Letter Re: Maintain The Tool: Weight Control and Preparedness

James Wesley:
The article by N.H. about weight loss was pretty accurate. The only problem is the recommendations. That is, following the US dietary guidelines. I don;t recommend that.

To make a long story short, study up on the “paleo” way of eating and exercise. Six years ago I cured my growing blood sugar problem and lost 30 lbs in 4 months. I’ve maintained that ever since then.

I fear that a lot of “preppers” are fat and out of shape because they eat what they store, that is, they consume lots of wheat and vegetable oils because they store well. For anyone that wants to stay healthy now and after the SHTF, you are better off eliminating these items. And while you’re at it, ditch sugar as well.

Store coconut oil (non-hydrogenated) and coconut milk and ghee for healthy fats, as well as canned salmon and sardines for Omega 3s and protein.
I’ve not had wheat and vegetable oils for six+ years and have outdone members of our military in their mid 20’s during 5 km races. Not bad for 52 years old! – Dave, RN

Recipe of the Week:

Marie’s Zucchini Ratatouille

2 TBS olive oil
1 large zucchini squash, sliced in half lengthwise and then into semicircles
1 medium onion, sliced
2 TBS minced garlic (fresh or reconstituted dried flakes)

Heat oil at 400 degrees in an electric skillet and add squash, onion and garlic. Saute for about 15 minutes until zucchini slices start to brown.

Add:

1 TBS chopped herbs: basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme are best.
Add 2 Roma tomatoes, cut in wedges and saute an additional 5 minutes until tomatoes are soft

Chef’s Notes:

We served it over leftover tuna/rice casserole (not at all French!) and it was really good.  Could also accompany grilled chicken or fish. Quite popular this time of year in the south of France, but they use eggplant instead of zucchini. 

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Ratatouille at RecipeTips.com

Ratatouille in the Catalan style

Currently Available as Free Kindle e-Books:

Cavelady Cooking: 50 Fun Recipes for Paleo, Low-Carb and Gluten-Free Diets

25 Artisan Style Bread Recipes : Bake Beautiful Sweet and Savory Loaves at Home Without A Bread Machine

Simple Emergency Food Storage

Economics and Investing:

J.N. suggested this over at Zero Hedge: $10 Trillion M2 Is Now In The Rearview Mirror. So the aggregate money supply has been expanded from $4 trillion to $10 trillion in less than 12 years. So it is no wonder gasoline and milk are both over $3 per gallon.

Martin Armstrong: Why Property Taxes Will Soar, Why the Risk of Civil Unrest is Rising Exponentially and Why We Will See The Rise of a Third Political Party

Items from The Economatrix:

Earnings Show Recession May Be “Fast Approaching”

Growth In U.S. Slows As Consumers Restrain Spending

First Year of U.S. Economic Recovery Weaker than Estimated. [JWR Adds: This is being reported because the so-called “recovery” was just a brief blip created by massive monetization. Otherwise, we are still in a full scale depression that will span a decade or more.]

US Consumer Sentiment Gauge Falls to Lowest this Year

Odds ‘n Sods:

Pierre M. sent this: Rise in Weather Extremes Threatens Infrastructure. Here is a key quote: “Some utilities are re-examining long-held views on the economics of protecting against the weather. Pepco, the utility serving the area around Washington, has repeatedly studied the idea of burying more power lines, and the company and its regulators have always decided that the cost outweighed the benefit. But the company has had five storms in the last two and a half years for which recovery took at least five days, and after the derecho last month, the consensus has changed. Both the District of Columbia and Montgomery County, Md., have held hearings to discuss the option — though in the District alone, the cost would be $1.1 billion to $5.8 billion, depending on how many of the power lines were put underground.”

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To show their appreciation for the patronage of SurvivalBlog readers, CampingSurvival.com will include a free gift (around $5 to $10 value) with each order if you put the word “survivalblog” in the comment section of their order.

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Obama takes on gun violence in New Orleans speech. I guess President BHO missed reading Title 10 of the US Code, Section 311. Weapons like AK-47s do belong on our streets, in the hands of our unorganized citizen militia. That is the law of the land.

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Belle Ringer of the Salvation and Survival blog has posted an early book review of my novel “Founders.” OBTW, she mentions “reserve your copy”, but please wait until the Book Bomb Day–September 25th–to order, to give the book the maximum impact in Amazon.com’s book rankings. Thanks.

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The Aurora Shooting You Didn’t Hear About In The Media. Oh, and speaking of gun politics, expect to see plenty of hand wringing and grandstanding in the fait accompli “debate” over the UN’s “Small Arms and Light Weapons” Treaty. In the draft, only nations have the right to possess firearms, and the citizenry is granted limited privileges, of course with full registration, et cetera. (Read PDF of the full draft treaty text, here.) Please contact your Senators and insist that they do not ratify the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) scheme.

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Oh so predictably: Mailorder Ammo Sales Limits and Magazine Ban bills introduced in congressd. (A nod to J. McC. for the link.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty. This is known as ‘bad luck.'” – Robert A. Heinlein

Notes from JWR:

Today marks the birthday of Alexis-Charles-Henri Clérel de Tocqueville (born 29 July 1805.) He is remembered as the author of the seminal study Democracy in America.

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Today we present another two entries for Round 41 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 41 ends on July 31st and the queue is full, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry for Round 42. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

The ABCs of Trauma, by Dr. Mountaintop

I spent a number of years doing trauma surgery in several Level 1 NYC hospitals, and I’d like to share some thoughts. I don’t usually like to give advice – it’s not my custom to tell another man or woman what to do. So please take this for what it’s worth – my experience and thoughts – and do with it whatever seems best to you.

DISCLAIMER: I am a licensed physician. However, this is not medical advice. For any Johnny-Rambo’s out there, if you need medical assistance, please pick up the phone. This is for when there is no dial tone.

Let me say first that I appreciate the wealth of information on this site. It’s very interesting to read, and humbling to implement, a lot of the solid advice offered here. I’m less of a talker, and more of a do-er, and the reality is, there is a lot to get done. Some would be tempted to think that with several Ivy-league degrees and an M.D., something like gardening would be easy. Of course, you know what the reality is: starting something new is hard. And smart people are notoriously dumb.

I mention this because trauma is like any other discipline, and there’s nothing magical about it.

If you go to the range and shoot flat-footed at paper targets, you’ll fail when your AR double-feeds on the run, with your heart pumping, sweat in your eyes, and the world swirling around you. Medicine is the same way. You might have a trauma bag, you might have read a lot, but when your wife, or best friend, or child is bleeding out and looking at you, your mind will go blank. Don’t be ashamed. That’s reality. The question is, how can we handle it?

My first piece of advice is:

You need to do some limited amount of training that involves moving your hands and feet.

Muscle memory is an incredible thing. I’ve spent most my life in martial arts. I have no idea exactly what I would do if someone grabbed me by surprise. Be certain, though, that I would do something decisive and unfriendly. You don’t need to become a paramedic, or make this a big time commitment, but you do need walk through handling a trauma. Your hands need to know. The more stressed you are while you practice, the better.

