t like the group. You are much more likely to get five separate corporations approved, each with two officers, than a single filing listing 10.
In my state, creating a corporation costs about $2,000 for the legal work and filing fees and there may be annual taxes levied by the state depending on where you live. Note that these outlays do not include the cost of the insurance plan; the corporation is merely the vehicle that will allow you to obtain coverage. However, once your corporation is in place, you will be able to obtain insurance and maintain coverage for the rest of your life irrespective of your health or your employment.
Pre-Existing Condition Exclusions: Even though you can obtain guaranteed coverage through your corporation, the insurance plan will not necessarily cover pre-existing health conditions. Unless you have prior insurance in place within 62 days of the start of your group insurance (“Prior Credible Coverage”), existing medical conditions may have a waiting period before they are covered. Here’s the general rule:
A pre-existing condition is a medical issue for which you saw a licensed practitioner, had tests or treatment, or for which you took a prescription medication in the six months prior to the start of the new plan. If you did not see a practitioner or have treatment, tests, or took meds for the condition in the prior six months, then you are covered for all conditions immediately. If you did have treatment of some sort, then that condition is not covered until you have been on your new plan for six months. But after six months-plus-one day, the pre-existing condition is covered just like any other illness. And once you’ve satisfied the six-month wait you won’t have to do it again even if you switch carriers or plans as long as you move directly from one group plan to another.
Finally, don’t lie about your medical history thinking that you’ll get past the pre-existing condition exclusion. Insurance carriers investigate every claim that comes in during the first six months that a plan is in effect. They can do this because the authorizations you sign when submitting a claim allow the company to obtain any medical records about you no matter how far back. Meanwhile, you’ll likely forget that during a prior office visit with your doctor he asked you about the problem and you mentioned some treatments in the past. That will be in your doc’s notes and the insurance carrier will see the note and start tracing back. If they find out you lied on the application they’ll refund all your premiums, hand you back all your claims, and rescind your coverage. People try to cheat insurance companies every day and the carriers know every lie, every scam, and every trick that people try to pull. They’ll find out if you try to cheat them and they’ll pull your coverage if you do.
Low Cost Medical Coverage
Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as "Low Cost Medical Coverage" but there is lower-cost coverage. We tell all of our clients to select a plan with the highest deductible they can afford if they get sick. High deductible plans have lower premiums but still provide comprehensive major-medical coverage in the event of a serious accident or illness. In most states carriers now offer plans with annual deductibles of up to $5,000 and that’s what we recommend.
While $5,000 may seem like a lot to pay if you get sick, you can always work out a payment plan with the hospital once you’re on your feet again. For example, let’s say that a heart attack and bypass surgery cost you $50,000, with the insurance company picking up about $43,000 of the cost. You owe the hospital $7,000 for the deductible and various co-payments and you can’t afford to write a check for the full amount. First off, thank them for taking good care of you – the hospital’s billing people get yelled at all the time about how high the bill is. Meanwhile, the hospital’s docs and nurses probably saved your life, so be respectful and grateful. Then, offer to pay $600/month over 12 months. Another strategy is to ask for a discount in exchange for immediate payment by cash or by credit card. Providers want to collect payments and close out accounts as fast as possible so many will make a deal for quick payment. If you owe the hospital $7,000 tell them that you’ll settle the bill on the spot for $3,500. They may counter at $4,500 or $5,000, but whatever figure you settle on will be a significant discount. The key here is immediate payment – have your cash or credit card ready because it’s the only enticement you have to get a reduction in your balance.
Insurance That’s Not Insurance
I occasionally get a call from someone that goes like this: “I bought insurance from a guy and then got sick and now the hospital says I owe $30,000. What can I do?” Some insurance contracts have limits on how much will be paid for expensive care such as surgery or hospitalization but those limits are buried in fine print on the back page that no one reads. These plans typically have lower rates that the local Blue Cross/Blue Shield policies and it’s tempting to purchase the cheaper coverage. However, like anything else, you get what you pay for with insurance. Plans with similar benefits all cost about the same from carrier to carrier because they pay out about the same amount of money if you get sick. So a plan that promises lower rates for high benefits is impossible – somewhere along the way, the insurance company has figured out a way to make a profit even though they charge less than their competitors. Most of the time they do this by capping the payout in some way, usually by “internal limits” on expensive benefits. For example, a company located in the Southwest has been very successful in marketing a “special” policy designed specifically for the self-employed. Their sales people tout the great coverage and low premiums and they sell a boatload of this junk insurance all over the US. What they don’t tell you is that the policy benefits have caps on the payouts. The agent will explain that the policy will pay 80% of your hospital bill but what he doesn’t tell you is that the hospital payout is limited to $10,000. (This is an actual case that I dealt with last year. A young women was diagnosed with cervical cancer about seven months after buying insurance from this company. She now owes the hospital $37,000 because her contract limited the hospital payouts to $10,000.)
Here’s what to look for: Be very suspicious of insurance plans that are connected to some sort of official-sounding “association” or “union” for the self-employed. I’ve rarely seen a plan like this that provided good coverage. Some of these plans don’t even have a real insurance company behind them - the association or union is just a front for the sales guys who sell cheap insurance, collect a pile of money from the premium payments, and then close the plan down and skip town, leaving all their customers with no coverage. (I’ve personally seen two such "plans" in my area.) Also, do not complete an application if you have to initial every page of the form. When you initial a form it means that you have read, understand, and agreed to everything on that page and doing so is legally binding. That means that you can’t sue the agent or the company if there’s a dispute later about the terms of what you signed. That’s what happened to the girl with cervical cancer - she got stuck with a $37,000 hospital bill but couldn’t sue the agent because she had initialed the page with the fine print about the $10,000 payout cap. And because of this initial-each-page scam, that guy is still out there selling his junk policies to unsuspecting people.
Before buying insurance, read the fine print. Ask questions. Listen carefully and take notes. Talk to agents from different companies. And be very suspicious of any plan that’s not insured by a major, well-known insurance company. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.
Premium Increases: Whatever plan you choose and whatever the monthly rate, your premium will go up every year. Yep, every year. By how much? That depends on your location but in our state it’s averaged 10% per year. Some years were higher than that, some lower, but 10% is the long-term average we’ve seen and we thing that will continue. There are lots of reasons for this – too many to discuss in this posting - but it’s a fact and you need to plan for it. In addition to the annual increases, your rate will also get bumped up as you move into higher age brackets (e.g. 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64). Fair or unfair, right or wrong, that’s the way the system works. The cost of healthcare and the cost of health insurance is going to rise in price every year. If you want access to good medical care you need to understand and plan for this reality.
The one offset to these increases is to raise your deductible from time to time. A $5,000 deductible was unheard of a few years ago and now is common. In a few years we’ll start to see deductibles of $10,000 or more. Moving your deductible up every few years will help control your premium outlays. But doing so will place increased importance on maintaining your health. In the coming years as medical care gets more costly and you raise your deductible your personal lifestyle will increasingly impact your household finances. If you lead an unhealthy life your medical expenses will ultimately bankrupt you unless you’re very wealthy. Therefore, a healthy lifestyle is now a financial decision. Cut out the tobacco, get more exercise, eat right, and get your check-ups. In short, do all the things we all know that we should be doing. If you follow though, you’ll be healthier and there will be less danger of you depleting your family’s monetary reserves by $10,000 per year for deductibles and co-pays because of a chronic illness.
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Survey Results: Your Favorite Books on Preparedness, Self-Sufficiency, and Practical Skills
In descending order of frequency, the 78 readers that responded to my latest survey recommended the following non-fiction books on preparedness, self-sufficiency, and practical skills:
The
Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery (Far and away the most often-mentioned book. This book is an absolute "must" for every well-prepared family!)
The Foxfire Book
series (in 11 volumes, but IMHO, the first five are the best)
Holy Bible
Where
There Is No Dentist
by Murray Dickson
"Rawles
on Retreats and Relocation"
Making
the Best of Basics: Family Preparedness Handbook
by James Talmage
Stevens
The
"Rawles
Gets You Ready" preparedness course
Crisis Preparedness Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Home Storage and Physical Survival
by Jack A. Spigarelli
Gardening
When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times by Steve Solomon
Tappan
on Survival
by
Mel Tappan
Boston's
Gun Bible
by
Boston T. Party
Seed
to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners
by Suzanne Ashworth
Survival
Guns
by
Mel Tappan
Boy
Scouts Handbook: The First Edition, 1911 (Most readers recommend getting pre-1970 editions.)
All
New Square Foot Gardening
by
Mel Bartholomew
When Technology Fails: A Manual for Self-Reliance, Sustainability, and Surviving the Long Emergency
by Matthew Stein
Back
to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition
by
Abigail R. Gehring
Preparedness Now!: An Emergency Survival Guide (Expanded and Revised Edition)
by Aton Edwards
Putting
Food By
by Janet Greene
First
Aid (American Red Cross Handbook) Responding To Emergencies
Making
the Best of Basics: Family Preparedness Handbook by James Talmage
Stevens
Nuclear War Survival
Skills by Cresson H. Kearney (Available for free download.)
Cookin'
with Home Storage
by
Vicki Tate
SAS
Survival Handbook
by
John "Lofty" Wiseman
Root
Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables
by
Mike Bubel
Outdoor Survival Skills
by Larry Dean Olsen
Stocking Up: The Third Edition of America's Classic Preserving Guide
by Carol Hupping
The
American Boy's Handybook of Camp Lore and Woodcraft
Emergency
Food Storage & Survival Handbook by Peggy Layton
98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive
by Cody Lundin
Seed
to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners by Suzanne Ashworth
Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life by Neil Strauss
Five Acres and Independence: A Handbook for Small Farm Management
by Maurice G. Kains
Essential Bushcraft
by Ray Mears
The
Survivor book series by Kurt Saxon. Many are out of print in
hard copy, but they are all available on DVD. Here, I must issue a caveat
lector ("reader
beware"): Mr. Saxon has some very controversial views that I do not
agree with. Among other things he is a eugenicist.
How to Stay Alive in the Woods by Bradford Angier
The New Organic Grower by Eliot Coleman
Tom Brown Jr.'s series of books, especially:
Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival
Tom Brown's Field Guide to Nature Observation and Tracking
Tom Brown's Guide to Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants (Field Guide)
Total
Resistance
by
H. von Dach
Ditch Medicine: Advanced Field Procedures For Emergencies
by Hugh Coffee
Living Well on Practically Nothing
by Ed Romney
The Secure Home
by Joel Skousen
Outdoor Survival Skills
by Larry Dean Olsen
When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need To Survive When Disaster Strikes
by Cody Lundin
The Last Hundred Yards: The NCO's Contribution to Warfare
by John Poole.
Camping & Wilderness Survival: The Ultimate Outdoors Book by Paul Tawrell
Engineer Field Data (US Army FM 5-34) --Available online free of charge, with registration, but I recommend getting a hard copy. preferably with the heavy-duty plastic binding.
Great Livin' in Grubby Times
by Don Paul
Just in Case
by Kathy Harrison
Nuclear War Survival
Skills by Cresson H. Kearney (Available for free download.)
How to Survive Anything, Anywhere: A Handbook of Survival Skills for Every Scenario and Environment
by Chris McNab
Storey's Basic Country Skills: A Practical Guide to Self-Reliance
by John & Martha Storey
Adventure Medical Kits A Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness & Travel Medicine
by Eric A. Weiss, M.D.
Rodale's Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening: The Indispensable Green Resource for Every Gardener
Special Operations Forces Medical Handbook (superceded the very out-of-date ST 31-91B)
Wilderness Medicine, 5th Edition
by Paul S. Auerbach
Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long
by Elliot Coleman
Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition
by Abigail R. Gehring
Government
By Emergency
by
Dr. Gary North
The Weed Cookbook: Naturally Nutritious - Yours Free for the Taking!
by Adrienne Crowhurst
The Modern Survival Retreat
by Ragnar Benson
Last of the Mountain Men
by Harold Peterson
Primitive Wilderness Living & Survival Skills: Naked into the Wilderness
by John McPherson
LDS Preparedness Manual, edited by Christopher M. Parrett
The
Long Emergency: Surviving the End of Oil, Climate Change, and Other Converging
Catastrophes of the Twenty-First Century
by James H. Kunstler
Principles of Personal Defense - Revised Edition
by Jeff Cooper.
Survival Poaching
by Ragnar Benson
The Winter Harvest Handbook: Year Round Vegetable Production Using Deep Organic Techniques and Unheated Greenhouses
by Eliot Coleman
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The Jump Kit, by Skyrat
Inside the trunk of my vehicle is a near duplicate of the “jump kit” or “Green Bag” used in my days with the Detroit Fire Department's Emergency Medical Service Division. When I come across a roadside collision before the local medics, everything I need to start patient care is in the green canvas bag I sling over my shoulder. The supplies in my personal vehicle are very much like those I carried in my street medic days, and reflect a strong basic life support/trauma bias.
Basic life support includes those interventions that do not go past the skin, and generally do not require physician direction to implement. Advanced life support, on the other hand, includes therapies that do go past the skin, and include medications, intravenous fluids (IVs), electrical counter shock, and airway intubation.
I do not include intravenous fluids or medications in my green bag for a couple of reasons. First, these items have a limited storage life under the best of conditions, and the rear of a passenger vehicle in Northern Michigan is not calculated to prolong it. Second, the statutes under which paramedics practice here in Michigan requires systematic physician supervision of advanced patient care. Fundamentally, that means that if you are not functioning within an established paramedic system, you are out of bounds should you perform advanced procedures on the street. Third, advanced patient care procedures are occasions of peril even in the hospital, let alone in the rear of an ambulance. This is so, even within a system of continuing education, continuous quality assessment, supervision, and the backup of both your partner, and the physician and clinical staff on the other end of the telephone or radio. Soloing at the roadside provides neither you nor your patient with these safeguards.
Firearms owners are likely acquainted with the “gun shop commando”, classically braying about the bogus “shoot 'em and drag 'em inside” philosophy of home violence management. Likewise, you might consider the existence of the “parlor paramedic”, who seems to reason something like, ”wait until the Schumer hits the fan, and I'll come out of the closet, birthin' babies and saving lives!”
In order to entertain this fantasy, you will need the tools of the trade. Medications are not without risks, do not keep forever, and are expensive. Additionally, there is the issue of convincing a physician that he or she ought to prescribe for you and that you can differentiate your Barneyfrank (ass) from a hole in the ground. If the expense is no problem for you because you have money to burn, please see me after class! If you think that the utility of your medication stash outweighs the other concerns, please contemplate these points: 1) In the absence of a catastrophe the likes of which America has never seen, it is both illegal and immoral to withhold professional medical care required by an ill or injured person. 2) During Schumeresque times, it is unlikely that the infrastructure will be in service which allows the delivery of complex, highly skilled care to those in need. Particularly, you will not have access to that infrastructure, and (if you have your head screwed on straight) you will have no desire to perform skills you are not trained to do, in the midst of a disaster, upon your vulnerable, hurting and injured loved ones.
By way of example, I have 30 yeas of EMS and nursing experience (in ICU, CCU, and ER), as well as licensure as a Physician's Assistant. I have used Dopamine, along with other invasive therapies, innumerable times to support the blood pressure of critically ill or injured patients. Dopamine has potent effects upon the heart, among other systems, and these effects are monitored by a cardiac monitor. I found a Zoll Automatic Cardiac Defibrillator, after a brief internet search, for $3,000, which appears after a casual review to allow monitoring. The question, however, is whether you can make sense of the tracing the monitor displays, identify adverse changes in cardiac rhythm, and respond appropriately. Additionally, do you know the adverse effects Dopamine may have, and how they must be managed? If not, you have no business trifling with it. I have done all these things for years in my Nursing practice, and I do not have Dopamine in my personal stores. You need to assume the risks you both understand and are comfortable with. I am reluctant to assume this risk for myself and my family.
My bias toward trauma derives from the fact that the stabilization and management of the medical patient, in contrast to the trauma patient, calls for assessments and interventions that I generally do not find appropriate outside of the hospital or advanced life support ambulance. Determining the source of the patient's distress will identify what treatment is required. While there are a few medical conditions that are responsive to basic life support interventions, I am not about to pretend that a few thousand words will equip you to make such judgments. Find an American Red Cross first aid class and master it. Better yet, become an EMT.
Just the other day, I came upon a rollover as my girlfriend and I were en route to attend some family function. There were half-a-dozen civilians clustered about, and things seemed well in hand. The first firefighter arrived shortly after me, and I deferred to him. Offering him wound care supplies, I was surprised to discover I could not find any gloves in my kit! Returning home, I undertook an inventory. Here is the result of that tally, and some discussion of my view of why each item belongs in my kit.
Training comes first. There is a story told of the early days of the Israeli state, when the emergency response planners had the budget required to train their personnel to stabilize and transport spine injured patients, or buy the splints (called backboards), but not both. The story relates that the planners elected to train their personnel, and subsequently noted a spine injured kibbutznik transported to the hospital by his comrades, secured effectively to an entire barn door.
I place a priority on training for several reasons. First, neither vermin nor adverse storage conditions have ever ruined training and rendered it unusable. Secondly, “they can have my training when they can pry it from my cold, dead mind”. Third, I have never ever (in my disorganized life) failed to pack my training. Fourth, there is nothing that will be displaced from my supplies in order to make room for my training. Fifth, in contrast to supplies, ability improves with use, and becomes more abundant when you share it with others.
Begin with CPR training. Three or four hours of your time will equip you with the skill that may save a life in the here-and-now. You will gain an introduction to patient assessment, and learn some of he fundamentals of first aid, and whatever dilemma confronts you, your response cannot fail to be more effective with some training to guide you. Effectiveness saves lives.
Look into local outlets for first aid training. The American Red Cross, the National Safety Council, your local community college, as well as perhaps others offer credible training which may serve as an introduction to further studies. The justification for the further expenditure of additional hours may be found in the preceding paragraph. Additionally, if you are more acquainted with what the medical conversation is about, the health care decisions made with regard to yourself and your family will be less mysterious to you, and better informed decisions tend to be better decisions. The better your health, the better your chances of coming out the other side of Schumer times intact, and therefore the better chance of bringing your family with you, likewise unscathed.
Consider EMT schooling. You will learn more emergency care skills (a good thing), and an introduction to elementary anatomy and pathophysiology (how things go wrong in illness and injury). Such education gives you the opportunity to be a more informed participant in your health care decisions, and that is itself a good thing, as well.
SELECTING YOUR CASE
It really doesn't matte what sort of container you employ for your emergency supplies, so long as it meets your particular needs for security, identification, accessibility, protection and convenience.
Some fire departments use plastic “totes” to organize supplies required for specific types of calls. For example, haz-mat supplies are packed inside specific totes, and the top secured with a cable tie or some such device. An inventory is attached to the top (sealed in plastic) to identify what is inside, as well as out dates of time sensitive components. When properly closed, such bins are drip and dust resistant, resist crushing or jumbling of the contents, and can be convenient to carry when not overfilled. On the other hand, they will not conveniently fit beneath a vehicle seat, may be unwieldy to retrieve and place into action, and may get buried beneath other stuff in a trunk or truck box.
Others of my acquaintance use ammo cans, or plastic fishing tackle boxes. These are generally more convenient to shlep about (unless your tastes run along the lines of a 20 mm ammo can) and are more drip/dust/duh! resistant than the tubs mentioned above. On the other hand, they may overturn with disappointing ease, spilling your supplies into whatever noxious fluid is abundant on your particular scene.
I use a green canvas musette type bag. It is not water resistant, is not neatly compartmentalized, and does not have an IR glint Star of Life embroidered upon it. On the other hand, I know how my stuff inside is organized, it is convenient to sling over my shoulder when the scene requires that I do so, and the local military surplus store will sell me another for $10-20 when that becomes needful. It will fit beneath a van seat, or in a tub in my trunk, and I can work out of it when I have it slung.
IN THE TOP, OR IN AN OUTSIDE POCKET
Items that I am likely to require promptly are either in the outside pocket or immediately inside the top flap of the bag. These are things that I do not want to be fumbling for as I approach a scene. I will not list what might be considered “everyday carry” items like pocket knife, flashlight(s), CS spray, sidearm, and a cell phone. While these tools help keep the rescuer from becoming a victim of an ambush laid for a 'Good Samaritan” , particularly when employed in concert with a Condition Orange mindset. (I did mention I started out in Detroit, didn't I?) These items do not seem to me to be rescue/first aid/emergency medical tools.
First up is several pairs of gloves. (well, now, anyhow!) I am allergic to latex, so I have nitrile gloves. Current practice is to wear gloves anytime you might reasonably anticipate exposure to blood or other bodily fluids: tears, urine, stool, saliva, gastric contents, or any other moist, body-origin material you might imagine (and perhaps a few you might not!). I have so thoroughly incorporated this into my life that I get uneasy caring for my own children (or, at my advanced age, grandchildren!) without gloving first. These are in a zip-lock bag, safety pinned (now!) just inside the top flap of my green bag.
The upside to all this is that scrupulous gloving and thorough hand washing have so far proven highly effective at preventing the spread of the most common blood-borne infections. Diseases spread via airborne droplets (for example, Legionnaires disease), of course, require additional precautions. Others are spread by organisms coming to rest upon environmental surfaces and then accessing a vulnerable host (just like you and I are vulnerable hosts to “the common cold”) by means of unconsciously touching our faces after touching a contaminated surface. For myself, after 30 plus years of patient contact the worst I have brought home has been an occasional upper respiratory infection due to my conscientiously applying the glove/hand wash/hands away from my face regimen.
The next item I'll feel a burning need to have in my hands is a bag-valve-mask (BVM). This is a manually operated ventilation tool. It is employed by sealing the mask over the unbreathing patient's face, squeezing the self inflating bag, and thereby forcing air into your patient's lungs. Repeat at a rate of approximately 12-20 times a minute. Advantage: no kissing strangers, required for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. You are able to maintain situational awareness of such things as evolving environmental hazards (like leaking gasoline), or indicators of your patient's improving condition (...he said, thinking positively!). On the downside, using a BVM is difficult in untutored hands. It is easier (compared to mouth-to-mouth) to force air into the patient's stomach, which will elicit vomiting. Aside from the aesthetic issues this presents, vomiting in a profoundly unconscious patient (such as one so unconscious as to have stopped breathing) presents the opportunity for aspiration into the lungs of that which has been vomited, which may be deadly.
Training in use of a BVM will be part of the EMT class I mentioned earlier. I'll wait here while you go find out when your local community college or rescue squad will be having their next class. Plan on being a part of that class. You will be making your community, and thereby your family, safer.
You can buy your own, and Gall's will ding your for around $15 for a disposable model. In the hospital, we use these once and discard them. You might choose to meticulously clean yours and re-use it. Your local rescue squad or ambulance may shop locally, and you might want to do likewise. Ya know, if you were to volunteer with your local rescue squad, you might be able to obtain things like this at your agency's cost. All this on top of the good karma from helping to provide a necessary community service. And,, besides, becoming known to the locals (police included) as one of “the good guys”. Your phone book likely will provide the contact information you require. I'll still be here when you get back.
One of the adjuncts to using a BVM is called an oral airway. Oral airways come in sizes, which may be selected according to the size of the patient. Their purpose is to hold the flaccid tongue of a profoundly unconscious patient forward, so that it does not sag against the rear of the throat and thereby block the passage of air into and out of the lungs. The problem it may trigger is, should your patient be other than profoundly unconscious, he or she will vomit. Among other disasters this may cause, the enzymes from the stomach, designed to digest proteins, will (unsurprisingly) begin to digest the proteins found in the delicate tissues of the air sacs (alveoli) of the lungs, with effects you are likely to be able to imagine on your own. Very Bad Thing. [JWR Adds: Plastic airways usually come in sets of six sizes, and usually color-coded these days, available for less than $5 per set on eBay. Buy a couple of sets. Someday you may be very glad that you did!]
Another way to fail when employing an oral airway is to bunch up the patient's tongue in the rear of the throat. This blocks air flow, strangling your patient. This device must be restricted to only profoundly unconscious patients, and only if you are schooled in its use. You can buy them individually, or in sets. Before shipping, they go for around $5.00/set. You might elect to buy them one at a time, but at $5 a pop, they aren't a particularly major investment.
When I'm confronted by an actively bleeding patient, I reach for a Carlyle dressing. Mine are the old style The Carlyle iteration includes muslin (cloth) ties to secure as any other tied bandage. The 21st century version is called an Israeli Dressing, and is available from various sources. (see my shopping list/spreadsheet for representative sources) It consists of a sterile dressing incorporating an elastic bandage to secure the dressing to the wound. Should you shop gun shows or surplus stores for your equipment, be wary of old dressings. They present potential issues of failed sterility as well as mustiness or mildew occasioned by improper storage or imperfect packaging. The contemporary Israeli Battle Dressings are available from Cheaper Than Dirt or from Gall's for $9.00 or $10.00 each.
Another wound care product is QuikClot . This is a mineral product, bound to a dressing, which enhances clotting, and thereby slows and limits blood loss in the bleeding patient (common in trauma, surprisingly enough!) One article (QuikClot Use in Trauma for Hemorrhage Control: Case Series of 103 Documented Uses. Journal of Trauma-Injury Infection & Critical Care. 64(4):1093-1099, April 2008.) reflected the occurrence of burns in several patients, but the manufacturer's web site reports that changes in packaging and delivery system have addressed this issue.
An alternative you might consider is Celox. It appears perhaps to be a reasonable alternative to QuikClot. It is derived from shrimp shells, although it seems to not produce allergic reactions in folks otherwise allergic to seafood. I have no personal experience with either product, but the reports are interesting. This goes on my “further research” list!
The preceding items are to be found in the outside pocket or very top of my jump kit. I don't want to be searching for them when I feel the need for them Right Freaking Now. Beneath the don't-wanna-wait-for-them items, I have supplies of somewhat lesser immediacy. These allow me to assess the situation in greater detail, or address issues that may come to light that are of less time sensitivity.
Triangular Bandages are useful for slings of injured arms, or may be folded into narrow strips and then used as a means to secure splints or dressings (as “cravat bandages”). If we were to consider them as a backpacker might, they may be used as expedient dust masks, bandannas, head coverings, or washcloths. I buy muslin by the yard at Wal-Mart, and cut it from one corner to the other, forming (surprise!) 2 triangles approximately a yard on a side. I keep 6 to 8 in my kit.
Bandage shears are the most obvious of the prehospital medic's tools. You can go with Lister style bandage scissors, often found as “nurse's scissors”, or the plastic and steel “super shears”. Prices range from $4.00 and up. Frequently employed to trim dressings to the proper size, cut away clothing from wounds, and to cut bandages.
Did you ever notice that a tongue blade/tongue depressor is almost exactly the width of a finger? And just a bit longer than your Mark 1, Mod 0 finger? Exactly like it were designed to be a finger splint, isn't it? In addition, should you tape three of them together one on top of the other, you have a dandy tool for tightening that “Spanish windlass” you are going to learn about, when your EMT class teaches you how to apply and improvise a traction splint for a fractured femur (thighbone). Finally, if you are unhappy at the thought of wiggling somebody's fractured femur (broken thighbone) so you may place ties (cravats: remember them?) for a splint, tongue blades are thin, stiff, and very helpful at limiting the wiggling as you place ties beneath the broken bone of your choice. I keep a handful handy.
You can pay a couple of bucks for them at the corner pharmacy, or you might be able to talk your way into several for free, like when you are volunteering at some public service event with your local volunteer fire department, emergency medical service, or amateur radio club.
Stethoscope/Blood Pressure Cuff. A stethoscope allows you to hear the sounds made as air moves into and out of the lungs, and note changes from normal. These changes might occur because your patient has a collapsed lung, or has pneumonia, or heart failure. When you get that far into your EMT class (hint, hint), you will learn how to evaluate these changes, and what sort of treatment decisions you ought to consider when you notice them. In addition, you will learn how to measure, and interpret, your patient's blood pressure.
I am certain you will know somebody who will go out and get the cardiology deluxe stethoscope, with the multi disc cd player, mag wheels, and gold trim. Do not join them in this folly. Spend $10-40 at the same place the local student nurses get their stethoscopes, and spend the difference on your spouse, whose enthusiastic support you will require, anyhow. If you can show your spouse how your expenditure of family money and time on supplies, education, and volunteering promote values that you both agree upon, the both of you will thereby make your family more crisis resistant. If your family is more crisis resistant, then you are not only NOT a drag on community emergency services during an emergency, you all might even be an affirmative community asset during bad times. That cannot fail to be a Good Thing when you get to explain yourself to The Jewish Carpenter. Me, I'm going to require all the help I can get. I'm volunteering!
Adhesive tape (1 inch, 2 inch) secures dressings, holds loose ends of bandages, and provides a single use notepad (tear off a length, tape it to your thigh, and jot notes. You will not lay it down somewhere to be forgotten). If you listen to some friendly and knowledgeable athletic trainer, you can learn how to use it to support sprained ankles or knees if the preferred treatment (rest, ice, elevation) is not possible. Before you employ these tricks, bear in mind that physicians frequently cannot differentiate a sprain from a fracture, even after an x-ray. In my view, except under the most dire possible circumstances, walking on a fractured (or sprained) extremity is a Very Bad Thing. Two rolls each are at hand when I open my green bag.
I keep 12 to 15 Gauze pad, sterile, 4x4 in my kit. I employ them as eye pads, padding beneath splints, or as (oddly enough) dressing for wounds. Occasionally I encounter a wound bleeding so enthusiastically that a couple of gauze pads will be overwhelmed. Fortunately, I haven't come across such a wound off duty, but in the hospital we use a “boat” of sterile gauze. This is a plastic tray of ten sponges in one pack. The tray also may be used as a clean basin for wound irrigation/cleansing solution. In the hospital we use sterile saline, you may elect to use the water from your retort pouch, or fresh from the bottle as you purchased it for storage. I would certainly give it some thought.
If you happen to be the purchasing agent for your entire survival community, ambulance service, or the entire Boy Scout Council, you might find the case price from Galls to be a useful bit of information. 1200 sterile 4x4 pads for $89.99 works out to around 7.5 cents each.
Triple padding/ABD padding, sterile, 5x9 inch. These multiple layer absorbent dressings are designed for wounds producing a lot of drainage of either blood or other fluid. They are my first choice for a bulky dressing or splint padding. I keep 6 in my kit. The frugally minded may note that “sanitary napkins” are designed to absorb drainage, are “medically aseptic”, and are available nearly everywhere.
And, on a related note, tampons from the “feminine hygiene” shelf at your local store are also constructed to absorb fluids, and contain them. Should you confront a penetrating wound, “tamponading” a wound is a widely known concept among inhabitants of the medical world. Packing such a wound with a tampon using sterile technique might prove to be life saving, and provide hemorrhage control options not otherwise available. (http://snopes.com/military/tampon.asp)
Roller Gauze, 4 inch is typically used to secure a dressing (see Gauze Sponge, above) to the wound. I pack 6 in my kit, and they have “found careers” as bandages to secure dressings, securing splints when I run out of triangular bandages, and upon occasion as packing/dressings for vigorously bleeding wounds. In fact, when one is employed as the dressing, and another as the bandage, I can not only dress the wound, but also (since the bulky roll provides a pressure point) apply direct pressure to the bleeding site. This provides an alternative to the Carlyle or Israeli Dressing, cited above
Vaseline Gauze (sterile, 3x9 inch) is intended to seal wounds penetrating the chest, in order to prevent collapse of your patient's lung(s). When you seal the defect in the chest wall, your patient will not draw in air through the wound when s/he inhales, and thereby not fill the space between the lung and the chest wall (the pleural space) with air. When you can avoid this, inhaling draws in air through the mouth, trachea and bronchi, and that inflates your lungs, and we think that is a good thing. Myself, I pitch the gauze and tape three sides of the foil package, sterile side towards the wound, forming a flutter valve sort of effect. In this way I allow excess pressure in the pleural space to vent to atmosphere (stopping further lung collapse, I hope), and seal the hole when the pressure inside the chest is less than atmospheric pressure (like when the patient inhales). The only way left to equalize that pressure is by inflating the lungs, already described with approval above.
The other use for Vaseline gauze is when my lips or hands are dry, in which case I use the Vaseline to remedy that little problem.
We all can think of uses for the common elastic bandage, 4 inch and 2 inch. Two inch is useful for sprains of your wrist or thumb, and the 4 inch is used for an ankle twist/sprain. In addition, I can use them to secure a splint (there is that rule of threes, seen in other posts on this blog, again!), as the “swathe” part of a sling-and-swathe to immobilize an injured shoulder, or as part of a pressure bandage over a dressed wound that does not want to stop bleeding.
Large Bulb Syringe (for which you can substitute a turkey baster) functions as an expedient means of removing fluids from the airway of someone who is not managing to do so effectively on their own. It will not work nearly as well as a battery powered or pump action suction, such as you might find on your local rescue squad rig, but it won't cost you $50-$60 (for the manually pumped version) either. Second best is superior to nothing.
Mylar “Space blankets” protect you or your patient from the hypothermia-inducing effects of the wind, slowing heat loss. Generally colored bright orange on one side and silver on the other, there are signaling opportunities as well. In a pinch, you can improvise shelter from one or two. Amazon sells the "Space Brand" blanket
inexpensively. Equip your jump kits, and each member of your family with one or two.
Any accident so severe as to convince suspicious old me (alumnus of Detroit's EMS) to stop and offer assistance will not be fixed with a couple of Adhesive Bandages (aka “Band Aids”). I have six in my jump kit, two entire boxes at home (and parceled out among my camper, car, and household kits).
I keep a couple of Ice Packs around, as assorted adventures may bring on modest orthopedic injuries. Ice is helpful for strains, sprains, or overuse of an over aged joint (...not that I would know anything, firsthand, about that...). Choices include “instant cold packs”, or that old picnicker's standby, a zip lock bag full of ice from the cooler.
Either option has drawbacks. I do not generally drive about with a cooler of ice at hand, although when camping I am likely to do so. Instant cold packs are kind of fragile, and you might find, when you go to place one in service, that you have a leaking mess on your hands. On the other hand, they are more likely to be there when you want one.
The foregoing lists the contents of my “jump kit”. I keep one kit in my vehicle, and another at home. In addition, there are Subordinate Kits, kept in camper, car and home, for lesser sorts of occasions. I have customized each by adding more dressings, triangular bandages, roller gauze, and gloves. In addition, I improved over the baseline “Wally World” $15 first aid kit, by adding zip lock bags of various household medications. I labeled each bag with the name of the med, the out date of that particular bottle, directions for use, and date of packing. I made my selections by inspecting my own medicine cabinet, and pondering which meds I had wished I had kept handy the last time I was out camping, for example. Most everything commonly needed is therefore in the Camper Kit, Car Kit, or House Kit.
The jump kits are reserved for “Holy Fertilizer!” sorts of events. They are not mere “boo-boo boxes”. Reserved in this way, I will not find myself hunting (and swearing) in crisis, as I need this or that widget, which some child (or adult) has used, and not restocked.
LONGER TERM CONSIDERATIONS
Some of us might contemplate longer term medical preparations. For those, I recommend Dr. Jane Orient's article. Once I get beyond the 20 year old pricing, the are only a couple of improvements I could suggest. One is in the arena of recently developed antibiotics (as in quinolones). Even in that light, it seems to me to be a very good basis for developing a longer term medical kit (and training plan) for your particular circumstances.
Another substitution I would make, is to delete surgical masks, and substitute NIOSH N-95 masks. I found a carton of MSA Safety Works No. 10005403, Pack of 20 Harmful Dust Respirator Model 10005043 for $18.97/each carton at Home Depot. You may find similar products locally.
Additionally, I would add loratidine (you may recognize the brand of Claritin) as a non-sedating antihistamine. (Personally, I would prefer my personnel pulling OP duty to be non-sedated.) I'd also add the most frugal of the following : ranitidine, famotidine, cimetidine, in lots of 1,000 tabs, as a superior stomach acid blocking medication, to supplement the antacid Dr. Orient suggested over 20 years ago. As the “big gun” for acid stomach problems or GERD, I'd lay in a supply of Prilosec OTC. This class of stomach medication is the yardstick against which all others are presently measured.
If you are planning establishing a longer term medical cache, it is imperative that you do so only in concert with a physician, or other personnel licensed to prescribe. The guidance you will receive will help you avoid causing more illness than you relieve. Medications are a double bitted axe, and may cut on the upstroke as well as on the downstroke. Be aware.
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Letter Re: Three Abstracts on Public Health in Ghettos During the WWII Holocaust
James,
In light of the recent shooting by a Nazi whacko in Washington at the Holocaust Museum, I think it is important that we remember the victims and impact of a totalitarian government deliberately starving, looting, and otherwise dehumanizing its citizens. (The articles were published in Hebrew but the following abstracts are in English) - Yorrie in Pennsylvania (a retired physician)
Clinical Manifestations of "Hunger Disease" Among Children in the Ghettos During the Holocaust
Hercshlag-Elkayam O, Even L, Shasha SM.
Western Galilee Hospital, Nahariya, Israel.
The harsh life in the ghettos were characterized by overcrowding, shortage of supplies (e.g. money, sanitation, medications), poor personal hygiene, inclement weather and exhaustion. Under these conditions, morbidity was mainly due to infectious diseases, both endemic and epidemic outbreaks with a high mortality rate. The dominant feature was hunger. Daily caloric allowance was 300-800, and in extreme cases (i.e. Warsaw ghetto) it was only 200 calories. The food was lacking important nutrients (e.g. vitamins, trace elements) leading to protean clinical expression, starvation and death. The clinical manifestations of starvation were referred to as "the Hunger Disease", which became the subject of research by the medical doctors in the ghettos, mainly in the Warsaw ghetto in which a thorough documentation and research were performed. The first victims of hunger were children. First they failed to thrive physically and later mentally. Like their elders, they lost weight, but later growth stopped and their developmental milestones were lost with the loss of curiosity and motivation to play. The mortality rate among babies and infants was 100%, as was described by the ghetto doctors: "when the elder children got sick, the small ones were already dead...". In the last weeks of the ghettos there were no children seen in the streets. In this article the environmental conditions and daily life of children in the ghettos are reviewed, and the manifestations of "Hunger Disease" among them is scrutinized.
[Harefuah. 2003 May;142(5):345-9]
Morbidity in the Ghettos During the Holocaust
Shasha, SM.
Western Galilee Hospital, Nahariya.
