What You Should Have in Your Ultimate Survival First Aid Kit

Written by Guest Contributor on The Prepper Journal.

As a prepper, one of the most important things you can have on hand is an ultimate survival first aid kit. Although prepackaged kits are available in almost any pharmacy, relying on them will leave you ill-equipped if the SHTF.

The following lists will help you create your ultimate survival first aid kit. They are extensive, but not all-inclusive. You will have to add items for special needs you, your family, or even your pets may have. Use your best judgment on quantities. However, keep in mind a rule many preppers follow – two is one, and one is none.

The descriptions and comments within the lists are not medical advice. If you want to be prepared if the SHTF, learn ahead of time how and when to use all the items in your kit and PRACTICE with them. A chest seal looks simple, but there is an art to handling and applying them. Celox Grandules are a nightmare in the wind or in rotor down-wash, they are an eye, and throat irritant and take 2-3 minutes to clot whereas the Rapid (or Ribbon) are much easier for the non-professional to handle. Knowing how to use your medical items can NOT be over-stressed.

Primary Components of the Ultimate Survival First Aid Kit

In addition to the items below, include a comprehensive first aid reference manual. Make sure it’s a paper copy. If the SHTF you could be without power, making electronic versions inaccessible. Being able to look up a medical situation you’re not familiar with can make all the difference to the person you’re trying to help.

Item	Simple Description/Comments
Adhesive bandages	Get self-adhesive.
Alcohol pads/antiseptic solution	Used to sterilize areas around wounds.
Antibacterial soap	For cleaning wounds, hands or anything else that gets dirty or contaminated. Buy high quality grade.
Antibiotic ointment	Reduces the chance of infection.
Antifungal ointment	Treats fungus infections that thrive in wet and humid conditions
Battle dressing	For traumatic wounds where bleeding is profuse.
Blood clotting powder	May stop or minimize bleeding, especially in people who are on blood thinners.
Burn gel	Helps alleviate pain associated with burned skin.
Butterfly bandages	Used to close lacerations.
Compression bandages	Used to treat sprained joints. Stock different sizes so you can wrap any joint.
Cotton balls/pads/swabs	Cleans wounds and applies ointments. Stock an assortment of styles and sizes.
CPR barrier/masks	For protection against exposure to infection.
Eye solution/wash	Saline-based, helps remove debris from the eye. Used regularly can keep eyes clean.
Foot powder	An alternative to antifungal cream. Powder lasts longer and is easy to apply.
Gloves	Protects against contamination and any blood-borne diseases. If latex allergy is a concern, non-latex gloves are available.
Hand sanitizer	De-sanitizes hands and skin. Not recommended for open wounds.
Hydrocortisone cream	Helps the body recover from insect bites or stings and minor rashes.
Hydrogen peroxide	Helps treat gum discomforts.
Instant hot/cold packs	Helps reduce pain and swelling. Stock different varieties and sizes.
Irrigation syringe	For cleaning wounds. A squeeze bottle is a good alternative.
Large cloth dressings	To protect wounds. 5×9 inches is a good size since they can be cut down as needed.
Medical tape	Used to secure bandages or to hold medical equipment in place. Try to stock waterproof or water resistant.
Oral thermometer	For detecting fevers.
Petroleum jelly	For the dressing of burns and small cuts to prevent reinfection or dirt from entering. Can also retain moisture in the skin, especially when it’s too cold. Helps keep heat inside the body.
Roll bandages	Have various uses and can be cut into different sizes as needed.
Scalpel	Used for minor surgery or to remove excess tissue. Surgical grade scalpels are best.
Sewing needles	Helpful for dislodging foreign matter from under the skin.
Sharp scissors	Cuts bandages and other materials. Have more than one set.
Splinting material	There are a variety of materials and most can be cut to the size needed.
Sterile gauze pads	Covers wounds. Have a variety in the kit.
Superglue	Used as a waterproof, invisible bandage for small cuts, blisters, and abrasions. Also used for more significant wounds instead of stitches.
Sutures	Used to close severe wounds. A good suture size is a 3-0 and above since smaller sizes might not be sufficient.  If possible, have different sizes on hand.
Syringes	Can inject or withdraw fluid as necessary.
Tourniquets	When used appropriately, can reduce or stop the blood flow through a vein or artery by compressing a limb.
Triangular bandages	Suitable for immobilizing dislocations and fractures.
Tweezers	Most often used to remove splinters or other tiny objects.
Wooden tongue depressors	Used for checking throat obstructions and for splinting small fractures.

 

Equipment and Kits for Your Ultimate Survival First Aid Kit

 

The following list of equipment and kits will assist you in administering first aid in critical situations.