Spouses will generally support this. Taking a CPR course is a good start. Then, during dinner, or hanging out with like-minded friends, role-play it: “John just got shot in the neck/the propane tank exploded. What do we do?” Then have John lie down on the ground. Walk through what you would do, and do it. Do it every few months if you can. It takes 5 minutes. John will thank you one day.

The second thing is:

Keep things simple.

When your pistol malfunctions, it’s tap-rack-bang. It’s not complex. Don’t go for a Ph.D. Don’t rely on thinking. When it counts – and I’ve been covered in blood more nights than I care to count – you won’t be thinking. You’ll be reacting. So train to react. Here’s how:

Step 1: A-B-C. Airway. Breathing. Circulation.

Say it again and again and again. I can promise you no matter how many other tidbits you pick up, you will forget everything else but A-B-C when you get caught off-guard by a serious trauma.

Here’s my (humbling) anecdote: Years ago, as a first year medical student, I was in Costa Rica, hitch-hiking down some road. The car in front of us didn’t make the turn and went under a tractor-trailer. Immediate carnage. The young woman in the passenger seat was on the pavement and she wasn’t breathing.

Pause for a moment. If you’re honest, what flashed into your head? An image? A similar experience? But what didn’t occur to you? Did you immediately think: tilt back her head?

At that time I had already taken BLS (basic life-saving) which covers CPR, etc. I had all the book smarts in the world for this, but I didn’t react. I hesitated. Some random guy on the side of the road tried to pick her up and her airway opened. She started breathing. She lived.

My point is this: don’t concern yourself with complex trauma decision trees. Don’t worry about whether it’s Adenosine or Amiodarone. If you’ve got the meds, you’ve likely got the medical professionals to use them. The key in trauma management is to buy yourself (and the patient) enough time to get to the next step. That’s it.

How do you do that? Concentrate on ABC. Do each one, in order, and then move onto the next:

Airway: Make sure the airway is open. If they are awake and talking, they are breathing. If not, tilt the head back. If there’s blood or vomit in the mouth, get it out of there with your fingers. Get the airway clear. Textbooks will tell you to use a “jaw-thrust” maneuver if there is head or spinal trauma because of the theoretical risk you might dislodge a bone fragment and sever the spinal cord. This is nonsense. If you’ve got a broken neck, you’re not breathing, and there’s no medical help, you’re dead. Don’t screw around. Tilt the head back.

Breathing: If the airway is open and they’re not breathing, there is a reason for it. At this point, you don’t need to worry about what the reason is. You just need to start breathing for them, or they’ll be dead in less than two minutes. With their head tilted back, pinch the nose, open the mouth and blow in two huge breaths. Bonus points: look at their chest. Make sure it’s rising. Once air is moving in and out, take a closer look at the chest. Here’s what to look for:

  • Is the chest open?
  • Is there a wound/hole?
  • Is it collapsed/caved in?
  • Are there Rice-Krispies (air) under the skin?
  • An unusual hollow sound when you tap with your fingers?
  • Is the wind-pipe (in their neck) shifted away to the other side?

These would suggest a pneumothorax (air outside the lung, but inside the chest). What to do:

  • The patient needs a chest tube. If that’s outside your ability, and the patient is having a lot of difficulty breathing, you need to find another way to get the air out of the chest cavity, because it’s putting pressure on the lungs. Keep in mind, if you have to do this, the patient is in trouble:
    • Use a big needle to suck it out. Here’s how: Get some gloves on. Splash the chest with betadine and spread it around with some gauze. Get a big, long needle (at least 1 1/4″ inch long) preferably with a catheter, and stick it in through the top of your chest muscle. Go straight in about 1.5 inches on a normal person. Keep the syringe on the needle and keep sucking out air while they breathe.
    • If that isn’t working, here’s your last option: make a small incision between the ribs. Here’s how: find a space between the ribs just under the armpit in front of the lat muscle. Cut a one-inch incision parallel to the ribs, and using a clamp (or needle-nose pliers), push in, spread and repeat. Stay on the top side of the rib (instead of underneath where the blood vessels are). Don’t be afraid to use your fingers. When you enter the chest, you’ll feel a small pop and see air bubbles through the blood. Allow the pressurized air to come out and cover it with some vaseline gauze. Pray.

Circulation: If your own pulse is pounding, it’s hard to feel the patient’s pulse. Next time you go for a run (you do work out regularly, right?) practice feeling your pulse while you’re running. That’s about what it’s like in a trauma. Check the neck. Check the wrist. Really simple: Is there a pulse? This is harder than it sounds. If the patient is cold, low on blood, wet, or thrashing around, and you’re flooding adrenaline through your own veins, one of the harder things to do is say with confidence that something isn’t there. Be sure. Remember: fast is slow, slow is fast. Relax. It’s only life and death. If there is no pulse, start doing chest-compressions. Here’s how:

  • Get the patient onto something solid – the ground, the kitchen table – not the bed, not the sofa. Something hard.
  • Find where their belly meets their ribs. In the middle, on the ribs, push down hard with the heels of your hands twice per second. Fast.
  • How hard? On an old person, you may be breaking ribs. On a young person, they’ll feel like they got the ever-living crap kicked out of them. Don’t try to hurt them, but do it fast. Push down hard. You will be sweating like a fat man in a cake shop.
  • Recent AHA guidelines recommend that you do 30 chest compressions, then two breaths. I agree. 30 fast compressions, 2 huge breaths, and repeat. You’re breathing and pumping their heart for them. Don’t skimp.

The other part of “C” – circulation – is checking for hemorrhage (bleeding). I talk about bleeding below, but here’s the point: there’s bleeding you see (dribbling out some hole), and bleeding you don’t (internal). You want to keep both in mind and look for the signs of each (visible blood, fast/weak pulse, low blood pressure, a thigh or belly that’s fuller than it should be, etc.).

What’s next? Before we move on. Remember: ABC. Say it out loud. When your mind goes blank, A-B-C should enter it. If you remember nothing else, ABC.

There are two more letters after ABC. Not surprisingly, they are D and E. I separated them out because in my opinion, they are less applicable in a survival situation.

D is for Disability. Specifically, a neurologic evaluation. There is limited value to this (who is doing brain surgery on the back porch?) with one exception: triage. If a patient is flexing or extending their arms in a strange fashion, has no anal sphincter tone, doesn’t respond to painful stimuli (pinch their finger/toe), or their pupils are very dilated (or one is), these are signs of serious neurologic injury. It may be useful in a survival situation to know that this patient is unlikely to recover.

E is for Environment. If possible, cut off the patient’s clothes, and keep them warm in preparation for the secondary survey. Again, trauma patients get cold easily. Cover them with blankets and keep them warm.

A-B-C-D-E is the primary survey. It’s quick and dirty and designed to address issues that might immediately kill the patient. Each step needs to be completed before moving onto the next. There’s no point trying to work on breathing if the airway is blocked. After all five steps are competed, it’s time to do a secondary survey.

The point of the secondary survey is to look for things that were missed, and to gather more information that might aid treatment. Examine the patient head-to-toe, front and back. Look under the arms, and between the legs. Many times on a patient (covered in blood) I’ve found another bullet or knife hole on secondary survey. Patients generally won’t know where they are injured. When you roll the patient, do a “log-roll” where their head is rolled at the same time as their body. This should provide some protection in case they have a spinal fracture. Check their spine by pressing on each vertebrae for unusual tenderness. If they yelp, keep them on their back and don’t let them sit up.