The environmental conditions and daily life in the ghettos of Europe during the holocaust are reviewed, and their effect on morbidity in different ghettos is scrutinized in an attempt to construct a typical morbidity profile. The outstanding characteristics were: crowding, shortage of basic necessities (such as food, clothing and medications), harsh environmental and sanitary conditions, inclement weather, poor personal hygiene, chronic undernutrition and malnutrition, physical and mental exhaustion. Morbidity was mainly due to infectious diseases, both endemic and epidemic outbreaks with high mortality, and high infestation rates of lice and other parasites. The dominant feature was "hunger disease" with its protean clinical expressions, endocine pathology, growth and development retardation in children, and amenorrhea and infertility among women of child-bearing age. Polyuria, nocturia and increased frequency of bowel movement were common. The typical presentation of a ghetto dweller was of extreme emaciation (a loss of up to 50% body weight); muscle weakness and skeletal abnormalities; pale, dry skin with excoriations; pedal edema; anxiety and nervousness; often goiter in children. Most of the inhabitants had some, or all, of those signs and symptoms (there were times when more than half the population was sick). This syndrome complex was termed "Ghetto Sickness" or "Ghetto Fatigue" (ghetto schwachkeit).
[Harefuah. 2002 Apr;141(4):364-8, 409, 408]
Medicine in the Ghettos During the Holocaust
Shasha, SM.
Western Galilee Hospital, Nahariya.
The Health systems in several ghettos in Europe during the holocaust were studied in an attempt to construct a typical structural profile. The medical system in a typical ghetto consisted of a department of public health (sanitation) that belonged to the Yudenrat, several hospitals, outpatient clinics, first aid stations and physicians in the labor groups. The structure of the system in several ghettos is discussed and the functions of the various units in the prevention of epidemics, and health education are reviewed. Also described is the medical research that was carried out in the ghettos, emphasizing the work on "Hunger Disease" in the Warsaw ghetto, as well as the heroic endeavor to establish a clandestine medical school in the Warsaw ghetto during the holocaust
[Harefuah. 2002 Apr;141(4):318-23, 412]
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Survival of the Fittest by Mike Hussle
When it comes to preparedness for disasters, people can be very imaginative.
Thinking through every possible scenario, difficulty or danger helps them in
choices such as, “what type of firearm is the most practical?” “What
medicines is it a good idea to have on hand?” Or, “where is a good
place to go if it is no longer safe where I live?” These questions are
all sound, practical thoughts for anyone who wants to be prudently prepared
for emergencies.
One factor, however, largely gets neglected, if not ignored. Perhaps that is
because you can’t simply purchase this most central and important factor
of preparedness: yourself! Fitness is a huge asset in any dangerous or challenging
situation, and is key to coming out on top of a survival situation. If you are
reading this but are out of shape, you have some work to do.
Another problem that needs to be addressed is identifying what, exactly, fitness
is, and what about fitness better prepares you for survival?
Fitness, like firearms, must be practical to be worthwhile. That is, it must
be functional. If it’s not, it isn’t doing you any good. So what
is functional fitness? What physical abilities and skills should every person
have? And why is this important for survival preparedness, above firearms, food
or any other supply gathering?
To demonstrate the point, let’s take a look at two scenarios. As a throwback
to many of our childhoods, they are written in a “choose your own adventure” style.
Scenario #1.
In the first scenario, you are walking down a street in the city. Times are tough,
and crime is on the rise. Due to legal restrictions, you are unarmed. While you
wait to cross a street, two men approach from your right. You turn, and see one
of them holding a knife down low. They demand your money. You decide to resist,
and in an instant, your plan is to strike the one with the knife and then get
out of Dodge.
Option A: Functionally Unfit: You’ve been taking yoga classes and maybe
some bicep curls and crunches a few times a week, and you feel pretty strong.
You wind up, and put those “strong arms” to use. The blow you land
surprises the man, but it barely moves him. You turn and run. Adrenaline’s
pumping, but after only fifty yards of sprinting, you’re winded. The two
men catch up. The End
Option B: Functionally Fit: You’ve been doing old fashioned core lifts
(dead lift, squats, etc.) along with gymnastic and military exercise, and even
interval running mixed in. You wind up- your powerful lower body muscles generate
a huge amount of force, transferring it through your strong core into your arms.
The blow you land comes from your whole body, which you have learned to use properly.
The man is on the ground with a busted nose. You still run, because the other
man might be armed, and knives cut strong people too. After a quarter mile, you’re
still going strong, but your assailants have slowed down, winded. You round the
corner and lose them for good.
Scenario #2.
During the Trojan War, Aeneas needed to escape the city with his family and other
survivors. The Greeks were massacring, raping, looting and destroying so to stay
was a death sentence. Aeneas’ father was an elderly man, incapable of keeping
up with the group as it fled the carnage.
Option A: Functionally Unfit Aeneas: Aeneas has a weak lower back, and cannot
lift his father, let alone carry him. He must choose to either abandon him to
a certain death, or walk slowly with him, until they are both captured and killed.
The End.
Option B: Functionally Fit Aeneas: Aeneas is of sound body, and is physically
trained and ready for battle. His strength is not about looks but about ability.
When his father falls behind, he picks him up, carrying him with his strong back
and legs, and not only keeps up with, but leads the others to safety.
These scenarios should hopefully paint a picture of how important real fitness
is in emergency situations. There is more to evaluate, of course. Ask yourself
the following questions: Could you subdue an attacker? Could you carry a wounded
person to safety? Save a drowning man? Can you lift a heavy load? Carry heavy
gear for a long distance? Are you capable of hard manual labor for long times?
Can you climb? Can you catch someone you’re pursuing, or escape pursuit
yourself? Could you survive in the wild? In an emergency, are you more of an
asset or a burden to others?
In evaluating yourself, are you sounding more like a warrior or more like a weakling?
Capable of coming to others’ aid, or incapable of even defending yourself?
The problem is, this is the point where most of us (guys especially) lie to ourselves.
Admitting weaknesses or even pulling your head out of you-know-where enough to
see your weaknesses is a difficult thing. As a man, I know that most of us guys
would prefer to ignore the question, or inflate our heads with bicep curls and
other non-functional exercise built for looks. For women, this is also a big
temptation- to either do nothing, or to do everything with their dress size in
mind instead of their overall athletic ability.
Functionality shines a light on our physical condition, and in a way, on the
condition of our character. Take, on the one hand, the couch potato. His flab,
his atrophied muscle and pathetic lack of stamina are the physical manifestations
of his laziness and lack of discipline.
On the other hand, you have the bodybuilder. He can bench 400 lbs, but he can’t
run a mile. He dead-lifts huge weights with a hex bar and a belt, but he can’t
lift a heavy object in real life without hurting his back. He works hard for
a beach body, but what good does it do him? His hard work has been for the wrong
reasons, and his lack of functional fitness is because he was too vain to let
go of exercises designed to make him look better.
Functionality brings clarity, helping us to see what’s important, and humility,
helping us to make an honest assessment of our own strengths and weaknesses.
Functional fitness is well rounded. Strength is important, but so is endurance.
Power is important, but so is stamina. There are multiple ways we can evaluate
our fitness. One very good list was written by Bruce Evans and Jim Cawley of
Dynamax, Inc. It has been adopted by well known groups and is a good, rounded
list of skills and capacities every person should have.
1. Cardiovascular/Respiratory Endurance - the ability of body systems to gather,
process, and deliver oxygen
2. Stamina – the ability of body systems to process, deliver, store, and
utilize energy.
3. Strength – the ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular
units to apply force.
4. Flexibility – the ability to maximize the range of motion at a given
joint.
5. Power – the ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units,
to apply maximum force in minimum time.
6. Speed – the ability to minimize the time cycle of a repeated movement.
7. Coordination – the ability to combine several distinct movement patterns
into a singular distinct movements.
8. Agility – the ability to minimize transition time from one movement
pattern to another.
9. Balance – the ability to control the placement of the body’s center
of gravity in relation to its support base.
10. Accuracy – the ability to control movement in a given direction or
at a given intensity.
Having looked at what skills or capacities men should have, what exercises help
us achieve those? There isn’t room in one article to list and describe
all of the many great exercises that are functional, but for further reference,
we list, explain and discuss these, as well as daily workouts at my web site.
For
the
time being, we will list some fundamental exercises, and some basic principles
of
functional fitness. After that, we’ll take a look at how
this can be done at home, for little to no expense.
Example Exercises:
1. Front Squat
2. Romanian Deadlift/Deadlift
3. Kettlebell Swings
4. Overhead Press
5. Pullups
6. Pushups
7. Ring Pushups/Bench Press
Body Mechanics and the Real World:
Programs based on aesthetics tend to use movements that isolate muscles. But
the body was designed such that multiple muscle groups work together. Furthermore,
in real life, very seldom will you lift or move anything without using multiple
muscle groups. While this doesn’t mean every isolation movement is therefore
useless, it does mean that exercise should be focused upon compound and whole-body
movements.
Fiber Over Filler:
Most non-functional exercise programs utilize a 3x10 format: three sets of ten
repetitions ("reps") of each exercise. This is the bread-and-butter of a program
designed to maximize the growth of muscle cells mainly by way of the fluid in
the cell.
The
strength gains made this way are not proportionate to the size gains.
A functional exercise program chooses performance over appearance. To build strength
it utilizes a low repetition, high weight format. This maximizes the growth of
the muscle cell primarily via the number of muscle fibers within the cell. This
will build muscle size too, but it is primarily geared towards gains in strength-to-mass
ratio (i.e., how strong you are for your size).
Stamina
A functional program also makes use of very high repetition, low weight movements.
This is done to build endurance, stamina, etc. This cannot be overlooked, because
strength is only good as long as it lasts.
Intensity.
If the exercise you’re doing is comfortable, you’re not getting anything
done. Without challenging yourself - without pushing yourself to a level that
is genuinely hard for you, what are you doing? Because you’re not progressing.
Au-Natural.
In exercising - particularly in a functional way - you are saying you care about
your body, your potential, and living more as God intended. There’s some
irony, then, when our steps back towards our natural design and fulfillment are
made with machines, fancy equipment and chemical supplements. If we’re
moving towards a fulfillment of how we were designed, why do we need those things?
What we are able to accomplish with simple gear, our bodies themselves, and with
our surroundings in nature can be as good as and even better than with treadmills,
hydraulics, isolation machines and so on. Why run on a treadmill if you can run
outside? Why run on a flat surface if you can run on a trail? Why seek out fancy
or even gimmicky gear when simple, rugged, time tested gear - or even no gear
at all - can work so well?
Premium Fuel.
Closely aligned with the notion that the closer to natural movement, the better,
is the basic premise of simple natural diet:
If you can’t pronounce it, don’t consume it.
A simple diet consisting of as much whole foods and as little processed foods
as possible is a realistic step towards letting our bodies function as God intended.
Fueling our bodies with simple, natural foods will fuel us the same way we have
been fueled since the dawn of time.
Austere is Good.
Gym memberships are prohibitively expensive. Owning your own fancy equipment
is no better. Most people are at times like these scrimping to invest wisely
into supplies they may need in emergencies or hard times. Expensive gear just
doesn’t fit into that plan. However, as said above, expensive gear is neither
necessary nor what is best. So what are some types of gear that are functional
and inexpensive?
For those that can afford it, this gear is absolutely the best “bang for
your buck”:
1. Olympic lifting set- an Olympic bar plus solid rubber bumper plates. Nothing
beats this for safe, amazingly effective training. If not, an iron-set is an
ok alternative- just be careful with it!
2. Kettlebells - kettlebells are the “AK-47” of fitness. They can
be used for strength, power and stamina. They are getting more common on the
market, which means prices are coming down.
3. Pull-up bar- whether for hanging in a doorway or outside, a bar to practice
pullups on is absolutely essential for training those upper back muscles- so
important yet so underrated!
4. Gymnastic rings- these can be used for everything from pullups to other drills
to strengthen your chest, arms, and especially your core! Hang them from your
deck, rafters, a stout tree branch, and you’re good to go! Rings are also
very
portable, which is a plus for those that need a gym in a backpack.
5. Dumbbells- these are on the bottom of the list, but they are practical and
relatively easy to find. Even Wal-Mart has them. [JWR Adds: Used
weight sets are
often available free for the asking, via Craigslist or Freecycle.]
If you do not have any money budgeted for gear, or if you want to supplement
on the cheap, you can make very, very effective gear from items at hardware stores
like
Home Depot!
1. Sandbags- These are the biggest, most all around useful money saver in a do-it-yourself
gym. Get yourself an army surplus duffel. Better yet, get two. Go to a hardware
store and buy yourself several bags of either sand or wood stove pellets. If
you choose sand, wrap them again in contractor grade trash bags. Place the amount
of weight you want into your duffels. You now hold a super-tool. Any of the basic
Olympic, core strength lifts or kettlebell motions can be performed with this
ultra simplistic bag.
2. Pull-up bar- no, this is on both lists on purpose. You can easily make your
own pullups bar with some steel pipe from the plumbing section. Place it between
some deck columns, between rafters, etc. $10-to-$12 gets you a solid bar to strengthen
your upper body.
3. Your own body! While bodyweight training is not the end-all-be-all, it can
accomplish a very great deal. Gymnasts are incredibly strong, and this is with
years of bodyweight training. Your body comes with you, and any space where you
can move at all becomes the gym. Check out Fatal
Fitness for examples of bodyweight
training.
Sound Mind, Sound Body.
In training physically, you are also preparing yourself mentally (and in a way,
spiritually) for any difficulty that you might face. Overcoming extremely challenging
tasks, overcoming laziness, the need for comfort… all of that will form
your character, so that when exceptionally difficult times come, you will be
strong enough to adapt and survive. Improve yourself, harden yourself! Take on
the challenge; prepare yourself for whatever may come. Whether that means a survival
or emergency situation, or simply living your life more fully now, it is worth
it! Dive in to functional fitness, and watch as you begin to transform into a
stronger person, more able to deal with anything!
About the Author: Mike Hussle is Vice President of Fatal
Fitness. He has trained many people in strength and overall conditioning,
for sports, military preparation, and general health and wellness. He is also
the
founder of DailyStrong.com.
This article was adapted from a chapter of his
upcoming book, “Austerity.”
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Two Letters Re: Dealing with Uninvited Guests
Dear Mr. Rawles
I would like to add one last letter in response to “Uninvited Guests” and
to let your readers know that the only effective means to control head lice
is by “mechanical” removal. We were unfortunate to live, for a
time, in an area of the country where head lice had become resistant to the
OTC treatments.
This is because most people did not realize that in addition to the application
of something such as Rid, one must also clean one’s
living quarters, as well as systematically go through the lice sufferer’s
hair—strand, by strand, by strand…. Now this may seem very laborious,
but it is amazing how easy this becomes if you do this once a day for at least
a week along with the essential oil treatment that I have listed below. It
took my daughter having lice twice, and the school where my children attended
to tell me that they had, during certain times of the year a 45% infection
rate! Through several conversations with the local health department, and doctors,
the conclusion was reached that the lice had become resistant to the OTC preparations,
which are also not good for anyone—this stuff is poisonous!
Once I came up with my own treatment, my daughter never had lice again, and
thankfully
we moved back to Texas away from the lice infested area that we had lived in.
Here is the treatment that I recommend, and have given to several people I
know. For the most part, the supplies are readily available and plentiful—for
now and everything is non-toxic!
Supplies
-One very fined tooted comb—a metal one with a handle (like a rat-tailed
comb) if you can find it-plastic will not hold up as well
-One regular comb(don’t use this one for lice removal)
-A set of metal hair clips (about 4 or 5)—like the ones hair dressers
use to separate hair when they are cutting it
-Plastic wrap or a hair cap
-a coffee can with a lid-- with olive oil in it—so when you find a bug
or a nit, you can place it in the can to smother it
-a pair of pointed hair trimming scissors
-a pair of pointed tweezers to pick up individual hair strands
-a bright light to shine on your work
-a couple of bath towels
-Essential Oil Mixture- 1 oz of olive oil, 5 drops of tea tree oil, 5 drops
rosemary oil, 3 drops oregano oil
-Plain Olive Oil
When I was going through my daughter’s hair, I would have her sit on
the floor with her head resting on a pillow covered in plastic on the coffee
table. That was she was comfortable, and could read a book, or watch a video—we
are not connected to trash TV). I would sit on the couch with her body between
my legs
Step One: Infuse the hair with the Essential oil mixture, making sure to coat
the scalp, and all the hair strands. Place the plastic cap on the coated hair
and leave on the hair for 30 minutes. This has a two-fold purpose-the body-heat
helps the oil to soak into the strands of hair for ease of running the very
fined toothed comb through the hair, and the heat also helps to kill the bugs.
Step Two: Part hair down the middle and clip each side with the hair clips
Step Three: Beginning with one side of the head, separate and comb out a very
small section of hair from the clip (it is better to go through fewer strands
of hair at a time), and run the fined-toothed comb through each strand of hair
Step Four: As you inspect each strand of hair, look for nits at the base of
the hair near the scalp. Lice lay their eggs at the base of each hair strand—it
is important to get all of these since these are the viable ones and missing
one may start the lice-cycle all over again—any nit higher up is more
than liking not a viable one, but these should be removed as well.
Step Five-If you find a nit on a hair strand single it out with the tweezers
and cut it as close to the scalp with the scissors. Same for a bug( adult lice)
No you will not make your child bald—even if the infestation is severe!
Lice attach their nits with a glue that makes it almost impossible to remove
without losing the nit in the environment—it is best to clip the hair
strand with the nit attached and place it in the olive oil in the coffee can.
Step Six- After each small section of hair has been inspected, use another
clip to twist the hair and separate the now “clean” hair from the
rest of the hair that needs to be inspected. Depending on the amount of hair—my
daughter has very thick hair—you might need to use several hair clips
Step Seven-after finishing with the first half of the scalp, repeat steps four
through six on the other half of the head
When I got the hang of it, I could go through one half of my daughter’s
head in 20 minutes
Step Eight-when the process is complete wash hair a couple times to wash out
the essential oils. Then massage a few drops of plain olive oil into the hair
and comb from the scalp to the tips (Remember—don’t
use the nit picking comb—you do not want to accidentally re-infest) If
the child’s
hair is long enough braid very tightly! The one thing that I was told that
lice do not like oily hair, or hair that is tightly bound—they cannot
attach themselves as readily!
Step Nine-clean and vacuum your house. Any stuffed animals placed an airtight
plastic bag. Any nits that hatch have to have a human host soon, or they will
die. Keep non-washable items in a plastic bag for about three weeks. Wash bedding
daily, and if possible, hang out on the clothes line in the sun to drive.
Repeat this process daily for one week, and then do a preventative once a week.
It is better to catch an early infestation, than to have to deal with a full
out battle! The olive oil also makes hair very shiny!
Although lice infestation may seem like a curse, my daughter and I certainly
made the best of it, and enjoyed our “nit picking” time together!
Best Regards, - Susan M.
Dear Mr. Rawles,
As a Registered Nurse, during my tenure at a local hospital, a nurse practitioner
showed me a simple test to determine if scabies were present in a patient
showing
possible symptoms of an infestation.
Use a Sharpie marker to draw lines between a person's fingers. Allow this to
dry. Take an alcohol wipe and wipe off the dried ink. If dark, narrow lines
are left after the surface ink has been wiped away, it likely indicates the
presence of scabies. The reason is that the critters tunnel under the skin,
leaving a narrow track for the ink to penetrate.
All the best to you and yours, - Publius
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Letter Re: Any Widespread Flu Will Overwhelm America's Emergency Medical Services
Dear Mr. Rawles,
As an avid SurvivalBlog reader since '05, I've got to say, the quality of your
blog continues to go up and up. Just when I think I can't possibly absorb
anything more, new posts appear that make me think, plan, and act.
Upon your
blog's advice, I have begun taking an EMT class at a local college to expand
my medical knowledge base. What the Paramedic teacher said today in class
gave me the chills. We were discussing all manner of diseases and then he touched on H1N1, the Swine Flu
and its possible affects upon the EMS system. He said that during the SARS crisis, which in our neck of the woods was just a brief scare, the volume of calls into the 911 center went up 10% for
several weeks due to everyone that had a cold thinking they had SARS. The EMS crews were advised that if they transported a patient with symptoms consistent
with SARS, that they were to disinfect the entire truck with a bleach and water
solution from top to bottom and then allow the truck to air dry for three hours
before it was placed back into service. He noted that in our county of around
1/2 million people, there were 20 to 30 ambulances on duty at any one time.
He dryly noted that it would not take much of a crisis in public health to bring the EMS system as we know it to
it's knees just based on the increase in call volume,not to mention
the ambulance down-time to disinfect the vehicles.
One solution [that the instructor] hypothesized, was a system of 911 triage
in a pandemic that said to callers, we will not transport you if you have the
flu; you are on your own to get to the hospital. I think this point should
be obvious to most SurvivalBlog readers but it dovetails nicely with the pharmacist's
postings regarding securing your anti-viral drugs now.
All the best to you and your family, - B.H.I.
JWR Adds: For anyone that missed my May 1st post about getting
ready for an influenza panic, this portion bears repeating:
I recommend that SurvivalBlog readers seriously think through the implications
of successive waves of Mexican Flu sweeping around the globe for the next three
years. From what we've already seen of its virulence after the normal "cold
and flu season", then the next couple of winters could bring very high
rates of infection and overwhelm the healthcare system. Please take the time
to watch Dr.
Henry Niman of
Recombinomics discussing"Swine" flu. His projections are disturbing,
to say the least! Think this through folks, on a macro scale: How would a pandemic
impact your work? Commuting? Grocery shopping? Church activities? School? (If
you are not yet homeschooling, then you should plan on it!) Your vacation plans?
Summer camp? Family holiday get-togethers? Sports and cultural
events? These
implications
are enormous. As SurvivalBlog readers, you are already accustomed to
contemplating
abstractions
at this level and getting "ahead of the power curve." You also likely
have
the
benefit
of
superior
training
and
a deep
larder. And, hopefully, many of you took my advice three years ago,
and began to develop home-based businesses. (Mail order businesses will undoubtedly
flourish, as people shun face-to-face
sales.)
There are no guarantees, but you have a better chance
of getting through this unscathed than most of your neighbors. Hopefully, all
of you read the backgrounder
on family flu preparedness, that I've had posted here are SurvivalBlog
for more than three years. But if not... Now is time to make
the requisite adjustments to your daily routine and to top off your
logistics:
- Now is the time to order several boxes of N95
masks
and
rolls of bandage tape (for sealing any mask edge gaps )
- Now is the time to buy a steam
vaporizer
(new,
or used -- Try Craig's
List for used ones)
- Now is the time to approach your family doctor, and ask
for a scrip for Tamiflu.
- Now is the time to lay in a supply of Sambucol (Elderberry
extract.)
- Now is the time to lay in supplies of hand sanitizer (with
aloe) and latex gloves--or nitrile gloves for those with latex allergies
- Now is the time to stock up on Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Guaifenesin
expectorant
- Now is the time to buy a couple of Bag
Valve Masks
- And lastly, for this and umpteen other contingencies, now is
the time to acquire an honest one year supply of storage food (or more) for
your family. Buy some extra, for charity.
If you wait too long, then those supplies will either be non-existent, or
exorbitantly priced. By the time most of the sheeple think
this through (or have it explained to them by the talking heads on the Idiot
Box), you will have long since "topped off" your preps. But not
if you hesitate. As my friend Bob in Tennessee is fond of saying: "Panic
now, and avoid the rush."
Mark my words: A true pandemic will disrupt supply chains,
starting with relatively exotic items (such as antivirals), but eventually
working down to basic commodities. Be ready.
« Letter Re: Concerns About Toxicity in Water From Roof Catchment Rainwater |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Health, Hygiene, Fitness and Medical Care in a Coming Collapse, by RangerDoc
Spiritual Fitness
Let us start this discussion by confronting a stark fact of life: very few
of us, living the life of North American citizens, are fit to survive for a
generation in an austere, off the grid, world. First of all, few of us have
the philosophical orientation to be survivors. I know in my bones that without
God’s help, my family’s ability to survive in a prolonged state
of austerity is worse than questionable. As an evangelical Christian, I understand
that my own commitment to preparedness is a function of my ongoing submission
to God’s will. It could have been otherwise. He could have willed me
to pursue other ventures: sacrificing my own survival for the benefit of others
as I helped them “escape the storm”. Is this not the philosophical
basis of soldiering and of the missionary? Self-sacrifice, even to the point
of death. That was Jesus’ example of discipleship. So I diverge from
that example only by virtue of an ongoing conversation with my Lord and Master,
and He urges me to prepare for the worst, so that my family and my “retreat
posse” will survive. I know not His particular purpose in this endeavor,
but I trust His will implicitly. It is my personal belief that the Lord calls
all family leaders to provide deeply for the sustenance and well being of their
families. But unless you have had this conversation with the Author of life,
you may not be philosophically and spiritually “fit” for the challenging
times to come. And God may have a different path for you to pursue, in the
service of His Kingdom. Remember that Jesus has called us all to Himself and
He wants you to trust Him today! Preparedness is not a hobby- it is a calling.
In this vein also, I do not condone the “secret squirrel” approach
to preparedness. Being discreet about the specifics of our preparedness plans
is a wise tactic in these dangerous times, but failing to share our wisdom,
insight and knowledge with others who could effectively use this information
for good is, in my estimation, downright sinful. So much for my personal philosophical
bias.
Physical Fitness
Second of all, few of us have the physical fitness level required to be 19th
century farmer-builder-warriors, which is what we may be called to become.
Example: Thirty five years ago, I was a carpenter and gardener: climbing, lifting,
sawing, digging, hammering. I joined the US Army to become a Ranger. And, boy,
did I find out how poor my aerobic fitness was. Fast forward ten years: I was
then a medical student and an avid, competitive triathlete. I visited my buddy’s
place (Yeah, he’s in the “posse”) and helped him cut, stack
and split firewood for a day. Well, my “designer body” ala swim-bike-run
was exquisitely fit aerobically, but that episode of real labor left my body
an aching mess for the next three days! Now I am a 60 year old surgeon who
mixes aerobic exercise with gardening, light carpentry, resistance training,
hiking
with the Boy Scouts, woodcutting, et cetera, so that I can be at least minimally
fit for the challenging lifestyle that would be required in a TEOTWAWKI world.
If you are overweight, smoking and sedentary, you are engaged in a futile fantasy
to think that you will survive in a post-apocalyptic world, surrounded by your
storage food, guns and ammo. These are mere possessions that will swiftly be
taken from you by the ravenously hungry horde of healthy young men who have
heard about your stash. Start your physical preparedness plan with physical
fitness.
Preventative Medicine
Next issue: public health measures. For many years I taught and practiced medical
and surgical care in austere environments. In the late 1990s I was the chief
of the medical special response teams for the US Army, Pacific, and taught
disaster planning and medical care in austere environments around the world
as a Department of Defense consultant. If I had to choose between having access
to modern medical care and having a sound public sanitation system and clean
water,
it
would
be a no-brainer. The clean water and hygienic handling of human waste as first
perfected in the twentieth century have saved many more lives than have antibiotics
and modern surgery. Hepatitis, polio, typhoid fever, dysentery and other waste
and waterborne diseases have defeated far more armies throughout history than
have poor tactics and strategy. Witness [German General Erwin] Rommel’s
own struggle with hepatitis during the North Africa campaign of WWII, which
he
roundly lost,
in spite of
his brilliance as a military tactician. If you have a retreat, please remember
this simple principle: keep you food and water supply as far as possible from
latrine sites. Controlling mosquitoes may be important in some areas, to avoid
epidemics of West Nile Virus, malaria and yellow fever. The current H1N1 flu
pandemic should remind us all that we need to protect ourselves from infectious
disease. There is much more to learn about field sanitation and hygiene, so
please consider reviewing this
comprehensive resource.
Now you have arrived at the next step. You are right with God and your body
has been worked into a lean, mean, diggin’, buildin’ and fightin’ machine.
You have an ample and reliable source of potable water and your latrines are
at least 100 yards downhill from your water supply. You have a half ton of
lime ($30-40 worth) to sprinkle in the latrine. Your food is stored securely
and safely away from vermin, fungus and other pests. After 2-3 years of experimenting,
your food growing skills and garden are adequate. You have established sound
and reliable defense and OPSEC measures, to include perimeter defense, adequate
weapons capability, mastering of small unit operations and tactics and adequate
familiarization with improvised weapons and tactics and redundant communications
systems. Whew!! That was a lot of work! Now, and only now, should you plan
your strategy for medical, dental and surgical care.
Medical Care in Austere Environments
Number one principle: avoid injuries and illness. In practical terms that means
maintaining sound health and hygiene, as above noted. It includes scrupulous
avoidance of horseplay, as well. What a tragedy to break your ankle playing Ultimate
Frisbee during planting season, when every able body will be needed to secure
your frugal harvest for the year. Without the availability of operative orthopedic
care, many of our ancestors became lifelong cripples from simple injuries such
as this. Skiing and mountain biking will be absolute no-no’s unless truly
necessary for operational reasons. Sorry, but fun activities are way low on the
list of gotta-do’s in a survival environment.
Next: eat to survive, not for fun. No one will care what you prefer in your diet,
least of all your retreat cook, who is tasked with cobbling together a nutritious
meal from whatever is on hand. (As an aside, when my very wise wife and I developed
the list of friends that we would invite into our “retreat posse”,
the overarching selection criteria, following a Judeo-Christian moral orientation,
could be characterized as “high skill, low maintenance” personality
traits). Multivitamins will be most helpful, but probably can be stretched to
one every other day or even two per week, if there is a shortage. Include adequate
fiber in your diet. In our stores, we have large containers of Metamucil, for
instance, to avoid constipation. When encountering this problem, the French Maquis
(WWII resistance fighters) would ask a local farmer for some butter or lard and
eat 2-3 tablespoons…like grease through a goose! We also have a simple
formula for an oral rehydration solution to treat dehydration following diarrheal
illnesses, heat injury, or trauma- induced hypovolemia. Please copy the data
on this site of the Rehydration Project (http://rehydrate.org/solutions/homemade.htm)
for an excellent and simple description of homemade rehydration remedies.
Take scrupulous care of your teeth! Floss at least three times per week and brush
at least twice daily. Toothpaste is nice, but not necessary. Baking soda works
almost as well and it is not only cheap, but has many other uses. Buy 20 pounds
of baking soda.
I strongly urge all to get a copy of Where
There Is No Dentist by
Murray Dickson.
It is available from Ready Made Resources. This is an excellent and authoritative
manual that is easy to put to use by someone with at least a modicum of medical
training, for example an EMT.
Now the fun part you were all waiting for: interventional health care, i.e.,
the practice of medicine and surgery in an austere environment. To start with,
I strongly recommend getting a copy of the list of $4 prescription medications
available at Wal-Mart pharmacies. The array of inexpensive medications is astounding.
Antibiotics, antihypertensives, hormone replacements, topical medications, eye
and ear preparations- they are all on this list. Ten to fifteen years ago, most
of these items were very expensive “designer drugs”. If you need
antihypertensives, see if your doctor will prescribe drugs off this list and
then get him to write you a 6-12 month prescription. Also ask him to write you
prescriptions for the antibiotics that I recommend below. You should also get
several bottles of eye and ear antibiotic drops. Admittedly, this may be an uphill
battle. Hopefully you can educate your physician about the importance of preparedness
and make him an ally. Tell the Wal-Mart pharmacist that you are going on a mission
trip to a distant land without access to pharmaceuticals. This would not really
be a lie, would it?! Don’t worry about your cholesterol- it will drop on
your new diet…but then, my guess is that the survival lifestyle will also “cure” most
hypertension and non-insulin dependent diabetes. But, please, try to get to that
level of lean fitness prior to encountering the “SHTF” dilemma. I
recommend a stockpile of four antibiotics that will treat most conditions that
will really require them: pneumonia, anthrax, urinary tract infections, skin
infections, and wound infections: Cephalexin 500 mg, Ciprofloxacin 500 mg, Doxycycline
100 mg, and Septra DS (SMZ/TMP DS). These can all be taken by folks with penicillin
allergies, with the possible exception of the cephalexin. The number of tablets
that you need will be based on the size of your group. All of these are dosed
for adults but can be split or crushed for children. Echoing the advice of Jim
Rawles, having a retreat member with significant medical experience, e.g., an
advance practice RN, a PA or, ideally a practicing physician, will enable you
to utilize
these medications optimally. In my humble estimation, about 30-40% of antibiotic
prescriptions currently doled out by my colleagues are unnecessary, and often
done to placate demanding “health care consumers” because it is often
too frustrating and time consuming to educate folks in the office. Although these
medications are inexpensive now, when you have a limited supply that must last
months or years, they will become precious allies in your fight for survival
that must only be used when life or limb are at risk. The expiration dates on
the bottles of meds that you receive at the pharmacy are really made up, since
no pharmaceutical company really studies the time-related efficacy and safety
of these drugs carefully. The expiration dates are always much earlier
than the true degradation dates, except for liquid and injectable medications.
Almost
all medications are probably still safe and effective for at least 1-2 years
after the printed expiration date. Almost every doctor friend of mine gives his/her
family expired medications from their sample shelves! If you live within 200
miles of a nuclear power plant, a large military base or a major urban center,
it is prudent to stockpile a 1 month supply of iodine supplements for each member
of you family, to avoid the long term carcinogenic effects of a nuclear fallout
emergency. These are really cheap, have long shelf lives, and can be purchased
from several of the advertisers on this web site.
Wound and Trauma Care
Let’s start by making life simple: any soap with water works as an adequate
antiseptic for scratches and scrapes, and good ol’ Vaseline works nearly
as well as a wound dressing as the expensive antibiotic ointments. Large second
or third degree burns are another story, however. Having worked in the developing
world as both a military doc and as a medical missionary, I have observed for
myself the well known fact that flame injuries are a major cause of death and
disability in primitive cultures. Open fires are often used for heating and cooking,
resulting in frequent flame injuries, especially to children. Children are neither
wise nor well coordinated, and they fall into fires. Get several large jars of
Silvadene cream for extensive burn use only. Keep it refrigerated, or even frozen
as long as possible to extend its shelf life. This stuff is somewhat expensive,
but not easily replaced. OTC topical antibiotics like bacitracin ointment could
be substituted in a pinch. Extensive burns (larger than the palm of your hand)
should be cleaned with soap and water and dressed with antibiotic ointment and
sterile gauze reapplied daily until fully healed. When you run out of Silvadene,
use Vaseline (get 50 lbs of it- it has many, many practical uses).
I currently teach advanced tactical medics for the US Army, SWAT teams and
the
U.S. Border Patrol. We teach them suturing techniques. But, unless you can
really clean a wound within 12-24 hours of its occurrence and close it surgically
with a truly aseptic technique- sterile gloves, drapes, sutures and instruments-
it should be left open to heal by itself. Otherwise it will likely get grossly
infected, pus out, and require you to take out your precious suture material
and use your precious antibiotics to treat the now deep wound infection. Soap
and Water will take care of this wound better, along with copious irrigation
with previously boiled water (allowed to cool, of course). “The solution
to pollution is dilution!” Clean the wound with a 50/50 mix of hydrogen
peroxide and sterile water if it gets crusty or develops a thick discharge and
change the dressing daily. If large vessels, tendons, nerves or bones are exposed,
the wound will require suturing, but only after extensive cleaning and irrigation,
followed by several days of sterile dressing changes and the administration of
oral cephalexin three times each day, and then only with the cleanest, sterile
technique.
Orthopedic Injuries
Basic first aid techniques are most important to acquire for all preppers. This
is especially true for injuries to bone, joint and spine. The first aid techniques
that I learned as a Boy Scout almost 50 years ago are still relevant today. Taking
a Red Cross First Aid course is really important as the minimum medical training
for anyone seriously facing a survival situation. However, when there is no doctor
available, you will be required to go several steps further. Fractures must be
set into their normal , functional positions and then casted or splinted effectively
when you are the final medical authority. Additionally, if the fracture is open,
i.e., there is a break in the skin where the bone had poked through, this wound
must be thoroughly washed and irrigated, dressed with a sterile dressing and
antibiotic ointment, and broad spectrum antibiotics given for a week. Serious
spinal injuries may be a death sentence in this situation, invoking the principle
of expectant care (see “Triage principles” below).
Pain Relief and Anesthesia
Okay, so this part comes easy to me. Not only is my wife a former marathon runner,
triathlete, and cross country cyclist, she is also a total Christian babe. And
an anesthesiologist. She has taught me how to perform total IV anesthesia, using
relatively inexpensive drugs given by injection, thereby not requiring the use
of inhalational agents. Most of the procedures that can be done outside of the
hospital are short- under one hour in duration. In the austere environment, the
group surgeon would ideally be prepared and equipped to perform the following
major surgical procedures: Debridement of dirty wounds; open ligation of major
bleeding vessels; appendectomy; cholecystectomy (removal of a diseased gall bladder);
cesarean section. Although endotracheal intubation may be required, the presence
of a ventilator and oxygen can be circumvented. A bag-valve device will be necessary
for manual ventilation. Intravenous equipment and fluids are required. Again,
the amounts of each will depend upon your situation, but I would recommend having
at least four liters of normal saline IV solution for each member of your group.
Ignore the expiration dates: salt water does not degrade. Avoid using this precious
resource for routine causes of dehydration. Use the rehydration solutions instead.
Put up an ample supply of Tylenol, Motrin and Aleve. If possible, store a supply
of stronger narcotic pain medications, such as Vicodin.
Triage Principles
Triage is the function of rationing medical care in the context
of limited availability. This may mean a limitation in supplies, time, facilities,
transportation or professional medical providers. In a TEOTWAWKI scenario, all
of these factors may be in short supply.
The four triage categories are as follows:
1. IMMEDIATE: These victims have life threatening conditions that will a) result
in death if not promptly addressed and b) can be remediated with the judicious
use of assets on hand. An example would be a deep laceration to the groin with
arterial bleeding from the femoral artery. The immediate application of pressure
or, if necessary, a tourniquet, will save a life. This could then be treated
with definitive surgery later.
2. DELAYED: This describes serious conditions that are not immediately life
threatening, but that will require medical attention in hours to days to avoid
serious disability
or even death. An appropriate example would be a humerus fracture sustained
while having piggy back chicken fights in the back yard (you’ve already
forgotten: no horseplay!)
3. MINIMAL: This category includes illnesses and injuries that are self limiting:
small lacerations, a non-displaced finger fracture, a short episode of diarrheal
illness, etc. These folks need to keep working!
