Mr. Rawles, I am a long time reader and prepper, first time letter writer, Army Nurse Corps veteran. Your ministry has personally blessed my family of six in numerous way. I thank you, your sons and daughters, your late wife (The Memsahib) and you new wife Avalanche Lily for mentoring all of us. As a registered nurse, I read this latest article with great interest and wanted to add some information regarding the bandages and dressings that were recommended in this letter. Jen L. wrote “Whenever you go to physical therapy or to donate blood, they give you those bright colored stretch things. Pack those. They will make a useful tourniquet.” Those bright colored stretch things are self adhesive elastic bandages and are quite useful for the fragile skin of older adults because they do not adhere to the skin. They are also useful for veterinary purposes because they do not stick to animal fur or hair. They also do not require cutting and can be easily torn to the proper length.
Jen provided several examples of make do dressings and illustrates how the variety of field expedient tourniquets, bandages and dressings are only limited by one’s imagination. Sterile is preferred, clean is acceptable but sometimes you do not even have that option. Even paracord can be used as a dressing. A free operational medicine reference is available via distance learning. These reference materials give “how-to-do-it” guidance in providing medical care in austere conditions. I hope you and your readers find this information helpful. Blessings, – Angel of Mercy