If at any time, the patient’s condition deteriorates, abandon your secondary survey and restart your primary survey – A-B-C. Again, no matter what happens, no matter where you are, if something unexpected happens, don’t think – just start doing ABC.

There are several common types of injury, and I will walk you through them:

Penetrating Trauma: Translation: you’re bleeding. Bullet, knife, chainsaw – it doesn’t matter. Nothing, and I mean nothing, stops bleeding like direct pressure. It’s not fancy, but if you see blood, particularly on an extremity (arms, legs, head), lean on it, push your weight onto it with the heels of your hands or your fingers. If you’re pressing hard enough, it should cut off the blood to your own fingers. You can stop any bleeding – including major arterial bleeds – with enough pressure. If it can’t be stopped with pressure, it can’t be stopped without operating.

No tourniquet, or other device – even a suture – is going to do the job in the first 3 minutes like you pushing down with everything you’ve got. The only reason you should ever even consider using a tourniquet is if you’re in a firefight and need both hands for your rifle. Quikclot and other similar hemostatic powders are useless in a real trauma with brisk bleeding. We use them all the time in the O.R., but they have no place in a trauma. Use direct pressure every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Remember that a hard surface underneath makes everything easier.

When the bleeding slows, get lots of gauze (or your t-shirt) onto the wound and keep pressing down hard. You may need to hold it up to half an hour if you’re all alone. If the patient stays awake and you’ve stopped the blood from flowing – you’re doing it right.

Blunt Trauma: Without an ability to do imaging, or blood work, or a long experience doing physical exams, it’s hard to know what’s going on with blunt trauma. If there is a blast injury (explosion) all bets are off. Don’t underestimate a blast injury. In many blunt traumas, but particularly blast injuries, there are lung injuries you can’t see initially. This will cause the lungs to fill up with fluid and the patient will drown. If you have oxygen, some ability to use an airway, or diuretics (like ferosemide / lasix), this is the time. Otherwise, don’t over-hydrate the patient if you suspect a lung injury (big chest bruising / gurgling / coughing up fluid).

For abdominal blunt trauma, here’s what to consider: is the spleen or liver bleeding? What to look for:

  • Is there a big welt on the skin below the ribs?
  • Does the patient look pale and waxy?
  • Pulse stays over 110, or rises?
  • Blood pressure 100 or lower?
  • More pain in their belly than you think they should have?
  • Do they feel faint and thirsty?

These are signs of internal bleeding. The very best thing you can do for internal bleeding (assuming you don’t have blood on hand) is to give IV fluids. Run in a couple of liters of normal saline or lactated ringers to start. Anybody who’s not already in heart failure can tolerate 2 liters – don’t be shy.

Keep the patient still. No moving or shifting around. You want the bleeding to clot off, and every time you move around, you risk starting it up again. Keep the patient warm. Cold patients have more trouble clotting.

If the patient gets worse, and passes out, and their pulse is weak, and their blood pressure drops to 80, they are bleeding to death.

Unless you’re in the mood to operate with a butter-knife, you have to hope the bleeding stops on its own. That may sound like a negligible hope, but as their blood pressure drops, it makes it easier for the body to clot off the bleeding. It may be enough for them to survive.

If you have medical training and feel able, and the patient is hemodynamically unstable (is bleeding to death internally), you can take a shot at operating. Here’s how: Take a deep breath. Never start surgery with a full bladder or a full trash can. Make a midline incision top to bottom and go around the belly-button. Go straight down through the fat to the fascia (that’s the white, tough membrane that keeps your guts in). Stay in the midline. Pick up the fascia with some clamps, and ever so carefully make a little nick in it. Get your fingers in, lift it up, and cut between them. Don’t hit the bowel. Only cut what you can see. There will be blood everywhere. Don’t try to clean it up. Quickly reach way up high under the ribs on both sides and start packing the abdomen with towels. Pack up high all around, behind, and underneath the spleen and liver. Pack until you can’t fit any more. You’ll probably need 25-50 facecloth sized towels. If you can, count them as they are going in. I can’t see a scenario where a non-medical person would do this and improve the outcome.

Fractures: This is too big a topic to handle in any depth. Here is what to keep in mind:

Hip (pelvic) fractures are a big deal because you can bleed internally from them. You can check the pelvis by pushing down from the front and feeling for instability.

Rib fractures are only a big deal if there is a big section of the chest wall that is moving independently from the rest, or if they have punctured the lung.

Extremity (arm and leg) fractures can compromise the blood flow to that limb. Make sure the broken limb has a pulse. On the arms, check the radial (thumb-side) of the wrist. On the legs, check both feet behind the medial malleolus (the bony-bump on the inside of the ankle), and on top of the foot (check your wrists and feet now to find the pulses if you like). Not everyone will have both foot pulses. But if there is a difference between left and right limbs on your patient, particularly if the limbs look different (color, swelling, temperature, etc.) you need to reduce the fracture quickly.

To reduce the fracture, you’ll need to:

  • Pull it straight (away from the body) to line up the bone fragments, then
  • Have some type of support to keep it there (a splint)

Make sure you get your splint ready before you reduce the fracture. Depending on where the break is, you may need a lot of force. Do it once and do it right. Pull slowly and steadily – leaning back with your weight if necessary, but don’t jerk. If you can wait until a second person is available to help you, that’s better.

Keep in mind that in addition to being broken, the limb might be dislocated. If it’s dislocated, you need to put in back in place (reduce it). Here’s how:

  • For hips, they’re usually a posterior dislocation. That means the foot and knee will be turned inwards. With the patient on his or her back, flex the hip then pull the knee forward (skyward). Have a second person hold the patient’s hip down on the table – you need a lot of force to relocate a hip.
  • For knees, it’s the kneecap that slides laterally (away from the midline). Bend the knee, push the kneecap up and back towards the midline and straighten the leg.
  • For shoulders, the key is to get the patient to relax the shoulder muscles. There are lots of ways to do this. Generally, the Kocher method has the highest success: with the arm bent at 90 degrees, gently rotate it outward until you feel a bit of resistance. Then bring the whole arm forward as far as possible and rotate it back inward.
  • For elbows, have one person hold the biceps, and the other pull the wrist while the arm is slightly bent.
  • For fingers, slide your thumb up the side of the finger that is sticking out, and push the digit away from the body. Pulling on it doesn’t work very well because you make the tendons tighten around the bone.

Once you reduce a fracture, keep the traction (pull) on it, and stabilize it with a splint. Make sure the splint isn’t cutting off the circulation by slipping your finger between the patient’s skin and the split to check the tension. Then check the pulses again.

In some unusual cases, but particularly when there is a fracture, or a crush injury, you can get what’s known as a “compartment syndrome.” This means that pressure inside your calf or forearm is building up (from swelling or bleeding). The limb may go numb, pulses can disappear, get pale, and almost always you’ll have a lot of pain when you move the ankle or wrist even a bit.

If this occurs in the context of a trauma, you may need to surgically cut open the limb to release the pressure. This sounds extreme, but if you don’t, the pressure can kill the nerves and you’ll lose function of the limb permanently.