4. EXPECTANT: When medical resources are severely limited, they must be used
to derive the greatest survival benefit for the community. That means that
using a lot of medications, supplies and manpower in attempts to resuscitate
profoundly
ill or injured patients is unethical. These unfortunate folks will be unlikely
to survive regardless of your best efforts. They are triaged as expectant,
meaning that they are likely to die. Examples include severe shock, quadriplegic
injuries,
or multiple gunshot wounds to vital organs. They should be treated for pain
if possible, and given comfort and affection until their demise. This will
save
resources for those who are salvageable and can continue to contribute to the
group’s survival.
Medicolegal disclaimer: Please do not use
any
of the above advised techniques or methods unless you have no possible access
to professional medical care. This advice is not at all applicable,
and may in some instances be harmful, if you have access to professional medical
care. - RangerDoc, MD, FACS
« Mexican Flu Update: |Main| Letter Re: The Rush Has Begun for Flu Prep Logistics »
Six Letters Re: Adapting Family Food Storage for Gluten Intolerance
James,
I found out last year I am gluten intolerant, and my little girl was
symptomatic with me. In our case, we found we can't tolerate any grains--not
even corn
or rice. Below are some ideas for those with either condition or who are on
lower-carbohydrate diets for health reasons.
* In addition to beans, other carbohydrate-rich foods that you can store include
potatoes, yams, peas, beets and tapioca. To avoid the additives found in some
dehydrated foods, I have freeze-dried potatoes, yams, and peas. I also have
some home-canned yams and plan to grow more. Beets are only available in regular
cans. I have those, plus regular canned peas and potatoes. Tapioca isn't as
nutritionally rich as some of these others, but it's nice to be able to have
a treat and it stores well. (Most prepared puddings have problematic thickeners.)
In terms of rice, I did some research when I was eating grains. White rice
is
the least nutritious grain--eating it actually depletes your body's nutritional
reserves, which isn't a good idea in a stressful SHTF situation
(where the stress alone will deplete you of B complex). Brown rice is much better
for you, but
doesn't store well. So I would suggest storing more corn than rice, and using
rice as a treat or as a break from monotony.
* Don't forget lentils. They aren't used nearly enough in American cuisine (mainly
soups). I have found some fabulous Middle Eastern and Indian recipes for them.
They store well, and are a wonderfully nutrient dense food. The brown ones don't
always look that appetizing, so I often opt for the red ones. You can add these
to tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce dishes to boost protein and not even realize
they're there. And like most anything else, they taste even better with cheese
on top.
* To avoid the corn syrup present in nearly all canned fruits, I looked until
I found a local store brand that uses only pear juice. (I can't have sugar either,
and won't use artificial sweeteners.) I pay extra for a couple of other fruits
at Whole Foods that are also canned in pear juice. I have also canned a variety
of fruit. And I store some freeze-dried fruit instead of the dehydrated, which
sometimes have some unfriendly additives and aren't necessarily cheaper. Nice
fruit is important when you can't have a traditional breakfast. Canned or freeze-dried
can be heated and turned into a compote, or put into a smoothie for a nice breakfast
shake--one of my daughter's favorites.
* Finding MREs
for a bug-out bag was very difficult. One
company makes gluten-free
MREs, but they don't run batches every year--so the MREs
may last only a year or two. I finally found one Mountain House pouch entree
that looked okay (chicken with potatoes), and opted for that, plus canned meat
and pouch sides of veggies (potatoes, peas, etc.).
* Coconut flour has a shelf life of 1 year at room temperature, possibly longer
if you have a cold basement. I have been experimenting with recipes and found
it yields a result similar to wheat flour. Coconut pancakes are similar to buttermilk
pancakes. It is not cheap ($7 / lb.) but you use a lot less of it per recipe
than regular flour. Bob's Red Mill makes some, and you can buy it in larger bulk
quantities on the web. Due to the expense, for us it is a treat on weekends,
birthdays, holidays, etc. But the results so far have been good, and the taste
is scrumptious. It also works as a substitute for flour if you're making oven-fried
chicken or breaded things. Coconut flour is a carb[ohydrate], but it has a high
fiber content (6 g/serving),
which
helps with blood sugar stabilization. Those watching carbs could top coconut
pancakes with peanut butter (and a dash of honey or syrup), or heat up some frozen
or canned fruit to make a simple compote that's lower in carbs than maple syrup.
* Almond flour is a fabulous substitute for wheat flour, and yields results that
are more similar to flour-based breads (rice and corn products tend to be dry).
There are also two great books with wonderful recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate
Diet (Grainfree Gourmet). However, it is twice the price of coconut flour, and
is not suitable for using in a SHTF situation because it can easily go rancid
if it's kept out of of a freezer or a refrigerated environment. It is also not
calorie-free.
But it is really nice to work with if you're watching carbs because
it counts
as a protein. For this reason, it's my choice for "bread" for holiday
meals.
* I have also had to change a lot of my condiments and sauces. Soy sauce, for
example, is wheat-based. So I use Bragg's Liquid Aminos. Most ketchups, barbecue
sauces, and relishes include corn syrup. I found a barbecue sauce and ketchup
that don't, and now make my own ketchup with a recipe I found on the web. I also
make up my own Worcestershire sauce. It doesn't take long, and I know it's safe
to consume.
* Since I can't use cornstarch to thicken, I use arrowroot--and have a lot of
it on hand. I also use mashed potato flakes (the kind without preservatives that
lasts about a year) to thicken soups and in place of cracker crumbs in recipes.
* Where I have been put on a lower carb diet, I have had to pay more attention
to protein than many folks do in their preparations. I need protein, and can't
produce it myself. So I try to have an extra deep larder of it: dehydrated eggs
(for scrambled eggs), canned cheese, freeze-dried cheese, freeze-dried cottage
cheese (good with canned fruit on top), lots of salmon (for salmon breakfast
patties), and lots of canned meat from Best
Prices Storable Foods. After Hurricane
Ike, we used some of our canned meat. It was great, and I didn't get sick (unlike
a friend who at store-bought meat with lots of additives). I can't buy canned
beef or pork in the stores--too many additives I can't have.
* One critical change has been to play to what we can eat and truly enjoy. My
husband loves pineapple. So I used the internet to find several recipes we can
eat that use pineapple. They're now family favorites--and safe for me and my
little girl to eat. This really helps with the sense of deprivation, which can
be an issue in sticking to any diet. Focusing on these new delicious finds has
helped ease the pains of missing pasta, oatmeal, etc. So for morale purposes
if nothing else, I've made sure our larder includes the ingredients for the "family
faves" that we can eat.
* For snacks, we usually eat dried fruit and nuts. I have a good stock of both,
especially the nuts, since I can't grow them here (not enough room for a pecan
tree). While they won't keep long-term, they will keep a good year and I rotate
my stock. Buying in bulk from www.nutsonline.com and www.bulkfoods.com has saved
me a ton of money and yet let me make sure I'm getting fruit without syrups or
sugar added.
* Another snack is fresh bananas with peanut butter on them, honey optional.
I have also been stocking up on banana chips--these make a great substitute for
crackers. Since I plan to nurse a new baby this summer and won't be able to eat
peanuts while nursing, I have also been stocking up on almond butter.
* Instead of granola bars, we eat fruit strips (100% real fruit) or Lara bars.
Since these are rather pricey, I'm learning how to dry fruit and looking into
recipes to make my own bars. But in the meantime it works, and they would be
great in a bug-out bag. I always keep some in my purse and in the diaper bag.
(Finding snacks I can eat while "out" is very difficult.)
* For "junk" or convenience foods, we often use potatoes and sweet
potatoes. We make oven-baked fries, and buy the occasional bag of chips for garnishing
stir-frys or giving crunch to a soup or salad (instead of croutons or crackers).
* When sick or overheated, I can't rehydrate with Gatorade (sugar, etc.). So
I either make my own Gatorade, or drink fruit juice and eat a fresh banana. We
also store fruit juice in various forms (100% juice pouches for my daughter,
bottles for when we're sick or going through a heat wave).
* I also can't start eating again after the flu or morning sickness with crackers
or noodle soups. So I make my own Gatorade and use baked potatoes, mashed potatoes,
or yams. My toddler preferred oven-baked fries the last time she was recovering
from the flu.
* I have also had to change our shampoo, lotions, and even over-the-counter (OTC)
medicines to avoid grain products and sugar. For OTC medicines, I usually look
for the dye-free packages, and these usually have fewer troublesome ingredients.
Since my 3-year-old daughter was symptomatic with me, and the doctor indicated
my soon-to-be-born son will most likely inherit the genetic tendency, our whole
family has switched to my diet. (My husband is a saint! He does get bread and
normal food when he eats out with his clients.) With my daughter, it is much
easier to simply not have "off-limit" foods in the house.
As a postscript, I found out I was gluten intolerant because I was eating what
I was storing. I was subclinical--did not exhibit any of the traditional symptoms
despite eating a "healthy" whole-grain diet for years--until I tried
a homemade bread recipe that called for extra gluten. In my case, the results
were catastrophic. However, I am so grateful to found out before I needed to
rely on my supplies (and good medical care might be unavailable). Needless to
say, I am a big advocate of using what you store. - CL in Houston
Sir,
After reading your post today Letter Re: Adapting Family Food Storage for Gluten
Intolerance I remembered reading recently about Kamut a possible low gluten
wheat substitute for individuals what are gluten intolerant. I did a quick
search on your blog and could not find a previous article about Kamut so
I thought I would drop you a note to let you know about it.
You can read more about
Kamut at the Walton Feed web site.
Regards, - Eric in The Desert
Sir,
My youngest daughter and I are sensitive to gluten. We have discovered
that "alternative" grains
like millet, quinoa, and amaranth are quite good. All three can be cooked as
is as a side for supper or as a "porridge" for breakfast. Also, all
three can be ground into flour or purchased bulk as flour from different sources.
Sorghum and buckwheat are also good alternative flours. Millet would be good
for anyone to investigate storing. It stores for a long time with little preparation
-- one to two years. It can be stored longer with better preparation -- oxygen
absorbers, etc. You cook millet like rice. You rinse then boil or you can rinse,
toast, then boil. But, you use less millet than rice per cup of water. So the
millet goes a lot farther. Generally, you cook 1 cup of millet per 2-1/2 cups
of water. I cook brown rice at 1 cup of rice per 1-3/4 cups water. However,
because of this, when grinding and baking with it, your baked item may be a
bit dry from the millet absorbing so much liquid. With a touch of practice,
you can remedy that.
As you mentioned, there are many good sources for cooking gluten-free. Blogs
are wonderful resources. You can find a lot of practical advice from people
who are dealing with it on a day to day basis.
And here is an
excellent blog on going gluten-free. - Emma
Mr. Rawles,
Another place to get gluten free recipes is Frugalabundance.com.
I hope that this proves helpful to any SurvivalBlog readers that are gluten
intolerant.
Regards, - Gloria
Hi Jim:
I read Tim's post yesterday about his wife being diagnosed with Celiac disease.
As you may recall, I was the one who posted one year ago about my daughter
being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and a month later, learning she and
my other ladies having Celiac disease. I can certainly sympathize with Tim
as it is daunting and overwhelming when a loved one is initially diagnosed.
From our year long experience with this, here is what I can offer.
The blessing and curse of these times is Celiac. While so many foods include
wheat and gluten as part of their overall production, many more foods are now
Gluten Free. This is driven in part by a growing awareness of the Celiac disease,
gluten intolerance in general, links of gluten and Autism and simple dietary
issues. More foods than ever are gluten free. We began by eliminating all sources
of gluten and wheat from the house. Any wheat or gluten in our house would
cause my diabetic daughter to begin to violently throw up, causing dehydration
and ketone spikes. So it all went away. What was usually a two or three grocery
store ensemble has now grown to seven (7) different stores in our region in
order to find the various things. One store carries some things, another store
different things and so on. Our best sources for gluten free foods has been
the local Fred Meyer (owned by Kroeger) and Whole Foods. Some products are
now clearly marked as "gluten free" so spotting them has been easier.
For instance, instead of a loaf of wheat bread, we now use rice flour bread
made at Whole foods (about 65% more expensive that regular whole wheat bread).
Instead of the usual wheat flour waffles on the waffle maker, it's now waffles
made with rice or tapioca flour from the local health food store (Manna Mills).
The treat of freezer cookies are accomplished with a brand of gluten free freezer
cookies from Whole Foods. Cereals are rice or corn based. All chips are either
corn tortilla or pure potato and we eat far more rice eaten as a staple.
One of the things we have encountered is that the carb load on these are typically
higher, leading us to better watch our weight and how much we eat. As I indicated
before, our grocery bill went up over 50% in one night when we switched. Many
of these foods have a significantly shorter shelf life, especially when processed.
As an example, a loaf of rice bread in my cool, dry house will spoil within
36-48 hours. But we found many, many on-line and local resources to help us
in making the correct food decisions. My girls religiously reading the labels,
looking for any signs of gluten, wheat or wheat family products that could
contaminate. There is a very good magazine called Living Without which addresses
foods without certain items such as gluten or wheat. Amazingly enough, our
local Kroeger owned store was found to have a sizeable gluten free section
in the natural foods section. And of course, we eat less processed foods, more
fresh fruit and vegetables.
Naturally, the shift from a wheat based survival foods platform to a rice based
platform was expensive. Many survival, dehydrated and MRE based foods were
given away as they all contained either wheat or gluten. I bulked up on more
rice and shelf stable wheat free survival foods (very little out there, I must
admit).
Last November, our family took a much needed vacation to Disneyland. It was
one of our most positive eating experiences as we learned that Disney (and
other major theme park enterprises) takes Celiac disease seriously. They had
gluten/wheat free alternatives based upon breads made in our area by Energee
Foods. My girls were able to enjoy pizzas made with tapioca flour crust. We
were even able to communicate with the head chef for Disneyland food service
for information. That made for a more enjoyable trip. A visit to a local Von's
and Trader Joe's and we had a great gluten free vacation.
For Seattle, Washinton area SurvivalBlog readers, here is
a list of local stores we have been successful
in finding wheat free or gluten free foods at:
Costco - Rice chips, corn tortilla chips, beans (bulk and canned refried),
rice, Robert's gourmet foods like Smart Puffs
PCC (Puget Consumers Co-Op) - Commercially produced gluten/wheat free foods
Whole Foods - Wheat free bread, rolls, pizza crusts, Angeline's
Manna Mills - Bulk rice and tapioca flours
Fred Meyer - Crackers, Bob's Red Mill gluten free flours, cereal, rice cakes,
soy crackers, etc.
Ener-gee foods - Local commercial based gluten free foods (products used
exclusively at Walt Disney resorts)
Trader Joe's - Wheat and gluten free frozen waffles, pancakes, chips, crackers
I wish Tim and the other Celica readers great success! - MP in Seattle ( a
Ten
Cent Challenge subscriber)
Hi There,
In response to your reader post about food storage and gluten intolerance,
I would like to add that if you plan to mill your own grains, and plan to
store wheat for those that can eat it, you will need to get two grain mills
and never mill grains containing gluten on your gluten free mill. Mills are
too difficult to fully clean and there will be traces
of gluten left from milling grains such as wheat or barley.
Every coeliac has a different level of intolerance, but it is not worth risking
problems. Gluten free grains suitable for beer making are probably also suitable
for substituting for wheat and barley in other foods too. Some of these are
millet, buckwheat, corn, rice, quinoa and sorghum. Just remember to only use
your gluten free mill to mill gluten free grains
and store both the whole grains and flour in separate dedicated containers.-
The Anonymous Economist
« Letter Re: Home and Ranch Methane Gas Generators |Main| Mexican Flu Update »
Letter Re: Adapting Family Food Storage for Gluten Intolerance
Hi Jim,
I wonder how many other preppers out there have the same issue we just discovered.
My wife has always had trouble with her digestive tract. Recently we discovered
that she is has Coeliac's disease which means she is gluten intolerant. She
can no longer eat gluten which it seems is in just about every type of prepared
food. It comes from Wheat and is obviously in anything that has wheat in
it, but it is also in lots of other things including vitamins, tomato paste,
some candies, etc. It has been quite an adjustment for us!
This makes it difficult for us to store wheat as she cannot eat it. The rest
of us can, but it is hard to have lots of wheat based meals that part of the
family cannot eat. So, does anyone else out there have any experience storing
wheat substitutes or will we have to stock up more on rice and beans instead?
Best Regards, - Tim P.
JWR Replies: This topic has been raised before in SurvivalBlog,
but because Celiac Disease (aka gluten-sensitive enteropathy) is so commonplace,
it is worthwhile to discuss it further.
The good news is that because gluten-sensitive enteropathy is so common, there
are a wide range of gluten-free
foods on the market, and their are a wealth of gluten-free
recipes available online. The book Gluten-Free
Girl
by
Shauna James Ahern is an excellent resource. Needless to say, to start, you
will need to adjust your food storage program to have a much higher ratio of
corn and rice rather than wheat, to accommodate having some family members
that are gluten intolerant.
So that you don't get totally bored with eating rice and beans, look into
the non-gluten "grains" available, such as Quinoa. Another possibility
is Spelt. However, I should note that some allergy doctors contend that Spelt
is too closely related to wheat for it to be trusted as a celiac replacement
grain. Both of these grains are available in bulk from Internet vendors such
as Walton Feed for much
less that you'd pay at your local health food store.
The Lengthy List of Aliases
Gluten is found in the following: malt flavoring (from barley), hydrolyzed
vegetable proteins, caramel coloring (non US made), Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
(non-US made), dextrins (especially vitamins and medications), wheat starch
and the big catch-all "natural flavors". These could be anything,
so you need to ask the manufacturer, and even then they may not be able to
tell you with certainty whether of not they are gluten-based. Of these, MSG
is the most difficult to identify because it is now pervasive in prepared foods,
and can hidden under a profusion of aliases. These deceptive labeling practices
have been flagged
by the FDA. According to the book Battling
the MSG Myth
, some
MSG synonyms include: Calcium Caseinate, Sodium Caseinate, Gelatin, Hydrolyzed
Protein, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP), Textured Protein, Textured Vegetable
Protein (TVP), Monopotassium Glutamate, Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HPP) Yeast
Extract, Glutamate Autolyzed Plant Protein Yeast food, Yeast Nutrient, Glutamic
Acid, Sodium Caseinate, Autolyzed Yeast, Vegetable Protein Extract, Senomyx
(a wheat extract that is often just labeled as "artificial flavor"),
Calcium Diglutamate, Monoammonium Glutamate, Magnesium Diglutamate, and others! Beware
of any ingredient that includes the words Hydrolyzed or Autolyzed. Similarly,
beware of: Malted Barley Flour, Malt Extract, Soy Protein, Wheat Protein, Whey
Protein, Corn Starch, Citric Acid, Corn Syrup, and Dextrose.
« Letter Re: Atheism and Choosing Your Neighborhood |Main| Note from JWR: »
The Mexican Flu and You
In the past
24 hours I've received dozens of e-mails from SurvivalBlog readers about the
emerging Mexican Flu. Some news stories have included cryptic comments from
heath officials, implying that the mechanism of infection makes this particular
virus "very difficult to contain." This leads
me to conclude that those infected have a long latency period during which
they are infectious, yet, they do not display frank symptoms. This does not
bode well for any hopes of containing the spread of the virus.
Then we hear a
CDC official stating: "The swine flu virus contains four different
gene segments representing both North American swine and avian influenza, human
flu and a
Eurasian swine
flu." That strikes we as something very peculiar.
The disease is respiratory, and has one strong similarity to the 1918 Spanish Flu: "The
majority were young adults between 25 and 45 years old," said one official
under
the condition of anonymity. Since, young and healthy people with strong immune
systems are the most likely to succumb, this might indicate that the biggest
killer is a cytokine storm--a collapse caused by the human immune
system's over-reaction to a
pathogen.
I strongly recommend that everyone reading this take the
time to re-read my background article on flu self-quarantine and other precautions: Protecting
Your Family From an Influenza Pandemic. The details that I give there are
quite important. Pay special attention to my discussion of the shortage
of hospital
ventilators.
If anyone in your family is immunosuppressed, consider
yourselves on alert. Make your final preparations to hunker down,
immediately.
In the next few days, there is a good chance of wholesale panic, including
some well-publicized "runs" --probably first for hand sanitizer and face masks,
and soon after for bottled
water and groceries. Plan on it.
UPDATE: The BBC News
web page Mexico
flu: Your experiences has some updates posted from individuals
in Mexico City
To summarize, here are some key quotes from a
recent article:
"This outbreak is particularly worrisome because deaths have happened
in at least four different regions of Mexico, and because the victims have
not been vulnerable infants and elderly.
"The most notorious flu pandemic, thought to have killed at least 40 million
people worldwide in 1918-19, also first struck otherwise healthy young adults."
...
"But it may be too late to contain the outbreak, given how widespread the
known cases are. If the confirmed deaths are the first signs of a pandemic, then
cases are probably incubating around the world by now, said Dr. Michael Osterholm,
a pandemic flu expert at the University of Minnesota.
"No vaccine specifically protects against swine flu, and it is unclear
how much protection current human flu vaccines might offer."
Current statistics show a less than 10% lethality rate, but of course the
first wave of flu victims are getting access to the best medical care available.
If the contagion spreads, sheer numbers will quickly overwhelm hospital
facilities--particularly the number of mechanical ventilators available. So
the lethality rate may rise, even if there is not a viral mutation.
Here
are the latest headlines on the flu, as well as some background pieces. I'll
post
more
links,
as they
become
available.
Swine Flu, Mexico Lung Illness Heighten Pandemic Risk
Swine flu could infect U.S. trade and travel
Mexico Races to Stop Deadly Flu Virus
Spanish Flu Survivors Remember
Some Facts About Past Flu Pandemics
WHO ready with antivirals to combat swine flu
Possible Swine Flu Outbreak at NYC Prep School
California Expects To Find More New Flu Cases
Swine Flu Jitters Sparks Sell-Off In US Hogs
Swine Flu Resources
Most Mexico fatal flu victims aged between 25-45
Swine
Flu May Be Named Event of ‘International Concern’ by WHO
[A UK] County's masterplan to deal with flu pandemic
« Letter Re: TEOTWAWKI Medicine and Minor Surgery--Part I: Ingrown Toenails |Main| Note from JWR: »
TEOTWAWKI Medicine and Minor Surgery--Part II: Skin Infections, by Dr. K.
Introduction
The skin has three layers.
1. The epidermis is the outermost layer. It protects our bodies from the environment
and has pigment cells.
2. The dermis is the middle layer, and it contains hair follicles, sweat glands,
oil glands, and capillaries.
3. The hypodermis (or subcutaneous layer) is the inner layer, and it contains
layers of fat that provides cushion and insulation for our body… some
more than others.
Any of these layers can become infected, in whole or in part. In a TEOTWAWKI scenario, that minor scratch could lead to a painful death. Knowledge is vitally
important. Understanding how to prevent and treat a skin infection is relatively
straightforward, and it could be a matter of life and death when TSHTF.
Signs of a skin infection are pain, redness, swelling, warmth and/or drainage
of pus.
Definitions
Cellulitis: a diffuse infection of the dermis and subcutaneous tissues. Signs
of cellulitis are red, warm, swollen, and tender skin.
Erysipelas: similar to cellulitis, but this infection is more superficial and
has very clear borders.
Skin abscess: a collection of pus that is in the dermis and subcutaneous tissues.
An abscess presents as a tender mass just under the skin. It is pink to red
and may be warm to the touch.
Furunlce (or “boil”): an infection of the hair follicle that causes
an abscess.
Carbuncle: a collection of several boils that grow together. This looks like
a very large abscess.
Causes
These skin infections can develop in any individual and most are caused by
bacteria. Having minor scrapes and cuts, insect bites, rashes, burns, swelling,
or being around another person with a skin infection can increase your risk.
Having diabetes, being immunosuppressed (HIV,
on chemotherapy medicines, autoimmune disease, etc.), or having a history of
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
infections also increases your risk.
Complications
If an infection is left untreated, it can keep spreading into the surrounding
tissues and into the bloodstream. This may lead to local tissue damage, a body-wide
infection, and even death in a worst case scenario.
Prevention
All skin wounds, no matter how minor, should be cleaned and dressed immediately.
Changing the dressing when it becomes wet or dirty will aid in prevention.
In a TEOTWAWKI scenario, you cannot afford to brush aside that thorn scratch
or knife nick. Take the time to clean it right away. Skin infections don’t
care how tough you think you are.
Antibiotics
Cellulitis and erysipelas are sometimes watched and not treated with antibiotics
right away. However, if these infections become severe (which can happen quickly),
IV antibiotics are the best choice. In a TEOTWAWKI scenario, IV antibiotics
will be much harder to store and/or obtain. Because of this, I recommend using
oral antibiotics with cellulitis and erysipelas immediately.
Antibiotics are typically not needed with a draining abscess or after an incision
and drainage (I&D). Once the pus pocket is ruptured, your immune system
usually takes care of things rather well. However, I would start antibiotics
if a growing redness and warmth develops after the wound has been drained.
Also, I would start antibiotics right away if the patient has multiple skin
infections, the patient is immunosuppressed, the patient has previous MRSA
infections, or if the patient has signs of body-wide infection (feeling ill,
fever, nausea and/or
vomiting, increased heart rate, low blood pressure, etc.).
Any of the following oral antibiotics (unless there is an allergy) should be
used for 10 days minimum, but can be used longer as long as the infection is
improving (search past Survivalblog posts for medication procurement):
Adults
Cleocin (clindamycin) 300 mg every 6 hours (currently treats most MRSA)
Dicloxacillin 500 mg every 6 hours
Keflex (cephalexin) 500 mg every 6 hours
Children
Cleocin (clindamycin) 30-40 mg/kg per day divided in 3-4 doses (treats most
MRSA)
Dicloxacillin 25-50 mg/kg per day divided in 4 doses
Keflex (cephalexin) 25-50 mg/kg per day divided in 3-4 doses
Non-Surgical Treatment
Small boils and small abscesses may respond very well to non-surgical treatments:
* Keep the infected area elevated.
* Warm compresses (a clean wash cloth soaked in hot water and wrung out) and
warm water soaks will help promote drainage.
* If it comes to a head, continue with warm compresses until it ruptures.
* Wash with antibacterial soap.
* Continue to use warm compresses until the pus stops flowing.
* Apply antibacterial ointment (such as Neosporin) over the wound.
* Keep a clean and dry dressing in place over the wound.
* Wash the wound and change the dressing 2-3 times a day.
* There should be improvement in about a week.
* If there is a growing area of redness and warmth, consider antibiotic treatment.
Surgical Treatments:
Incision and Drainage
Larger boils, larger abscesses, and carbuncles require incision and drainage
(I&D)
to heal.
Note: A surgical option, regardless of the problem, is always best treated
by someone who has been trained to perform the procedure. You don’t want
to be patient number one in a survival situation. Finally, while I am explaining
how to do this procedure, I only recommend that you attempt this in a post-TEOTWAWKI
scenario where there are no other healthcare options. Proceed at your own risk.
Supplies
Light (a bright headlamp works well. Consider working outside in the bright
sunlight.)
Non-sterile gloves
Sterile gloves
Alcohol or povidone-iodine solution (sold as Betadine)
Gauze pads
10-mL syringe
25- to 30-gauge needle
12- to 18-gauge needle if desired
Lidocaine 1% or 2%
No. 11 or 15 blade scalpel or sterile razor blade
Curved hemostats (small device that resembles scissors but has curved clamps
instead of blades) a pair of needle nosed pliers (sterilized) can be used in
a pinch
Packing material (such as iodoform gauze which are thin medicated gauze strips)
Scissors
Dressing Materials:
Antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin
Gauze for wrapping the wound
Roll of 1-inch tape
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Have the patient get into a comfortable position. Have them lie down if
possible just in case they pass out - it can happen to anyone! [JWR
Adds: Vasovegal and other fainting responses are highly unpredictable.
Just the sight of spurting blood can induce a faint in even someone that big
and macho. In two separate incidents, I've personally witnessed two "manly
men" who claimed "no problem, it won't bother me" pass out,
unconscious, within moments of seeing their own blood.]
2. Clean the wound. Put on non-sterile gloves and clean the entire wound and
surrounding tissue with povidine-iodine or alcohol.
3. Numb the wound with medicine: The easiest method is a field block. Inject
the lidocaine around the base of the wound on all sides. If the wound is not
on a small body part, you can use lidocaine with epinephrine.
Note: Make sure the lidocaine does not have epinephrine in it if the wound
is on a small body part. Epinephrine is a vasoconstrictor, meaning it clamps
down blood vessels. This can prevent circulation. If you stop circulation with
medicine, you have no idea how long it will last, and you could kill tissue.
Your patient won’t feel the procedure, but they may lose a body part!
Bottom line: Never use epinephrine on the fingers, toes, ears, penis, or nose.
Note: Please read how to load lidocaine and inject it in Part I: Ingrown
Toenails. [JWR Adds: Of course check for contraindications and potential
drug interactions before using any "-caine" drugs!]
Note: Please read how to dull the pain without medicine in Part I: Ingrown
Toenails
4. Make an incision. Using the scalpel blade or sterile razor blade make a
straight cut the entire length of the abscess (the deepest red central portion
of the abscess). The cut should be deep enough to go to the subcutaneous tissues.
Try to follow the natural skin folds for a more cosmetic healing (do an online
image search for “cleavage skin lines” to see an illustration).
For small infections, you may be able to drain the abscess by perforating it
with the large bore (a 12-18 gauge) needle.
5. Probe the incision if large enough. If there are no pain meds, this will
be painful. Insert the curved hemostats to slowly spread out the tissues under
the cut. This will break up some of the connective tissues that may be holding
pockets of pus. You also may find a foreign body (thorn, glass, etc.) that
was actually causing the infection.
6. Express the wound. Provide gentle pressure to the sides
of the wound to squeeze out any extra pus and blood. Do not be aggressive here.
7. Pack the wound. If the wound is big enough to leave a pocket, then filling
the wound with a medicated packing material (iodoform gauze) will aid in healing.
Using the hemostats, stuff the material into the wound until full. Leave about
a half inch hanging out of the wound. This tail aids in drainage. Trim to size
with a pair of scissors.
If the wound is not very large, you do not need to pack it.
8. Dress the wound. Apply antibiotic ointment over wound. Apply a bulky gauze
wrap, but do not wrap it too tight. It will throb as sensation returns. Use
acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain.
9. Check the wound after 24 hours. If there continues to be more pus draining,
remove the packing material, repack the wound, and change the dressing. Keep
checking every 24 hours. When the drainage stops, perform warm water soaks
3-5 times daily, change the dressing, and apply topical antibiotic ointment.
Healing should occur in 7 to 10 days.
Surgical Complications
Infection: The wound will have some initial throbbing, but should start to
improve dramatically in a few days. If your patient is having an increase in
pain, swelling, redness, warmth, or drainage, there is likely a continuing
or secondary infection. If this occurs, start antibiotics as described above.
Consider probing the abscess a second time to make sure no pockets of pus are
hiding.
Things to consider
If the wound involves the hand or the abscess is very large, it will be very
difficult to treat without IV antibiotics and potentially major surgery. This
would be a case where attempting to find a physician may outweigh the risks
of leaving your retreat. In rare cases a skin infection can spread to the facial
tissue (this is called necrotizing fasciitis or “flesh eating disease”).
Signs of this infection are intense pain out of proportion to the wound, fast
swelling, spreading redness, fever, and vomiting. This would be a case where
lack of immediate surgery by highly trained physicians will mean death.
Training
It will be difficult to acquire hands on training for this procedure unless
you work in the medical field. However, this is a fairly straightforward procedure.
If you see it once, most people should be able to repeat it. One way to see
how it is done is to go to the doctor with a friend or family member who has
an abscess or boil. Another option is to do an online video search for “I&D”.
There are currently a few videos up that give a nice demonstration.
« Letter Re: Ammunition Shortages in U.S. Might Become Chronic |Main| Note from JWR: »
Walk!, by Snolden
If you value your existence and your life, then walk! I am
an Air Force brat who did nine years active duty in the Navy. In other words
I moved a lot. Eleven
states
in the first 33 years of my life. I traveled to all fifty states and a few
countries. Every one is different, and areas within each are completely different
from the part that you live in. Most people that lived in places I have been
do not walk any further than a few hundred yards a day. A mile is a "long
walk" for most folks. A good portion of the rest walk or run several miles
as a work out, but that is with 6 ounce sneakers, shorts and an iPod as their
only loadout.
Post SHTF or even during a week without power, you will be subjected to environmental
conditions that your body cannot adapt to unless you have experienced it before.
The environment that you find yourself in can affect your decision making.
Cold, hot, humid or other; these conditions will prevent you from living. You
will have to carry a lot of things a long way to make do,
even if vehicles are working. You must condition yourself to this level of
exertion.
So, go for a walk. Please use common sense and know your limitations. For those
with physical limitations, you will have to toughen your mind more than those
of us without. The demands on the body are going to be extreme for some even
when all parts of it work correctly. I would like to challenge all of you to "honestly" walk
10 miles carrying a light bag. By "honestly" I mean in the clothes
that you will be wearing post-SHTF.
This will probably be some form of boots, belted pants, long sleeve shirt and
jacket. If you can't do this right off,
then work up to it but nearly everyone will be able to do it. Ten miles should
take 3-5 hours at the most depending your individual condition. Then do this
again
next month, in a different locale [, over different terrain]. I recommend a
5-7 minute break every 45 minutes as the optimum. [Depending on the weather
and personal preference,] breaks of 10 minutes/hour or 5 minutes/30
minutes
might work
better.
For example, walk 10 miles around your city this month. Next month go to a
trail in the woods. Walk. Anyone that has been in the Army or Marines will
laugh at this distance. Many people in the Third World walk this far every
day just to go to work or school. Then they turn around and walk that far back
home. A pace of up to 12 minutes per mile is a good goal if you are in good
shape. When backpacking I shoot for 15-20 minutes per mile including time spent
for
breaks. That works out to a little less than three hours for 10 miles. That
is a very comfortable pace I can keep up for days.
The point of this exercise is to learn the techniques that you will need to
walk. Everyone can walk, right? Nope, they can't. Most people don't understand
about layered multiple pairs of socks, proper lacing of boots, proper waist
belt adjustment on a pack and the other items that you only learn by walking
(proper is different for each person and can change between the start of the
hike to the end of the hike). For the average person with 10 pounds of belly fat,
I would start with a 20 pound pack. That is only one gallon of water, a change
of clothes, a lunch and a few emergency items plus the weight
of the pack itself. You can start lighter or heavier, this is your challenge.
Bring extra socks, moleskin, an ace ankle wrap and Band-Aids the first few
times [or whenever you switch to a new set of footwear]. You might
need them
before you make it back.
Please only walk one day a week, to begin your training regimen. You will get
serious blisters if you are not used to it and try to walk 3 or 4 days in a
row. Just
in that
first
walk you will learn what you like and don't like about your shoes. For instance,
you may find that you need to wear different underwear, an undershirt, and
perhaps a different hat. You will realize that it isn't that hard and it will
encourage you to go further. Once you build up calluses [, stamina] and find your individual
pace, then you can go all day. Now you can get through the long walks that
are inevitable when SHTF and your body will remember. This conditioning will
free up your brain
to focus
on decision making-- unimpared decision making. Weather extremes
can still get you but you have a baseline experience level. I recommend that
you walk year
round to learn how the weather affects you (But I realize this is unlikely,
especially in extreme cold and heat for many people.)
General guidance for a maximum backpack weight is
1/3 of your body weight for medium distance hikes. 1/4 of your weight (1/4
of 200 pounds is 50
pounds,
in my
case) is far more comfortable. This may seem like a lot but with the right
boots/socks
and pack it actually is easy. And since you are already walking 10 miles straight
now, you will quickly find out what qualities to look for in your gear. Some
things can be fixed for free. For example, I don't lace the top holes in my
boots. This lets my feet breathe a bit more. I have learned how to load"my
pack for maximum comfort.
Okay, now for the good news. Once you can do this for a few days straight with
about 20-30 pounds on your back, you don't have to do it all the time to maintain
the conditioning. I find that a 5-6 mile walk once every week or two with a
15 pound pack and "first line gear" maintains my long distance conditioning
for months.
Long distance walking does not replace aerobic conditioning,
it simply allow yours feet to get used to the abuse. You still need to aerobically
condition
your body for maximum cardiovascular health. In parting, I was amazed at the
amount of heat produced by my feet the first time I walked ten miles on a hot
day in boots.
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Emotional Stressors During Societal Collapse by Campcritter
As determined men and women of yesteryear made their way west to make for
a better life, pioneer women often kept journals of their life on the great
prairies or sent letters home to their sisters back East. In those letters
they described the silence as the most unwelcome guest. These brave women
wrote about being left for weeks on end alone, lost in an endless sea of
grass with only the wind for company while the men hunted or went for supplies.
In some cases the quiet was so severe that it became unbearable and the women
developed mental problems. One young mother in 1853 wrote, “Silence
is an evil creature, it stalks you by day, watching, waiting, ever vigilant.
By the dark of the moon it strangles your thoughts and slips away with your
sanity.”
Imagine now, that we are about six weeks into a societal collapse. You are
sure you have prepared yourself fairly well. You’ve made all the plans
and stocked all that needs to be stocked and you feel pretty confident that
you
and yours can weather whatever comes, right? After all, you have given lots
of time and energy to making sure that you have everything that you need. You
have provided for your physical well being, but have you taken the time to
consider what happens to the family’s emotional stability when life as
we know it suddenly takes a turn south?
In all the preparedness information out there, there seems to be an expectation
that ones emotional response to real world stressors are somehow less important
than the physical. Or maybe people are not wanting to deal with that which
is yet unknown and frankly, just too scary for most of us to comprehend. What
happens to the emotional intellect when forced to shoot another human being
for the first time or watch helplessly while a loved one dies of an illness
or a massive wound. How about dealing with feral pigs, dogs and any other typically
domesticated animals? Can you let your children out of your sight to play in
the yard or do you live with constant fear they may become a meal for a once
beloved family pet or the zoo animal that hasn’t eaten in a week? These
are real life situations that need to be discussed along with beans, bullets
and band aids. Even Tom Brown, “The Tracker“, writes of feral dogs
of his youth while living in New Jersey.
Now that the stores are not being stocked you have used up all that was in
the cupboard and freezer and have broken into your stored rice and beans. Everyone
in your household has been about four weeks without McDonald’s, potato
chips, Spaghetti-Os, wine, beer and cigarettes. The family complains of being
gassy and bloated and by now the cravings are so bad that even the neighbors
lawn ornament is beginning to look good. Tempers are just one spark away from
ignition within the family unit. Depression sets in as Sissy hysterically cries, “I’m
never ever going to use a flush toilet ever again!” It becomes apparent
that holding this unit together is going to be a real challenge. Isn’t
it is amazing how a change in diet can trash the family dynamics?
