Category: First Aid/Medical

Update: Honey–Storage Life, Crystallization, Storage Quantities, and Medicinal Uses

JWR’s Introductory Note: This is an update to an article that I wrote for SurvivalBlog in March, 2007. It is part of a series of SurvivalBlog 20th Anniversary update re-posts, in recognition of the fact that the majority of readers did not join us until recent years. — A series of letters and posts on honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) in 2007 prompted several readers to send comments and questions about storing and using honey, which are summarized below. For some of my responses, I relied heavily on these references: The Golden Blossom Honey FAQ A Mayo Clinic web page …


A Top-10 Prepping List, Multi-Tool Not Included – Part 5, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 4. This concludes the article.) 9. CLOTHES AND A WAY TO WASH THEM It’s hard to believe how many top-10 lists mention ferro rods, manual can openers, plant-identification books, and the ever-present multi-tool without ever mentioning clothes or washing equipment. Clothes last for quite a while if we’re sitting in an office all day but they won’t lost long when manual labor becomes a daily routine. Since we’ll be wearing them at some future point anyway, it’s a good idea to be stocking up on clothes for all of the inflation-fighting reasons already mentioned. At the same …


Involving Children in Emergency Preparedness, by A.C.

The following is a summary of a Stakeholder Prepping Podcast. — Something that a lot of us overlook is the idea that preparedness is fundamentally a whole-family-unit endeavor. The effectiveness of any emergency plan hinges not on the dedication of a single individual, but on the cooperation and understanding of the entire family. When emergencies or disruptive events occur, a family unit operates at its most resilient when every member, including children, is an active participant rather than a passive bystander. The core challenge for parents is shifting the family’s mindset away from visualizing doomsday scenarios and toward fostering confidence, …


A Three-Year Window or a Three-Month Window?

As an observer of contemporary politics, economics, and emerging threats, I have come to the conclusion that the last three years of Donald John Trump’s second term as President may provide a potential window of opportunity. If we were now living under a Harris-Walz Administration, we would surely be out of time to prepare. I have my doubts about Trump’s sincerity when he talks about scaling back the size and power of government. Alarmingly, the gains of the DOGE project were wiped out by the huge deficit spending included in the recent  “Big, Beautiful Bill”.  But I don’t consider DJT …


Prayer as Medicine, by Jennifer Rader

Some of the best things in life are free. The same holds true in medicine. A caring heart, a listening ear, a good laugh—these don’t cost a dime, and most everyone agrees that they work. Prayer, on the other hand, gets a bit controversial. While a significant number of studies with prayer and healing have been conducted, the results have been somewhat mixed. This can be attributed to the way the study was designed, how prayer is defined and practiced, and to the placebo effect.


The “Come as You Are” Collapse–Have the Right Tools and Skills

Introductory Note From JWR: This article is an update and small expansion to a succinct post that I made back in February, 2008. When the Second World War broke out in September, 1939, the United States had nearly two full years to ramp up military training and production before decisively confronting the Axis powers. In the mid-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 …


Jase Medical Antibiotic Kit, by Thomas Christianson

Editor’s Introductory Note:  In January 2025, about a month after Tom sent in this article, Jase became a SurvivalBlog advertiser.  We do our best to keep advertising and editorial as separate spheres. – JWR Author’s Note: I am not a medical professional. The information included in this article is not intended as medical advice. It is just an account of my own personal experiences. Please seek competent medical advice as you formulate your own emergency medical plans. A number of years ago, the area where I was living was swept by a Category 5 blizzard. All of the roads in …


Beyond Band Aids, by K.G.