To do it on the leg, you want to open 4-5 inches on the outside of the shin. For the forearm, do it on the inside of the forearm for most of its length. Keep in mind that it’s not the skin you need to open – it’s the white-gray, tough tissue called “fascia” that’s under the skin, and under the fat. There are different compartments and it’s theoretically advisable to open each. In practice, however, it’s usually unnecessary. Don’t go any deeper than the fascia, and don’t do this unless you’re sure – you’re creating a large new wound with its own issues.

Burns: Burns are probably one of the more likely injuries in a survival situation. They are very common in the third-world. Open cooking fires, burning refuse, combustion-based illumination and heating, and improvised equipment all increase the chance that you’ll get burned. I will not go into general burn-care here but rather I’ll focus on addressing burns in the context of trauma. This usually involves a flash fire or explosion.

First, drag the person away from the fire and make sure the fire is under control. Take a close look at the patient. Go through your ABCs! Remember that they may have other injuries besides the burn. Here’s the reality: for serious burns, there’s often little you can do to help outside of having access to real medical care.

If there are burns around the head, mouth and airway, you should worry. Even if the patient is talking, the clock may be ticking. Any questions you have to ask, should be asked now. Don’t wait. Not even an hour. Their airway or lungs may be burned, and without intubation and oxygen, death may be unavoidable.

If the burns are wide-spread, you’re at risk early-on for fluid loss and electrolyte imbalances (dehydration). Keep burn patients warm and very well hydrated. If they aren’t urinating, they need more fluid. Remember to use rehydration salts, not just water. IV fluids are best, but drink some pedialyte/gatorade if that’s all you can do.

Infection risk comes later. At the first sign of infection, start some broad spectrum antibiotics (that have gram-negative coverage, such as ciprofloxacin or erythromycin). Give a tetanus vaccine if you have it. (You have your tetanus vaccine up to date, right? Dying from tetanus is horrible and ranks next to peeing on an electric fence for preventable ways to die).

For the wounds, initially just put some dry dressings on the wounds. They will ooze. Later, topical silver (e.g. silvadene) and vaseline gauze or xeroform are a good place to start for deep wounds that need debridement. Don’t let them get too soupy. Give pain meds if you have them.

If the patient survives, handle the wound care (and contractures) the best you can. Pay close attention to circumferential burns (fingers, limbs, or chest). These may cut off the flow of blood, or make it difficult to breathe. If that’s the case, you need to cut just enough through the burn scar to allow the tissues to move. You usually will not need to do this.

Initial wound care is covered well in the SurvivalBlog article “Wound Care: An Emergency Room Doctor’s Perspective, by E.C.W., MD” . Burn wound care after the immediate trauma is a little different and would require a good deal of discussion, outside the scope of what I can cover here.

If you’d like to prepare to handle a trauma, here (in order of priority) is what you have on-hand that will make the most difference in changing the outcome:

  1. Bandages . Lots and lots of gauze and bandages. During a trauma, we use boxes and boxes of gauze. They don’t need to be fancy – just have a lot of them. I’ll add in here things like betadine (to clean) and saline (to irrigate), as well as gloves, tape, and linens.
  2. IVs and IV fluids. There are really only two reasons why life-expectancy in the developed world has doubled in the last century: Intravenous fluids and antibiotics. If you have the ability to keep (and rotate) some IV fluids and some large (18-20 gauge) IVs and lines, you are two steps ahead of anyone else. Whether it’s a trauma or a viral pandemic, the most important thing (sometimes the only thing) you can do is give IV fluids.
  3. Oxygen. A small home oxygen tank with a bag-mask buys you a lot. Any type of respiratory problem gets better with oxygen. If you add an LMA (laryngeal mask airway – a device that anybody can use to secure an airway) you are really cooking. Speaking of cooking – keep it away from combustion sources.
  4. Splints. Plaster, fiberglass, aluminum finger splints, slings, crutches are all great to have. You need to splint or cast most broken bones.
  5. A blood pressure cuff. You can figure out someone’s pulse or respiratory rate with your hands and eyes, but you need a blood pressure cuff and a stethoscope to know what their pressure is. Throw in a thermometer and you’re half-way to being a hospital.

In summary, if there’s a trauma, follow your A-B-Cs. Put pressure on bleeding, don’t move blunt traumas, reduce fractures and make sure the limb is getting blood, and pay close attention to burn patients. Walk through a trauma with your family and put each other on the spot to see how you’d actually react. One day you may need it. And remember, when your brain goes empty – A. B. C.

Maintain The Tool: Weight Control and Preparedness, by N.H.

I’m an average, middle-aged guy: happily married, devoted father; active member of my community and church; and am blessed to have a good job that I enjoy.  I’ve been prepping for about 15 years and, despite a tendency to tinker with our plans, am well-prepped.  But, I’m now worrying about our plans.  I didn’t worry about them before but, late last October, I started to worry.  A lot.  This is why:
Our Survival Group tries to get together regularly to practice and train, but, we hadn’t done a Group Practice (GP) for a couple of years.  This past October we had a GP, where, unfortunately, it became obvious that we no longer work well together.   This is because we have gotten–as uncomfortable as it is to admit–fatter and are no longer “in good shape”.
I’m 6’0” tall and weigh 246 pounds; I have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 28.  That means I am overweight and need to “lose a few pounds.”  That is a nice way of saying it.  Another way of saying it is that I carry 42 pounds of fat on me.  That is equal to an 8 year old child!  I should lose more than “a few pounds.” 
Remember when I said I was average?  Well, I lied; I’m actually below average. Many people my age are much fatter!  The Center For Disease Control (CDC) has reported that almost 40% of us are obese (meaning that at least 50% of our bodyweight is fat) http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html . 
The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute has a handy BMI Chart http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/bmi_tbl.htm to help you get a rough idea of your BMI, but you must see your doctor to get an accurate measurement. BMI charts don’t factor your build and that affects your score.  Body Fat Percentage is also another important measure.  I used a US Navy-based formula to calculate my 42 very hug-able, but problematic, pounds of fat   http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/
Not surprisingly, being out of shape affected our performance in the GP.  I was shocked by how much we could not do, properly and safely, over sustained periods of time.  On the 2nd night of our GP, with aching muscles coated in A535 and drifting into a pain pill induced slumber, it occurred to me that tomorrow I would not be able to work very well, if at all.  Given that our pain medication and A535 supply was quickly being used up, I realized I was not alone.   Worse, I was shocked to discover that, because I was so sore, I did not want to work; I only wanted to find a cozy spot to lie down; I wanted to give up.

What if none of us could work the next day, or, the day after that?  What if one of us got injured—muscle tear, ligament pull, simple wear and tear, or worse—simply because we were tired and made a mistake?  What if one or two of us gave up and simply stopped working altogether?  In survival situations, not being able to do hard physical work, properly and safely, over sustained periods of time can be disastrous; not wanting to work or giving up the will to keep going, can be worse.  

I remembered what it was like after the Ice Storm of 1998–which caused power outages in much of Eastern Canada for almost three weeks in the middle of January; I also remembered the Christchurch Earthquake in 2010—a 7.1 that left a city and region in New Zealand devastated for weeks.  My shock turned into alarm.