My field of study for the past 25 years has been in Holistic Nutritional Sciences.
This field is centered around the whole body and everything that goes into
it, air, water, plants, the soil plants are grown in and the health of animals
that are used for food. Current research indicates there are definite changes
in body chemistry when one gets off the processed and junk food hamster wheel.
As chemicals, heavy metals and other toxic particles leave the body there is
what has been described as a healing crisis and it can be all too real for
the ones that suffer through it. Think for a moment, you have suddenly been
forced to do without coffee or cigarettes, a real nightmare for some. What
will you feel like in a few days? Your children have been forced to do without
their favorite French fries or soft drinks. What will be their mood in a week
or so? If you have ever been witness to a loved ones kicking of the habit you
will appreciate that it is not always a pleasant happening. These are a few
of the more obvious, lets take a look at some lesser known problems with our
modern situation.
Currently there are about 3,000 substances added to food that are on the FDA’s
generally regarded as safe (GRAS) list but the GRAS can not guarantee that
an additive is 100%
safe for every human because not every human has the same biochemistry.
Food colors seem to be most problematic for young children in that they can
be toxic to the nervous system, kidneys or liver. And don’t get me started
on genetically modified foodstuffs, it makes me screaming mad. I can’t
say anything good about altering the perfection of the natural world. The fact
that this brand new life form was not studied long term and released into the
unsuspecting publics food supply makes me nuts. Were humans really meant
to eat a corn plant with say, a petunia's DNA? Of course, that’s a much
simplified version but I believe there are some things that we just weren’t
meant to ingest. Genetically modified ingredients in infant formula being number
one on my list to scream about. My list to scream about on the subject of GMOs
just scratches the surface here ,but that rant is for another day. ( hint:
get as many open pollinated seeds as you can ASAP. That means yesterday. If
you don’t have a garden get open pollinated vegetable seeds anyway, they
will make great barter in the near future. Most seeds are viable between 2
and 5 years.)
An application of malefic hydrazide is routinely sprayed on potatoes and onions
to keep them from sprouting but did you know that this potentially toxic chemical
is sprayed on tobacco products in the U.S., and some chemicals such as propylene
glycol, glycerin, or sorbitol are not always listed on a label. Aspartame as
in Nutrasweet and Equal has been shown to be a precursor to Alzheimer’s
and Parkinson’s diseases. What happens to the body when it doesn’t
get it’s daily dose of acrylamide (a carcinogenic chemical created when
potatoes and corn chips are baked or fried at high temperatures) or when the
body is deprived of high fructose corn syrup from soft drinks? For some people
they can have the same painful withdrawal symptoms as from coffee, cigarettes
or drugs. I have seen people become depressed, angry, foggy in the head, sluggish
and almost manic when taken off processed foods. Raw foods do an excellent
job of cleaning out lots of toxins that accumulate in our fat. (See Power
Foods by Stephanie Beling, M.D. and Rawsome by Brigitte Mars)
More and more young people are becoming diabetic, something very rare at the
turn of the century. My neighbors eight year old child has to be monitored
for high cholesterol, it’s just shocking! Students are under much more
stress these days than ever before which can result in emotional eating and
behavioral
problems. More cravings with less food available could be overwhelming to children
who aren‘t understanding why they can‘t have a second helping.
Even my own grandchildren are such fussy eaters, what happens when they no
longer have access to their junk foods and are forced to eat “real food”?
And by the way, their idea of what real food ( pull it out of the freezer and
pop it into the microwave) is and my knowledge of whole real food doesn’t
line up. Where as there lies the problem. When at Grams house you need to adapt
or go without. (wink, wink, I have been know to bend just a little, sometimes.)
Also, eating a constant diet of freeze dried storable foods and garden produce
can have an undesirable set of problems all it’s own. Much more water
needs to be taken in or the system seems to get painfully backed up.
What about those pioneer women? They didn’t have GMOs or cell
phones. They certainly didn’t need a good detox diet but many did keep
journals to help insure some sanity. Writing stuff down is almost like talking
to a friend. If our world does the "Patriots"
thing,
we all will be pioneers in our own right. Picture a world of teens without
their
cell phones, blackberries, computers, music or anything else that makes them
tick. The withdrawal symptoms from the “NEED” to communicate alone
surely should scare even the hardiest amongst us. Taking care of the emotional
person is very personal and challenging. Learn what you can about the food
you have been eating and the world around your retreat and take charge now.
The mental health you save may be your own!
A note to Grandparents: You are hereby requested to help keep our history alive.
Talk to your Grandchildren about your history, our country’s history
and how we got to this point in the world. Write it down if needed. Teach them
all the skills that they will need in their future. Plant the seed early, grandchildren
seen to respond to grandparents easily. Their world will be inherently different
than the one we lived in. Teaching them how to garden, fix a roof, sew a shirt,
harvest and save seeds, cook a stew, etc., everything that you know. What you
don’t already know how it do, learn it together. They are going to need
all the advantages that we can give them.
Favorites from my library:
Cookin'
with Home Storage
by Vicki Tate (Excellent) [JWR Adds: Tate's book is also one of our favorites.]
Staying Healthy
with Nutrition by Elson M. Haas, M.D. There is a section in this book about
detoxification and fasting. (Excellent) This one is my
all
time favorite, it is so worn. 1,141 pages
Never Be Sick Again by Raymond Francis, M.Sc. He tells why disease happens
and how to avoid it.
Nutrition and Mental Illness by Carl C. Pfeiffer, Ph.D., M.D. Written
in layman language, very interesting, surprising causes of some symptoms.
The Ultimate Nutrition Guide for Women by Leslie Beck, R.D. (Very Good)
She tells women why they have health problems and how to deal with them.
Superpigs and Wondercorn by Dr. Michael W. Fox (About GMOs.)
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Life's Lessons and the Foundations of Preparedness, by A.B.
We may soon depend on all of what we have learned over the years. Putting
all of the threads of knowledge together into a tapestry of self-sufficiency,
and survival capabilities, is part of the lifelong quest for our family’s
security. We learn from many sources and experiences such as: family, church,
friends, teachers, teammates, co-workers, reading books and SurvivalBlog, and
hopefully from our mistakes.
Preparedness Skills from our Grandmas and Grandpas
The foundation for preparedness begins with my childhood in Michigan. We
lived in Lansing where my great-grandmother was next door and my grandmother
lived
next door to her. My father was born in great-grandma’s house after
the family moved to the city during the early 1900s. My sisters and I spent
weekends and summers alternately at my mom’s family dairy farm, which
was just outside of the city, and at my dad’s family cabin “up
north”. These were the richest times of my life. We knew all of our
grandparents and some of our great-grandparents very well. My great-great-grandfather
still
lived in the old log cabin when I was born in 1956. We have been fortunate
to have had five generations alive consistently from then until now. The
wealth of love and knowledge you gain from your extended family is irreplaceable.
The “old timers” told stories of hardship during the great depression
and the dust bowl era (we live an area that was the largest prairie east
of the Mississippi.) Memories of crop failures with tales of early and late
frosts
were passed down. There were also hunting and fishing stories passed down
as we learned to hunt and fish with older family members. There were bigger
than
life lumberjack stories and stories from Prohibition and the World Wars.
I learned to safely handle and accurately shoot a .22 rifle with peep sights
when I was six or seven years old. I walked the roads with my grandpa squirrel
hunting. We ice fished on local lakes and went to Tip-Up
Town USA every year.
All
of
this adds to ones persona and the early experience helps awaken the necessary “survivalist” traits.
On a working dairy farm you rapidly learn about life (and death). Animal
husbandry and caring for the land lead to sustainability. Animals do become
food and
harvesting the crops sometimes seems little reward for the hard work. The
milking must be done every day and chores do not wait. As a kid I learned
to drive
tractors and pick-ups to and from the fields. We mowed, bailed and then stacked
the hay in the mow. Alfalfa, oats and corn were the field crops. Pigs, chickens,
and sheep were raised along with the dairy cows and we cleaned the barns
and spread manure.
Knowledge is passed down from generation to generation such as when to plant,
where to plant, when to harvest, and how to raise the animals. There were
many topics of conversations at the Sunday breakfast table. Many things are
debated
and discussed after chores and before Church. Most times the conversations
continued outside the Church after the sermon. It was the only time you saw
the other farmers. When you are a little guy you tended to be quiet, pay
attention and learn.
Grandpa was a farmer and Grandma was a one room school teacher. Grandma also
taught vacation bible school during the summer break. Us kids learned how
to tend good gardens and helped preserve the food we raised. We took care
of the
barn animals while the uncles milked. We hauled water to the bull pen and
helped milk as we got older. Survival skill sets from the farm come from
being part
of a close knit community with a solid work ethic. There are strong religious
underpinnings with good people engaged in caring for one another as well
as the animals and the land.
Preparedness from "Roughing It”
The log cabin “up north” had a well-house for getting water and
an outhouse for getting rid of water. There was a wood fired cook stove for
heat and kerosene lamps to play cards under. There was a red checkered oilcloth
on the table with cane chairs around it. The place was originally homesteaded
by my great-great-grandfather in the late 1800s (a few electric lights
were added at some point.) We used to go up on Friday night after Dad or
Grandpa got out of work. The next morning started with an awakening trip to
the outhouse
and then fetching a bucket of water from the well house and kindling for
the wood stove. On a cold morning you stepped lively until the fire was going.
Once the stove was hot, Grandma would cook buttermilk pancakes on a griddle
that my great-grandmother had used in the lumber camp. Eggs and bacon sizzled
in a cast iron skillet. Clothes were washed on a washboard in a wash tub and
then
hung
out to dry. You took a bath in the river. During the summer we would fish
morning and evening and water ski on the nice days. The family summer vacation
was
spent camping in a tent along the river or at a state park. The old cabin
was also used for small game hunting in the early fall and deer camp in the
late
fall / winter. We would take walks in the woods and look for morels and other
edible things like may apples, hickory nuts or raspberries and huckleberries.
Animal tracks were learned and followed with hopes of a glimpse. Life was
considered sacred unless needed for food and being a part of nature became
obvious. A
leave no trace and waste nothing ethic was being born.
Opportunities for further wilderness and pioneering skill development were
provided by Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. My mom and dad were actively involved
in Scouting when I was growing up. Teamwork and sharing responsibilities
for the group were learned. Outdoor cooking and keeping things sanitary were
heavily
emphasized. Food poisoning is no joke – we had one patrol that damn near
killed us with their meal. We learned to wash our hands and boil the crap out
of everything. Hiking and backpacking skills were beginning to be developed
in the Scouts. We day hiked a 20 miler once a year on the Johnny Appleseed
Trail - the Scouts version of the death march. You had to carry a full pack
if you wanted the patch. We also hiked the Pokagon Trail in northern Indiana
and learned to camp in the winter.
While living in Pennsylvania (later in life) I started winter backpacking with
a few of my buddies. We went in the winter both for the solitude it offered,
and
to learn the special skill sets required for survival in the cold. There
are beautiful views from Seven Springs and other spots along the Laurel Highlands
Trail during the winter. This experience then led to the development of technical
mountaineering skills. The books Basic Rockcraft, Advanced Rockcraft and
Knots
for Climbers were memorized along with study of the book Mountaineering:
The Freedom of the Hills. Skills were practiced and ingrained.
My first solo backpacking / climbing trip came in the summer of 1980 in the
Organ Mountains of southern New Mexico. I later solo climbed most of the
4,000 and 5,000
footers in New England (many in winter). I met a like minded climber on one
of those hikes and we made a summit bid on Mt. Rainier in June of 1998. I
also began
the solo circumnavigation on the Wonderland Trail that year. I set the first
tracks both that year and when I completed the circuit in June of 2001. Map
and compass skills were required. Primitive camping
while carrying everything you
need to survive for two weeks is a tough proposition. It was tough in my 30s
and 40s. It’s even harder now that I am in my 50s. G.O.O.D. to
the deep woods is doable but it would be a hard life.
Responsibility and Teamwork
We learned to be responsible and self-sufficient during our childhood. We learned
to play without other kids around and had chores to do for our allowance. I
learned to gather the wood and light a fire as soon as I was old enough. You
pumped the
water and filled the reservoir if you wanted warm water for washing up. You
learned to use guns and knives as tools while you learned hunting techniques
and cleaned
the game for the table. Being a responsible hunter meant taking ethical shots
and using what you kill. Catching and cleaning fish, then cooking or smoking
them were all part of being a good fisherman. To go along with these survival
skills you also need the ability to share knowledge and work as a team.
Most of the skills you learn will help you to fend for yourself one way or
another. The only problem is summed up with the statement “no man is an island”.
You will need others sooner or later. My sisters and I developed basic teamwork
skills while setting up camp. The girls helped mom and I helped dad. We had a “system”.
This was carried further in Scouting. Some Patrols set up tents while another
set up the kitchen. These valuable lessons were used later in life as I went
through boot camp and during service in the military. I served on small boats
as part of a search and rescue team in the USCG.
Teamwork helps to overcome the steep learning curve and high risk of being
a self-sufficient survivalist. You can do things as a team exponentially quicker
and safer than you can by yourself. Your bunkmate becomes your partner in boot
camp and later becomes your shipmate. You learn “one hand for yourself
and one hand for the boat”. As a team you can survive what would kill you
alone. In a bad storm someone has to steer while someone bails out the boat.
One person couldn’t do it. Avalanche in the back country is another perfect
example - by yourself you are probably dead. Doing things alone is great - but
it may cost you your life. Skill and knowledge can’t cover your a** like
a buddy. It’s nice to have someone else on the rope with you; they are
your only hope.
Teaching everyone at least something you know and learning from everyone something
you don’t know can only make the group stronger. If someone gets sick
or is tired someone else can step up. CPR is
a good example here. In the back country one person can’t help himself.
One person helping may bring back the life but it better happen quickly. Two
people allow you to send someone for
help while
rendering aid until you are too tired to continue. Three people allow almost
indefinite support. Two can alternate CPR while waiting for the one who left
for help to return with the defibrillator. If help is real far away, then it’s
done. There is a point of no return. Remote locations usually cross that point
which is a distinct disadvantage (unless the SHTF).
Without teamwork you will usually die if something bad happens. Everyone has
to be a good shot. Everyone needs to be able to render first aid. The group
is only as strong as the weakest link and precious resources are spent covering
someone’s a** that’s not up to speed. Teach and learn and cross train.
Remember what you did as a kid and don’t sell the kid’s of today
short. Teach them the skills they need and allow them to grow into the responsibility.
Being part of a team or extended family that functions like a team is fun. The
action of being responsible for one another is at the root of any team.
The
Prepared Family
The family is the primary source of knowledge. Some survival skills to learn
right along with reading, writing and arithmetic are: swimming, knot tying,
fire building under all conditions, where to get water and how to make it safe
to
drink, safe gun handling and accurate shooting, hunting in fields and the woods,
fishing in rivers and on lakes, first aid, camping, boating, gardening, making
things “homemade”. You can’t start learning or teaching these
things too soon.
10 years ago we moved back home to Michigan after living all over the USA.
I had come home for my Grandpa’s funeral and was returning to New England.
Something was wrong and I couldn’t put my finger on it. That’s when
the light came on and as I drove it became apparent that I was going the wrong
way – both figuratively and literally. We were chasing the so called “American
Dream”. Losing my grandfather and returning to the north woods had shown
me where home really is. It is with family and God and where your roots are.
I had drifted away from the true values I had learned early in life.
I resigned my position, cashed out the 401(k), and bought the homestead from
grandma. We planted 24 fruit trees and installed irrigation systems for the
gardens. We
pruned the grape vines back and tended to the asparagus beds. My wife renewed
the old flower beds and I have replaced the split rail fence. We re-roofed
everything. The folks put down another well up the field and had another septic
system installed
for their travel trailer. We had a 100 amp power drop installed and we also
buried a power cable from the field to the trailer for a 12 volt system (small
scale
solar and wind).
I once again could use guns after living in the tyranny of Massachusetts. (I
refused to get an Firearms ID card so my guns never left the house in 16 years.)
I taught a niece
and nephew to shoot with the same .22 that grandpa used to teach me with almost
50 years ago. My nephew, now an 8th grader, got his first deer this past year.
No one believed him when he came home and told them. He did it on his own.
Things have now come full circle in our life. My grandma lives with us in her
old house through the summer. My sisters are both Grandmas themselves now and
they are taking care of our mom and dad. The kids have great-grandparents and
a great-great grandmother. My understanding wife of thirty years and I live
here on the homestead as stewards of the family heritage. The whole family
gets together
up here once or twice a year. We know how to provide for and take care of each
other. If the SHTF my sisters and the rest of the family will head up here
to the homestead and once again adopt the ways of our Great-Great Grandpa and
Grandma.
Everything we have learned through our lives will serve us well. Skill sets
from the north woods and from the farm are derived from living simple, living
manual
and living with nature as part of nature.
We used to fall to sleep on a feather tick mattress while listening to rain
tapping over our heads in the loft of the old log cabin. Bedtime stories were
told as
we drifted to sleep and the whippoorwills sang into the night. We didn’t
think that the day would come that just about all of what we learned from our
family and from our life would come into play. Thank God for our tight family
and all of the distilled knowledge passed down to us. I now live in a home
built over the site of the original log cabin and now we have 7 generations
since my
great-great grandparents first cleared this piece of land. It looks like we
will be talking of another “Great Depression” soon and the complete
cycle renews. Do we learn from our mistakes?
Preparedness Skills and Materials
We’re preparing for the future and I hope to teach what I can to as many
people as I can before it’s over. We can survive well if we draw on one
another’s strengths and knowledge. It starts with the family and moves
out to the extended family then to the neighbors and on to town folk and into
the blogosphere. Many people have grown up in similar circumstances and have
similar experiences. We must practice our learned skills and trades all of
the time to stay fresh and perpetuate our way of life. We must keep acquiring
new
skills and more materials for survival. Preparedness is a constant quest.
Survival trades that I've learned:
ASE Certified Master Auto Technician
Journeyman Machinist and Apprentice Welder.
Experience with all aspects of house construction from framing to finish work,
including house wiring and plumbing for water, gas and DWV systems.
Professional ditch digger and home brewer of beer.
Survival tools, equipment, and material acquired over the years:
Comprehensive set of Snap-On hand tools, diagnostic equipment and garage.
Several redundant computers and complete wi-fi coverage with satellite internet.
All of the carpentry, plumbing and electrical tools needed to build a house.
All of the tools required to garden both manually and with gas engines.
Fence building tools and supplies.
5,500 watt gas generator.
Wood stove and saws, axes, mauls, wedges.
Stores of food, bits of gold and silver, books and manuals, and lots of lead.
Survival firearms battery:
Auto-Ordinance Model 1911A1 .45 ACP (I qualified Marksman in USCG)
Stag Arms AR-15 with 20” Bull barrel, 5.56 (I qualified Expert in USCG)
Marlin .22 WMR (squirrel / varmint gun)
Mossberg .22 LR (shot this since 1962)
Ruger M77 Mk II .270 Win. (my deer rifle)
Winchester Model 94 .32 Win. Special (got my first deer with Grandpa’s
gun)
Mossberg 12 ga. 3 -1/2” Ulti-Mag in Camo (turkey / duck / goose gun)
Winchester Model 1897 12 ga. 2-3/4” (I've shot this gun since 1969)
Reloading equipment and supplies (loads for Barnes Bullets)
Survival Quest 2009 (the final pieces I'll need for grid down and
"zombies"):
Ruger M77 Mk II .300 Win Mag with optics
A manual water pump (the old pump is
gone)
Wind turbine and photovoltaic panels for water pumping and power generation.
Battery bank and inverter
More kerosene lamps
Night Vision for the AR-15
Radios
« Economics and Investing: |Main| Three Letters Re: Hunkering Down or Storing Gear in a Commercial Building »
Letter Re: The Value of Sprouting
Mr. Rawles,
In addition to seeds for a garden, anyone can produce fresh healthy
and extremely nutritious sprouts on a kitchen counter with nothing more than
a
couple of
plastic ice-cream containers. They can provide a real respite from canned
veggies while you're waiting for the crops to mature and year-round fresh greens.
I
sprout the common mung beans (think Chinese cooking) but I also do lentils,
various peas and beans and (if I could get it) I would do alfalfa and clover.
You can also make a respectable salad in your kitchen with a tray of mesclun
seeds, grown to a few inches high. Peas, any variety, will produce a delicious
green in a few days in a sprout tray. You can get a lot of information and
supplies from Sprout People or you can just buy regular seeds
and beans from the supermarket or seed supply store. I did 'em years before
I even considered how they might supplement a 'survival kitchen' for the
fun and goodness of it! - Lisa in Panama.
JWR Replies: Sprouting is indeed a great way to provide essential
vitamins. Ounce for ounce, sprouting seeds are the most nutritious
and space and weight efficient form of storage food! Sprouting seeds and sprouting
kits (with trays) are
available from a variety of Internet
vendors,
including
some
SurvivalBlog
advertisers such as Ready
Made Resources, Nitro-Pak,
and Lehman's
.
Also, don't miss this
letter on sprouting wheat grass, in the SurvivalBlog archives.
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Herbal Cures at Your Doorstep, by Organic Cathy
"Health care" in America - while having "evolved" - leaves
much to be desired i.e. cost, effectiveness, government restrictions of natural
medicines, deaths caused form "modern" medicine, control and pharmaceutical
greed to name just a few. in the blaring light of reality of today's coming
collapse even simple health care will be challenging to say the lease.
While I am not formally trained in herbal medicine, I do have some medical background
and twenty plus years of growing and using herbs and more recently delving into
wild herbs. TEOTWAWKI will change the availability of "home health care" from
government regulated pharmaceutical based approached to real home health care
where individuals - especially those in remote areas - will need to rely on what
is at hand.
I hesitate to even approach this subject, as it is vast, involved, time consuming
and can be very overwhelming. On the other hand, knowledge of hers is powerful
and very useful in survival situations.
History show that American Indians were knowledgeable in plant medicines, including
a spiritual link. That, backed up by the medicine woman or man with extensive
training passed on from one generation to the next.
The colonists - especially housewives - were responsible for their family's health
and well being. Many medicines were grown in the kitchen gardens. The medicines
that couldn't be grown were purchased at apothecaries that carried items imported
by ship. This entailed a dangerous and lengthy trip to the nearest outpost. When
doctors made house calls he expected basic herbs to be on hand provided by the
household.
When the SHTF many
will be on their own. Medication supplies - any and all - will most likely be
disrupted along with everything else. While I have a small
supply of basic meds (over-the-counter pain/.fever medication, cold, and diarrhea
etc) I've chosen to focus on what I can use from nature in my local area: wild
herbs,
plants,
trees as well as growing my own. As mentioned above limited supply and what I
have on hand will eventually expire or will run out. Also important besides growing
my own medicine is the knowledge of what grows wild in my zone will allow me
to wild harvest a variety of medicinal plants in the event of evacuating my home.
I consider it my mental G.O.O.D. kit.
Knowledge literally weighs nothing on my back but can mean everything in survival
situations.
So, having said all that, What to do? Medicinal plant knowledge IS overwhelming!
But don't let fear take up valuable energy. Start with the basics. There are
a number of excellent resource books out there (a list will follow). Build a
library of your own. Create your own resource book: three ring binder or notebook.
If (as is the case with most of us) money is tight, go to the library and take
out books on home remedies, wild herbs in your areas as well as medicinal plants
(trees, shrubs, berries etc.) and take lots and lots of notes. Search the internet
for free articles, videos, and any other information to be found on medicinal
plants. There is a wealth of information out there. Talk to those knowledgeable
in herbs - most local fairs have booths of homemade herbal products - talk with
these people - have specific questions to ask as usually they are very busy with
ten more people waiting to do the same thing. Do you know family,friends, relatives,
neighbors who grow and/or use their own herbs? Visit nurseries that sell herbs
and speak with staff there, this is what they do for a living.
Join together with friends who share this interest and take turns attending different
workshops. Share the information. This works well in regards to books, CDs,and
so on to keep the cost down. Take a botany class, join the Audubon or Sierra
Clubs, subscribe to herbal magazines, check out your local extension office -
there is a vast amount of resources for little or no cost, look for fliers (
I am notorious for picking up these at fairs, farmers markets, nurseries, health
food stores, agricultural shows and on and on). Newspaper articles, magazines,
television shows, and documentaries are also information sources. The point is
there
is
information
everywhere
if
you
pay attention!
Start your own herb garden. I've grown/started many over the years due to multiple
moves. Last year after unearthing an incredibly beautiful rock pile I transformed
it into an herb center. It is relatively small but individual "pockets" allowed
me to plant all kinds of different herbs! (Side note: many herbs are invasive
so be mindful where and how these are planted - know growing information for
each plant you want to grow). Some herbs can take years to become established
and usable for medicine, so start now.
Nature walks. Begin now educating yourself on what grows in your area; learn
the habitat and growing cycle. Throughout the year I'm constantly looking at
plants that grow in my area - what it looks like in the spring all the way to
maturity and harvesting. Even in the winter as some plants are still visible
above the snow and I take note of its location so that I can return during the
growing season. Understand how these plants grow and spread, so as not to annihilate
its growth cycle when harvesting. Many wild plants are extinct or on the verge
due to over harvesting. Take note of the location of the plants you find and
its abundance. One of the biggest challenges is plant identification! Be
absolutely
certain you know the plant before harvesting!
All inclusive books with good pictures, drawings, uses, preparation etc. is hard
to come by. That is not to say there aren't good ones out there you just may
need more than one reference guide. Again talk with knowledgeable people. I personally
learn better from being shown than reading. When I discover or am shown a new
plant I do extensive research to make sure it is exactly what I think it is.
The Google image search is great in this area because numerous pictures are available
all in one place.
Once you are confident of what a plant looks like, where it grows, how it grows
(wild/cultivated/both), its uses, administration (teas, tinctures, poultices
etc), side effects, interactions with other herbs and/or pharmaceutical medications
and any allergies associated with the plant move on to the next one. (You do
not have memorize this information but have it available for reference either
in your resource book or library.) For example, one of my favorite herbs is Echinacea
(boost your immune system). I have used it for years but last year was the first
time I've tried growing it. Another favorite is chamomile (helps with digestion
and sleep) - easy to grow and use.
This past summer I studied my lawn! There are many "weeds" that grow
naturally and have multiple uses. For example common plantain: rub the leaf on
bug bites to relieve the itch, apply to burns and can be used a a diuretic just
to name a few of its uses. If you are looking for a specific remedy, see if the
plant(s) grow in your area and start looking! Last year my son got into poison
ivy which resulted in quite a rash. A local man was selling an once of sweet
fern for $12.00! It grows naturally in my area. Being a tightwad I researched
what it looked like and its habitat and set out hunting for it. I finally located
it, harvested some, prepared it and it worked wonderfully with no side effects.[JWR
Adds: It goes without saying, but for liability reasons, I must remind
readers that using
your
lawn
as
a
source
for
medicinal
herbs
or
salad greens is an option only if you use no chemical
fertilizers, pesticides,
or weed
killers.]
This can and is time intensive but well worth the effort. The best way to approach
it that I have found is to incorporate it into my daily life. No matter where
I was or what I was doing outside I constantly scoped0ed out the surrounding
plants. At night I would search the internet and/or my books to identify the
plants. The sweet fern for example, and wild blueberries, both of which grow
in the wild locally. Knowing what sweet fern looks like and the type of area
where it grows allowed me to locate it easily which happened to be in the same
vicinity as the blueberries! Can you say multitasking? I also discovered this
winter while reading a "weed" book that one of the "weeds" that
all but consumed my garden, one that we tirelessly ripped up, is a wild edible
plant! Another popular "wee" of our garden turned out to have medicinal
properties.
I by no means have extensive leisure time to devote to medicinal plants. Last
year we had a huge garden with over twenty-five different varieties growing which
I canned, froze, ate and gave away, picked wild and cultivated blueberries, strawberries,
apples, (making jellies, applesauce, and freezing) and what my garden didn't
produce, I purchased form local farmers markets. My significant other built a
sizable three room addition that was completed in about tow and half months.
We picked, cleaned, froze and pickled fiddleheads. I mention this only to help
others be aware of what can be accomplished when you set your mind to it. As
survival focused individuals, we are all busy! Things are going to be busier
as the economic crisis gathers speed and we tirelessly work to prepare. I did
sit down and endlessly study I plug away at it whenever time allows - even during
the winter months. It does not matter how much you know or don't know. Start
where you are at, keep it simple, be consistent (even if it means consistently
inconsistent!). If you learn only one plant a month that is twelve in a year's
time and that is significant! BTW, if you have specific health issues tailor
your
research to plants that address them. Often insurance companies do not allow
you to refill prescriptions before your supply is down to less than a one week
supply.
So
get going, good luck, and God bless!
PS: If you have insurance, now is the time to take care of your ignored health
issues, as it will be much more difficult and expensive after the SHTF.
Starter list of books: (These are just a few suggestions to start with. You
can design your library to fit your needs)
A Field Guide To Medicinal Plants and Herbs - (for your region) from
the Peterson Field Guide Series
Tom Brown's Field Guide - Wilderness Survival by Tom Brown
Back To Eden by Jethro Kloss
The Complete Guide to Herbal Medicines by Charles W. Fetrow and Juan R. Avila
The Herb Book by John B. Lust
A field guide to weeds in your area. [Ask your USDA Agricultural
Extension Office Agent. They often have free reprints and fact sheets on weeds
available]
Herbs you can start with: (The information that follows the herbs is
very brief and general. Be sure to do your own detailed research)
Aloe: Vera -- Easy to grow/maintain houseplant; a must for every household
- burns
Cayenne: powder -- Gel cap or spice bottle; bleeding (internally and externally),
shock
Comfrey -- plant/salve for wounds, cuts, scrapes
Goldenseal -- Supplement/salve, fighting infection
Echinacea purpea (Purple Cone Flower) -- Boosts immune system
Peppermint -- Stomach ailments
White Willow Bark -- Same active ingredient as aspirin
« Two Letters Re: Advice on Night Vision Gear |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Did the American Indians Have it Right?, by MMJ
In these trying times when civilizations are at the brink of disaster and
many people are already in personal collapse, we should look back through history
to find out how to salvage what we have and how to survive what is to come. [Minor
rant snipped.] It seems that economic collapse is imminent and that at some
point in the near future it is going to be every man for
himself. As we watch countries collapse, global economies fail and people
across the world starve and die, I ask myself has any culture or civilization
in history gotten it right?
The nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle led by the American Indians may be the
way that many in the future may need to survive. The thought of a
survival retreat is nice, but what if a toxic gas cloud is coming your way?
Or a band of starving armed men and women discover your location and decide
that you have what they want? Are you equipped for a small arms battle? Lets
face it, most of us are not. Many of us still need to live in an urban environment
to make a living (while we still have the need) and having a stocked retreat
is just not feasible. When the sh*t hits the fan you have to ask yourself,
will you have enough time or even be able to get to your survival retreat?
For most of us the answer is simply no. So how can we prepare
for the impending collapse that most certainly awaits all of us? Thinking like
an Indian may
be the answer to your concerns. Mobility can be the key to survival. Having
a plan of escape for several different scenarios and banding together with
other like-minded people and loved ones who have also planned ahead to deal
with the inevitable collapse of our society. Going where you can survive for
short periods of time comfortably and being able to use the natural resources
available to you wherever you may end up, can be the answer to survival for
you and your loved ones.
The Indians moved with the food, with the climate in small tribes, which was
best suited to their survival. They learned to use what was provided by nature
to live, wild edibles and medicinal uses of plants, as well as some amount
of farming and of course hunting. But they also learned to take only what they
needed so that when they were to return they would have what they needed again.
This is a lesson that most of us in modern society have long since forgotten.
We have for so long here in America lived the life of gluttony (which has probably
led to collapse of more societies than we realize) that when the end comes
most of us will not know what to do or how to survive, which will not end pleasantly
for those of us stuck in the urban areas. Those of us who plan ahead and have
the ability to survive on the go while getting out of the way of the sh*t storm
that will be left behind in most urban areas after the end comes. We will be
the ones that will thrive in the face of adversity. We will be the ones left
to create a better way--a way that works.
As I contemplate the future happenings I know with utmost certainty that the
plan that I have derived will keep my loved ones and me safe and out of harm's
way. For I have thought and planned like an Indian would, made preparations
to survive on the go with a minimal amount of supplies but with the knowledge
required to get what I need from what nature has to offer. But you may ask
what if nature is damaged beyond repair, then how will you survive? Well my
answer is simple, at that point nobody will survive and mankind will cease
to exist. A gloomy thought but still one worthy of contemplation.
The reality
is there is no right or wrong answer or single philosophy that is the definite
end all to be all correct way to do it for any situation. Survival is fluid
and every situation has to be dealt with accordingly. Creativity as well as
preparation will see you through. Remember that nature taught the Indians
how to survive, they didn’t have books, schools, survival manuals or
hospitals etc… and they did just fine until the European man came with
their gluttony and took from them what was theirs, to exploit it for their
gain
and greed.
As I end my letter, I leave you with this:
“Prepare yourself with the knowledge that you hope you never
have to use, and you and yours will be just fine.” - MMJ
JWR
Adds: I will append MMJ's article with the caveat that based on
studies
of skeletal remains, the average life expectancy for pre-Columbian
Native Americans was only 18.6 years. That was
before white men brought with them European diseases. As Hobbes
put it so succinctly: "...the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish,
and
short."
A pampered sedentary lifestyle may be bad for one's cholesterol numbers,
but a hunter-gatherer nomadic lifestyles is no picnic.
At this juncture, for the sake of balance I'll also re-post something that
I originally posted to SurvivalBlog back in September of 2005:
You should discard any fantasies that you might have had about strapping
on a backpack and disappearing into nearby National Forest to “live
off the land.” IMHO,
that is an invitation to disaster. Too many things can go wrong: You will
lack
sufficient
shelter. You will not be able to carry enough food reserves. Your one rifle
and your one pistol, and your one axe, once lost or broken
will leave you vulnerable and unable to provide for your sustenance or self
defense. Any
illness or injury
could be life threatening. Even just a dunking in a stream in mid-winter
could cost you your life. Also, consider how many thousands of urbanites
will probably
try to do the same thing. Even if you manage to avoid encounters with them,
those legions of people foraging simultaneously will quickly deplete the
available wild game in many regions. Furthermore, on your own you won’t
be able to maintain sufficient security. (You must sleep, after all!) For
countless
reasons, playing “Batman in the Boondocks” just won’t work.
So forget about the "one pack" solution, other than as a last resort--for
example, in the event that your retreat is overrun.
Any of you that do not live at your intended retreat location year
round should
have a “Get out of Dodge” (G.O.O.D.)
pack ready at all times. Keep it in the trunk of your car in case circumstances
force you to hike all or part of the way to your retreat. (A sub-optimal
situation, as described in my novel "Patriots".)
Be sure to inspect your G.O.O.D. pack regularly and rotate any first aid
supplies, chemical light sticks, jerky, dried fruit, or other perishables.
While MMJ's planned approach of traveling in a group is preferable to a solo “Batman
in the Boondocks”, I still have my doubts about its viability, especially
in harsh climates.
« Letter Re: Kids and Home Security |Main| Note from JWR: »
Perspectives on Prepping on a Very Low Income, by Kuraly
I was raised in a missionary family, on nine different mission fields around
the world. At the age of nineteen, I went out to serve the Lord on my own in
the former Soviet Union. I had no formal Theological training, but was accepted
by the missionary societies of my denomination because of my experience under
my father and my willingness to go to dangerous areas.
I married, and my wife and I have now six children. A few years ago, due to
some changes in my theology, I fell out of favor with my denomination and had
to return home to the USA. I was faced with a situation of suddenly having
to feed and care for a large family with: 1. no formal education/training/skills
of any kind and 2. very little understanding of the southern American culture
that I found myself living in. I was forced to take very low-paying jobs and
survive on a low-income.
With our savings we were able to buy a small rural house and 7.5 acres in the
southeast. We were able to pay cash, I wanted it to be ours with no strings
attached, regardless of what the future held. I figured that at the very least
we would have a roof and some plantable land. I bought in the area my parents
lived in to help care for them as they progressed in years.
Our income is very limited. I work at just above minimum wage. I work a full-time
job and another part-time job. I am thankful that the Lord provides.
As I studied current events I became concerned about the possibility of a world-wide
economic and/or societal collapse of some kind, or a societal break-down here
in the USA resulting from any number of possible reasons. I had witnessed the
chaos of the nineties in the former Soviet Union, had watched doctors and physicists
sweep streets and live off of potatoes and bread for months on end, and I was
concerned about my responsibility to feed my family should a similar collapse
happen here.
What can you do when you have very limited means? Actually there is much you
can do. It amounts to setting goals and getting your family on board with you.
The first thing I did was (after my wife and I had many long talks and she
began to see things in a similar way), I gathered the family around and explained
everything to them. I explained about our limited means, exactly how much money
was coming in, how much went to utilities, fuel, etc. I explained what I believed
the dangers were. I explained what we needed to do as a family. Let me interject
here that after being born and growing up on a third-world mission field, they
were far from spoiled children! They were accustomed to living in tight quarters,
washing in cold water, eating cheap, and basically just "roughing it."
My first priority was for two weeks worth of provisions. We began to buy a
few extra cans of food when we went shopping. I set a goal of 20 dollars per
week for prepping. Some weeks ten dollars of canned goods and/or dried foods
like rice, beans or noodles, and ten dollars in ammo or medical supplies. Some
weeks just food, some weeks just extra gasoline. We bought gas cans at thrift
stores and garage sales for a dollar apiece, Large scented candles (better
than nothing) at closeout sales and garage sales for 30 and 50 cents, and just
about anything we could scrounge that might come in handy if the lights went
out. It did not take us long to build up enough supplies to last two weeks
in an emergency. We had enough gasoline to drive to work for two weeks (if
needed), enough food for our family plus a little extra, and candles, radios,
batteries and other odds and ends to get by.
I had also along the way added
to my ammunition stocks for my Winchester .30-30, and my bolt-action .22 LR.
After we reached the point where we felt we had enough for a two-week catastrophe,
we began to focus on the six-month time frame. This opened up many entirely
new possibilities. since the food required for this amount of time was such
a major expense, we had to make sure that it would last for several years.
This raised the issue of long-term storage in buckets, mylar bags and oxygen-absorbers.