Author’s Introductory Note: I am not a licensed medical professional, I am simply recounting an event that happened to me, research I have done on the subject and how it made me think differently about my own preparations. I hope you find this article interesting and informative, but please also do your own research. Recently, I experienced my own personal Schumeresque event. I was competing in a sport I have done all my life when I felt something snap in the back of my heel. It happened as I took a hard step and I immediately knew something was wrong. …


A Covid Experience: Three Years Later, by Tom In Alaska 

It was October 31, 2021. I was living in Arizona with a full season of cool weather hiking on the calendar. The first (and last) walk of the season was delightful. The temperatures were on the warm side and a steady breeze was kicking up the omnipresent Arizona dust. I arrived home in the evening filled with the satisfaction of a good first day but told my wife that my throat was slightly sore from the “blowing dust” Waking on November 1st with a 102 F fever was an omen. The next day I immediately drove to the local Urgent …


Your Last Day, by SaraSue

On Monday I seemed extra tired while trying to get morning chores done, and it took longer than normal.  I struggled milking the cow and carrying the milk in.  I felt dizzy, a little short of breath, like walking underwater.  I tried to shake it off, but it wasn’t shakin’.  After morning farm chores were slowly finished, I sat in a lounge chair and put my feet up.  I pretty much stayed there all day.  At least, until, it was time for afternoon chores, and I didn’t milk the cow.  Just couldn’t do it.  Went to bed early and slept …


The Time to Plan is Now, by Prepping Engineer

The single biggest reason for failure is failure to plan. “When you fail to plan, you plan to fail” Another way to think of this is: planning is being prepared. That is prepping in a nutshell! This is stated in many publications and articles about many subjects. I have experienced this more times than I can remember in my life. What I have noticed the most is the repetition of this error by both people and groups. Sometimes this seems to persist and someone else “helping” them out of the repeat failure to plan. It is a mistake the first …


Bird Flu: What I’m Doing About It, by Sara Sue

The Current Situation The White House suggested, via the Press Secretary, that over 100 million chickens have died, or been destroyed, over bird flu.  I noticed that the price of eggs has gone up exponentially, so I polled my group of friends in an online homesteading forum, asking what they are seeing.  I also asked family members who live across the country.  The highest price I heard of from a family member in California was $10 per dozen for grocery store eggs.  Locally where I live, free-range chicken eggs are about $5-to-$6 per dozen. Eggs have been a standard for …


Get Ready for Tariff War 2 or World War 3

This brief essay serves as a reminder, for the new year. As we enter 2025, both geopolitics and global economics are displaying some profound changes.  The Ukraine war, the fall of Assad’s government in Syria, and the ongoing civil wars in Burma (aka Myanmar), Yemen, Sudan, South Sudan, and Ethiopia all have the potential to spill over into wider conflicts. Ditto for potential invasions in Taiwan and South Korea. Meanwhile, the rise of the BRICS trade bloc, the out-of-control U.S. National Debt, global debt as a whole, and the run-up of precious metals prices are all evidence of deep-seated economic …


Update: A Legal, Low-Cost, Readily-Available Painkiller, by Kitchen Maven

Editor’s Introductory  Note:  I only rarely re-post articles from the SurvivalBlog archives.  But I was recently reminded about this 2010 article.  Since nearly 15 years have gone by, I can safely assume that it probably has not been read by most of the current  SurvivalBlog readers.  I have updated it with some more recent research and a confirmation of one mentioned source. I’ll open this article with a couple of real-world experiences: You’re stacking wood when a log suddenly twists, and the pile comes tumbling down on you, leaving your legs covered with cuts and bruises. You walk into the …


Prescription Drug Preparedness – Part 2, by Rural Pharmacist

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) My thoughts on the kit, it is a good grouping of valuable broad-spectrum antibiotics. I would like to store larger quantities. I think the kit could be purchased cheaper through a local Doctor/Pharmacy if available for you. A good emergency antibiotic kit should include the previous mentioned drugs; Augmentin 500mg or 875mg, Azithromycin 250mg Z-pack, Ciprofloxacin 500mg tablets, Doxycycline 100mg, and Metronidazole 500mg. I would add: Amoxicillin 500mg capsules; a broad-spectrum antibiotic, easier on the stomach than Augmentin, good for dental infections, and upper respiratory infections, pneumonia, usual dosage is 500mg 3 …