During both The Ice Storm and The Christchurch Earthquake, people died or suffered terribly simply because they were not physically fit enough to walk several miles to safety; to carry basic survival gear for that distance; to carry 5 gallons of water back to their families; or to gather enough wood to make and keep a fire burning for a few days.  This happened despite the fact that, in both of these events, the government and society at large, continued to operate properly and sought to provide help.  

WTSHTF or post-TEOTWAWKI, government and society will not operate properly.   We have to be able to help ourselves.   But, the amount of hard, physical work that must be done in a survival situation is astonishing.  Did you have coffee this morning?  For me, the hardest part about that was counting the scoops of coffee!  Did I have to chop and carry wood?  Carry water?  Start a fire?  No. And, that is just the beginning.

One of the hardest parts of prepping is thinking realistically about what we need to G.O.O.D. and survive WTSHTF/post-TEOTWAWKI.  As preppers, we do can readily do that with regard to our gear and skills.  I suspect it is going to be harder though, to be realistic about our weight and fitness levels.  I believe there are two reasons for this: first, we are gear dependent and believe our gear will save us, so most think our current fitness level will suffice; and second, because almost everyone we see has similar fitness levels, so our fitness level seems “normal”. 
What is your most important tool when G.O.O.D. or post-TEOTWAWKI:  Axe?  Knife?  Gun?  Fire starter?   Water purifier?  Answer: None of the above.  If you are too hurt; injured; exhausted; or sore, after a few hours’ hard work that you cannot do anything but lay down, tools do not matter.  Therefore, your most important tool is you: your mind and body; your ability and willingness to do hard work. 
Equally important in a G.O.O.D./post-TEOTWAWKI situation is the mental and emotional stress you will be under.  This aspect of it did not emerge in our GP because everyone knew that this was a “practice;” it was not “real”.  But, it certainly emerged after The Ice Storm and The Christchurch Earthquake. 
Doing anything under pressure is very difficult; doing it when you are sore; exhausted; dealing with minor injuries; frustrated or angry at how your day is going; hungry, thirsty; or desperate, is virtually impossible.   Worse, it is discouraging and erodes confidence rapidly.  In Canada and New Zealand, I heard people say: “This is too hard!”  “I’m too tired to do this!”  “It hurts too much when I do this!”  This quickly changed to “This is hopeless…”  “Don’t even bother…” “It doesn’t matter…”  Once despair sets in, people often give up hope, and then it is very difficult to survive. 
This combination of physical exhaustion and psycho-emotional surrender can be deadly in survival situations.  And, in Canada and New Zealand, people did suffer and did die.
I believe the best way to maximize your chances in a G.O.O.D./TEOTWAWKI is to think about your body as a tool.  The simple fact is that a tool needs to be maintained.   That is what the next part of this will be about: maintaining the tool. 
There are numerous reasons why we put on weight and get out of shape; those reasons do not matter now.  Quick question: How do those reasons stack up against the need to survive when G.O.O.D./post-TEOTWAWKI?  We need to be realistic about this.  The reasons we are overweight do not matter now. 
There are no gimmicks to what I am about to propose; no quick fixes.  You prep following a step-by-step plan and worked hard at it.  That is what you will have to do to lose weight and get back in shape; to maintain the most important tool you have. 
In a G.O.O.D./post-TEOTWAWKI world everyone you are with will have to do hard work for extended periods of time.  Therefore, you will need to be stronger, more flexible, and have greater cardio-pulmonary capacity than the average North American does now. 
Picture this: 
You have settled into your retreat.  Your stockpiles are starting to dwindle.  You’ve decided that today you will get firewood.  Cut down trees, cut off the limbs, cut the log into pieces to fit your stove, split it into actual firewood, bring it all back to your wood storage area, and pile it.  By hand.  Perhaps you will be assisted by your team of horses and wagon.  But it will all be done by hand.  Chainsaws and trucks make a lot of noise which can attract those you might want to keep away.  Even if you use these tools, you will be lifting and bending and working hard.  Doing this work, will take you most of the day.  And, when you return home, evening chores await.  Since all heating and cooking will likely be done with firewood, you’ll be getting firewood again.  And often.
Or this:

Your G.O.O.D. plans have encountered a snag: all exit roads from your residence are clogged with traffic jams and now you have to hike to your retreat.  Since you have prepped well, you know a couple of good routes to take and what gear to bring.  Your group begins to walk, carrying 20 – 40 pounds each, for miles.   At the end of the day, everyone is bone tired, sore.  Fortunately, the terrain, weather and circumstances are favorable, and you are only dealing with blisters, chafing, and other minor hurts.  You’ve made good progress but have only covered a portion of the distance to your retreat.  The next few days will be spent doing the same thing: walking; many miles, all day long. 

Can you do the work described above?  The sobering reality is that many cannot.  To prepare for this level of work, you must train your body to do hard, repetitive work; and, you must train your mind to do tedious work over time.   
Step 1: See your doctor and get a complete physical.  You need to know what the facts are regarding your body (your BMI for example), specifically, what kinds of exercise and dietary changes are safe for you.  Follow your doctor’s advice.
Step 2: What are your short and long-term goals?  When developing your goals, I’d suggest you remember that when G.O.O.D. or post-TEOTWAWKI, you will need to perform arduous, sometimes tedious tasks, for long periods of time.  Your goals should be to get into good enough physical and mental shape to do that.  This is not about doing a certain number of push-ups or looking good on a beach (so forget those glossy magazines).  You want to attain a moderately high level of functional fitness so that you can do hard physical work all day long.
Step 3: Find a diet and exercise plan that is simple and easy to follow.  I would suggest plans that allow you to start small, integrating the new regime into your lifestyle with minimal disruption but maximal positive effect.  One is provided here.  Numerous others exist.
Step 4:  Record your results.

Steps 1 and 4 are self-explanatory.  Steps 2 and 3 are the focus of the rest of this piece.

No matter what exercise program you pick, your short-term goal should not be to increase your strength and your cardio to a certain point. 
Your short-term goal should be to find an exercise program and follow it for 21 days straight; do it every day.  If you do that, you will be stronger, more flexible, and have greater cardio capacity.  Moreover, if you do something for 21 days in a row, you will have created a habit and begun the process of inuring your body and mind to hard repetitive work.  Sticking with that program over time will only increase your physical capacities and improve your mental toughness. 
However, choosing a plan is no easy task.  The market is full of them.  Might I recommend a plan that is simple, easy to follow, easy to incorporate into your lifestyle.  How does a plan that requires 11 minutes a day sound?

I recommend the 5BX Plan developed by Bill Orban in the 1950s for the Royal Canadian Air Force (later adopted by a number of Air Forces around the world including the USAF).  It is based on 5 Basic Exercises and uses 6 age-based charts arranged in a progression so your fitness improves over time.  The five exercises include warm-up and stretching exercises.  You perform the exercises in the same order every time for a maximum of 11 minutes each session. The theory behind this program is that the intensity of exercise yields better results than the duration of the session.  It works and many elite athletes now use this approach in their training.