We had to save for months to buy an order of oxygen-absorbers and mylar bags
on e-bay! We found low-cost buckets and began to fill them with rice, feed
corn, corn meal, noodles, beans etc. Anything that was inexpensive. We taught
the children to like corn-meal mush and grits since they might get quite a
bit of it one day!
Gradually we worked our way up to 30 buckets. At this point I made a strategic
decision. I decided that we needed to invest our extra funds in gardening.
Not entirely stopping the food storage, but reducing it in favor of procuring
means and experience in growing and canning our own food. We began to buy canning
jars and lids to put away in the attic for the future. My father gave us a
tiller with a blown engine which we were able to get fixed, and we began to
garden. The first garden was not very well thought-out. Some things grew, some
did not. But we learned. We learned first-hand what pollination means and about
soil fertility. We learned about bugs and blight. We gained valuable experience.
We also invested in chickens, and watched some of them die, some of them be
eaten by neighbor's dogs, some get eaten by our dogs, and the hardy survivors
begin to lay eggs. We watched them eat their own eggs and learned to give them
calcium. We let half of them free range and half range in portable pens that
we built which have an open floor that we could move each day to fresh grass.
We learned how to make them roost and lay where they were supposed to.
We bought some rabbits and learned a lot, real fast! We experimented with many
types of portable cages for rabbits which would allow us to move them from
one grassy spot to another without giving them time to dig a burrow. Sometimes
we would wake up and find rabbit carcases torn to shreds, because a neighborhood
cat had gotten to them. My kids handled most of this, and they learned things
the hard way.
If you haven't figured it out yet, We were totally green. I spent my life traveling
and overseeing the translation of Christian literature into foreign languages.
My wife is a musician. We had zero experience at any of this, and no one around
that we knew to advise us. We had to learn everything from scratch. We bought
a goat and promptly saw it attacked and killed by a stray dog. That hurt,
financially as well as emotionally. After sending the dog to join the
goat "on the other side", I bought another goat. and then another.
These have survived. We have learned to care for them.
Gradually I am seeing my children grow confident in their relationship to the
animals under their care. Gradually we are learning the needs of these animals
and how to make them produce for us. If we had had some kind of hands-on training,
it would have saved the lives of a lot of animals, but we didn't. I am happy
to announce a much higher survival rate for animals that we bring home now.
I felt like I needed a greater firearms capability (what man doesn't?). I thought
long and hard. At first I bought a Mosin-Nagant since they were so cheap ($75)
and the ammo was dirt-cheap as well. I then began to consider what type of
semi-automatic I could afford. I looked at the prices of ammo which was very
critical since I would have to train my entire family to shoot. At the time
the best deal for us appeared to be the SKS rifle.
It was cheap (a good quality Yugo[slavian SKS] was less than $200), dependable,
semi-auto and the ammo was
very cheap at the time. I later added a cheap 12 gauge pump, and last but not
least,
a
17 round Bersa Thunder 9mm. After purchasing these guns I began to pick up
ammo for them when I could find it on sale. I have gradually gotten up to about
500 rounds for each of them.
I then turned my attention to our home and it's defense. While we live in the
country, we are close to our neighbors 100 yards +/-, about five miles from
a small town, about 15 miles from a large town, and about 90 miles from Atlanta
(upwind fortunately). My greatest concern is our proximity to the road. The
house is only about 65 feet from the dirt road in front of our house. A looter
or burglar/rapist could be at the door or windows before the dog barked. In
response to this my next expenditure is to be fence posts, fencing, and barbed
wire, along with a row of thorny bushes in front of the wire next to the road.
Our house is a soft target, offering no ballistic protection. My remedy/forlorn
hope is to have plenty of sand and gravel on hand, and to start checking the
thrift stores for pillow cases to buy and store. perhaps we would have time
to bag up sand bags and at least harden up certain corners or rooms of the
house. We also have several large piles of sandstone (we live on top of a mountain)
which could be placed strategically and then perhaps sand bags on top of that.
We could also cut logs and add that to the mix.
Our water supply is a [grid-powered] electric well. This is one of my biggest
worries. We have made it a priority to buy a generator at least strong enough
to run
the
well and freezers for an hour or two a day. I know that this is only a temporary
solution but is about all we can handle right now. I am very thankful for the
non-fiction writing contribution about the siphon pumps for wells such as mine,
that offered up new possibilities which I have not had time to address yet.
We also have a neighbor 1/4 mile away which has an artesian spring on his property,
though it has extremely high iron content. I have purchased two 330 gallon
plastic livestock watering tanks and several drums which I can fill at the
first sign of trouble. I can also load them on my little trailer and pull them
down to the neighbor's to fill up from his well. I just need to check on the
ramifications of the high iron content.
I am also trying to fill up as many containers as possible with gasoline. I
add Sta-Bil and plan to use/rotate it yearly (as long as the price stays low).
I would like to keep at least 250 to 500 gallons on hand at all times. I buy
old gas cans at yard sales and just found a source for cheap 55 gallon drums
with sealed lids ($3). I may start using them instead.
Our immediate plans are to build more pens and raise more chickens and goats,
maybe a pig or two. We also look forward to planting a much bigger garden this
spring and maybe use some of our hard-won experience of last year. We also
want to involve the kids in martial arts classes if we can afford it, as well
as herb-collecting hikes from the local community college field school (which
are free and fun). We want to spend more time with them in the woods and in
the garden so that they feel comfortable there and begin to think about survival
from their own perspective. We also are beginning to exploit the library for
free resources for them to study on various topics.
The future of this country looks grim. As Christians we have "read the
back of the Book" and we know Who wins. Our responsibility is to be good
stewards of the talents we have, perform our duties as husbands and wives,
mothers and fathers, and ultimately, to trust Him for that which is beyond
our vision and power.
« Three Letters Re: The Risk to Reward Ratio in Getting Concealed Carry Permits |Main| Note from JWR: »
Preparing Your Feet for TEOTWAWKI, by The Surgeon
This essay will cover several common foot problems which can be prevented with
proper care. These problems can lead to impaired walking, running, and decreased
mobility, which may adversely affect survival in a serious post disaster situation.
The foundation for this information is basic knowledge gleaned from the 1930s
edition Scout Handbook, which relied heavily on Lord Baden Powell’s experience
in the British Army.The author is a Board-Certified Surgeon.
The feet have a hard job to do. They support the weight of the body standing,
walking, running, and jumping. Any time there is excess body weight, the added
load on the feet can result in problems. These include plantar fasciitis and
ankle sprains. There is a much higher incidence of Type II Diabetes in the obese,
and this leads to a host of foot problems, many of which can be life-threatening.
Ingrown toenails are a common preventable problem. There is a congenital predisposition
based on the geometry of the nail, and this is made into a problem by the bad
habit of keeping the nails too short and ripping the nail off instead of trimming
or filing it straight across. This leads to a spicule of nail which points into
the soft and delicate tissue of the nail fold, where it causes irritation, inflammation,
and finally chronic infection and pain.
The preventive treatment is to keep the nail as thin as possible by filing
the surface, which makes it flexible instead of rigid, and to avoid any ripping
of
the nail. The nail should be gently filed or trimmed straight across, with only
enough rounding of the sides to prevent digging into the skin. A small tuft of
cotton can be wedged between the nail and the nail bed if needed to prevent digging
in until the nail grows long enough. [JWR Adds: I concur that
a relatively "square" cut is best, as has been encouraged by military organizations
since
before the
1850s. However,
readers are forewarned that changing the profile of toenails radically can cause in-growth,
so make any changes gradually!]
Sometimes cutting a “V” notch
in the center of the leading edge can relieve the pressure on the sides until
it grows out.
There are proprietary systems which involve gluing a rigid polymer or metallic
strip across the nail to pull up on the sides. In theory this should work.
It is difficult to get any adhesive to work on nails, but they are worth a
try.
If things have gotten too far out of hand, and a spicule of nail is growing
into the nail fold, then a thin portion of nail will need to be removed by
a surgeon
or podiatrist.
This can be done as an office procedure with local anesthesia. The procedure
itself is not very hard but I have found that getting good anesthesia requires
some skill and patience and I would not recommend it as a “do-it-yourself” project.
The nail matrix needs to be destroyed either by cautery or by a caustic agent
to prevent re-growth on the affected side. Recovering from this to achieve
normal walking takes several weeks.
Parents and partners need to look out for each other and their children since
this can become a serious problem. Education about proper foot care starts
early along with toothbrushing.
Immersion foot or trench foot is caused by chronic exposure to water and extreme
environmental condition, either hot and humid or cold. The best prevention
is avoidance of immersion, and if this should occur, dry socks need to be put
on
after drying and powdering the feet. It is helpful to have spare boots. The
time to break these in and waterproof them is now.
Ankle sprains can be extremely debilitating. Wearing well-fitted ankle high
boots, laced securely, best prevents this. There is a great product available
wherever
animal health supplies are sold called Vet rap made by 3M. It is flexible elastic
wrap that is self-adherent. It provides excellent support for those who have
previously injured their ankles, and it makes an all-purpose first aid dressing
material, which can help hold a pressure dressing in place, or keep a splint
immobile. If you would like to pay more, the human version is called Coban.
I would recommend the 4” size.
Diabetics need to take special care of their feet. In a survival situation
it is extremely unlikely that you will be able to get the specialized care
needed
to treat a diabetic foot infection, so prevention is key. Because of the peripheral
neuropathy which many diabetics develop, the feet may lose sensation. It is
very important to frequently inspect the feet for any injury, nails rubbing
on the
skin, pressure sores, etc. This is best done with a partner so all parts of
the foot can be seen. Nails need to be cared for meticulously. Cotton tufts
can be
placed between the toes. Shoes must be “shaken out” frequently
to make sure that no pebbles or debris get inside. Well-fitting high boots
are less
likely to get debris inside than sneakers or low-cut footwear.
Smoking can lead to severe peripheral vascular disease with loss of arterial
supply to the toes and feet. In a normal situation it can lead to gangrene
and amputation. Combined with diabetes it can result in more severe atherosclerotic
changes in the blood vessels. It can also make the smoker more susceptible
to
frostbite.
Who can help you meet these challenges? Most experienced outdoorsmen and soldiers
have learned the hard away about these issues. Next to making sure the troops
get enough water to drink, foot care comes a close second. It might be a good
idea to link up with a healthcare provider to make sure you don’t have
any remediable issues such as ingrown nails that require attention.
Diabetic control and smoking cessation can be approached with your primary
care doctor. There are specially trained nurses who frequent senior centers
and nursing
homes, providing basic foot care. Those with a nursing background might check
out this type of training. For good quality shoes with plenty of toe room,
and custom made inserts for pressure relief, you’ll need to see an orthotist.
Having healthy feet is critical to maintaining a tactical readiness for future
possible disaster. Some chronic foot problems develop over years, so now is
the time to make appropriate changes in one’s habits.
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Letter Re: Looking at Preparedness as a Challenge
Jim:
My mainstream friends feel sorry for me. According to them, I live in a world
of fear rather than hope. What they don't understand is that I enjoy the
preparedness lifestyle. While they are out shopping for shoes and designer
jackets, I'm buying fruit and nut trees and learning how to graft and manage
an orchard. While they are at home watching millionaire athletes compete
on television, I'm doing 100 reps up and down my stairs with kettle weights
building my stamina. While they are watching a movie, I'm learning how to
fix my car,
weld, set up a photovoltaic system and operate a ham radio. While they are
at a restaurant, I'm learning how to can, smoke, bake and pickle.
There has
always been a small section of society that craves adventure and learning.
We were the ones that got on the ships for the new world 500 years ago.
We were the ones that crossed the continent 200 years ago. We are the ones
that
will one day venture into space to populate new worlds. Why do I prep?
It's not just because I see the potential for mass societal upheavals, but
because
of the challenge. I like to learn. I do it because I enjoy the satisfaction
of mastering new skills and being independent. - SF in Hawaii
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Survival Dentistry, by The Army Dentist
Dentistry may be one of the least exciting topics under preparedness. You
will never see a television show on the daily life and death struggles in a
dental office and you won’t find too many stories “from the front” on
the dental team. But a dental emergency can quickly complicate or even bring
to a standstill, daily living and tasks. In a SHTF scenario, this is not something
you want to deal with. The confederate army was the first army to recognize
this and fielded a dentist for their troops. In Vietnam, dental disease accounted
for 11% of Disease and Non-Battle Injury (DNBI). Today, the military recognizes
this and has provided more and more dental support closer to the forward line
of troops (FLOT ) in an effort to keep troops on duty and out of sick call.
I have been practicing dentistry for 12 years now. I am currently in private
practice but I served on active duty in the army for four and one half years
and have been in the reserves the balance of my career. I have performed dental
procedures in the third world as both a civilian and a soldier in places such
as rural Jamaica, Guatemala and Kosovo (and in a few months I will add Iraq
to the list but I doubt I will ever leave the wire to treat civilians). Most
of these procedures involved nothing more than tooth extractions because it
is the fastest way to help the most people. And most of these people recognized
that follow up dental care was tenuous at best, and were not willing to gamble
on a questionable tooth. On each of the medical civilian aid missions (MEDCAPs)
in which I participated, the line to see the dentist was always at least as
long as the line to see the physician's assistants (PAs) and physicians.
I would like to present a summary of the caries process and the best way to
prevent dental pathology in the first place, a simple way to recognize and
or loosely categorize dental symptoms, and some simple treatment alternatives
until definitive care can be reached.
The first place I would start, would be to go to your dentist and have everything
taken care of immediately. Think of Tom Hank’s character in the movie “Lost” who
ended up extracting an abscessed tooth with an old ice skate. Need I say more?
Sometimes in dentistry, we will treat a questionable tooth in an effort to
save it but the tooth has a poor prognosis and we instruct the patient to return
if problems persist. If you feel that you will be remote to dental care for
an extended period of time, then I would attempt to limit these “watch
and wait” procedures. Always ask for the dentist’s prognosis. You
don’t want to find out that the procedure has failed after you no longer
have access to the dentist.
After all existing problems have been addressed, begin and maintain (make it
a habit) a preventive dental program. It is not a very difficult thing to do
and you can save untold thousands of dollars and a lot of pain by doing it.
Believe me, I’ll take your money to fix the problems but its better if
you just avoid the problems in the first place.
Caries begins when bacteria in your mouth, digests sugar and creates acid,
which dissolves tooth structure. As this process progresses towards the pulp
of the tooth, you will experience pain. I know you all have heard this a million
times but I’ll say it again because if you do this, you will have very
few problems. Brush your teeth nd limit your sugar intake. .
It really does work. If you can remove the bacteria, which predominantly resides
in plaque,
from your mouth, you will limit its ability to create acid. Also, the sugar
intake frequency is more important than the amount of
sugar. Every time you put sugar in your mouth, the bacteria will create acid
for thirty
minutes.
If you drink
one soda in 10 minutes, and then consume no more sugar the rest of the day,
then you will only have acid in your mouth for about 40 minutes. If you take
the same soda, and sip on it all day long, then you will have acid in your
mouth all day long. Certainly limit the amount of sugar you ingest, but more
importantly, limit the frequency with which you ingest it. Also, use a fluoride
rinse every night. You should brush your teeth, then rinse your mouth, drink
water if you want, and then rinse with the fluoride. Then don’t put anything
else in your mouth and go to bed. The fluoride will sit on your teeth and make
the enamel less soluble. It works.|
Toothpaste is not necessary in this regimen either. It is good but not necessary.
Toothpaste is nothing more than a mild abrasive, flavoring and fluoride. If
you want to make your own, you can use fluoride rinse and baking soda although
baking soda is much more abrasive than commercially made tooth paste and can
irritate your tissues. It is fine to use every now and then and just use fluoride
rinse or water if that’s all you have the rest of the time.
If you do develop a carious lesion (a cavity), you can expect the following,
which can take months or years to fully develop. These symptoms are never written
in stone and vary greatly between individuals and even between teeth in the
same person. But this should provide a general guideline so you can estimate
what you are dealing with, what symptom may be expected with time and what
treatment you may need.
When the tooth structure has been sufficiently weakened, it will break and
leave a hole (the cavity). At first you may have no pain and only experience
a gingival irritation as food gets packed in it. You may have trouble getting
all of the food out. Soon it will start to ache when you chew and possibly
will be very cold sensitive. This decay is approaching the pulp of the tooth
and is starting to irritate the nerves within the tooth. This is called reversible
pulpitis, literally a reversible irritated pulp. This can be treated with a
filling. When the tooth begins to hurt spontaneously, wakes you up at night
and is sensitive to hot, then you most likely have an irreversible pulpitis.
At this point, the tooth requires a root canal or an extraction. The toxins
from the decay have reached the nerve and essentially have mortally wounded
it. This may last for several weeks and if you gut it out, the pain will eventually
go away. When the pain goes away, the nerve has died. Do not leave
this tooth untreated! As the nerve decomposes, the body is unable to get inside
the tooth to take care of it and you will eventually end up with an abscess.
The pain will return with a vengeance. This tooth will no longer be sensitive
to hot and cold but it will be extremely painfully to the touch. You may begin
to run a fever and experience swelling. Some people say it feels like the tooth
has “raised up”. It has. The infection is pushing it up. The infection
will seek the path of least resistance in an effort to relieve pressure. If
you are lucky it will establish drainage toward your cheeks or lips through
the gums. Once the drainage is established, the pain may resolve somewhat.
Again, don’t leave this untreated. If the infection, however, travels
toward the tongue, neck or sinuses, to name a few places, it can become very dangerous, very quickly.
Possible sequelae include septicemia, airway obstruction and pericardial infections.
These complications are not common but are very dangerous and need to be treated
by a medical professional. Some of the symptoms of these very serious infections
will include increased temperature, swelling under your jaw, under your tongue
and around your chin, swelling extending toward your neck, swelling in your
throat that may begin to push your uvula aside, difficulty swallowing and/or
breathing. Do not ignore these! Seek medical care immediately!
As far as field dentistry for non-dental personnel, you are pretty much limited
to prevention, and possibly temporarily treating a reversible pulpitis. I have
in the past taught 18Ds [The Army MOS for Special Operations Medical Sergeants]
to extract teeth and even perform root canals but they are exceptional men
in exceptional circumstances and we had a lot of time to work on it. In this
venue I will suggest the names and techniques and perhaps you can fill in the
gaps with a willing local dentist.
Two long-standing temporary filling materials are Cavit and IRM. Both of
these are a powder and liquid that when mixed will become very hard. The
benefit
of IRM is that it contains eugenol (clove oil), which is a sedative and can
sooth a sensitive tooth. These will keep food and “cold” out of
a cavity until you can reach definitive care. If you are somehow able to secure
it, Fuji IX is a wonderful restorative material that will also release fluoride
and can slow down/stop the decay process. I don’t know how you can get
it without a dental license but if you are resourceful…please, I am not
advocating non-dentists treating tooth pathology in any way, shape or form
(i.e. don’t sue me if you try something and it doesn’t work). I
am simply offering some observations from my own experiences that may be helpful
when dental care is not available. In the end, you will need to find a dentist
but hopefully these tips can help you prevent, treat or recognize the severity
of dental pathology that you may encounter in remote areas. This is about four
years of school crammed into a few pages so there are huge gaps of course,
and there are as many ways to treat disease as there are dentists. Others may
have different opinions and better treatment alternatives but I think this
can at least organize a discussion or be a good stimulus for questions.
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Letter Re: Comments on Two of the Three Bs: Bullets and Band-Aids
Greetings Jim,
With [the] November 4th [US presidential and congressional election] behind
us, many of us are wondering how to proceed with our preps. With regard to
the
bullets
in
the "Three
B's" consider
this; your firearm will function with one magazine, most with even no magazine,
but
they all require ammunition. As a prep (as opposed to investment), I put forth
that a good supply of ammunition is a higher priority than spare magazines,
after purchasing the firearm, of course! In selecting a firearms battery, ammunition
availability is a common selection criteria. You should own firearms that ammunition
can be purchased readily at any country store in the middle of nowhere. Good
choices are .308,.223, .30-06, 12 gauge, 9mm, .45 ACP,
.40 S&W,
.22 LR,
and possibly 7.62x39. A post-November 4th trip to our local Wal-Mart found
them cleaned
out of the Federal brand 100 round white boxes of both .223 and 9mm.
Esoteric calibers
should play only a limited role in the defensive battery and be supported by
more
common calibers. A couple of notable exceptions are .50 BMG,
and .338 Lapua Magnum. These calibers are in limited use by various military
units for very-long range
engagement of medium and hard targets. If you own weapons chambered in these
cartridges then be sure to obtain a large supply ASAP. These
weapons can be very useful for special purposes, and typically represent large
financial
investments,
but are useless without ammunition. If ammunition is hard to find now, it will
only be more difficult and expensive later. From that point consider purchasing
a quantity of ammunition, in each caliber, that you maintain a commitment to not to
use any of it.
It's reasonable to start with calibers that you or your group
have the most firearms
for, and work down from there. After reserves in each caliber
are built up, purchase ammunition for training, target practice, or barter,
using the same (most guns to least guns) philosophy. Some people may choose
to start with rifle ammunition and work towards pistol ammo. As my favorite
Front Sight instructor says, "Your pistol is only to fight your
way to a rifle!" A thousand rounds in backstock, of each caliber,
is a good place to start (case lots are psychologically harder for me to break
open). One needs
only to hear of the purported attempt to ban imports of 7.62x39, or the ammunition "registration" bill
being pushed in Arizona to realize that there are many magazines, etc. available
on the market, but ammunition is a one-time use product. Bans, taxes, or "registration" of
loaded ammunition, or components would eventually make gun control a moot
point! So stock up now.
With regard to the band-aids in the "Three B's", on another blog
I happened onto a discussion of first aid kit components. The pre-hospital
care
giver was advocating obtaining all sorts of advanced tools like IV fluid
and
sutures. As Josh (hat-tip to my fellow Montanan) pointed in an earlier SurvivalBlog
letter ,there are many training, and medical-legal issues with having/using
this
type of equipment. And as many sources like Ragnar Benson, and Where There
is
No Doctor point out, these interventions have only a limited role in all
but a full of TEOTWAWKI
situation. One excellent product that everyone should
have
in their medical bag that requires no prescription or specific training is a
hemostatic agent like Quickclot. Here
is a YouTube link
to the military report on Quickclot (one specific brand, there are other
good ones also) should demonstrate it's effectiveness. The 6th edition of the
NAEMT's Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) textbook identifies
hemostatic agents
as most useful in a "delayed transport" scenario, that is, typically
greater than one hour to definitive medical care, like what you would find in
a wilderness or"grid down" type emergency.
Having the equipment without the proficient skill in its use is exactly like
having a firearm in the nightstand and thinking you are good to go. Here are
some ideas on medical training in addition to the WRSA,
and Medical Corps suggestions
that you've made. Start out with an American Heart Association (AHA) CPR Healthcare
Provider class (Healthcare Provider is the prerequisite for most other training,
and
much more detailed than the AHA's
Friends and Family CPR class.) The AHA offers other
basic medical training as well. Many community colleges offer excellent Emergency
Medical Technician (EMT) classes, they last about one semester, and may equal
up to four college credits). If you are currently enrolled in college this
is
a great class that offers
immediate job opportunities with varied schedules, and may expose you to a
career track
that you hadn't considered. Many volunteer fire and ambulance services provide
this same training for free with a time commitment to the service after course
completion.
Wilderness Medical Associates, and NOLS offer
a variety of non-urban setting EMS classes.
One of the best educational opportunities that is often overlooked is the National
Ski Patrol's Outdoor Emergency Care Technician program.
It closely mirrors the EMT curriculum
but emphasizes care in the outdoor setting, and improvisation. Think about
this; take the class, learn important skills,
and then ski for free! Lastly, as Ragnar Benson points out in some of his books,
even doctors use reference materials. In addition to the well known titles
like Emergency
War Surgery,
and Where There is No Doctor, some people may consider purchasing
EMT, Paramedic, or the OEC textbook. Gray's Anatomy or other texts
on anatomy/physiology, and pathophysiology are also important references .
The key is not just to have
the texts, but to learn them as well. Some people may try a self-study program
of
these resources. This last route is the least desirable, because so many skills
like assessment, splinting, etc. require significant practice and experience.
As a side note, the first aid kit in your latest auction from Cajun
Safety and Survival certainly seems
to be well equipped to deal with a variety of emergencies.
Thanks for all you do. Keep up the great work. - J. in Montana (A 10
Cent Challenge subscriber)
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Letter Re: Saving Your Life and Saving Your Relationships--Don't Drive Your Loved Ones Away
Dear Mr. Rawles,
Emotions are sure running high out there. I've tried my best, as a clinical
psychologist, to let my readers know that they can have a good life, albeit
of a very different sort, as our economy continues to
deteriorate. Your site has done so much to provide a blueprint and important
details as to how to go about it. I've read some of your material (the Rawles
Get You Ready [preparedness course]; "Patriots", and your blog) and I see in
your words the deep respect you have for your readership, and for the importance
of leading a life worth living.
Thanks for your consideration, and for being there for so many years. - "Peak
Shrink"
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Letter Re: Storing Multipurpose Castile Soaps
Jim,
Thanks for your warnings and all the help your novel and blog are to us.
In reference to the recent mention of Dr.
Bronner's soaps, I just wanted to pass along some tips on Kirk's Castile
coconut soap. It doesn't have a lot of added chemicals. I can purchase it
at Woodman's for 79 cents a bar.[JWR Adds: It is also available
at reasonable prices from several Internet vendors if bought
in full cases.] It can be used as shampoo as well as to brush your teeth.
People don't believe me when I tell them it's been my shampoo for years.
It's better for your teeth than any toothpaste that has glycerin. It can
be used as dish soap also. Why buy many products to store when this one is
inexpensive and has many uses? Staying clean is so important to our health.
Praying for God's mercy, - Deb in Wisconsin
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Five Letters Re: Preparedness Advice for the Parents of a Newborn Infant
Dear Memsahib:
I'd like to suggest exploring the Wear
Your Baby site There are free directions for making your own baby wearing
wraps and free
videos demonstrating different wrapping/carrying styles. The free printable
items have good clear photographs to help in choosing the right fabric for
the job. Now that slings have become poplar and trendy the prices have become
rather
expensive. There is nothing like spending $30+ dollars to find that baby doesn't
like that carrying style or is wrong for momma's back. I'd rather buy fabric
and try different styles (more comfy). If it is a total washout at least the
fabric can be used for other projects. Another benefit is the cost is low enough
a spare can be handy for those oops that come with babies. HTH, - Stephanie
in Arkansas
Jim:
These folks may want to find a way to store and dose antibiotics. Kids develop
infections of all kinds from strep to severe ear infections. In a post-collapse
environment this may be very hazardous health wise. Buying clothes that are
several sizes bigger for the child to grow into is another thought. - Scott S.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Rawles,
I love your site. I have been reading for a few months now and hope to get
my act http://www.alertpay.com/together here. I am slowly but surely getting
prepared (my Dear Husband thinks I am crazy, but I tell him he will thank
me one day.) I am starting
a homemaker's preparedness section on my site. You know, what if you have
no washer, have to make your own laundry detergent, cleaning supplies. That
kind of thing. So this was right up my alley :)
I have two Babies and I can offer this advice.
1. Lots of pure water for Mom who is nursing. I have a water filter pitcher
that I got on sale and am saving for an emergency.
2. The Nojo Sling is great for Mom who has to nurse/keep baby quiet/put baby
to sleep on the go or in emergency situation. [JWR Adds: The Nojo brand slings
are quite expensive if bought new. But if you shop around, they can be found
in "gently used" condition on eBay or even Craig's
List.] They can double
as blankets and changing pads.
3. Lansinoh Lanolin cream is food rated and is not only good for Mom, but cures
diaper rash and chapped skin.
4. Acidophilus will stop some diarrheas. Garlic
for a natural antibiotic (honey to make it go down for Mom but of course no
honey for Baby.
Baby will get garlic in breast milk), ascorbic acid (buffered Vitamin C) to
cure just about everything.
5. Coconut oil. Not only can you cook with it, you can use it to moisturize
sensitive baby skin, it is a natural sun screen, has anti bacterial and anti
viral properties, works on diaper rash and can help keep away bugs.
6. Bulb syringes. I just got two at Walgreen's [pharmacy store] for about $2
each. They suction noses and [can be used very cautiously to] clean ears. Invaluable
for
when baby is stuffy and can't nurse.
7. Saline nose drops for same thing. I am "thinking" correct me if
I am wrong, that these could double to clean out wounds.
8. Cloth diapers. I don't use them, but have some to use as light weight blankets,
wipe up clothes and for putting in the crook of your arm when you nurses so
baby's face doesn't stick to your arm.
9. Boppy [style sling baby carriers]. Great for nursing anywhere.
(The "Breast Friend" works well for on the go because you can strap it on and
walk if you have to,
otherwise
use
sling)
and
can support baby upward if baby is sick and can help baby sleep.
10. Oatmeal. Great nutrition, easily transported and stored, good for both
Mom and Baby to eat and increases breast milk production
11. Dr. Bronner's soaps are
great, multipurpose soaps the whole family can use. I use the Peppermint to
clean (it deters pests) and brush teeth, wash baby
with Baby soap. Can also use to clean dishes, as a shampoo and to wash clothes.
[JWR
Adds: I have used a 4 ounce squeeze bottle of Dr.
Bronner's Peppermint Castile Soap for many years, mostly on backpacking
trips. A little bit goes a long way!]
12. Rubbing alcohol to cheaply and effectively disinfect everything.
Hope any
of this helps. I tried to think in terms of compact and multipurpose. We
are in a crowded town, in a small apartment and I am doing what I can and asking
God
to help
me (and trusting him) with the rest. Keep up the good work! Many Blessings
- Ace
Jim and Memsahib:
As a mother of 13 children, I am very familiar with prepping
for newborns, toddlers, children and teens :-).
Our children range in age from 19 years old to 10 months old, (and one on the
way)
Here is what I have stocked up on for the little ones:
==Acetaminophen suppositories (I buy the baby, junior and adult doses).
They are wonderful for when a fussy baby or child will not swallow medicine.
A real life saver that has helped me keep my sanity.
==Children's Motrin and Tylenol liquid. When my babies reached 20 pounds, my
doctor said that they could receive a 3/4 dose of liquid Children's Motrin
if the fever was not coming down. I recently had to do this and thank goodness
it worked! Keep plenty of both liquids on hand..it goes fast.
==Pacifiers. If your child likes a pacifier, you don't want to be without one
in the middle of the night or during an emergency. I once had a child scream
for seven hours until I gave in and went to the store. I have gotten smarter
with age and now I have stocked up (I have several dozen in my storage).
==Bottle Liners, extra Nipples, extra holders. If you use a bottle for breast
milk or formula, you'll need these. You can never have to many. Any baby items
are good for barter.
==Humidifiers. I always have at least 6 new humidifiers in storage. A baby
can be miserable with a cold.
==Baby Food. I try to give the baby what we are eating..but if we are on the
road or are eating something the baby probably can't handle (chili, etc), I
whip out the baby food. I keep a years worth on hand.
==Suppositories (Glycerin). Babies do get constipated on occasion. I also keep "Baby
Lax" on hand (a liquid).
==Pedialyte [oral rehydration solution]. A must! Keep plenty
of it on hand. It could be a life saving item!
==Extra blankets, crib sheets, etc.
==Baby shampoo. I prefer not to use adult shampoo on the younger children as
it will eventually get in their eyes and they'll pitch a fit that'll raise
the hair on a bald man.
==Toothbrushes and special Toothpaste (non-fluoride as they will swallow it!)
I have them for the babies as soon as they get their first tooth. I get extra
for all age groups.
==Next size up in clothing. They grow fast! Thank goodness we have hand me
downs as all my children (except one) are boys!
==Books. Babies love books. Get them now as you'll be surprised at how young
an age they will enjoy listening to you read!
==Toys. Age appropriate toys. The more simple, the better (blocks are a favorite
around here).
I'm sure I have more items I could add to this list as we follow the "Alpha
Strategy"...but it's time to make lunch.
God bless all of you! You are an inspiration! In God's Love, - Walt and Wendy,
and our 12 (soon to be 13) blessings from God
Folks,
First, for those who have children, blessings.
Second, in addition to diapers, do not forget more blankets, bedding, a good
crib and a safely portable car set/trailer system / transport system depending
on your transportation options.
Stock up on supplies for milk, baby food and Pedialyte. (Gatorade is
not for small children). Contact your medical provider about
infant medical supplies, study and train up for infant CPR. What ever supplies
you have on
hand, add to them and remember rotate, rotate rotate. Formula is not cheap,
and does not have a long shelf life. As to diapers, well that is up to you
to choose, but A supply of disposables and cotton washables would be a good
idea. The disposables are not cheap.
Adult health products are not for children, including pain relievers and the
like, so please consult your pediatrician and your pharmacist. Also review
your home for hazards, like exposed electrical sockets and the like. - TFB
JWR Adds: As mentioned before in SurvivalBlog, there are
recipes
available for make-it-yourself Oral Rehydration Solution. (ORS). Be
sure to
print
out
a hard
copy for your
file. It could be a lifesaver!
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Letter Re: Energy Bars as a Storage Food
Hello-
With your recent food accounts that brought up constipation, I wanted to bring
up slippery elm bark. It is an inexpensive food additive/herbal remedy to
make sure that your digestion is processing smoothly.- Cheryl@driedfoodstorage.com
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Letter Re: Energy Bars as a Storage Food
James;
This might interest your readers. I am considering
buying compact, high-calorie emergency food bars for long term
storage of food. I know they are not "real" [nutritionally complete]
food but they
easily moved and taken along, they have
a great storage life and taste pretty good. The problem is that
no pizzas and no cereal might make for a dull year, but having some of these
on hand might be good. I was wondering if the 'food bars' are a good storage
product. I would not stop storing real food, but would rely on the
'bars' for
[short term] major
calories. The ones I am looking at are in the Emergency Essentials catalog
and I am sure
you are aware of them. I would continue to add to my stores but the 'bars'
would be a fairly expedient way to store a fast year's supply, so
your thoughts
are? Just guessing at about 100 bars to start in case you wonder where I
might go with this. Thanks for your consideration. - "SSB"
JWR Replies: The commercially made "energy bars",
"emergency ration" bars, and "sports bars" can provide
a useful adjunct to a storage food program. In terms of their calories per
cubic
inch
of storage space, they are just about at the opposite end of the scale from
ramen noodles, which
we
recently
discussed.
Because they are so compact, these bars
can
easily be packed in ZipLoc bags
(or better yet, vacuum packed with a
Tilia FoodSaver sealer) and stored
in
a chest freezer.
This will greatly extend their shelf life, especially in hot climates. Just
don't forget to pin a prominent note on your "Get Out
of Dodge"
(G.O.O.D.) kit rucksack, reminding yourself to retrieve them from the freezer
before you
head out the door.
Nutritionally, food storage bars just by themselves are in adequate, just
as you mentioned. But they do make a useful supplement to your food
storage program, both to provide variety and and flavor in a bland diet,
and to serve as a very compact short term food supply for your G.O.O.D. kit.
As with any other item in a food storage program, relying too heavily
on one sort of food can lead to digestive problems. When storing foods, moderation
is the key. Include plenty of foods that you can use in greater or lesser
quantities, to keep your bowels moving properly. I'm not joking Constipation
that progresses to fecal impaction can be lethal,
particularly in situations where strong physical exertion is required. Books
on wilderness medicine and medicine for mountaineering often stress this fact.
Nearly all of the energy bars on the market are fairly expensive. On my budget,
I consider them prohibitively expensive. One good
alternative is making
traditional jerky and pemmican at home. The cost per ounce can be very
low, especially if you hunt or if you raise livestock. OBTW, I recently received
samples of Hickory Blend Jerky Seasoning and Jerky Cure from
the folks
at Hi-Mountain
Jerky, in Riverton, Wyoming. I probably won't have the chance to try them
until the upcoming deer and elk season, but these look promising for a budget
conscious do-it-yourselfer like me. (I'll post a review after I make my next
batches of jerky and pemmican.) But, keep in mind that just like with energy bars, if you store
dried meat you will also need to store a good source of dietary fiber.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Physical Gold Versus Synthetic Gold, a View Redux »
Letter Re: Innovations in the Treatment of Obesity and Diabetes
Dear James,
Take a look at this
article. The innovation of the second device which acts as an artificial
barrier to the small intestine, described in this article, is noted to effectively
cure Type II Diabetes. This may be the long-awaited answer for those who wish
to remove themselves from the daily dependency of self administering antihyperglycemic
medications. This could also be one very effective option
for the resolution of their coinciding carbohydrate intolerance which causes
their obesity. This is a non-invasive endoscopic procedure. - KAF
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Note from JWR: »
Arthropod Borne Diseases, by A.B.S.
Recent attention on the West Nile Encephalitis outbreak has brought
the need for more education and awareness to the threat of insects transmitting
diseases to both humans and the livestock we use for food. Unfortunately
most people are fixated on the West Nile problem and continue to ignore the
myriad of other pathogens that can be transmitted by insects and other arthropods
in North America. Most of the pathogens that are transmitted by arthropod
vectors are of low virulence and due to exposure most of us have developed
an immunity to them long ago. Unfortunately, with the migration of much of
the population into areas of the country that had until recently been wilderness,
the increasing introduction of new species of both pathogens and vectors
into native ecosystem, and an increase in global temperatures, that is changing
much of the habitat, an ever increasing number of cases are being seen in
hospitals nation-wide. In this article we will discuss just a few of these
diseases.
Plague
Many well known insect borne diseases occur in North America, but in such small
numbers that most of the population is blissfully unaware anything is happening.
One such pathogen is Plague. Better known as The Black Plague this bacterial
disease swept through Europe and Asia during the middle ages killing an estimated
34 million people. While such large outbreaks are no longer a significant threat,
several small outbreaks and single cases do appear annually. Most commonly
transmitted by the bite of an infected flea, usually the Oriental Rat Flea.
The largest known reservoir of Plague in North America is found in Prairie
Dog towns around the Four Corners region. With 10-15 human cases in the U.S.
and up to 3,000 human cases worldwide annually, Plague can manifest itself
in any of three different forms.
Pneumonic plague occurs when Y. pestis infects the lungs. This type of plague
can spread from person to person through the air. Transmission can take place
if someone breathes in aerosolized bacteria, which could happen in a bioterrorist
attack. Pneumonic plague is also spread by breathing in Y. pestis suspended
in respiratory droplets from a person (or animal) with pneumonic plague. Becoming
infected in this way usually requires direct and close contact with the ill
person or animal. Pneumonic plague may also occur if a person with bubonic
or septicemic plague is untreated and the bacteria spread to the lungs.