Numerous resources can be found about this topic, but here is one that is appropriate for most of us.
Exercise, alone, will not help you burn fat.  The following table shows you how many calories the average person burns if they do these activities for 60 continuous minutes

Activity

Calories/hour

Walking

300

Bicycling

300

Aerobics

400

Swimming

400

Tennis

500

Basketball

500

Jogging

700

If you eat any of these items, this is about how many calories you will ingest:

Tasty Treat

Calories

Peanut butter sandwich

275

Pizza (3 slices)

500

Big Mac

  1250

 

 

So, you need to change your diet as well.  But don’t do it right away.  Start your exercise program and 14 days later you will have noticed your appetite has changed somewhat: you may eat less and you might not want to eat the same kinds of food any longer.  Now your body is ready for dietary changes.  Before making any dietary changes, however, consult your doctor and follow your doctor’s advice regarding any and all dietary changes you want to make.  If you have any kind of medical condition, whatsoever, follow your doctor’s advice regarding what dietary changes you should make.
When making dietary changes, look at the palm of your hand.  Whatever size it is, that is a portion size for you.  Eat a balanced, sensible diet: have a portion of protein, starch and vegetables every meal.  If you need or want a snack, eat half a portion of something you ate for the previous meal or will eat the next meal.  The best sources of these items are from food that is raw or uncooked when you buy it and then you have to cook/prepare it.  This also takes work.

Resources that can help you in this effort include:  Canada’s Food Guide and the US Dietary Guidelines.

Just as with everything else in prepping, the most important thing is to develop a plan, implement the plan, and keep at it.  Good luck to you all.
Epilogue: The preceding was written in early December 2011; I decided to “eat my cooking” and followed this program.  Now it is June 2012. 
Six months later–including the Christmas Holidays when I completely ignored my new diet and 5BX (no excuse, but I enjoyed it)–I now weigh 218 pounds.  My BMI will always be high because I have a big build (46” chest; 38” waist), but my body fat percentage has dropped to 13 percent.  Still high, but, I feel better now.  Also, I have finished 3 days of hard, tedious physical work on my hobby farm and feel great!  More importantly, I am now much better prepared to do the work I will need to do in G.O.O.D. or post-TEOTWAWKI situations.
Just 11 minutes of exercise per day, while eating better food.  Maintain “The Tool.” 

Letter Re: How to Make an Old-Fashioned Utility Quilt

Hello James,

We had a hurricane watch here in Long Island, New York today, and I raced home with my kids relaxed, knowing we had food and water for a month minimum. That is because of your blog. 

I was thrilled to read Jean’s article on how to make a quilt. My mother is a master quilter. I am writing to let people know that dryer lint is an excellent quilt filler. If you hang you out your clothes, terrific! But if you use a dryer, do what I do, and put your dryer lint aside in a bag. You can use your long strips of dryer ling as quilt filling. But you can also use it as a last ditch cotton swab (dryer lint is mostly cotton, with some polyester and hair. It is made of whatever fibers your clothing are), and as a fire starter. Just shove some dryer lint into a toilet paper tube, and melt the drip from old birthday candles on each end, and you have a terrific fire starter. iI store mine in freezer bags. One thing I would add about the quilting is that is is best to use a combo cotton/poly thread. Pure cotton thread will shrink with each washing, and create a clumped quilt after time. Also, discarded tube socks are a great filler layer. Just cut off the tops, baste them together, and you have filler! – K.O.L.

Economics and Investing:

Reader C.S. wrote to note that Smith & Wesson stock was up 214% in the past 12 months. Well, at least BHO can say that he personally revitalized one sector of the economy.

White House projects $1.2 trillion deficit, lower economic growth in 2012. (Thanks to SurvivalBlog’s G.G., for the link.)

At least three banks seen central to Libor rigging

Items from The Economatrix:

Gold And Silver in Deflation

Mainstream Media Recovery Hoax

Oil Trades Near Week High On Euro Pledge, US Economic Outlook

Jim Sinclair:  The System Here And There Is Totally Broken

Odds ‘n Sods:

James C. recommended this video: All about wells – The Bailer Bucket. (Well buckets are available from Ready Made Resources, Lehman’s, and many other online vendors.)

   o o o

Reader M.P. forwarded an article that uncovers blatant state-sponsored genocide: ‘Match Battalion’ torch village: “These men are part of the Sudanese army”. Please pray for Sudan and South Sudan. In particular, please pray that the citizenry of South Sudan get the small arms and training that they need to defend themselves from Islamist aggression from Sudan.

   o o o

Emily Miller: Dispelling gun myths

   o o o

Papa Papa sent us this good news: Maryland concealed carry law struck down. A “good and substantial reason” is no longer needed to justify getting a permit.

   o o o

Eric J. suggested that this news might have serious implications for anyone who is planning to Escape From New York in days of deep drama: A Traffic Nightmare Like No Other On Long Island’s East End. Eric notes that it was just one car caused a seven-hour backup!

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.” – John 1:29-34(KJV)

Notes from JWR:

I just learned that Jerry Ahern passed away on Tuesday. (July 24, 2012.) He will ne remembered as a novelist, firearms expert, holster designer, and a former CEO of Detonics. He was a prolific writer, best known for his 29-volume series The Survivalist. A memorial service will be held in Jefferson, Georgia on a date yet to be determined. Once again, cancer has robbed us all. He will be greatly missed. Our sincere condolences to his widow, Sharon. Condolence notes can be left online. (Scroll down to the Jerry Ahern link.)

—

Today we present another two entries for Round 41 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 41 ends on July 31st and the queue is full, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry for Round 42. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Back to Prepping, by J.D.F.

We are never completely prepared, we either are unprepared, or prepared to some degree. So I want to review the past year and see what or how far I’ve come. For those new to the game, they can find it a bit overwhelming, and do little to nothing to prepare. Then there are those that are part time preppers and those that are full time preppers. I fall into the former, but a meeting with some friends 8 months ago re-ignited the drive it takes to prepare. So my one-year odyssey in review.

First order of business is get your family onboard, and perhaps those you want to include in a group, but foremost your family, and don’t just say tings are bad, show them some of the articles you have found on the dollar collapse, EMP, etc, the real reasons you feel the need to prepare, if they are with you it just got a lot easier.

Second get organized, what do you already have? This will save you a lot of money in the long run, as you are less likely to duplicate items.

Next is your plan to bug out, or stay in place. If you are bugging out do you have a location that you can cache some of your gear and foodstuffs, or are you going with what you can haul?  If that is the case, figure out what you can haul in one trip. There is no sense in buying 50 cases of MREs if you only car is a Geo Metro it won’t fit. If you do not have a specific location to bug-out to, I’d strongly urge to plan to stay in place and make the best of it.

Next if you are new to this, start small, plan for 3 days, then 10 days, then 30 days, then 3 months and so forth.
For me my retreat is where I live, I’m not in the American Redoubt, but in the Midwest. My property is in the country, and I’m about 15 miles from the nearest city, (population about 14,000) would I like a retreat further out? Yes, but it is not going to happen I simply can’t afford to move.

I’m an avid shooter, and already have arms, ammo, a lot of ammo, and all the gear that goes with it. I was a bit light in the Battle Rifle category so I sold a few handguns to purchase an M1 Garand (I already had about 2,000 rounds of .30-06 ammo, so it made sense) and an FN-FAL, I had planned on two PTR91s (HK91 clones) but the FAL came along at a price I couldn’t ignore, the seller wanted $650, and admitted the gun wouldn’t cycle. So when I inspected it I found the gas plug installed upside down, I offered $600 and he took it I went home and reinstalled the plug properly and it cycles fine. I also managed a trade of a 1911 for a used PTR91. HK magazines are currently selling at unbelievably low prices.

If you are new to this I’d suggest a 12 gauge pump shotgun to start, and there are a lot of affordable guns out there, even a .22 rifle, and a lot of ammo should be considered. I’ve studied criminal behavior and the majority will be looking for soft targets, and when the SHTF there will be plenty, usually no one stands around and asks what caliber is that?, when you drop the hammer.

Yes there is a lot of cool accessories out there, but paying more attention to the more mundane things in life will go a lot further in insuring your survival. Watch those big box stores for seasonal closeouts, do a lot of shopping, (not buying) keep notes and get the biggest bang for your buck you can. Of further note the biggest of the “Big Box” stores is now selling AR-15s in a lot of locations, at much lower prices than you’ll find at a regular gun shop. I have seen SIG-Sauer, Bushmaster, and Colt.
Remember that it is not the gun that wins the fight it is your training and willingness that win the fight.

 I have a propane fired generator, in the 10-Kw range, and a 500 gallon propane tank I put it in 5 years ago, after a two day outage and a the loss of a lot of food. You might see these advertised as “whole house” generators but that is really stretching it, you need to get around at least a 17Kw for an average size house. Of course any generator is likely only going to be good for a short period, for once the fuel is gone that’s it.

I am a self employed firearms instructor, so for me most weeks I have no idea what my income will be until class starts. Some weeks I make $125 before expenses, and some I can much more, so in 2011, I earned the princely sum of less than $10,000 before taxes. So my income is   less than half of the other individuals in my group.

If you have a known income, even small you can prep, I so often hear people saying they would like to, but can’t afford to, and that in a word is denial, and if you live in denial it will cost you when the time comes.

My last effort at full scale prepping had been in 1999 with the dire warnings of Y2K, which did not materialize. So after a meeting a year ago, I started my prepping with research, planning and organizing. The gathering begins after the first 3 steps are met, but not completed

Research
Now once you organize things you already have, you start research, and this is vital, you can run helter-skelter and buy a bunch of stuff, but you may have more wants than needs when you are done. Focus on want you need, and if you have less you need to have intensified focus

 I first read Patriots, by James Rawles, then dug out my copy of the “How to Survive the End of the World as we Know it” by the same writer. I also went to the internet and checked a lot of the prepping web sites, making notes to links of free information. It ranged from Military manuals, the LDS Preparedness Manual to articles on how to milk goats.

I also referred to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Think on this one. Have you thought this one through? Are you prepared in each category?
Water
Food
Clothing
Shelter-Security
Sanitation
First Aid
Communication
Transportation

While the research continues every day, I began planning…

Planning
I started making lists, and I began to shop, note I did not say buy, but shop I have a limited quirky income so I can’t afford to just throw money at things. In the planning stage you have to think things through, and play what if in your planning.

For instance water, 18 years ago my shallow well pump died, and for need of water I found a small pump I could attach to a cordless drill, attach a hose to each end of the pump and I could draw water, so if the grid is down how do I keep the drill charged?, which lead to a power pack and a small solar charger being added to the list.
The lists will grow every day; make at least a mental note of what you use every day, from toilet paper to food, and think how much of this will I need to get through uncertain times of unknown length? In the planning stage do not focus on any single category above; you have to address each category as you go. If you focus on food, and not security someone can take your food, and if you focus on security you can starve behind a well fortified wall.

The preparations have to be a multi-prong effort, and you need to give yourself some leeway if you are on a budget, that while in the pursuit of certain items, you run across a deal on something else you get it instead.  I’ve seen here on the internet some preppers that focus on one subject at a time, then move on to another chapter, this could lead to imbalance. I know one lady who has been solely focused on medical and first aid, and has spend a lot of her resources on items to fill those needs, I explained to her this is stuff you might need, but no matter what happens you will be hungry, If she had spent half of her money on food supplies she would still have enough to outfit an EMS team. Not real sure how good band aids taste, although she may be able to barter.
Also pay close attention to the mundane items like socks and Q-Tips. Yeah I know night vision and body armor is a lot more cool, but feeling like you have a bug in your ear and suffering foot rot is more likely to really happen. How about laundry? Check out some of the low cost items RVers use. Take a close look at what you consume and try to make sure those needs are met
Also for the budget minded think used instead of new

Organizing
Bugging in or bugging out?  My plan is for staying put, and here is where the group will gather, so in that regard those coming here are bringing supplies here, so space is a problem, and I continue to work on getting more space to store buckets, bullets and Band-Aids
I’ve made a considerable investment in adjustable wire mesh shelving units, I did wait till they were on sale, and bought them as need arose but in the past 12 months bought  19 sets at $40 bucks a set. But it allows me access to items without un-stacking stuff to get the container on the bottom.
Also it pays to keep inventory of what you have, and not just what you want, it is easy to use excel  and simply update as you add items, once a month I print them out, and review them  looking for what I need to balance things out.
In all keeping organized with proper planning and research will help you stay focused on what you need to get done, rather than an aimless quest unsure of your destination.

So in a nutshell with less than $10,000 income, and cashing a useless IRA of less than $8,000 where am I, 12 months later? I have enough stored food to feed 8 for a year, (a mix of store bought, dehydrated, #10 cans and bulk) I have 200 feet of garden fencing the mix of garden tools rain barrels and heirloom seeds to start a garden, started a small raised bed garden with hybrid seeds, and will save the heirlooms, for later.

I have several rolls of barbed wire for security, a few hundred sandbags, and a truckload of sand I have some solar around 200 watts worth plus connections wiring controllers several 2 way radios, four Swedish field phones, a solar powered base station and a couple of emergency radios, I also have four portable power packs that I can plug into,
3 kerosene heaters and around 90 gallons of kerosene, a camping oven stove combo, and 2 camp stoves, 60 cans of propane.100 lbs of charcoal, Pressure canner and jars etc, a food saver and a dehydrator, cast iron cookware, meat grinder, grain mill about 200 lbs of medical supplies, and the training to use it all.
1000 batteries from AAA to D cell, half dozen sleeping bags, rope bungee straps, come-alongs axes 3 chainsaws one gas powered and 2 cordless Black and Decker, for a cordless tool by the time the batteries run down so do I and they are pretty quiet, and log chains, crow bars, bolt cutters, nails, boots to blades, packs, webbing, magazine pouches etc.

I even acquired about 80 ounces of silver, in pre-1965 coins, there was no sense in just leaving the money in the IRA, and stocking up on Nickels
I also invested in a small trailer; it made it a lot easier to haul a lot of the bulky items
It came in handy when I hauled in over a ton of compost, peat moss, and lumber for the raised bed gardening, also several hundred cement blocks, to build defensive fighting positions  

I’m planting evergreens and hedges to help hide the property; although with the recent drought we have had they will need to be replanted.  I’m 1,000 feet from the nearest road, and prefer to be hidden and just let those that use the road pass by, it does reduce are fields of fire somewhat, but will also lower the chances of having to use those fields of fire, which is better all the way around.
I think the key to getting what I needed was I spent a lot of time planning and looking and little time buying; I worked hard at finding the best deal for my money. So if you don’t have money, spend time.
I’m not as prepared as those in the novel “Patriots”, but I’m way ahead of those in “Survivors.”