Bubonic plague is the most common form of plague. This occurs when an infected
flea bites a person or when materials contaminated with Y. pestis enter through
a break in a person's skin. Patients develop swollen, tender lymph glands (called
buboes) and fever, headache, chills, and weakness. Bubonic plague does not
spread from person to person.
Septicemic plague occurs when plague bacteria multiply in the blood. It can
be a complication of pneumonic or bubonic plague or it can occur by itself.
When it occurs alone, it is caused in the same ways as bubonic plague; however,
buboes do not develop. Patients have fever, chills, prostration, abdominal
pain, shock, and bleeding into skin and other organs. Septicemic plague does
not spread from person to person.
Mosquito Borne Diseases
The majority of the U.S. population is totally unaware of the majority of insect
transmitted diseases. While West Nile is now a common household term, the more
commonly occurring Jamestown Canyon, LaCrosse, St. Louis, Western Equine, Eastern
Equine, and Venezuelan Encephalitis have never been heard of by most. These
mosquito transmitted viruses are seen every year in the U.S., but due to the
fact that most of the cases are asymptomatic or have very mild symptomology,
coupled with the fact that most cases are in rural, often economically poor
settings, these diseases get very little press. Though most cases are mild,
acute cases begin with flu like symptoms that then can progress to inflammation
of the brain. This can lead to coma or even death. Survivors of acute encephalitis
often suffer varying degrees of brain damage.
Also receiving little press is the increasing occurrence of malaria that originates
U.S. nationals that have picked up the disease while overseas and from infected
persons that have recently migrated to the U.S. Several of these individuals
have entered the country illegally, and therefore bypass needed healthcare
due to fear of capture. This scenario is also being observed with several other
diseases.
Dengue Fever also known as "break bone fever" is another mosquito transmitted
disease that is of concern. Two versions of the disease can occur, with one
version being a hemorrhagic fever. Dengue fever usually starts suddenly with
a high fever, rash, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, and muscle and joint
pain. The severity of the joint pain explains the name "breakbone fever".
Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite are common. A rash usually appears 3
to 4 days after the start of the fever. The illness can last up to 10 days,
but complete recovery can take as long as a month. Older children and adults
are usually sicker than young children.
Most dengue infections result in relatively mild illness, but some can progress
to dengue hemorrhagic fever. With dengue hemorrhagic fever, the blood vessels
start to leak and cause bleeding from the nose, mouth, and gums. Bruising can
be a sign of bleeding inside the body. Without prompt treatment, the blood
vessels can collapse, causing shock (dengue shock syndrome). Dengue hemorrhagic
fever is fatal in about 5 percent of cases, mostly among children and young
adults.
Chagas
One disease that is becoming more of a concern among my fellow entomologists
is Chagas Disease also known as American Trypanosomiasis. This disease is transmitted
by the >Kissing Bug=, which blood feeds on the human victims as they sleep,
usually biting the host on the face. The bugs are found in houses made from
materials such as mud, adobe, straw, and palm thatch in Central and South America.
During the day, the bugs hide in crevices in the walls and roofs. During the
night, when the inhabitants are sleeping, the bugs emerge. After they bite
and ingest blood, they defecate on the person. The person can become infected
if T. cruzi parasites in the bug feces enter the body through mucous membranes
or breaks in the skin. The unsuspecting, sleeping person may accidentally scratch
or rub the feces into the bite wound, eyes, or mouth.
The parasite causes damage to the cells of the heart. It is estimated that
as many as 18 million people in Mexico, Central America, and South America
have Chagas disease, most of whom do not know they are infected. Another 500,000
people in the U.S., many of whom are illegal aliens, are thought to have the
disease. Since the insects that transmit this disease are also found throughout
much of the U.S. the possibility of transmission does exist.
Though not common, human cases of Chagas are appearing more often in the U.S.
with many more veterinary cases in dog and raccoon populations. These animal
populations then act as a reservoir for the parasite. While it is commonly
thought that better housing found in the U.S. will prevent widespread rates
of infection, this is not entirely accurate. A recent infection of an infant
that occurred in central Tennessee happened when the insect entered the patients’ home.
The infants mother happened to observe the insect on the child, and having
just watched a broadcast about Chagas on television, recognized the insect.
The mother requested a parasite screening by the family physician that isolated
the organism. The child was then able to get proper medical care. A check of
wildlife and pet populations in the area around the residence found high infection
levels among the animals. If the mother hadn't seen the insect, the child could
have been infected for years without proper treatment. Transmission can occur
when someone is bitten on camping trips as well as in the home. The disease
can also be transmitted through blood transfusions, organ transplants, to fetus
during pregnancy, and by eating feces contaminated food.
Ehrlichiosis
The presence of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Lyme Disease, and Tick Fever
is fairly well known by many people throughout the U.S. Unfortunately these
tick transmitted diseases are just the tip of the iceberg.
One tick borne disease becoming increasingly common is Ehrlichiosis. Human
ehrlichiosis due to Ehrlichia chaffeensis was first described in 1987.
The disease occurs
primarily in the southeastern and south central regions of the country. To
date six species of bacteria are known to cause Human Ehrlichiosis and are
transmitted by three know tick vectors, the Lone Star Tick, Black Legged Tick,
and the Western Black Legged Tick. Most victims of Human Ehrlichiosis have
had underlying immunosuppressants, but this isn't always the case.
In my home town in Tennessee an outbreak of Ehrlichiosis was detected in one
of our more well know retirement communities. Researchers, including myself
found that the majority of the victims had been exposed to the disease through
tick bites that occurred while they were playing golf. The victims were generally
older, but had been considered in good health. Patients with ehrlichiosis generally
visit a physician in their first week of illness, following an incubation of
about 5-10 days after the tick bite. Initial symptoms generally include fever,
headache, malaise, and muscle aches. Other signs and symptoms may include nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea, cough, joint pains, confusion, and occasionally rash. Ehrlichiosis
can be a severe illness, especially if untreated, and as many as half of all
patients require hospitalization.
Prevention
The best way to beat these diseases is to prevent the initial infection. This
is often easier said than done. Several things can be done to limit your
risk of exposure.
- Wear long sleeved shirts when possible
- Tuck pants into boots or socks
- Use repellents such as DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-Toluamide) or Permethrin
(Note: Permethrin should not be applied to the skin, only to clothing. Studies
have shown that DEET products containing more than 7% DEET should not be applied
to the skin.
- Wear light colored clothing when possible to aid spotting ticks
- Self check thoroughly when you return indoors
- Keep screens on windows and doors in good repair
- Caulk cracks and other entry point on homes
- Use mosquito netting when camping. Information on these and other arthropod
transmitted diseases can by found through the US
Centers for Disease Control web site.
With the proper education and a little preparation, the risk from insect transmitted
diseases can be greatly reduced.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Remote Rural Retreats Versus Living in a Small Town »
Letter Re: Vision Care, Post-TEOTWAWKI
Sir:
Have you covered vision care in a TEOTWAWKI scenario?
Eyeglasses, contacts, etc? I currently wear contacts and it's super easy to
stock up on extra contacts
and a spare pair of glasses but it's one more thing we take for granted.
I guess Lasik is probably not worth it unless your insurance helps or you have
the money to burn since that much money could go towards better preparations.
Thanks for your site! - Ben in Tenn.
JWR Replies:
Corrective
eye surgery was discussed in SurvivalBlog in December of 2006, in this
excellent article: Lasik
Versus PRK Eye Surgery for Preparedness, by Simple
Country Doctor.
I am a big believer in owning at least two pairs of prescription
eyeglasses--or perhaps three pairs if you are like me and have a strong correction.
(If you
are prone to saying "I'd be useless without my glasses", then get three pairs,
including at least one pair with extra-sturdy frames--something similar to
military issue BCGs.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Advice on Food Storage and Preparation »
Letter Re: Cigarette Smoking and Preparedness
James,
My husband and I think you are smart and I was hoping for a few words about
cigarette dependency (and perhaps alcohol as well).
We are fairly prepared and often strategize on making our plan better. I see
cigarette smoking as a weak link. Just when I am going to need his help the
most, he will be in the fetal position with withdrawals from the inability
to smoke. Or perhaps I will have to deal with lung disease when there are no
doctors available. A person can't successfully hide while smoking. There is
extra tension and confusion from quitting cold turkey and that will come when
a clear head is most needed.
This is an addiction issue rather than an intellectual one, but if you have
advice (either how to get him to quit, or how I can plan around it), I would
be very appreciative. Thanks, - Anna
JWR Replies: Thanks for raising this issue! The expense and
health issues are tremendous. But even more overwhelming--as you pointed out--is
the prospect of going Cold Turkey, starting on TEOTWAWKI+1.
In the event of a catastrophe, our stress levels will already be critical,
and adding one more major stress could be enough to push some folks to the
point of a nervous breakdown.
There are umpteen methods for quitting smoking. I recommend that my readers
try as many of them as necessary until you finally quit the habit. Since I've
never smoked, I'm hardly the one to opine about the "best" method
to quit. Perhaps this
article is a good starting place. The only advice that I can offer comes
to you from my perspective as a Christian: I believe that prayer is
very helpful in breaking the bonds of any addiction. Just ashamedly admit your
bad habits as the sins that they are, and repentantly ask God to free you from
them. Prayer works!
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The Warrior Way as Survival Strategy: Attune Yourself to a Martial Mindset in Daily Living, by Jeff Trasel
One of the constant knocks by the mainstream media on the preparedness movement
is the oft-touted canard that preparedness, indeed the “survivalist” mindset
is nothing more than an excuse by far-right loons to engage in Rambo-esque
fantasies of firearms, firefights and macho posturing. While there is a scintilla
of truth to this in some far dark quarters of doomsday lunacy,
it is for the most part fiction. (This matches JWR’s caveat on discussing
unregistered suppressors [in the US] or other illegal preparations). So that
we bring no discredit on what is nothing more
than prudence, perhaps a few short observations can be proffered here so those
of a serious nature can learn to assume a proper martial mindset without resorting
to hysteria.
Preparedness, survival, or any other euphemism one can assign to our interest
is as much mindset as gear, land or other physical manifestation of prudence.
It is in itself a way of life that incorporates simple daily teachings, practice,
and when training, the incorporation of real-life situational aspects that
can better model an actual emergency scenario or a situation of social unrest.
Any competent defense professional will say that greatest advantage in warfare
is information, followed by logistics, then combat power. It’s no use
having the greatest army in the world if you don’t know where the enemy
is nor if you can’t you feed your troops. As Napoleon so famously postulated,
an army marches on its stomach.
So with those adages in mind, how does one
prioritize daily living to more readily understand these concepts? We all have
things we do on a daily basis, so the question of incorporation becomes one
of time management, especially given the marvelous source of information now
available in today’s 24 hour “always on” culture. For instance,
instead of perusing the morning newspaper or watching the morning breakfast,
find several reputable financial news sources such as the online versions of
the The Wall Street Journal or Barron’s. Start educating
yourself on how markets move, how seemingly insignificant moves in commodities
or futures,
such as pork or wheat can have a direct impact on your daily life. This also
gives you markers to start creating your own scenario planning data for acquisition
planning, and in the worst case, a timeline for moving to your retreat. American’s
are notorious for living in a bubble, in what is now a deeply materialistic
culture, and missing the obvious signs of downturns both in the US and abroad.
This new discipline has an upside as well, in that by becoming a more financially-aware
individual, you can make more informed decisions on how to manage cash flow
or even become a day-trader, freeing up capital for other, more serious purposes.
Understanding the world around you, looking at information as intelligence
rather than simple factoids and being aware of the bits and pieces that can
provide a different and in many instances, a more accurate picture of what
is really going on, is a skill that will pay one back in spades. Think outside
the box!
Next, personal fitness is a must. In any crisis situation, adrenalin levels,
stress, even physical injury can manifest themselves in a variety of ways that
can cripple or terminate the best laid plans. It is therefore mandatory that
anyone considering a preparedness strategy baseline their family health. The
advantages of this are twofold: first, it gives one an idea of how much exercise
they will need to incorporate into daily life to bring them to a level of basic
fitness of a recruit in the US Army, ideally the Marines, which is not as hard
as it may appear. Second, this will aid in identifying a medicine acquisition
plan for family members so you are not caught short in a crisis situation.
There won’t be heart or blood pressure tablets around if the mob has
burned all the Walgreen [Pharmacies]. Gun shows are great places to get surplus,
mil spec-quality first aid equipment, along with catalog houses that supply
paramedics or EMS personnel. The best book on the subject is the US Army Special
Forces Medical Manual, available anywhere, along with “Where There
is No Doctor” and “Where
There is No Dentist”. (I will
cover medicine in a survival situation in greater detail in another post.)
Learn how to take your blood pressure, especially pre- and post-exercise so
you understand the difference between resting and active pulse. The various
military physical fitness programs are all available on the web. Pick one that
you can realistically follow upon consulting your physician, and then be rigorous
in its application.
You want lean, endurance-based conditioning – not necessarily big bulky
SEAL-like muscles. I can remember from my [USMC Force] Recon days watching
these guys while with them at dive school, getting all bulked-up and then not
being
able
to
run worth a damn with my fellow Marines. You want endurance, endurance, endurance.
Muscles will come, and remember: shooting skills are as much a kata as a karate
movement and are technique-based on a solid, lithe platform. Incorporate a
martial art into your training regimen if possible. This can be a speed bag,
or large punching bag, dojo work, sparring with a partner or any other self-defense
program. These teach discipline, respect for the art, and most importantly,
stamina and situational awareness, all priceless skills in a crisis situation.
These types of activities begin to solidify the warrior mindset, and in solidifying
this mindset, you now assume the duty, indeed the responsibility to only use
these skills in the protection of kith and kin, and not as a license to bully,
cajole, or simply show-off. Many years ago my first sensei gave me an axiom
that rings very true: “One warrior may spot another in an instant. Be
it by the way he moves or by the way people avoid him. The problem lies when
would-be warriors and/or fools attack a true warrior. The fool may seem to
back the warrior down, but the warrior knows by instinct that he outclasses
the opponent and does nothing, or just kills.” By increasing you martial
acuity, you will soon learn to spot fools, an invaluable skill not only in
crisis situations, but in life in general.
Learn to live in the outdoors. Go camping or hiking with your family as much
as possible. Carry weight when you hike, so you get used to load bearing. Increase
it, and record you accomplishments. Not only is it great exercise, but it allows
for team-building activities and provides an avenue to understand group dynamics
and how task-oriented your family is or is not and what your personal and familial
endurance levels are and should be. Bring map and compass and learn orienteering
skills, and if possible, find the local orienteering club and go on organized
compass courses when you can. Land navigation is an invaluable skill along
with map reading (topographic – not your normal service station map of
greater Canton…). This was the greatest challenge when I attended [US
Army] Ranger school, the skills of pace-setting and azimuth shooting, particularly
at night.
Remember, you may not have the luxury of G.O.O.D. as
a family unit, so it is imperative everyone know how to find your retreat,
rally point, or rendezvous
site by azimuth and location. Moreover, in fleeing, you may need to alter your
route intentionally if pursued, and you will want to keep your bearings so
you eventually end-up where you need to be. This will help bond your family
unit, and help in math skills with kids. Thinking on your feet and being able
to understand where you are without navigational aids is the ideal. Hold a
rehearsal drill with a prize or incentive at least yearly. Also have a vehicle
plan that works on the same level – and here any of the relatively inexpensive
commercial GPS systems
can be a great help. However, don’t become reliant
on them, as they fail, they require power, and they can be tracked. Map and
compass are best – master them. Have your kids join the scouting movement
in your area as this will also provide an inroad to appreciating living rough.
I learned more about outdoor living in my 10 years of scouting than was ever
taught to me in the many schools (with the exception of S.E.R.E. – Survival,
Evasion, Rescue, and Escape) that I attended whilst in the military. Lastly,
get local
guidebooks that identify edible plants and animals indigenous to your potential
egress/retreat area. Again, take the family out and do some plant, bird, and
animal spotting. Knowing how animals behave – particularly what they
eat – can give you insight into how they react around humans, particular
those humans not know to them. Understand the ebb and flow of the environment
around your egress and retreat area. The warrior knows his terrain intimately
and it is a force-multiplier in a crisis situation. From the Art of War,
on the Varieties of Terrain for the commander: “if ignorant of the conditions
of mountains, forests, dangerous defiles, swamps and marshes he cannot conduct
the march of the army…”
We’ve now started to look at incorporate an intelligence gathering outlook
on life, followed by a fit state of readiness for the unexpected, now what
about conflict? Unless you live in a state that allows concealed carry, you
most likely will not have much experience in the carry of, or more importantly,
the skills of living with loaded firearms. The old soldier’s adage of
training as you will fight is key here: living with live weapons does not impart
a casual familiarity that can lead to tragedy, more so the understanding of
levels of readiness depending on the scenario. Combat pistol and rifle craft
will be followed in another post and there as many philosophies as there are
gurus. I subscribe to the school of Jeff Cooper and Mel Tappan, and readers
are encouraged to seek out their writings. Suffice to say, in regards to our
emerging warrior ethos, the idea is mastery, as a weapon is only as effective
as the mindset and situational awareness of the person wielding that weapon.
Begin to think of becoming one with your chosen piece; don’t choose a
combat handgun, rifle or shotgun simply on caliber and aesthetic appeal. You
want to ensure you have good grip control, eye relief (for rifles) and for
shotguns, that the stock fits snugly when snapping the weapon to your shoulder.
This is especially critical when fitting weapons for women and children. Your
martial mentality is the platform for that weapon to be effective so it is
imperative it feel comfortable. Next, find an air pistol and air rifle that
resemble your chosen battery. Rather than wasting ammo “snapping-in” on
the range (and fielding potential embarrassing and/or curious questions), use
these tools to get the feel for breath control, trigger pull and eye relief.
Use toy soldiers to simulate range. If you pick a particularly loud air rifle,
check local ordnances prior to beginning your training. I have used air pistols
in my garage for many years with no problem. Just ensure you have sufficient
target backing. You will be amazed by how well you shoot your live weaponry
once you’ve disciplined your stance, breathing and bench positions with
the air weapons.
One of the reasons I stress familiarity with a martial art is that all involve
a relatively similar pre-contact stance. That is, feet slightly wider than
shoulder width, a light bend in the knees coupled with a straight back and
slight relaxation in the elbows in a punching position. This easily translates
into the FBI “A” (“triangle,” “apex,” etc.)
shooting position when using a pistol. There are a variety of shooting stances;
find one you’re comfortable with and practice it until it becomes rote.
I like to shoot on BLM land where I can set up a loose range with a variety
of targets that can simulate a variety of situations. Moreover, one can carry
side arms “live,’ the most important part of the exercise. Always
use caution and appoint one of your group as range master. I cannot emphasize
enough the importance in warrior thought of acclimation to daily use of one’s
weapons. Each pistol, rifle and shotgun, and the associated ammunition and
accessories, all have specific, indeed quirky, characteristics that are best
discovered and addressed in a benign environment. Another advantage of the
informal range is practicing contact drills in the form of fast draw and point
shooting; again, topics for another time, but key to the mindset. In conjunction
with the mechanics of the draw and basic tactical levels (safe – elevated – hostile),
there is the consideration of dress and load-bearing equipment. We’ve
all seen pictures of militia-types and airsoft rifle enthusiasts kitted-out
to the nines, but in reality, no warrior worth their salt dresses in such a
poseur fashion.
Kit should be scenario, then mission-driven. It’s ok to mix commercial
and military gear, as it gives you the best of both worlds, along with adaptability
and more importantly, a covert OPSEC profile. One need not run around in camouflage
with chickenplate-enabled body armor and all the other stuff that goes with
such a mindset in order to present a hardened, tactical, preparedness profile.
Try running 10 to100 yard wind sprints with what you consider to be “appropriate” gear,
along with running up and down hills, pausing frequently to set-up a shooting
position, and you will soon see what gear is needed and what quickly proves
superfluous. Moreover, one quickly grasps the need for constant conditioning,
proper diet, and rest – again, train with the gear you intend to use
in your preparedness planning. Crisis situations entail short-burst energy
requirements, breath control, noise and movement discipline and a host of soft-skills
that are much more important than having “cool” gear. You may have
the slickest web gear, a trick battery of personal defense weaponry, and way-cool “digital” cammies,
but if you’re too winded to hold an aim point, too thirsty sucking down
water like there’s no tomorrow (and at that rate, there won’t be…),
or cramping and puking for lack of salt, you are now ineffective as a resource,
a drain on those dependent on you, and more likely dead, as you were not sufficiently
aware tactically, as you were too troubled sorting yourself out… The
warrior is ready at all times, and uniformly effective, regardless of time,
place, or contingency.
I rarely wore the same load bearing equipment (LBE) configuration twice, as
operational contexts were always different.
The axioms I lived by were simple
enough: keep your [front] belt area free of any pouches or protuberances; this
allows you to lie flush when rounds start flying; next, position you main weapon’s
magazine pouches on your side, slightly behind your hip or ideally, over your
kidneys, as again, when prone, they are easier to access without elevating
your profile. You drink more than you shoot, so canteens can be located at
the traditional hip pistol position; use [CamelBak-type water] bladders where
possible, as they are less noisy, hold more, and can double as a pillow, rifle
rest or
anything
else
you can come-up with. 1 qt. plastic mil spec canteens are fine, but I normally
carried them on my main LBE framed knapsack or butt back. Use mass to distribute
weight (your hiking with weight pays off here). If you do use them on your
waist belt, ensure they are positioned in such a way that you won’t injure
yourself collapsing quickly on the deck, nor are they in the way of your weapons
carry. Never attach a side-arm to an LBE belt that leaves your body. Drop-leg
pistol holsters seem all the rage, and for Close Quarters Battle (CQB)
and urban warfare, they have a place. In a retreat scenario, less-so, as they
will
hang on fencing, drag on brush, and hamper quick ingress and egress from vehicles.
Use good quality leather or black nylon (i.e. low-profile, non-martial appearing)
pistol dress when not in tactical mode, and again, wear it as often as possible
so it becomes second-nature. Shoulder holsters are good for this as well; just
ensure it fits, can carry spare magazines, and that you have practiced drawing
from the holster so it is not a liability. As to holster location, again, this
is personal preference, as some like to cross-draw (i.e. a right-handed shooter
holsters their piece on the left hip, magazine facing the target, and draws
across the body) or use the simple hip draw. [JWR Adds: The
disadvantages of cross-draw rigs have been previously discussed in the blog.]
Concealed carry
is much in the same vein, although by its very nature, you normally carry
a
smaller
weapon,
using a variety of purpose-built holsters on the arms, legs, inside the belt,
or small of the back. I like the small of the back myself. Constantly experiment
with your LBE until it is no longer “fiddly” and fits and works
the way you desire. Run in it, dive on the ground in it, get it wet, understand
how it behaves in a variety of circumstances. Use black electrical tape, or
ideally, mil spec“100 mph tape” (in reality, olive-colored gaffer
tape) to secure loose straps and to cover metal or plastic tabs or sharp edges
that might become noisy or otherwise problematic in use. Don’t use black
duct tape as it is too sticky and leaves a residue that gets on everything.
In recapping the warrior mentality relative to equipment, remember that less
is indeed more; the more you pre-place, the less you need in a bug-out kit.
Blend in and look "conformist" as much as possible, using situational
awareness, concealed carry, and normal attire when going about your business
in urban
and non-conflict
rural areas. Don’t depend entirely on surplus or new mil spec gear; use
the best kit for the job, but more so, maintaining a martial “look” may
draw the authority’s attention or encourage other fools of a tin soldier
mentality to take you on. Adjust your kit profile to the appropriate level
of security and risk and you should be fine. Lastly, you must reconcile in
your mind the concept of deadly force. Regardless of how prepared your scenario,
you may be forced to confront those that wish you harm, and you will die if
you start the mental ethical thought process at the contact point. Knowing
your tools, knowing where to shoot, and understanding the need to shoot will
allow you the upper hand when dealing with fools. Concise action can often
abrogate the need for violence; so again, preparedness can be as much a tool
of avoidance as much as kinetic action. Deadly force will comprise several
upcoming posts and I will also provide a topical reading list in the next few
weeks, addressing not only use of deadly force, but the warrior mindset, how
to plan and what constitutes strategy, tactics, and conflict. In the meantime,
start thinking about times you’ve been scared, or in a heightened state
of anxiety, or even shot at. What went on in your mind? How perceptive were
you? What physiological signs manifest themselves? How did you compensate?
In short, begin to analyze things from an angle of what you would do, say in
an airplane crash or severe auto accident – I call this reaction planning,
and it will save your life. Understand that danger has constants, just like
any other natural phenomena. The more you think of “what-ifs?” the
more you will be ready for crisis.
In closing, preparedness, like any other skill, is much, much more mental than
physical. The successful preparedness planner is in essence a renaissance thinker,
as you must understand and appreciate a variety of skills, and master the most
critical at least at a basic level. In creating this series of articles, I
will be working with a variety of assumptions: many of my readers will have
had some military or scouting background, and possess a passing familiarity
with firearms. You may have only just started to think about contingency planning,
and I encourage you to mine the marvelous resources of SurvivalBlog. Next,
that you have families, and you intend to incorporate your family or immediate
friends or relatives into your planning; also, you are in the early days of
simply trying to sort through the myth and reality of what the preparedness
movement and mindset entails, along with the commiserate moral, ethical, and
practical considerations one must entertain to not only thrive in a crisis
situation, but also maintain the social mores of being a good citizen, neighbor
and staying within the remit of reasoned law. And like a good scout: Be Prepared… Stay
tuned! - "Jeff Trasel"
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Stocking Up on Socks and Underwear »
Letter Re: Salt Intake
JWR:
A friend and I went to a Civilian Marksmanship
Program (CMP) match
last weekend. It was a good clinic to learn how to hit a long distance static
target. (Cough.) Say what you will about how
useful that it, I think that learning many different techniques for doing a
thing gives you a better understanding of the thing. In this case marksmanship.
On to the point. We both ended up drinking three liters of water over the course
of the day. The next day I could barely balance, couldn't eat, was mostly incoherent
(felt stupid). I drank water for the entire morning and didn't get better.
I had a can of V8 (high sodium) [tomato juice cocktail] and was better within
20 minutes. Salt is your friend. - Ben M.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Notes from JWR »
After 10 Years--Some Observations and Lessons Learned by a Y2K-Era Prepper
It was June, 1998. Y2K was
a salient topic of conversation. It got my attention. When the electricity
went off and there would be no water to drink, and no
fuel to move food to the JIT grocery
stores, I could see things getting very ugly. I had been willing to fight
for this nation as a member of the US Army.
Now it was time to fight for my household. I bought a Springfield Armory
M1A. I bought a safe to store it in. I bought another M1A (for
the spousal unit of course!) I bought ammo. Lots of it. I bought gear. I
bought food.
I became awakened to the idea of being self-reliant.
That was 10 years ago. Y2K didn’t cause a global melt down. (Although
I have a friend in the service that sat in a command bunker holding his breath
at Y2K – the
government didn’t know what was going to occur.) I
have not had to live through or endure Hurricane
Katrina. No participation
in the 9/11 attacks.
In fact, I can’t claim a campaign ribbon for any
disasters. Am I upset or sorry that I have changed my life to follow a path
of self-reliance? Most definitely, absolutely not!
Let me share with you the good and the bad of what I have done in the last
ten years. So often, people new to self-reliance are like ants at the foot
of a mountain staring up with their head touching their back wondering how
in the world they will ever be able to replace modern society and be able to
take care of themselves WTSHTF.
Well, truth be told, you can’t do it
overnight unless you’re Warren Buffet. I am walking, talking living proof,
however, that you can make significant progress. Let me show you!
In order to show you that you do indeed have cause for hope, let me share
a
few of my screw-ups. How about the initial purchases I made
while in a state of “marked concern” when I became “self
aware” with
regard to self – reliance. The money I invested in self-reliance was
my spousal unit’s “down payment on a house”. Do you think
this view of “my nest” versus “the world may end” led
to some intense “discussions”? You bet your last dog flea it did.
For much of the intervening 10 years I have been the one prepping while my
wife harbored a severe grudge against the entire topic because I spent our
money for the house down payment on crazy self-reliance materials. A grade
of “F” to
me for consensus building. She is just beginning to come around in the last
two years. Poster child example of a bucket of wet sand. (If two guys fight,
they belt each other like two crazed wolverines. Eventually they realize they
were stupid for fighting, shake hands, forgive and are back to being friends.
Kinda like a cow urinating on a big flat rock – big splash and splatters,
but it dries up pretty quickly. Get in an argument with a gal and it is like
pouring water into
a bucket of sand – the surface may dry after a bit, but it stays wet
down in that bucket for a long time.)
I very religiously squirreled away Gillette Atra razors because that is what
I used each day. The handle that you click onto the blade cartridge gave up
the ghost after many years of faithful service. The stores don’t sell
them anymore! Now I have three dozen packs of five cartridges with no way to
use them to shave! Fortunately, I did find a second/spare handle in my stores
and
will
be able to use them up. Did I re-learn some valuable lessons? You bet!
Two is one, and one is none.
You need to see what you have (inventories!)
Store what you Eat/use – I did great on the cartridges, but forgot
spare handles!
In the run-up to Y2K I bought a dozen 6 volt golf cart batteries to be able to
set-up some kind of power system in the house. Great intent. No photovoltaic
panels No wiring until last year. They have been “stored” sitting
on pallets in a friends storage building for 9 years because I have not been
able to get
to the replacement power system yet. I could have used that money for a higher
priority item.
The spousal unit and I built our home last year. We did many things very right.
Some learning experiences occurred, however. Maybe chief amongst them is my
underestimation of the massiveness of the size of this endeavor! I joke with
friends about not being free from the To Do list to be able to get into trouble
for at least five years! Fix the septic pond berms. Sort out the “scrap” lumber.
Put a deck on the back of the house so the [building] code Nazis will give
us the permanent occupancy permit. Fix the leaking pressure tank in the basement.
Fix the DR
mower. Mow. Clear 30 trees dropped to get the septic pond clearance (not done
with that one yet). Cut and split and stack firewood. The list goes on. Don’t
get me wrong – I would not trade my homestead back for city living for
anything. Was I able to foresee the "second & third order effects” of
the change to a country homestead? Nope. Not even having read Backwoods Home
magazine for 8 years. Thank God I listened to my in-laws and did not try
to finish the upstairs interior construction while living downstairs!
Prior to Y2K I tried very hard to create a group. It failed in many ways. Had
Y2K caused the feared problems, we would have been road kill. Okay, we would
have been the third or fourth critter on the highway run over by life, but
we were
nowhere near ready to deal with WTSHTF/TEOTWAWKI.
The Yuppie Queen and her husband went right back to spoiling their princess/daughter,
buying Jaguars, clothes,
and hair implants. You know - living the typical American city life. The other
couple moved out onto 20 acres in a very rural county and raise goats and chickens.
I am on 20+ acres and moving in a self-reliant direction. Two out of three
ain’t
bad!
I endured the gauntlet of multiple careers trying to find a fit for who I am.
Thankfully, my spousal unit was trained well by her farmer parents. We never
carried any debt other than the mortgage. One thing we did do smart was under-buy
on our home with a condo (sixplex) in town. No car payments. No credit card
payments. We kept 3-6 months of expenses in savings. One business venture was
as a franchisee for Idiotstate. Massive mistake. Four years with no income
for me and a net loss of $60,000 overall. What preps could you get done with
an
extra $60,000? I am certainly not happy I put one in the “L” column.
I am not proud of failing. I am proud of jumping into the fight and giving
it my 110%. As they used to tell me in the military, “What an opportunity
for character building!” Learning lesson for me was that I should never
have stopped Soldiering. I simply have green blood. I have returned to the
Army by working as a tactical/leadership contractor at a nearby Fort and getting
reappointed into the National Guard. Will a deployment take me away from directly
protecting The Lovely Spousal Unit (TLSU)? Yes. Does staying employed doing
what God designed me to do mean we’ll have a steady income? Likely. Does
a pension check from age 65 on make us better able to care for ourselves? You
betcha. The world may not disintegrate in 30 days. It may actually remain fairly
normal. One has to prepare for that contingency as well.
By now you have to be thinking “What a knothead! This guy couldn’t
find his fourth point of contact if you put one hand on a cheek!” Well,
not so fast there Skippy! I have a thing or two that should go in the “W” column.
I should give you a massive dose of hope! Let me describe to you in a quick
overview where I have come to in my 10 year quest to become more self-reliant.
First, about our home…
Home
Your home is your castle, right? Well mine actually kinda is. It sets on a
chunk of land that is 20+ acres. The terrain is rolling and 95% wooded. It
butts up against a cemetery to the north, a 900+ acre conservation area to
the south, a river to the west, and a section line to the east. The home is
an Insulated Concrete Form (ICF)
structure. The walls are 1” of concrete
fake rock veneer, 2.5” of foam, 8” of reinforced concrete, 2.5” of
foam, 5/8” of sheetrock. It is “round”, being made up of
12 wall sections each 8 feet in width. Two stories with a basement. About
1,800 square feet of living space. (2,700 with the basement, however, that
area is not finished yet.) Geothermal heating/cooling and a soapstone wood
stove.
Metal roof. No carpeting – oak floors and tile. The wellhead
is inside the home so I don’t have to worry about winter breakdowns or freeze-ups,
nor losing access WTSHTF. We are running at top speed towards the 20% equity
checkpoint in order to get rid of the bankster-invented Private Mortgage Insurance
(PMI) extortion racket. (We have a credit rating of 804, so the “risk” the
bank incurs by carrying our note is a freaking joke!). It suits our lifestyle
very,
very
well. Our intent was to have a very low maintenance home. Having lived here
one year in two more weeks, it looks like we have a very big check mark in
the “W” column. More details on the design/floor plan in a future
article!
Weapons & Training
We have an M1A set-up for combat, and one set up for long-range precision work.
The Glock 21
[.45 ACP] is the base pistol for the household, with one for each of us and
a G30 [compact Glock .45 ACP] as back-up. The Lovely Spousal Unit (TLSU) doesn’t
carry a rifle or carbine, just the pistol. (More on that later.) Training for
both of us
includes Defensive
Handgun 1 and Team Tactics with Clint and Heidi Smith at Thunder Ranch. I have
also had General Purpose, Urban, and Precision Rifle with Clint. I completed
a special symposium at Gunsite (pistol, rifle, shotgun, carbine). I am an NRA Certified
pistol, rifle, and home defense instructor. I have several other weapon platforms
as a “Dan Fong” kind of guy. The two rifles with
accoutrements, and the four pistols with same were certainly not cheap. Nor
was the training. I do, however, know how to properly employ them now.
Food & Supplies
The spousal unit & I could stretch the on-hand food to cover two years.
Canned freeze dried is 45% of it, bulk buckets is 45%, and “normal use” food
is the last 10%. We have built a rolling rack set of shelves for the 3rd part
to ease rotation of the canned goods with each grocery store trip. No, I haven’t
found the secret spy decoder ring sequence on how to rotate the bulk and freeze-dried
stuff with our normal, both of us work, lifestyle. The sticking point for this
area I see is that WTSHTF, Mom & Dad in-law, Sister-in-law, Brother-in-law
with wife and two princesses (one with hubby), and my Mom & her husband
will
show up on our doorstep. That makes for an even dozen mouths to fee
Security
Now for a bit more detail. First topic up, IAW my military training, is Security.
The base of everything here is God. I have chosen to bend my knee to Jesus
Christ as my Lord and Savior. I can amass all the weapons, ammo, food and “stuff” you
can imagine, but He is the one ultimately in charge. I am charged to be a prudent
steward of His possessions - my family, property, vehicles, food, weapons,
ammo, etc.. I am definitely striving to be the ant storing things for the winter.
If you ain’t right in this area, it will really matter in eternity.
Part of your security is weapons. There are sheeple, wolves, and sheepdogs.
I am definitely in the 3rd category. In today’s world your “teeth” are
your firearms. I plan from a Boston T. Party paradigm of having a battle rifle.
Hence, the M1A. Were I starting over today, I would likely go with a FAL, but
now "I will dance with the one that brung me". Or maybe just accept the brilliance
of the M1
Garand at $620 delivered to your doorstep from the Civilian Marksmanship
Program (CMP).
I do have two of these. Hard to argue with .30-06 ball. I renovate Mausers
as my hobby and so have a .35 WAI scout rifle. A second one in the
more common 7.62x51 chambering is in work now. I laos have a Mossberg 835 [riotgun],
two Ruger 10/22s (one blued, one stainless), Ruger MKII stainless .22 LR pistol,
S&W
625 pistol in .45 ACP/.45
Auto Rim, a few Enfields, and a couple of Mosin-Nagants round out the field.
Let me detail for you the path to get to the Glocks. I think it may save you
some of your money. I received a Colt Gold Cup [M1911]
.45 ACP pistol from my Dad as a graduation gift from the Hudson Home For Boys
[aka USMA West Point].
Great
intent. A weapon as a gift – how can you ever be wrong in doing this?!
However, a terrible choice as a combat weapon. The Gold Cup is a target pistol.
Tight
tolerances.
Feeds only hardball, and that can be tenuous proposition. I carried it on the
East-West German border leading patrols. The rear sight broke twice. The front
sight shot off once and tore off twice. It was a jammomatic. I hated it. Sold
it to a guy that wanted to target shoot.
Took that money and bought a stainless Ruger P90DC. Sack of hammers tough.
always goes bang when you pull the trigger. Inexpensive as far as handguns
go. After some marked de-horning, you could even make it run in a fight without
shredding you at the same time. One marked problem. Two [different weight]
trigger pulls [for first round double action versus subsequent round single
action.]. This started to teach me to throw the muzzle down as I pulled the
trigger in
double
action.
This nasty habit caused a problem when you were firing the 2nd through X rounds,
as now it operates as a single action. TLSU had a heck of a time with it at
Thunder Ranch. Clint loaned her his G21. No more trigger problems.
Still bowing at the altar of the 1911, I bought a Kimber Compact to carry instead
of the Ruger. (I still have the Ruger – it is still “the gun that
my Dad gave me” and no one buys the P90 used for anywhere near it’s
initial cost, so I can’t sell it without taking a significant bath on
it.) The Kimber was going well. Then I got a little too aggressive at slamming
magazines home in the shortened grip and jammed it. Then the recoil rod unscrewed
itself during an IPSC run
and seized the gun while messing up the trigger. Off to Kimber. Free warranty
work and 48 hours without my self-defense pistol.