Encouragement for the Prepping Wives of Non-Prepping Husbands, by Sharon in the Midwest

I’m writing this article to encourage you, if you’re in a similar situation as I am.  I may be writing it also, to encourage myself.  I want to say that it is possible to prepare for emergencies to some extent, even if you aren’t exactly doing it as a team.  I will share some of my story in order to give you some ideas.

I am a happily-married woman living with a wonderful husband and my four children in a Midwestern state, in a town of less than 5000.  I have been increasingly concerned about an economic collapse, and have been educating myself about preparedness in the last 2 years.  My husband is not happy with the way the country is going, but also isn’t willing to “over-react”, or get “paranoid”.  As a christian woman, I believe that it is my responsibility to submit to my husband with a good attitude, but also my responsibility to see to the needs of my household.  How do I balance that all out?
First, I trust in God.  He has never failed us.  As we have honored Him, and given Him the first fruits of our income, He has always taken care of us.  For example, 3 ½ years ago, we became convinced that God’s will was for us to try to become debt free.  We prayed that somehow God would provide a way for us to become debt-free.  Little did we know that within 6 months, my husband’s job in a large metropolitan area would end and we would sell our house for $30,000 less than we had into it, but still pay off our mortgage.  He would end up, not in his profession, but rather working 5 part-time jobs, and we would buy a foreclosed house in a rural area that needed some work.  After all of the difficulty we’ve had, we are now debt-free in a nice house, in rural America.  God’s ways are definitely not ours!

Secondly, don’t discount the assets you have or want, as something your spouse would automatically reject.  We have a lot of great camping gear that my husband loves.  I suggested a few additions that he has enthusiastically embraced, such as a Dutch oven.  This summer, we used it for every meal on our camping trip in order to really get the hang of it, and I made sure to include meals he likes.  A few of the other  things I’ve  gotten are a couple of flashlights that can work on a hand-crank charge (almost free after a Menard’s rebate),  a solar heated hanging “shower” for camping ($1 at a rummage sale),  a lantern that works on a hand crank, and a charcoal starter.  The addition I’m most excited about is our sand-point well. It turns out that this little town has very high sewer rates, thanks to a large new sewage treatment plant which was built recently, anticipating a housing boom that didn’t happen. The sewer charge is calculated off our water use.  It’s nothing to get a $400 quarterly water/sewer bill, so my husband was willing to put in a backyard well so we could wash the vehicle, and water the garden without city water.  It cost about $400 or $500 including the permits, equipment, and 1 afternoon rental of a jackhammer.  Although it runs on electricity now, he was agreeable to spend $40 to get the hand pump attachment and store it for an emergency.

If your husband has any interests that line up with preparedness skills, then encourage him.  My husband is a hunter, and fisherman, so I am very supportive.  We usually discuss purchases together, and if he brings up an interest in purchasing any “hunting equipment”, fishing tackle, etc., I say, “Go for it”.  When we have the money for a conceal carry class, I’ll support his interest.  When he expressed an interest in my pickling his fish, I did it, even though I dislike pickled fish.  He was willing to build me the square food garden boxes I asked for, so I will be willing to can all the tomatoes and salsa he wants.  I don’t complain about all of the venison we eat.  Although my husband isn’t willing for me to tear up any more of our small lawn for a larger garden, he IS willing to tear up some lawn in order to put in a raspberry patch.  I’ll take what I can get. 

I have been keeping an eye out for preparedness books at rummage sales, GoodWill,  and library sales.  So far, I’ve spent less than $20 to get:  “The PDR Pocket Guide to Prescription Drugs “ (includes dosages), Where There Is No Doctor edited by Dr. David Werner, Making the Best of Basics – Family Preparedness Handbook by James Talmage Stevens, “12 Month Harvest”,  “Home Canning”, and a 20 volume set called “The Creative Workshop”.  I also used my Christmas money from my mother-in-law to get “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It”,  “The Urban Homestead”, “Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants and Herbs”, and “The Prepper’s Pocket Guide: 101 Easy Things You Can Do To Ready Your Home For a Disaster”.  (I definitely didn’t tell my mother-in-law which books I bought with her gift.  She would think I had cracked up.)

Other rummage sale finds include a vacuum-sealer, and a box of canning jars.  I picked up a set of solar pathway lights for half-price last week, and have gotten several used food-grade buckets from the bakery dept. of our grocery store.  That is how their frosting is delivered, so I got them for $.50 each just for asking, and just had to wash them out.

One piece of advice; for what it’s worth.  Don’t go for everything you want all at once.  Two years ago, I talked him into buying a six month supply of dehydrated food from Augason Farms.  This was a very big purchase for us.  We tucked it away.  This winter, I approached my husband asking for a one -month supply of more accessible, “normal” food such as canned goods, and he was fine with that. I had been concerned that the one of our children with multiple serious food allergies would not have any protein that he could safely have from that 6 month supply we had purchased.  Soy, beans/peas, and nuts were out of the question, so I needed canned meat/seafood.   If there was a dire need, that child could eat protein from the new stuff for 6 months, and the other 5 of us could eat the other proteins.  Because of our finances, it has taken 6 months to gradually buy enough additional food to feed 6 people for a month.  I just finished this week, and it feels great! The next step is to get a rotation system in place for those foods.  I keep the food stored out of sight, (out of mind) so that my husband isn’t constantly reminded of how much money we’ve spent. J Also, the kids aren’t as likely to blab about it if they don’t see it.

My plan now is to focus on learning skills.  I got a pressure canner for Christmas, and have started teaching myself how to use it comfortably.  I also plan to learn to make bread without my breadmaker.  Perhaps I’ll try sourdough bread, or yogurt.   Other goals are to organize car emergency kits, research and plan for updating first-aid kits, and to make a wish list of things to keep an eye out for at end-of-season sales, or rummage sales.

As an aside, don’t forget that you may already have more food available than you think in your cupboards, and freezer.  I tend to forget to count the food that’s on our shelves, and in our freezer, but of course that would be the first food we would use up. 

Finally, there may be some preparations that you would like to make, that your husband doesn’t agree to.  In my case, it’s a woodstove.  My thought is, “It would keep us from freezing.” His thought is, “No, because it would aggravate two kids’ asthma, and also aggravate a dry- eye condition I have.”  What I have decided to do is forget about it.  If it came down to it, my husband, with God’s help, would figure something out.  God’s Word clearly tells me not to worry, so I choose to let it go.  I’m at peace, even though there’s a big question mark in the area of heat.

Anyway, my point is, don’t get discouraged.  No matter how much you can do, it’s more than the average citizen is doing, and your family will be better off for it.  Just trust God.  He knows your husband, and gave him to you.  If you are honest and have the right attitude and motives, your husband will be able to trust you.  He may not always agree with you, but it’s better to be partially prepared to struggle through TEOTWAWKI while happily married to your best friend, than to be fully prepared to survive TEOTWAWKI in a miserable, resentful marriage.  Our children learn how to honor and respect their future spouses, by watching how we honor and respect their Dad.  It is a legacy to pass on that will be a blessing to them all of their lives.