Now I have no confidence in the pistol. I Loc-Tite’d the recoil rod
and staked it so it wouldn’t come undone again. Then I sold it.
Glocks cost roughly one-half of what a Kimber does. Crummy factory sights,
but all my pistols wear tritium anyway. No ambidextrous safety required. My
short fingers are
mated to big palms, so I can handle the grip. TLSU has been trained on the
Glock Model 21 (G21). It ain’t an issue of psychological derangement
like many guys get about their 1911/Glock/H&K/Springfield, but it is a
comfortable and working relationship between Glock & I. I have a G21 and
a G30 for both of us. They always go bang accurately and they have never rusted.
I am
not
pleased
with Gaston [Glock]’s refusal to take responsibility for any mistakes
they make in manufacturing. No problems with the G21 however. A pistol is what
you
use
to fight your way back to your rifle, which you shouldn’t have laid down
in the first place.
M1As hit my safe because it is what I knew from the service. They also fire
a full power cartridge, 7.62x51. It makes cover into concealment. I don’t
have the other 10 guys in an infantry squad fighting with me so I can maneuver
under their covering fire. I have to hit the bad guy with a powerful blow once
and move on to the next wolf/bad guy. Mouse guns firing rabbit rounds don’t
scratch that itch for me. To each his own. My two are old enough to have USGI
parts and good quality control. Here are the mods I made to my “combat” M1A.
Maybe they will help you:
Krylon paint job to disrupt the "big black stick" look
M60 [padded] sling
Front sight filed down so that zero is achieved with the rear sight bottomed
out
Handguard ventilated
National Match trigger group, barrel, and sights (came as a “Loaded” package
from Springfield)
Rear aperture drilled out to make it a ghost ring
Skate board tape on slick metal butt plate
For the “Surgical” M1A (it shoots1/2 minute when I do my part):
National Match loaded package
Trigger assembly additionally tuned at factory
Unitized gas system
Factory bedded
Stainless barrel
Swan rings and QD bases
Leupold M3 3.5-10x40 scope
Handmade leather cheekrest
Other weapons - I have two M1
Garands. Both were bought from the CMP. One
is stored offsite with a "Bug-In Bag" (BIB). One is a Danish return, less
wood, that I re-stocked. TLSU has claimed this one as hers. Ammo from the CMP
is
cheaper
than any
other cartridge out there, save the communist surplus stuff. An M1917 Enfield
(also
from CMP) is in the safe, along with a 2A, a #3, and a #4. A VZ24 is stored
offsite. The first Mauser I renovated is sitting there as an additional .30-06
with a Trijicon 3-9x40 tritium-lit scope. A Remington 700 with Leupold VX-II
scope is in the safe, but likely to be sold soon. A Mosin-Nagant (M44 or
M38) ride in each vehicle.
I formerly had [Ruger] Mini-30s. I could never find any 20 or 30 round magazines
that would function reliably. I sold them and got SKS carbines. When I quit
holding out
for TLSU to become a Warrior and carry one, I sold them off to fund other
toys. I am pondering the purchase of an AK folder because it is a sack of
hammers
tough and can be transported discretely. I don’t know if I have ever
come out on the positive side when selling a gun. Now I have to re-buy an
AR-15 to have one for training purposes. The SKSs could be useful for arming
the
family showing up on your doorstep. Hindsight being 20/20, I would caution
against selling any gun you buy. (The 700 mentioned above is a 2nd precision
weapon and I have no AK to train with. Still deciding.)
Ammo is required to feed these weapons. I have over 10,000 rounds of 7.62x51.
I have over 10,000 rounds of .22 LR. No, I don’t think these amounts
are enough. Now that the costs of ammo have risen to heart stopping levels,
I really don’t feel like I bought enough in the past!
I need to plus up the quantities/smatterings of other cartridges that I have
like .30-30 Winchester, .270 Winchester,
.40 S&W.
The location of my home is the best I could get balancing competing requirements.
It is as far from the city as we can get and still stomach the drive to work.
It is between two major line of drift corridors – 12 miles to the major
one, 8 miles to the secondary one. It is bordered by neighbors on only one
side. The folks in the cemetery don’t say much. The critters in the
wildlife area are more vocal - the ducks, turkeys, geese, hoot owls, loons,
coyotes
sound off regularly. We don’t mind. About 95% of the property is wooded.
A few hickory, lots of oak. walnut, (unfortunately) locust trees are all
there.
The local river comes out of it’s banks about every other year and
blocks our driveway for several days, but never comes near the house. The
German Shorthair
is long in the tooth for security, but she is there. A new pup is in the
pipeline.
I would feel a great deal more secure if the homestead was picked up and
dropped into Idaho or Alaska. It is about as good as we can do, though, staying
near
a major city so we can have decent paying jobs. There are some improvements
we can make though. I just bought a weather alert radio from Cabela’s
today. Tough to hear tornado sirens when you live miles away and have 1 foot
thick walls! We need a driveway monitor/alarm. Again, the superior insulation
of
the walls means we hear nothing outside. I can see the utility
of sandbags if things got really ugly. Some more land line communication
assets would be
useful. I think an AR-15 for training people would be useful, as would an
AK. Overall, I think we have done pretty well in the security arena.
Our Home
We started the 10 years in a condo. It was part of a six-plex set on a small
pond. I hate Homeowner’s Associations and their covenants! We could afford
the mortgage on one of our two paychecks. Good thing! I didn’t get a
paycheck for four years. We scraped by. Two years after re-entering the job
market we built our house. We worked on the plans for five years. Beware! Finding
a property piece and building a non-shoebox home on it is not for the feint
of
heart!
You effectively are funding the construction of a mini town. You build and
maintain mini roads (your driveway). You must build and maintain a mini sewage
plant (Your septic system/pond). You must build and maintain a mini water plant.
(Your well.) You must perform mowing and tree removal for the mini parks of
your town (Your “yard”/acreage). I will write a separate article
detailing our construction woes.
Let me highlight some of the self-reliant features of the house for you. We
did not want to spend a constant stream of Federal Reserve Notes [FRNs]on
maintenance. We used insulated concrete form (ICF) construction for the structural
strength
and the energy efficiency. The metal roof should outlast us. The geothermal
and
the
R-50 walls
of the
ICF are paying us back the initial investment in construction costs. We opted
for no carpeting due to the track in mud nature of the property, having a dog,
and me having allergies. Wood and tile floors don’t hold dirt like carpets
do. Less fire hazard as well. We used commercial steel doors for the exterior
and security-need spots. They have ASSA
[high security] locks. They have peepholes.
The basement has a 10’ square root cellar for the storage of canned produce
from the garden. It also has a safe room/shelter. 12” of concrete overhead.
The well head is enclosed in it. Land line telephone and power service into
it via buried lines. Food stored in it. DC wiring
in place to the attic for when we get to the photovoltaic [PV]
system. We also ran DC wires to each room in the house for the use of LED lighting
off of a battery system. The soapstone
wood
stove
augments the electrically driven geothermal. (In spite of several damaging
thunderstorms this past year, we have not lost power so far – great job
juice Coop!)
The stairwell was kicked out onto the W/NW of the house. This shields the house
from the hottest part of the day’s sunlight, and the coldest winter winds.
We made the stairwell an extra foot wide. What a huge nice difference that
foot makes to walking up and down each day, not to mention moving stuff up
or down them! The mud porch/entry was set up for coming in with muddy boots,
or for snow covered coats. We should have made it 1’ wider, as it can
be a little tight. The bench is great for donning/doffing boots. The tile is
easy to clean the muddy paw prints, human or canine, off of.
Windows were one of the few areas that caused some fireworks. TLSU wanted a
green house in order to take advantage of the great view of the property. I
wanted firing ports to defend against mutant zombie hordes. I am still hugely
uncomfortable with the nakedness the windows leave us with. Yes the view is
great, but what about when we experience incoming rounds, or more mundanely,
when someone comes out to the property while we are away from the house all
day at work and they help themselves to our stuff? Some relief is in sight,
however. We are pricing Shattergard vinyl film for the ground floor windows.
Things That are Still Need on the Home
The great thing about the R-50 ICF walls is that they are R-50 and pretty tough.
The bad thing is that they are R-50 and pretty tough. We can’t hear anything without
a door or window being open. Hence the just purchased weather alert radio for
us from Cabela’s this week. It is kind of eerie waking up at
0200 hours and having no idea if the thunderstorm is just a thunderstorm or
if it is a tornado. The television is useless when the rain is so heavy that
the dish won’t get a signal. With regard to 2-legged varmints, a driveway
MURS Alert
system is on the purchase list as we have had multiple invited guests show
up, beat on the front door, and have to walk around to the living room
windows to get our attention so they can be let inside. Okay for invited guests – certainly
too close for uninvited varmints!
The entry hallway was one of TLSU’s “must haves” in the house
layout. It has worked out well in terms of traffic flow and such. The security
door at the foot of the stairs is a tough choke point to deal with at 0500
in the dark. No light installed there means nothing is visible through the
peephole.
I will have to install a camera and/or light so I don’t open it to let
the dog out in the morning and get rushed by 2-legged varmints.
So far, the only commo needs are between myself and TLSU. When the sister-in-law,
brother-in-law, parents-in-law and my Mom show up and we start pulling
security, we will need to be able
to talk more. I have an old set of TA-312 [field telephone]s and wire for the
primary LP/OP,
but obviously will need more in this area. Just not a sexy/fun area to spend
FRNs on for a combat arms kinda guy, but I am working on the self-discipline
needed.
We did look ahead and sink the FRNs into running 12V wires in the home for
future installation of PV panels and batteries. Obviously things like the Shattergard
film, more food, more Band-aids, etc., are of a higher priority though. We
are working our tails off to reach the 20% equity mark to get rid of the PMI
extortion as well. I still have an ASSA lock to install on the shelter door,
and one to put into the basement door. Other projected door enhancements include
armor plates for the front, outside basement, shelter, and outside storage
doors. There just never seems to be enough $ to go around, does there?
The other major source of fireworks during the home design/build was on-demand
water heaters. Having taken a 30 minute hot shower with one in Germany for
5 marks while on an FTX, I well understand what a brilliant piece of technology
they are. TLSU, having never been outside of CONUS cannot give up on the electric
water heater. She still doesn’t believe that the electricity will ever
go out for more than an hour or two. Wouldn’t it be great to be able
to draw hot water at the kitchen sink, and take a hot shower from a propane
fired on-demand heater? She doesn’t get it yet. Obviously not something
to break up a marriage over. We really did very well on the whole house building
thing. The opposite of what everyone warned us about. I am pretty proud of
that performance!
Food
We started a garden this spring. So far, it is an endeavor run by TLSU. Spinach,
onions, carrots, lettuce, potatoes, beets, and some herbs. I have not been
able to convince her to expand the size. She wants to learn in steps and I
am the whacko that orders 100 seedlings at a time from the conservation department,
which then overwhelms us in the planting department. For example, the first
iteration of this tree-planting endeavor, we got them the Thursday before Easter
weekend. Friday night and all day Saturday we planted our buns off. TLSU was
indeed a great Trooper about it, planting right along with me. Sunday was spent
at church
and pigging out at family’s homes for Easter. Monday I had shoulder surgery
to grind off bone spurs and remove cartilage chips. Too much, too fast. But
at 7 FRNs per 12 seedlings, how can you argue? I have to admit though, that
after two years of the 100 seedlings, I am ready to give it a rest. This year
we settled for seven apple saplings. Initial inspection of the cherry, pecan,
oak, walnut and persimmon seedlings around the house reveals about an 80% survival
rate. Only another 10 years and we will be getting food from them!
The initial freeze dried and bulk storage food needs to be rotated. Anyone
figured out how to do this kind of at home cooking when the two of you work?
The canned/”normal” food is now being rotated with each grocery
store trip. We have canning jars for this year’s veggies and the root
cellar has a robust collection of shelves to store them on. How much is enough?
I
don’t know. Four geographically separate and secure stashes of three
year’s
worth of food for all of the family? Who knows!?
Medical
I have Boo-boo kits just about everywhere now. You know, the band-aid and antibiotic
salve with ibuprofen kit that handles 90% of life’s issues in this area.
Now comes the high-dollar investment stuff. The combat blow-out packs for gunshot
wounds or serious car wrecks. I did go along on a buying trip to a medical
warehouse and got some catheters, sutures, gauze pads, etc.. I did get in on
the last great iodine buy before our loving big brother government banned the
sale of iodine to us mere citizens. (It is a stewable ingredient to make drugs,
you know – “we must deprive/punish all to protect you from a few.
Oh, well, you don’t need to be able to sterilize water anyway – we’ll
take care of you on that too….”)
TLSU and I eat very healthy food – locally raised beef with no antibiotics
or growth hormones. No growth hormone dairy products from a local dairy. Spinach
from the garden. There are sugar detectors on the doors. Also, no chips allowed.
We get to the dentist regularly. We both do Physical Training (PT)
. She jogs 3 miles, 3-4 times per week. I run over lunch at work about 4 miles,
4-5 times
per week
and
lift
weights twice per week.
“Needed Still” list includes: Blow out kits, more bandages, more
hospital type stuff, more medicines, syrup of ipecac, more antibiotics, more
feminine
stuff (think of a vaginal yeast infection with no drug store open), drinking
alcohol, poison Ivy soap and remedies, athlete’s foot cream, more baby
wipes, more hand sanitizer, all forms of baby stuff, get the bone spur ground
smooth in my other shoulder and the cartilage chips taken out, get rid of the
cat (allergies).
Vehicles
We still have the same vehicles we had in 2001. A 1998 Toyota Corolla bought
with 30,000 miles, and a 1999 Ford Explorer bought with 45,000 miles. Both
were
paid in full when bought. Both avoided the 25% loss of value when driving a
new car off the lot. The Corolla gets 37 MPG.
I hate it. Every bit of plastic on it has broken – the car door locking
mechanisms, the trunk lock, the ventilation system fan. It gets 37 MPG. I can’t
find anything to touch that. The Ford is too big to get decent mileage, and
too small to really be
a useful truck. It is paid for and has AWD/4WD.
It always starts. Both vehicles have BIBs and gas masks in them. Both have
trunk guns. Both have roadside gear
to help ourselves out of a jam. We are saving for the replacement of them both.
We are going to be saving for quite a while. We need more cash in the BIBs
and Bug Out Bags (BOBs)
All of the preps in this section were done via Cabela points. I bought gas
and paid for business expenses - everything I could pay for with a credit card
was paid for with the Cabela’s credit card. You get points at some sickening
rate of $.01/FRN spent, $.02/FRN in the store. However, when you buy $6-8,000/month
of stuff between personal and business stuff, it adds up! The gear for the
BOBs & BIBs, weapons gear and parts – a significant percentage – 85%+
- came from Cabela [credit card bonus] points. When I got birthday or Christmas
monetary gifts I spent them on self-reliance items. We did this never incurring
any
interest
penalties because we zero the balance out each month. Our BOBs are set-up to
sustain us for 10 days. They are packed in Cabela’s wet bags for load
out in five minutes. Originally I sought to wear a tactical vest and ruck.
After two unsuccessful winter BOB campouts where I could barely waddle one
mile with
both of them on at the same time, I dropped the vest. TLSU’s back is
in tough shape due to scoliosis, so she is not humping any mammoth rucks with
the extra three mortar rounds and can of 7.62 linked. We also decided that
the G21 was what she could carry and dropped the SKS and chest pouches of 10
round stripper clips. Her ruck is a Camelback Commander. That is as big of
a ruck as she can hope to carry without killing her back. We are not leaving
home to go on a combat patrol in Hit or Fallujah. We are fleeing some kind
danger and have every intention of avoiding additional entanglements, to include
government hospitality suites in stadiums.
The Lovely Spousal Unit (TLSU)
I started self-reliance the wrong way. No consensus development. I saw a danger
and acted. I am a male/sheepdog/warrior type. I am not sure that I could have
ever persuaded her to participate in any meaningful manner before Y2K. She
has only recently begun to do so after eight years of seeing me provide for
and protect her. I was, however, stubborn/strong enough to do what I thought
was
the right thing and to heck with what was popular. Most “males” check
their gender specific anatomical gear at the wedding alter and continue on
in sheeple status. I get that females are the nurturers. I get that they work
from an emotional starting point, not logical. Not wanting the tornado to destroy
the house or the hurricane to wreck your and the adjoining three counties is,
at best, the French method of addressing life. TLSU is finally helping me to
rotate food via the grocery store purchases. She no longer rolls her eyes or
sighs disgustedly when I spend my Cabela points to buy gear. Once I explained
to her that I was planning to shelter and feed her parents and siblings and
that our one year of food wasn’t going to feed all of them for very long,
she started to get on board. She even likes spending the points off of her
Cabela’s card now. She is running 3-4 times per week and gets some PT
from work outside in the garden. She has come a long way. As best as I can
tell, she will not ever be a warrior. We have come a substantial distance from
sleeping on the couch each time a self-reliance topic hits the table of discussion
though. A definite and growing check mark in the “W” column!
Skills
Skills that I have acquired:
Rifles – renovating Mausers and training at Thunder Ranch helps
your ability to use these tools immensely.
Soldering – fixing plumbing leaks myself vs. paying a plumber $200
to show up and start billing me for work
Building – I invested 13 full work weeks of time during the building
of our home helping the contractor. Some of it was the nubby work of cleaning
up the scrap and sawdust. Some of it was banging in joist hangers. I laid
all the tile and 95% of the wood flooring in the house.
Fix-it – the DR Brush mower has long passed it’s warranty
period and while performing quite admirably, does need attention every now
and then.
The 1974 F100 demands attention regularly. Each of these repair work challenges
teaches me a little more about mechanical items and taking care of things
myself.
Sewing – Yes, my dear Grandmother taught me to sew buttons, and
my Mom taught me to survival sew/repair things. A 1960 gear driven Singer sews
nylon
gear though!; )
Skills still needed:
More First Aid – it appears that a first responder or wilderness 1st
aid course may be in the cards for this year.
More Hand to Hand – my goals and objectives list has had this goal
on it for several years. Good news – I got started on knocking it off the
list. Bad news, it revealed an “old man” shortcoming in my shoulder.
Good news, I am getting the shoulder fixed (hopefully) during “normal” times
versus after Schumerization. I just may get ambushed and not have my trusty
M1A in hand. Having unarmed defense skills means never having to be a steak
dinner/victim.
More riflesmithing – each birthday or Christmas gift of money has
been partially apportioned to the purchase of gunsmithing tooling. I need more
practice
with the tools I have. I still need more tooling. I recently secured Parkerizing
gear, but have not gotten the metal stands for the tanks built. Still,
progress is progress and I can already do more to maintain weapons than
95% of the
population.
Knife making – I just cringe at the idea of spending $300 for top
quality knives. CRKT is my friend. Even better is learning to assemble the
scales and
blank myself. Eventually, knowing how to forge blanks myself would be useful.
Mill lumber – with 95% of my property wooded, I have the material
to be self-reliant with regard to my lumber needs. I need a way to saw the
tree into lumber though. First, the mill, then the skill to use it. Then
I have
the gear to diversify my income and help others.
Have I always done the smartest thing? Absolutely not! Much to the crazed
satisfaction of a former operator buddy, I have cycled through the “best/high
dollar” gear
approach to the “sack of hammers USGI/AK” school of self-reliance.
Don’t get me wrong – I ain’t surrendering my Kifaru rucks
anytime soon! However, there were a great number of FRNs spent on those self-reliance
tuition payments! Have I learned a lot? Absolutely, yes! Am
I better able to maintain my independence and protect and provide for my
family? Absolutely,
yes! Could you do better than I did? Good chance. Have you
done as much as I have in the last 10 years? Only your freedom, loved ones,
and the quality
of your life post-TEOTWAWKI depend on the answer to that one.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Recommendations on Body Armor »
Letter Re: Request for Investing Advice
Mr. Rawles:
After reading "Patriots" last
year, much like Mr. H., I was decidedly ready to act, but largely unprepared
logistically. It can be overwhelming and the feeling
that “I had a long way to go” was ever present (it still is and
I suspect always will be as my education never ends). I'd just like to remind
the author to not worry, you’ll get the stuff; you’ve already taken
the first step and done something. But preparedness is more than material,
the mindset is most important. Start to live right, be frugal, be healthy.
Don’t be reliant on outside institutions. Grind that grain, learn to
eat and use whole foods. You’ll not only be saving money in this inflationary
environment as you prepare, you’ll also enjoy health benefits and be
doing your family service by breaking them out of the consumerist mentality
that inundates us all and welcoming them into a life of self sufficiency. Most
importantly by being a good, guiding father and husband.
Once you get your mind right and start thinking, you’ll learn to set
priorities and focus on certain aspects of preparedness individually. Over
time you will accumulate materials and skills necessary to not only survive
in TEOTWAWKI, but to thrive in everyday life.
Last year I submitted an article called What
if The Schumer Doesn't Hit The Fan? - Reasons to Prepare Anyway. I stand by my writing but have learned a
lot since and think we are ever closer to rough times.
In less than one year, I’ve accumulated most importantly a wealth of
knowledge, but also several months worth of grain and dried food for my family,
a grain
mill of course, defense items, several books, communication equipment, a generator,
a modest gasoline supply, first aid supplies, a pocket water filter and several
other items. We also now raise backyard chickens, expanded our garden, increased
savings (the most difficult part by far), and I am finally working on starting
a small dog training business.
Since deciding to really prepare, it’s amazing how far I’ve come,
but I was also amazed at how receptive my wife and kids have been and how much
we were either already doing or mentally prepared to do which mesh well with
a preparedness lifestyle. Things like home schooling, camping, eliminating
debt, learning to do without. I still have a long way to go but I am proud
of our accomplishments and enjoying the lifestyle change.
In closing, I'd like to say it's awesome how many people's lives you are changing.
Thank you, Mr. Rawles for all you do. - MB
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Note from JWR: »
A Beginner's Guide to Essential Oils, by Paul C.
Any basic care kit in a WTSHTF scenario
would be lacking if it did not include several essential oils. Aromatherapy
has been used since ancient times for
medical and religious purposes; its proponents have included Galen (personal
physician to Marcus Aurelius), Avicenna (an Arab physician at the turn of
the first millennium) and Rene Gattefosse (the father of modern aromatherapy).
Essential oils are mentioned in Chinese medical texts dating back over 4,000
years;
they were utilized by the Egyptians to embalm their dead. When the Black
Death (bubonic plague) ravaged Europe during the Middle Ages, aromatherapists
were largely unaffected (probably due to the fact that certain essential
oils repel rodents, which carry the fleas which transmit the disease). Hence,
in any situation where traditional medical care is severely limited, essential
oils serve a valuable purpose. There are several important factors to consider
when using essential oils:
1. One must know the botanical names of the plants associated with such oils.
If one sees a bottle of “marjoram,” is it sweet marjoram (Origanum
marjorana), a sedative, or wild marjoram (Origanum vulgare), a stimulant also
known as oregano, which is considered too toxic for human use? If one wishes
to obtain chamomile and buys Ormemis multicaulis, he is really purchasing Ormenis
oil, which is not a true chamomile. Therefore, knowledge of scientific
botanical names is an absolute necessity.
2. Never take essential oils internally-some are toxic in very small doses
(eucalyptus has caused fatalities in doses less than a teaspoonful). Given
orally, they will cause severe damage to the mucous membrane of the GI tract.
They are also not as effective orally as they are topically—gastric acids & digestive
enzymes alter their molecular structure.
3. Less is more with essential oils; a few drops is all that is necessary to
produce a desired effect; in addition, they are synergistic when mixed together
(the whole is greater than the sum of its parts). For example, the anti-inflammatory
effects of chamomile are increased when combined with lavender.
4. Buy essential oils from a reputable manufacturer such as Aroma Vera, Aura
Cacia, Radiant Garden, or Original Swiss Aromatics. Vitacost (www.vitacost.com)
offers high quality essential oils at bargain prices.
5. Essential Oils do not come with an expiration date; Citrus oils (orange,
lemon, lime, etc.) tend to degrade most quickly (six month shelf life); the
typical shelf life of essential oils is about two years. However, some essential
oils,
such as rose, jasmine, or eucalyptus globulus, become more potent with age.
6. Store essential oils in dark glass bottles; they degrade plastic.
7. If buying as essential oil from a store, place a drop of it on tissue paper.
They are volatile. If an oily streak remains after a couple of minutes, the
oil has been diluted with a carrier oil (such as sweet almond oil or grape
seed oil).
8. As a rule, one should not apply essential oils undiluted to the skin; severe
skin rashes or phototoxic reactions (exaggerated sunburn) may occur.
9. Dilute essential oils in a carrier oil before topical use. A good rule of
thumb is 2-5 drops of essential oil in 5 ml (1 teaspoonful) of carrier oil.
Good examples of carrier oils include sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil,
grape seed oil, sunflower oil, or even corn oil.
10. For children, use a dosage of 1-2 drops of essential oil per 5ml carrier
oil. Good essential oils for children include tangerine, lavender, chamomile,
and spearmint.
11. Some essential oils must not be used during pregnancy. These include birch,
sweet marjoram, myrrh, thyme, and rosemary.
12. Never get essential oils in your eyes; if this happens,
first dilute the essential oil with milk or vegetable oil, then flood the eye
with
water. Using
water first will simply intensify the burning sensation.
13. Be careful with essential oils around a heat source-there is a risk of
accidental fire.
14. Never buy essential oils from a supplier who charges the same or similar
amounts for all of them—these oils vary widely in price. Jasmine costs
roughly 100 times as much as grapefruit! Buyer beware!Here is my list of essential
oils that are good to have in a survival situation.
1. Lavender (Lavandula vera, L. officinalis, L. angustifolia, and others):
if you are going to have only one essential oil in your kit, make it this one.
It is one of the few essential oils active against bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
It is touted by Patricia Davis (a British expert on aromatherapy) as being
the “supreme choice for insomnia.” This oil is very useful for
treating burns as it promotes rapid healing and helps prevent scarring. Lavender
also serves to relieve muscular pain, treat acne, and repel insects. Very few
people have allergic reactions to lavender, and this oil can be applied directly
to the skin.
2. Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia): some sources state that tea tree may
be applied undiluted to the skin. Like lavender, it is also active against
bacteria, viruses, and fungi. It is a powerful immuno-stimulant, and is especially
useful for topical fungal infections such as ringworm and athlete’s foot.
It can be applied to cold sores and blisters caused by shingles or chicken
pox. This essential oil is so useful for medicinal purposes, that during WWII,
Australian producers were exempt from military service until enough had been
accumulated.
3. Peppermint (Mentha piperata): described as cephalic (stimulates the brain
and clear thinking); vermin hate the smell of mints in general—this oil
can be used to deter mice, rats, and insects. It is probably most famous for
promoting digestive health. In children, spearmint is a gentle substitute for
peppermint. In extreme cases (I say this with the utmost caution!) it can be
used undiluted on the skin to relieve severe sinus congestion; however one
does risk skin irritation (possibly severe). I have used this on myself numerous
times directly on the skin of the face without any side effects, and it has
relieved my congestion. This was recommended to me by a naturopathic physician
(my boss at the massage school where I am a science instructor) who stated
that patients were able to cancel sinus surgery after using this treatment.
Be prepared for a unique sensory experience lasting about 30 minutes (burning,
tingling, and tearing); I could actually feel a “popping” sensation
within my sinuses as they began to open.
4. Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citrates): this inexpensive essential oil is valuable
as an insect deterrent. Do not apply to skin which will be exposed to sunlight,
as a photosensitivity reaction may develop. It has a soothing effect on headaches,
but must first be diluted (do not use more than 3 drops in a carrier oil at
one time). This stimulating oil has been used in traditional Indian medicine
for centuries to reduce fevers and treat infectious disease. It is also helpful
for excessive sweating.
5. Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha, C. molmol): an outstanding essential oil for the
prevention and treatment of gum disease. I have been using it for years (1
drop in a teaspoonful of mouth wash and mixed with a glass of warm water) to
prevent gingivitis. This oil must not be used during pregnancy. Unfortunately,
due to the unrest in the Sudan, this oil has become even more expensive in
recent years. The best price I could find was $25 for 15ml (one tablespoonful)
at Vitacost.com. This may sound pricey, but consider that a 15ml bottle contains
about 300 drops of essential oil; this oil has a thick resinous consistency
and a bottle lasts me about a year.
6. Clove (Eugenia caryophyllata): only the oil distilled from the sun dried
buds, not the leaves, should be used. This pale yellow essential oil is famous
as a treatment for toothache, but can also be used for digestive problems,
muscle soreness, scabies, and respiratory infections. It should not be used
in pregnancy and must be diluted before being applied to the skin. This oil
has been used to sterilize surgical instruments.
7. Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla- German chamomile; Anthemis noblis- Roman
chamomile): these oils are soothing, calming, and anti-inflammatory. Their
properties often overlap with those of lavender. These are gentile oils are
suitable for use in children. They are especially valuable for treating skin
conditions. NOTE: Artemisia arborescens is often sold as "blue
chamomile", but is in fact a type of mugwort-- It should never be used during
pregnancy!
8. Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus, E.radiata, etc.): E. globulus is more commonly
used and its potency increases with age, but E. radiata is less likely to irritate
the skin. These are famous antibacterial and antiviral agents; however they
can also be used to combat muscle soreness, deter mosquitoes, and relieve headaches.
E. globulus should not be used in children under 12.
Sources:
Worwood, Susan & Worwood, Valerie Ann. Essential Aromatherapy, Novato,
Calif., New World Library, 2003
Worwood, Valerie Ann. The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy.
San Rafael, Calif., New World Library, 1991
Davis, Patricia. An A-Z Aromatherapy, Essex, England, C.W. Daniel Co. Ltd.,
1988
Feller, Robin. Practical Aromatherapy, New York, Berkeley Books, 1997
Lawless, Julia. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils, Rockport, Mass.,
Element Books Ltd., 1995
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Letter Re: Advanced Medical Training and Facilities for Retreat Groups
Mr. Rawles,
Last month I wrote to SurvivalBlog about what do one would do medically in
TEOTWAWKI, when
all systems are down. I had received three very good replies, and have
ben thinking about what was said. I want to thank those people for their valued
replies. Now, I have more questions and concerns.
From what I've read concerning medical advice leaves me wondering.
All of the advice given has stated to get a good quality Field Surgical Kit,
and two books: "Emergency War Surgery"; and, "Where there is no Doctor". Then
these articles went on to [imply that] when a medical emergency arises, grab
your surgical
kit and the Emergency War Surgery Manual, and handle the situation. This is
where I am concerned.
First: The human body is not like the family car. Both are made up of many
complex parts that must work together to provide transportation, in the sense
of a car, and life, in the sense of the human body. There are numerous maintenance
manuals for the car, and the repair of your auto can be learned in a short
time. However, This is not the case for the human body. The human body is composed
of many systems, that are inter-related. It takes a highly trained individual
to repair us, and sometimes, complex medical instruments to help him do his
job. The skills are not learned over night or in the quietness of your family
room. They must be used and practiced on a continual basis in order to do the
job properly. Anyone that says he can operate on a human being with a Field
Surgical Kit in one hand and an Emergency War Surgery Manual in the other,
in my humble opinion is wrong! This individual is about to break the Cardinal
Rule of Medicine: First, "Do Thy Patient No Harm!"
Second: For those either setting up a retreat or are already living with theirs,
I ask this question: Are you prepared for medical emergencies? I'm talking
about a specific area for treatment (i.e. disease and trauma)? If you do not,
then now is the time to prepare for that need. A treatment facility need not
be very large--about the size of a two-car garage. Inside this structure would
be an operating suite, intensive care unit for two patients, and a small laboratory.
You will need specialized training to utilize each area. You can add wind or
solar power systems, running water, or whatever you feel is necessary. It takes
a lot of work and effort to build something like this. It will also be expensive
to supply the right equipment.
Third: If you are a member of a group, you may be in a better position to set
up a treatment facility, and to find a General Practitioner Physician/Surgeon.
Finding such an individual is like having gold in hand. This individual would
be the most important member of your group. He would take care of all the aches,
pains, sniffles and sneezes.
Think about these things and give me your feedback. It will be valuable information
to all the readers. In advance I want to thank you for your replies. - DS in
Wisconsin
Not every retreat group is blessed with finding a doctor to be part of their
group. In the absence of a doctor, I recommend that at least one group member
get EMT training.
This is best accomplished by volunteering with your local Emergency Medical
Service. These are usually paid positions, so the pay offsets
the training expenses.
JWR Replies: Regardless of whether or not your group has
a medical professional,
I recommend that all adult group members get as much training as time
allows. Start out by taking the Red Cross basic and advanced courses and their CPR course.
Then take the field medic course offered by Medical
Corps. Several SurvivalBlog readers have taken this course, and they all
have all commented to me about how impressed with their training. In fact,
one of our readers from Hawaii flew all the way to Ohio to take this course,
and he reported that it was worth the expense. Their upcoming class
(May, 2008) is full, but get on the waiting list for the next one.
I also
recommend the Practical Medical Course taught by the Western
Rifle Shooters Association. (This course is subtitled: "Field Expedient
Medical Care for Outdoorsmen in Austere Environments.") Coincidentally, they
have one scheduled for May 16-17-18, 2008 in Brookings, Oregon.
Check their web site regularly, for announcements of other course dates and
locations. This modestly-priced training, led by an Emergency Room doctor with
35 years of experience,
will teach you many
things that the Red Cross doesn't teach you!
For example, their classes place an emphasis on treating gunshot wounds.
Only the largest and best-financed groups could afford to set up a surgery
suite and lab like you described. It is a worthy goal. But keep in mind that
even modest medical training, instruments, facilities, and logistics are better
than no preparation--which sadly is the state of 98% of American families.
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Three Letters Re: What Determines if a Storage Bucket is Food Grade?
Greetings Jim,
I have found the folks at the bakery counter at [supermarkets such as] Safeway
are willing to give me food grade buckets for free or maybe $1 each. They
get
frosting
five gallons
at a time. Once you read the label on that stuff you may never eat store
bought cake again! - DAP in Missouri
Jim:
I wanted to share the
best priced source I have found for Food Grade Buckets.
Other than getting them free from food vendors, I haven't found a price better
than $3.99 for five gallon food grade buckets. Lids are $1.09. People might
not see the terms "Food Grade", but seeing NSF, FDA,
or USDA approved
means essentially the same thing. - Joe A.
Jim,
A couple of days ago you wrote about storing grains in [HDPE] plastic buckets.
Since then people have had questions regarding what constitutes a "food
grade" bucket.
Questions that you have answered fully.
However, in that original post you mentioned putting the grain in plastic
bags inside the bucket. My question is what [plastic composition]
bags should I use? The first thing that
came to mind was a trash bag -- Convenient
as they are readily available and they are large. But, I recall reading somewhere
that [some] commercially produced trash bags are treated with pesticides which
one would not want their food stored in. If that is so, then what type of
bags
would you recommend? - Mark
JWR Replies: Clear vinyl bags (often marked "V" or with recycle
code "3") are almost always food grade. Low density polyethylene (LDPE or
recycle code "4") in film form--typically used in grocery bags and trash bags--is usually food
grade, but some varieties have some strange additives or coatings. To be sure,
see the manufacturer's packaging for details. If the package
is marked "FDA Approved",
"USDA Approved",
or "food safe" then they are food grade. Most mylar is food
grade, but
again beware of odd coatings. Most mylar bucket liners--such as those
sold by Nitro-Pak
-- are food grade. The latter, BTW, is my top choice for extending the longevity
of stored grains
and legumes.
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The Precepts of My Survivalist Philosophy
In the past week I've had three newcomers to SurvivalBlog.com write and ask
me to summarize my world view. One of them asked: "I could spend days
looking through [the] archives of your [many months of] blog posts. But there
are hundreds
of them. Can you tell me where you stand, in just a page? What distinguishes
the "Rawlesian" philosophy from other [schools of] survivalist thought?"
I'll likely add a few items to this list as time goes on, but here is a general
summary of my precepts:
Modern Society is Increasingly Complex, Interdependent, and Fragile. With
each passing year, technology progresses and chains of interdependency lengthen.
In the past 30 years, chains of retail supply have grown longer and longer.
The food on your supermarket shelf does not come from local farmers. It often
comes from hundreds or even thousands of miles away. This has created an alarming
vulnerability to disruption. Simultaneously, global population is still increasing
in a near geometrical progression. At some point that must end, most likely
with a sudden and sharp drop in population. The lynchpin is the grid. Without
functioning power grids, modern industrial societies will collapse within weeks.
Civilization is Just a Thin Veneer. In the absence of law
an order, men quickly revert to savagery. As was illustrated by the rioting
and looting that accompanied disasters in the past three decades, the transition
from tranquility to absolute barbarism can occur overnight. People expect tomorrow
to be just like today, and they act accordingly. But then comes a unpredictable
disaster that catches the vast majority unprepared. The average American family
has four days worth of food on hand. When that food is gone, we'll soon see
the thin veneer stripped away.
People Run in Herds and Packs, but Both Follow Natural Lines of
Drift. Most
people are sheep ("sheeple").
A few are wolves that prey on others. But just a few of us are more like sheepdogs--we
think independently, and instead of
predation,
we are
geared toward protecting and helping others. People naturally follow natural lines
of drift--the path of least resistance. When the Schumer hits
the fan, 99% of urbanites will try to leave the cities on freeways. The highways
and freeways will soon resemble parking lots. This means that you need to be
prepared to both get
out of town ahead of the rush and to use lightly-traveled back roads.
Plan,
study and practice.
Lightly Populated Areas are Safer than High Density Areas. With
a few exceptions, less population means fewer problems. WTSHTF, there will
be a mass exodus from the cities. Think of it as an army that is spreading
out across a battlefield: The wider that
they
are
spread,
the less effective that they are. The inverse
square law hasn't been repealed.
Show Restraint, But Always Have Recourse to Lethal Force. My
father often told me, "It
is better to have a gun and not need it, than need a gun, and not have it." I
urge readers to use less than lethal means when safe and practicable, but at
times there is not a satisfactory substitute for well-aimed lead going down
range at high velocity.
There is Strength in Numbers. Rugged individualism is all
well and good, but it takes ore than one man to defend a retreat. Effective
retreat defense necessitates having at least two families to provide 24/7 perimeter
security. But of course every individual added means having another mouth to
feed. Absent having an unlimited budget and an infinite larder, this necessitates
striking a balance when deciding the size of a retreat group.
There are Moral Absolutes. The foundational morality
of the civilized world is best summarized in the Ten
Commandments. Moral relativism and secular humanism are slippery slopes.
The terminal moraine at the base of these slopes is a rubble pile consisting
of either despotism and pillage, or anarchy and the depths of depravity. I
believe
that
it takes both faith and friends to survive perilous times. For more background
on that, see my Prayer
page.
Racism Ignores Reason. People should be judged as individuals.
Anyone that make blanket statements about other races is ignorant that there
are both good and bad individuals in all groups. I have accepted The
Great Commission with sincerity."Go forth into all nations" means
exactly that:
all nations. OBTW, I feel grateful that SurvivalBlog is now read
in more than 100 countries. I have been given a bully pulpit,
and I intend to use it for good and edifying purposes.
Skills Beat Gadgets and Practicality Beats Style. The modern
world is full of pundits, poseurs, and Mall
Ninjas. Preparedness is not just about
accumulating a pile of stuff. You need practical skills, and those
only come with study, training, and practice.
Any
armchair
survivalist
can
buy a set
of stylish camouflage fatigues and an M4gery Carbine
encrusted with umpteen accessories. Style points should not be mistaken
for genuine skills and
practicality.
Plentiful Water and Good Soil are Crucial. Modern mechanized
farming, electrically pumped irrigation, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides
can make deserts bloom. But when the grid goes down, deserts and marginal farmland
will revert to their natural states. In my estimation, the most viable places
to survive in the midst of a long term societal collapse will be those with
reliable summer rains
and rich
topsoil.
Tangibles Trump Conceptuals. Modern fiat currencies are generally
accepted, but have essentially no backing. Because they are largely a byproduct
of interest bearing debt, modern currencies are destined to inflation. In
the long run, inflation dooms fiat
currencies to collapse. The majority of
your assets should be invested in
productive farm land and other tangibles such as useful hand tools. Only after
you have your key logistics squared away, anything extra should
be invested in silver and gold.
Governments Tend to Expand their Power to the Point that They Do Harm. In
SurvivalBlog, I often warn of the insidious tyranny of the Nanny
State. If
the state where you live becomes oppressive, then don't hesitate to relocate.
Vote with your feet!
There is Value in Redundancy. A common saying of my
readers is: "Two
is one, and one is none." You must be prepared
to provide for your family in a protracted period of societal disruption. That
means storing up all of the essential "beans, bullets, and Band-Aids" in quantity.
If commerce is disrupted by a disaster, at least in the short term you will
only have your own logistics to fall back on. The more that you have stored,
the
more
that
you
will have
available for barter and charity.
A Deep Larder is Essential. Food storage is one of the key
preparations that I recommend. Even if you have a fantastic self-sufficient
garden and pasture ground, you must always have food storage that you can fall
back on in the event that your crops fail due to drought, disease, or infestation.
Tools Without Training Are Almost Useless. Owning a gun doesn't
make someone a "shooter" any more than owning a surfboard makes someone a surfer.
With proper training and practice, you will be miles ahead of the average citizen.
Get advanced medical
training. Get the best firearms
training that you can afford. Learn about amateur radio from your local
affiliated ARRL club.
Practice raising a vegetable garden each summer. Some skills are only perfected
over
a period
of years.
Old Technologies are Appropriate Technologies. In
the event of a societal collapse, 19th Century (or earlier) technologies such
as a the blacksmith's forge, the treadle sewing machine, and the horse-drawn
plow
will be
far easier
to re-construct than modern technologies.
Charity is a Moral Imperative. As a Christian, I feel morally
obligated to assist others that are less fortunate. Following the Old Testament
laws of Tzedakah (charity
and tithing), I believe that my responsibility begins with my immediate family
and expands in successive rings to supporting
my immediate
neighborhood
and
church, to my
community, and beyond, as resources allow. In short, my philosophy is to "give
until it hurts" in times of disaster.
Buy Life Assurance, not Life Insurance. Self-sufficiency
and self-reliance are many-faceted. You need to systematically provide for
Water, Food, Shelter, Fuel, First Aid,
Commo,
and, if need be, the tools to enforce Rule
308.
Live at Your Retreat Year-Round. If your financial and family
circumstances allow it, I strongly recommend that you relocate
to a safe area and live there year-round. This has several advantages,
most notably that will prevent burglary of your retreat logistics and
allow you to regularly
tend to gardens, orchards, and livestock. It will also remove the stress of
timing a "Get Out of Dodge" trip at the11th hour.
If circumstances dictate that you can't live at your retreat year round, then
at least have
a caretaker and stock the vast majority of your logistics in advance, since
you may only have one trip there before roads are impassable.
Exploit Force Multipliers. Night vision gear, intrusion
detection sensors, and radio communications equipment are key force
multipliers. Because
these use high technology they cannot be depended upon in a long term collapse,
but in the short term, they can provide a big advantage. Some low technologies
like barbed wire and defensive road cables also provide advantages and can
last for several decades.
Invest Your Sweat Equity. Even if some of
you have a millionaire's budget, you need to learn how to do things for yourself,
and
be willing to get your hands dirty. In a societal collapse, the division of
labor will be reduced tremendously. Odds are that the only "skilled craftsmen" available
to build a shed, mend a fence, shuck corn, repair an engine, or pitch manure
will be you.and
your family. A byproduct of sweat equity is muscle tone and proper body weight.
Hiring someone to deliver three cords of firewood is a far cry from
felling, cutting, hauling, splitting, and stacking it yourself.
Choose Your Friends Wisely. Associate yourself with skilled
doers, not "talkers." Seek out people that share your
outlook and morality. Living in close confines with other families is sure
to cause friction but that will be minimized if you share a common religion
and norms of behavior.You can't learn every skill yourself. Assemble a team
that
includes members with medical knowledge, tactical skills, electronics experience,
and traditional practical skills.
There is No Substitute for Mass. Mass stops bullets. Mass
stops gamma radiation. Mass stops (or at least slows down ) bad guys from entering
a home and depriving its residents of life and property. Sandbags are cheap,
so buy plenty of them. When planning your retreat house, think: medieval
castle.
(See the SurvivalBlog Archives for the many articles and letters on Retreat
Architecture.)
Always Have a Plan B and a Plan C. Regardless of your pet
scenario and your personal grand plan of survival, you need to be flexible
and adaptable. Situations and circumstances change. Always keep a G.O.O.D. kit
handy, even if you are fortunate enough to live at your retreat year-round.
Be Frugal. I grew up in a family that still remembered both
our pioneer history and the more recent lessons of the Great Depression. One
of our family mottos is: "Use
it up, wear it out, make do, or do without."
Some Things are Worth Fighting For. I encourage my readers
to avoid trouble, most importantly via relocation to safe areas where trouble
is unlikely to come to visit. But there may come an unavoidable day that you
have
to
make a stand to defend your own family or your neighbors. Further, if you value
your liberty, then be prepared to fight for it, both for yourself and for
the sake
of
your progeny.
« Letter Re: Caustic Chlorine Troubles, and Using Dry Chlorine for Water Treatment |Main| Note from JWR: »
The ABCs of WTSHTF, by Mark B.
The ABCs of When the Schumer Hits the Fan (WTSHTF.)
aren’t what you have prepared, acquired or stowed but even more basic
in the preparation processes that we sometimes take for granted.
The A is the ability to learn, to adapt and to try. No matter how
many classes we take or how much we have stored away there is the potential
that we might have missed something or prepared for one scenario and ended
up with another. We may be in the middle of TEOTWAWKI and
not be fully ready but guess what, we aren’t scheduling it. Ability is
not only applying something that we’ve learned but troubleshooting or
working through something that we don’t have a clue about. We may not
get it right the first time that we try something new but we have the ability
to learn from our mistakes and go back to try again. We have the ability to
learn from others mistakes and we have the ability to make changes or corrections
that work for our scenario.
The B is the brains that we have to reason with to store our morals
our life lessons and the memories that make us who we are. The best tool that
we have at our disposal is our brain. So many people in day to day life just
go on auto pilot and don’t think about what they can do to improve how
they do something. In my line of work I hear that “I’ve done
it that way for 20 years”. My response is that you’ve been doing
it wrong for 20 years. We just get in the habit of doing things a certain way.
We eat our meals at the same time even if we aren’t hungry just because
it is the time we are conditioned to eat. We go to bed at a certain time and
we get up at a certain time. As a culture we have stopped utilizing what we
were born with. In my opinion that is a large part of why we are where we are
today. The sheep just keep waiting for someone to lead them or fall prey to
the ones that use their brains without the use of morals. If we just think
about what we are about to do instead of just doing it we can prevent personal
injury or emotional pain. A simple example would be when a loved one has done
something that upset you and you just respond without thinking of how it would
affect them or why they did it the way they did. The words are already spoken;
you can’t take them back, or you’re cutting something with a knife
and slice your finger or hand because you didn’t think about what you
were doing. We should try to learn and practice as much as possible so it will
at least be familiar if not second nature but if we haven’t seen or done
it before it is still doable because we can reason and solve problems. The
human race has faced challenges for thousands of years and we have always improved
because we have the ability to think.
The C stands for two things, first is choice. Most of the dialog that
I’ve seen on SurvivalBlog shows that we have made a choice to
not be led into a place where we no longer have a choice.
We all are at different stages in the process but our choice is to survive
whatever we are dealt. The choice is yours for all situations, you may not
be able to control the overall aspect but you make the choice of how you let
it affect you. Have you ever been driving and had someone cut you off? You
don’t have control over the other driver but you do have the ability
to make the choice of letting the incident infuriate you or brushing the whole
situation off. We all make choices of whom if anyone will be invited into our
confidence or where our retreat will be. We make the choice of what type of
armament we will utilize or the type of food we will store or grow. Some things
are dependent on location or availability but it is still a choice. Our choices
are a large part of what makes us who we are. The choice to have faith, the
choice to be ready, and the choice to have morals are some choices that most
of us here have made. Remember that no matter what the influences are the final
choice is the one that you make. Right, wrong or indifferent it’s the
choice that you will have to live with.
The second C is composure, always maintain your composure. If you
keep your wits about you then you stand a better chance of surviving the situation.
When you lose your composure you lose your ability to reason and react rationally.
In an emergency situation time is critical and if you remain calm you will
have a higher probability of doing it right the first time. In an emergency
situation maintaining your composure could mean the difference between life
and death. I don’t mean you have to become cold or callous but you can
deal with your emotions after the situation subsides. If you don’t maintain
your composure you might not get that chance.
I would like to thank my brothers in arms from all the services; they have
helped me learn these lessons and have given me the opportunity to use what
I was born with and strived to refine it and help it grow.
Remember that we started out without clothes and shelter. We started out without
the ability to communicate over great distances without traveling them. We
can now travel and communicate in space or around the planet all because we
use our ability, our brains and by the choices that we make.
In my opinion we should absolutely continue to learn, store and prepare. We
should choose who we will coexist with before, during and after the coming
collapse, we should do that even if the collapse doesn’t come during
our lifetime. We should continue to grow as an individual and as a group. We
should not over analyze the solution to whatever problem we face. We should
not assume failure if we missed something or we didn’t get the opportunity
to get everything that we wanted. We should be thankful for what we have. We
should remember how far we have come. We should use our brain to think the
solution through. We should use our ability to reason and we should stay calm
to prevail.
I have learned a great deal since I started reading SurvivalBlog and utilizing
the links and resources available here. It has provoked the thought process
of things that I hadn’t thought of or had a different approach about
something.
There are many things that the survivalist practices that have become a lost
art so to speak such as canning and the ability to survive without modern conveniences.
We are in a society that does not know how to function without cell phones
and computers but I can remember when we didn’t have them. We communicated
either by land line telephone or my goodness how archaic, snail mail. Farther
back in our history there was the Pony Express and even couriers.
[The author of the] Heartbreak Ridge [screenplay (James Carabatsos)]
stated it best:" Improvise,
adapt and overcome."
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Letter Re: Don't Delay Dental Work and Elective Surgery!
Mr. Rawles and Fellow SurvivalBlog Readers-
I am recovering today from having oral surgery yesterday. It was not a tooth
that was in pain but one that could give me trouble at any inopportune time.
As a family we have been getting all our dental, vision including extra glasses
and contacts, and other various health concerns taken care of now.
After everything hits the fan or even during this coming economic crisis,
getting
good medical care may be a challenge. I wouldn't want to imagine having the
dental work I had done yesterday performed as a "do it yourself" job.
Don't procrastinate getting even a chronic ingrown toenail fixed! Things
will be hard enough without extra health concerns. - Mt. Momma
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Retreat Livestock Guardians, by TD »
Letter Re: Homemade Alcohol Stoves
James,
A few years ago I was interested in methanol since it worked well in fuel
cells to generate electricity without combustion. Alas, I found that methanol
["wood alcohol"] is very toxic. Anyone in a burning methanol [extensively
in a confined space] would shortly after feel "drunk" then
[might eventually] die from methanol poisoning. Additionally, methanol you
spill on your hands enters your
bloodstream and damages your liver (permanently), any you inhale does likewise,
and any that hits the ground will poison the soil and groundwater. Its bad
stuff, not something you want to have around unless you really have to. - Inyokern
JWR Replies: Thanks for adding those safety warnings. I
was aware of the dangers of ingesting methanol, but I was not
aware that the fumes and
skin contact
were so insidious.
I will append my
reply to LeAnne's
instructional post. Based on your warnings, I can now only
recommend grain alcohol (ethanol) for use in tin can stoves.
« Letter Re: Advice on Purchasing Priorities For a Tight Budget |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Family Learning for Preparedness, by T.D.
My husband and I are like minded, (he realized way before I did), and he and
I didn’t
meet until I was in my mid-thirties. I was considered weird, called a tomboy
and later, a gear head. Don’t get me wrong, I cook, sew, knit and crochet.
I had many interests though and wanted to learn.
What I have seen lately and in some people we met that are like minded, is the
lack of initiative on the part of some spouses. I have seen some women and men
that
will ridicule their spouses or will just roll their eyes and feign interest.
I have seen some that their spouses have prepared and bought supplies but their
other half has no clue even how to do the basics. If you are truly vested in
being prepared, your spouse and children need to brush up on the basics also.
This should give you some good ideas on how to learn where you are lacking.
Do you have a grain mill? Mortar and pestle? Does he/she know the basics? Can
all of you bake and cook from scratch? Are your children picky or will they eat
everything you put in front of them? Can they sew? Do they know the basics on
edible plants? Can they hunt or fish? Can your children do what is needed? Can
you do the repairs needed to your home/vehicle?
Our daughter is 16 and she is learning about cars, she can fish with the best
of them and she is a good shot. Our youngest is three years old and he will be
learning as we go. Both will be able to cook (one does now), sew, set traps,
care for
farm
animals, strip and clean weapons, basic survival, fix the family relic (car)
and hopefully get through anything that is thrown at them.
The first step is to start early – my husband is Creole and we eat a lot
most people don’t. Turtle soup, crawfish, head cheese and some even eat
tripe. My son will eat everything he is offered, he was eating crawfish when
he only had 2 teeth. So our routine was this; we fix it and tell you later what
it is. It works well with older kids; younger kids will eat what mom and dad
eat. It is a well known fact that most really young or really old will not eat
a “different” diet, unless they have been doing so all along.
When your child starts showing interest in guns, at about 6-7 years old, take
them hunting. Show them what guns do. My father did that I have always had respect
for what they can do. Children love doing what mom and dad do so they will take
to hunting with pride. We start ours fishing at 2-3 years old for small fish
and getting them used to being around the water supervised. They know how to
check nets and bait hooks by the time they’re 5, that’s when we teach
them how to clean the fish (mom or dad using the sharp knife).
With cars teach them as soon as they’re out of a booster seat. I have
seen too many men and women who can’t even check the oil in their own
cars. Your children should be a help in most situations not a hindrance, even
if it’s
just handing you the tools you need. Our three year old will do most simple
tasks
he is shown and he does them willingly, he is so happy to be a help.
If you are in the military they have a lot of classes on the base that can
help with some of this. Most bases have a repair shop and you can utilize their
mechanics
and tools to learn about repairing your car. They offer other
things so check
into at the base [or post] repair/craft shop.
Work out your plans to include the jobs you expect your children to do. When
things get bad, if we’re on the move our 16 year old is to keep her little
brother while we move and defend if necessary. When stationary she can shoot,
load and take care of first aid. She will be able to pull her own weight and
then some. Our littlest one will follow suit as he grows.
Use barter to attain the skills you don’t have, watch family, use the
Internet and community college. Take a vacation to Pennsylvania or Tennessee.
You can learn a lot in an Amish community, I learned how to make butter and
I am
going back so I can
learn to shear. Some teach and charge others will share what they know for
free. You
can also buy produce and goods from the Amish. Davy Crockett days are in August
and you can watch the craftsman work and it is for the whole family. All vendors
must have a "period" looking tent up and must dress in period clothing.
The on site cooking is also period.
Volunteer to gain skills; veterinarian office and humane society is a good
place to learn about wound care, antibiotic use and dosage, just go watch,
then you
will learn, most places will not turn down a volunteer. Zoos are a great place
to learn about husbandry, housing and more than basic wound care, as smaller
zoos take care of injuries themselves (after a vet is consulted), most of what
you learn at these places about wound care can be used on humans. Colleges
have book sales where you can get books on farming and some older trades/crafts
very
cheap (books are 1-5 dollars). Local small gun and knife shows are also a bountiful
source of information [and logistics], from hard to find books to hard to
find ammo.
Buy reference books! We recently went to a "Friends of the Library" book sale and spent just $12. We now have the McGraw-Hill's 20 volume set on technology ($5), doctor's desk references ("fill the box for $2"), a whole box. These included: beginner, intermediate and advanced practical chemistry, triage handbook, a nurse's reference guide, medical encyclopedias, and a diagnosis reference. We also got the EIR special report "Global Showdown Escalates", Practical Handyman from Greystone Press ($3). In many towns, you can join the Friends of the Library for $5 to $10 dollars annually, or just hit the book sales once per year. Our $12 investment filled the back seat of our car!
Even if you don’t live where your retreat is take the time to “visit” the
area. Go to the local library, stop at the local shops and grab the touristy
maps. In Amish communities the maps tell you about the local farms and what
produce and goods they sell. They have fliers that have information on classes
offered
locally. The department of education has listings for adult education classes
on things like welding. Introduce yourself to the locals, visit the farmers
and the farmers market. Attend the church while you are there, it is the quickest
way into the fold and into being welcomed by the locals. Whether you live there
permanent or you will someday, you will want to be on friendly terms right
away
then when it all goes down.
In Tennessee when we were there, we saw newcomers (less than one year there)
helping
and
being helped by the Amish. Neighbors coming together when they’re needed,
no questions asked other than when do you need me. They all pull together and
work well.
If your family isn’t ready, or is almost ready, taking these steps or some
of these steps will help you get there. If you’re not “together” as
a family in your preparedness then you need to find a way to be. Get the spouse
interested in this even during an outing or vacation. Find a way to get your
children involved. Preparing isn’t just for one person in the family, it’s
for everyone. - T.D.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Calculating The Bullion Value of US Silver Coins »
Letter Re: Self-Sufficiency--How Do We Do It All?
Dear Memsahib and Jim,
I am a daily SurvivalBlog reader and contributor, along with my husband.
I am very interested in learning more how Memsahib and other retreat
women
manage to do all that they do. How does a day or week in your life go? How
do you can, bake, cook, shear, spin, weave, knit, sew, teach, et cetera and
get it
all done?
We are moving to our retreat soon. I have baked, cooked, knit, learned to spin
and weave, and have canned in the past, but not all at once. I forgot to mention
clean, wash, take care of a garden, etc. etc.
We need a blog [post] about how to accomplish everything and remain sane.
Not to mention home school and run a family, continue church life, etc.
For those of us who have been working and raising a family in a large town
and are moving to a retreat life, we need some how to's!!!
The order of things is of the most importance or we will never accomplish all
our tasks!!!
Memsahib, does your work every stop? Do you feel like you have no personal
time?
I also work as a registered nurse and will try to continue with my specialty
in teaching young mothers how to breast feed and care for their newborns.
Thank you for your input from all of us women who will try to "do it all" on
our retreat sites. Thanks again, - Kathie
The Memsahib Replies: Thank you so much for your huge vote
of confidence. How nice to think there is a woman out there who thinks that
I do it all! :-) First
let me say first, no I
don't do it all. And secondly I don't worry about doing it all either.
I'm writing this reply specifically to married women with children. The most
important thing is to keep your priorities right: I believe the correct order
is: God, your husband, your children, and then everything else after that. Also
remember it is not up to you to insure the survival of your
family. God is in control of everything. And after God is your husband. I hope
this will lift some
if the burden that you are feeling. Don't shoulder the burden of the family's
survival yourself. That is not your role. I think that is usurping your husband's
role
of provider and protector of the family.Your job is to be a helpmeet to your
husband.
Okay, that said, I have acquired a lot of skills that could be put to use in
TEOTWAWKI, but I do not try to do them all now. I think to attempt that would
put me in an early grave like my pioneer great grandmothers! I think this is
time for learning preparation skills, but if you tried to actually do them all
there is no way you would have time to learn any new skills. For example I have
a lot of food preservation skills. But at this present time most of our larder
is full of mostly purchased foodstuffs. For the satisfaction of it, I have fed
my family entire meals from food I personally raised including the milk that
came fresh from our cow. It feels great to know I can do it. But I don't try
to do it on a day to day basis.
There are some things that we do that allow for extra time in my schedule. We
don't own a television. I think I get a lot more done for the lack of watching
television. Also, I do not have a full time job outside the home. Not having
to commute saves a lot of time. Another thing I attribute to getting more done
is the fact that we are out in the middle of nowhere, so I don't shop. There
is no place to shop. Every two months or so we stock up to top off our supplies.
I also know the capacity of our larder well. I'm very strict with my family about
sticking to the list! This saves time and money when we are out shopping. Also
we only shop for clothes twice a year when we visit family in the big city. My
sister knows all the great thrift stores. And, she knows which department stores
have the best sale prices on shoes socks and underwear. If we didn't have growing
children we probably could go several years without buying clothes! By the way.
I do know how to sew clothes. And I know how to knit sweaters, hats, socks, mittens,
and such. But I don't make my family's clothes because I don't particularly enjoy
sewing. (For now, I go to the thrift store. I often can buy down jackets, Merino
wool sweaters and nearly new blue jeans for $3 each, and shirts, slacks, blouses,
skirts, dresses for less than than that.)
Another thing is that our family does which frees up quite a bit of time for
me
is cleaning up after themselves. Our children for example clear their places
after
meals,
take their dishes to the sink and putt the scraps in the chicken bucket, and
rinse their plates and glasses, and put them in the dishwasher. When there are
clothes to be folded at our house all the children fold and put away their own
clothes. Our children also have an individual chore based on their age, such
as setting and clearing the table, unloading the dishwasher, keeping the wood
box filled, and feeding their pets. And you may have realized by now I make use
of
all the
modern appliances which make household chores quicker. In the past, we've lived
without running water and without electricity. I know I can survive without them,
and
I may have
to in the future. But I sure enjoy the luxury of having them now!
The "survival skills' that I do practice daily are the ones that I personally
really enjoy. I practice them as recreation and relaxation. For me personally
that is raising small livestock. I really enjoy going out to the barn and feeding
my critters. I especially enjoy my sheep because I also enjoy the fiber arts.
I also really enjoy gardening. So my hobbies dovetail nicely with my husbands
desire to be well prepared. So what hobbies and interests do you have? Which
ones could you cultivate as prepping? Just because I don't care for sewing doesn't
mean that it wouldn't be a great dovetail for you.
You might say another one of my hobbies is acquiring "life skills".
Some people have a personality that is suited for focusing on one skill and developing
that skill to a master level. My personality is more suited to trying everything.
I try to make the most of each situation in which we've lived to learn what I
can. My motto is: when God gives you zucchini take the opportunity to experiment
baking, drying, frying zucchinis! The older women of the communities we've lived
in have been wonderful teachers. They have taught me how to can pickles, make
grape juice, milk goats, make soap, knit socks as well as sharing the abundance
of their gardens and orchards. But I in no way feel compelled to now makes all
the food we eat from scratch, knit all our clothes, make all our soap, and neither
should you!
I would be remiss if I did not say that I think it is very important to use this
time of liberty of ideas and travel to attend Bible studies. Yes, you can and
should read and study the Bible at home. But, I find that the commitment to do
a study with other believers disciplines me to stay in the Word even when life
gets hectic. And our pastor has many valuable insights into the Scriptures. If
you have the ability to attend a good Bible study, then do it! You
may not always have that opportunity because of poor health, high gas prices,
lack of transportation,
or lack of religious freedom. Reading the stories of prisoners of war, I am struck
by how their knowledge of God's word helped them endure. As the Bible says, "make
the most of time, because the days are evil".
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Letter Re: Being Prepared for an Avian Influenza Outbreak
Sir,
Please pass on a reminder to people to prepare themselves with a plan and supplies
to deal with for the inevitable event [of an Avian Influenza outbreak]. Begin by practicing impeccable agricultural
hygiene and discouraging any visitation of persons near their barn yards,
hen houses and migratory wildlife flocks of geese or ducks on or near their
ponds, open water sources or feed sources. This is best done with a couple
of good herding type dogs who don’t mind getting their feet wet in
the ponds or on the property watering holes. Our chickens are free range,
yet they are blocked from the access of the open water sources, and their
supple mental food and calcium sources are kept away from access of migrating
and indigenous species of birds. The dogs also help with poultry predatory
losses from fox, coons and hawks. - KBF
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The "Come as You Are" Collapse--Have the Right Tools and Skills
In the Second World War, the United States had nearly two full years to ramp
up military training and production before decisively confronting the Axis
powers. In the late 1970s, looking at the recent experience of the 1973 Arab-Israeli
War, the Pentagon's strategic planners came to the realization that the next
major war that the US military would wage would not be
like the Second World War. There would not be the luxury of time to train and
equip. They realized that we would have to fight with only what we had available
on Day One. They dubbed this the "Come as you are war" concept.
In my opinion, the same "come as you are" mindset should
be applied to family preparedness. We must recognize that in these
days of rapid news dissemination, it may take as little as 10 hours before
supermarket shelves are cleaned out. It make take just a few hours for queues
that are literally blocks-long to form at gas stations--or at bank branches
in the event of bank runs. Worse yet, it may take just a few hours before
the highways and freeways leading out of urban and suburban areas are clogged
with traffic--the dreaded "Golden
Horde" that I often write about. Do not make the false assumption
that you will have the chance to make "one last trip" to the big
box store, or even the chance to fill your Bug Out Vehicle's fuel tank. This
will be the "come as you are" collapse.
The concept also applies to your personal training. If you haven't learned
how to do things before the balloon goes, up, then don't expect to get anything
but marginal to mediocre on-the-job training after the fact. In essence, you
have the opportunity to take top quality training from the best trainers now,
but you won't once the Schumer hits
the fan. Take the time to get top-notch training! Train with the best--with
organizations like Medical
Corps, WEMSI, Front
Sight, the RWVA/Appleseed
Project, the WRSA,
and the ARRL.
Someday, you'll be very glad that you did.
The come as you are concept definitely applies to specialized manufactured
equipment.You are dreaming if you think that
you will have the chance to to purchase any items such as these, in a post-collapse
world:
razor
wire, body
armor, night
vision equipment,
advanced
first aid gear, tritium
scopes, dosimeters
and radiac meters, biological decontamination
equipment, Dakota
Alert or military surplus PEWS intrusion
detection sets, photovoltaics,
NBC
masks, and semi-auto
battle rifles.
Think about it: There
are very few if these items (per capita) presently in circulation. But the
demand for them during a societal collapse would be tremendous. How could
you compete in such a scant market? Anyone that conceivably has "spares" will
probably want to keep them for a member of their own family or group. So
even in the unlikely event that someone was even willing to sell
such scarce items, they would surely ask a king's ransom in barter
for them. I'm talking about quarter sections of land,
entire strings of
well-broken horses, or pounds of
gold. Offers of anything less would surely be scoffed at.
Don't overlook the "you" part of the "as
you are" premise.
Are you physically fit? Are you up to date on your dental work? Do you have
two pairs of sturdy eyeglasses with your current prescription? Do
you have at least a six month supply of vitamins and medications? Is your body
weight
reasonable?
If you answer to any of these is no, then get busy!
Even if you have a modest budget, you will have an advantage over the average
suburbanite. Your knowledge and training alone--what is between your ears--will
ensure that. And even with just a small budget for food storage, you will be
miles ahead of your neighbors. Odds are that they will have less than two week's
worth of food on hand. As I often say, you will need extra supplies on hand to
help out relatives, friends, and neighbors that were ill-prepared. I consider
charity my Christian duty!
I have repeatedly and strongly emphasized the importance of living
at your intended retreat year-round. But I realize that because
of personal finances, family obligations, and the constraints of making a
living at an hourly or
salaried job, that this is not realistic--except for a few of us, mainly retirees.
If you are stuck in the Big City and plan to Get Out of Dodge (G.O.O.D.)
at the eleventh hour, then by all means pre-position the vast majority of your
gear and supplies at your retreat. You will most likely only have one, I repeat, one G.O.O.D.
trip. If there is a major crisis there will probably be no chance to "go
back for a second load." So WTSHTF will
truly be a "come as you are" affair.
With all of this in mind, re-think your preparedness priorities. Stock
your retreat well. If there isn't someone living there year-round,
then hide what is there from burglars. (See the numerous SurvivalBlog posts
on caching and constructing hidden compartments and rooms.) Maintain balance
in your preparations. In a situation where you are truly hunkered-down at
your retreat in the midst of a societal collapse, there might not be any
opportunity to barter for any items that you overlooked. (At least not for
several months. ) What you have is what you got. You will have to make-do.
So be sure to develop your "lists
of lists" meticulously. If you have the funds available, construct
a combination storm shelter/fallout shelter/walk-in vault. It
would be virtually impossible to build something that elaborate in the aftermath
of a
societal collapse.
A closing thought that relates to your retreat logistics: The
original colonial Army Rangers, organized by Major Robert Rogers during
the French and Indian Wars of the 1750s had a
succinct list of operating rules. The version of the "Rules of Ranging" recounted
in the novel "Northwest Passage" by Kenneth Roberts started
with a strong proviso: "Don't forget nothing." That
is sage advice.
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Sanitation During a Grid Down Collapse, by Nina in Washington
Sanitation may be an area that is neglected in our preparations for during
difficult times. Not because people don't care, but because we take so much
of it for granted
we aren't aware of its importance. There are several areas in the sanitation
arena that need to be considered when preparing;
1. Food
2. Daily Living
3.Waste Disposal
4. Medical
5. Deaths
The most obvious area to consider is that of our food preparations. We are all
aware of the importance of washing our hands and not cross contaminating foods
like meats and vegetables. All counters where foods may be prepared should be
kept spotlessly clean. This includes areas where butchering is being done. The
areas should be hosed and bleached and the meat meticulously washed, making certain
the contents of the animals intestines does not come in contact with the meat.
The animals should be covered with a fabric bag (one that breathes) to protect
the meat from flies, and dirt while the meat is hung. All utensils including
those being used for dehydrated foods and canning should be sterilized by boiling
or baking. (Do not bake canning lids, they are placed in very hot water prior
to processing.)
In the area of daily living, if we allow ourselves to become cluttered and disorganized
because the world around us is falling apart we have begun the downward spiral
ourselves. Remaining organized and clutter free gives us access to items which
may be of immediate necessity and less chance of an accident of which even something
as minor as tripping over clutter could become life threatening. Keeping organized
also causes us less stress. Relieving our minds to be put to better use. It also
provides activities to the group, giving tasks to those who may not be able to
do other things or just an extra way to stay 'busy'. Clothes that are kept clean
are warmer and last longer (dryers are hard on fabric). And shoes should be worn
at all times outside. Personal hygiene is important not only for our physical
health, but our mental health as well. Ever notice how much better you feel after
a shower? It helps us maintain some a semblance of normalcy and civility in
our lives not only for ourselves, but for the group. When we are clean and groomed
it is also easier to spot someone not well. Special attention needs to be paid
to the care of our teeth. Brushing, flossing and possibly rinsing with an anti-cavity
rinse.
Feminine hygiene products that are disposable should be burned and the fabric
reusables (for the same) as well as cloth baby diapers should be either boiled
or
bleached
and
hung in the sun. (The ultraviolet rays kill lots of bacteria)
Of course you can't assume that cleanliness is next to Godliness is only for
the people in your group. Your animals will benefit from your diligent attention
to their well being as well. Keeping their pens, bedding and feeders clean could
mean the difference between animals used to fulfill our needs and sickly or dead
critters. Most domesticated animal waste can be safely used as fertilizer after
composting with the exception of dogs, cats and pigs. These should never be used
around areas that will have vegetables and pregnant women should Never handle
cat waste.
The third great consideration is waste disposal. This not only pertains to manure,
but garbage as well. Most containers used for foods will probable be kept for
some other need down the road. However, that means time and effort into making
sure they are very well cleaned and stowed properly so as not to attract rodents
or flies and bacteria. That which isn't needed should be burned, composted or
deeply buried away from your area. Food scraps can be fed to animals or composted
(not meats) or put into a worm bin (a little bit of meat is okay here) which
not only provides great fertilizer for the garden, but worms for your fowl.
Human waste is much more of a problem. We are no longer used to dealing with
our own waste. Most of us just pass it on to someone else to take care of. The
average person produces 2-3 pints of urine and one pound of feces per day. Multiply
that by the number of people in your group for a day/week or longer and you begin
to see the problem. If the sewer system is working you can still use your toilet
by pouring water directly into the bowl to flush the waste. Five gallon buckets
with a toilet seat can be used as a porta-potty. Lime, wood ash, and good ol'
dirt can be used to reduce the odor. This will have to be cleaned daily and an
area set up away from any possible contamination sites to be used for composting
keeping the compost covered to deter flies, etc. You should not use this compost
in food gardening. A trench toilet is also an option. Dig a trench two feet wide
and a minimum of 12 inches deep and 4 feet long or more. After use, cover with
the dirt from the hole, filling in from one end as you go. Bad bacteria can travel
300 feet from its original site. Pay attention to drainage and making sure the
manure is covered with lime, ashes or dirt. The area could attract rodents, dogs,
and worse, flies. The most important things to remember are reducing the fly/rodent
problem and washing your hands thoroughly when you've finished. Stock up on hand
sanitizer as well as soap. The book "The Humanure Handbook" by
Joseph
Jenkins
is
an interesting read. [JWR Adds: I must add a strong proviso.
With
this
approach,
temperature
monitoring
is
crucial! Unless you can be absolutely sure that a bacteria-killing temperature
is achieved, then do not attempt to use this method for manure
that will be used for vegetable or grain growing!] In my opinion, the risks far outweigh the rewards.
For those of you planning on hunkering down in place if the grid were to go
down and the sewer were to quit functioning, pay attention to where the access
lids to the sewer are in your area. If you are anywhere down hill sewage may
back up through these portals and even into your drains, and toilets. Give this
some thought.
The fourth area of consideration is medical. In a TEOTWAWKI
situation, we may be having people show up late or be accepted into our group
that weren't there in the beginning.
We need to consider that these folks whether loved ones or stranger may be
bringing something unwanted with them. If possible a 'quarantine' area should
be set up
where these people could spend two weeks away from the group to make sure they
aren't sick. It may sound cruel, but these people should remain without direct
contact with the group. (radio contact or distant voice communication if acceptable
would be greatly appreciated.) Their meals could be dropped off on paper plates
that they could burn after finishing. There utensils washed by them and kept
in the quarantine area. Anything that is needed should be brought and dropped
off so as not to expose the other members of the group. They would need to
remain in the quarantine area at all times and not expose people, animals,
areas, or equipment.
If after two weeks they are well, the chances are greatly reduced that they
have a communicable disease.
There should also be a separate area for medical procedures. A separate bedroom
or bathroom. This area should be kept spotless at all times. All items being
used should be boiled or steamed (a steam canner or pressure canner as an
autoclave) and all fabrics baked (200 degrees for one hour) prior to use. Tables,
trays and
equipment should be washed and bleached. (Alcohol is a great bacteria killer)
New garbage bags can be used to cover tables, chairs etc. prior to use and
after cleaning, and to protect between activities. They are fairly sanitary.
Disposable
rubber gloves and masks should be used when treating patients and if blood
is present goggles should be worn (swim goggles, or ski goggles over glasses
would
work). Used dressings, etc should be burned or buried deeply, away from the
area.
A hundred years ago our ancestors lived with germs that our systems are no
longer used to. What would not have made them sick, could easily sicken us
today. Rodents
and flies that carry disease are probably one of the major concerns for us.
In a grid down situation they would flourish. And if we weren't exceptionally
careful,
bring disease to us. Rodent control would be a regular requirement around our
'camps', but handling them could be an issue in itself. Probably best done
with a mask and gloves. Keeping flies away from any foods and food areas would
be
vital. Fly tape wouldn't hurt. All this of course means more water. Stock up
on those barrels if you have no other means and if you'll be living downstream
of metropolitan areas the water runoff could be deadly so remember to use caution.
The most difficult area of sanitation we may have to deal with is death. Although
many organisms in the body of the deceased are not likely to infect a healthy
person, handling the blood, bodily fluids and tissues of those who had been
infected increases that risk. Many fluids leak from a dead body, including
contents of
the stomach, and intestines. Decomposition depends on how long the person has
been deceased, the temperature of the environment and the damage to the body
and the bacteria present. There are some basic precautions to take in handling
the deceased. Wear disposable gloves when handling anything associated with
the body and cover all cuts or abrasions with waterproof bandages or tape.
Wear a
mask, or face shield, goggles or some kind of protection to the face for the
mouth, nose and eyes. Decomposing bodies can sometimes burst and spray
fluids and tissues due to the buildup of gases. Wear aprons or gowns that can
be destroyed. Wrap the body in a body bag or several layers of garbage sacks
or plastic sheeting. The more quickly this takes place after the death, the
less chance of leaking [body] fluids will occur. Graves should be dug at least
100 feet away
from all open water sources and deep enough that animals won't dig them up.
Cremation requires large amounts of fuel and may not be feasible. In case
of accidental
exposure, flush with huge quantities of water. (Dilution is the solution.)
Thoroughly wash yourself afterward and dip your hands in a bleach solution
even if no apparent
contact was made. Disinfect all equipment, surfaces, floors, and so forth with
a bleach solution. Don't forget to make notes on the deceased and the circumstances
surrounding the death and burial. Take pictures if you can. Anything that you
think is of
importance in case the authorities come back and question it at some time.
This may be the most difficult part of