Item	Simple Description/Comments
Automated external defibrillator (AED)	Small, battery-operated unit used for starting a failed heart during cardiac arrest.
Blood pressure cuff	Used to monitor blood pressure.
Burn kit	For severe burns, or burns located on more than one part of the body.
Cervical collar	Immobilizes a neck due to a neck or spine injury.
Dentist kit	Items in the kit include temporary treatments for lost fillings, caps and crowns.
Foldable stretcher	Enables the carrying of an injured person.
Locking forceps	Used in combination with suturing. They can also stop hemorrhaging blood vessels.
Oral airways	Keeps a person’s airway open.
Snakebite kit	Generally includes an extractor pump that pulls venom from pooled areas in the body. Cannot extract venom already in the circulatory system.
Stethoscope	Verifies breathing and heartbeat.
Suture kit	Contains a variety of items you need for suturing wounds.

 

Essential Medications for Your Ultimate Survival First Aid Kit

Include these medications in addition to any pharmaceuticals prescribed by your doctor for ongoing medical conditions. If the SHTF, you may not be able to get to any doctor, or to any pharmacy. So stock in sufficient quantities.

Item	Simple Description/Comments
Acetaminophen	Reduces pain and fever.
Antacid	Temporarily relieves stomach and gastrointestinal pain.
Antihistamine	Alleviates mild allergic reactions.
Aspirin	Common painkiller and is also used to treat certain heart conditions.
Asthma inhalers	If you or a family member have asthma, put one or two in your kit and leave them in there.
Broad spectrum antibiotics	Act on a wide range of diseases. Are used when the source of infection is unknown.
Cephalexin	Heavy-duty antibiotic good at treating staph infections and other bacterial infections.
Diarrhea treatment	Controls diarrhea and can prevent dehydration.
Dramamine	Used to treat symptoms usually associated with motion sickness.
Epipen or other allergy medication	Prescribed for people prone to anaphylactic reactions from insect stings or certain foods.
Ibuprofen	Is an anti-inflammatory and analgesic.
Insulin	If you or a family member has diabetes, ensure your kit includes a good supply of insulin and needles to administer it.
Nitroglycerin	This is a treatment for patients with heart conditions.
Prednisone	Is an immunosuppressant and used to treat some inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
Stool softener	Treats or prevents constipation.
Sugar pills	Can quickly raise the blood sugar of a person who has diabetes.
Throat lozenges	Soothes throat pain.

 

Handy Herbals for Your Ultimate Survival First Aid Kit

There are many oils, herbals and other natural remedies available. This list provides a few that may prove very helpful in a survival situation.

 

Item	Simple Description/Comments
Aloe Vera	Treats skin-related problems and burns.
Cranberry extract	Primarily used to treat urinary tract infections.
Clove bud oil	Alleviates tooth and gum pain.
Lavender oil	Helps heal burns and wounds.
Peppermint oil	Can release tight muscles. Mixed with lavender oil can reduce itching caused by rashes or poison ivy.

 

Rounding Out Your Ultimate Survival First Aid Kit

This list supports or enhances other items contained in your survival first aid kit. Pack enough for yourself, and some to barter with. Bartering materials are valuable if the SHTF.

Item	Simple Description/Comments
Aqua tabs	Cleans and purifies water in minutes for drinking, cooking and bathing.
Baking soda	Provides relief to bee stings and can draw out excess pus from a wound.
Batteries	If you have flashlights or transistor radios or even portable ham radios, have extra batteries on hand in the appropriate sizes.
Cotton sheets	Used to create makeshift stretchers.
Emergency blankets	Useful in cold weather and for preventing any victim from going into shock.
Ensure	Can help with nutritional needs. Some products come in powder form for easy storage and transport.
Extra broad spectrum antibiotics	Antibiotics may be one of the most needed medications in your kit.
Flashlights	Stock several of these in different brands and styles. It’s helpful if they use the same size batteries. Include a headset type if possible.
Hot water bottle	Filled with water, can reduce muscle pain and provide warmth if needed.
Lip balm	Treats and prevents chapped and cracked lips.
Magnifying glass	Used to see foreign objects embedded into skin making them easier to remove.
Pedialyte	Replaces fluids and minerals after a bout of vomiting or diarrhea. Comes in powder form for light and manageable storage.
Pen/pencil and paper	Recording vital signs may become essential. You want to track them so you can gauge improvement or deterioration in someone’s condition.
Plastic bags	Used to dispose of contaminated medical waste. Can also double as irrigation devices by poking a hole in a corner. Resealable are best.
Pregnancy test	Knowing if someone is pregnant can ensure proper nutrition.
Sunscreen	Prevents sunburn.

 

Using and Maintaining Your Ultimate Survival First Aid Kit

Now that you have all the items assembled, you have a few more steps.

• Place items in a durable, waterproof bag. Some have liners inside.
• Create a list of what’s in the bag, along with any expiration dates. Check the list at least twice a year. Replace anything that that’s missing or expired. Refill medications ahead of time.
• Become as familiar as possible with the medical kit inventory.

It’s vital that you and all the members of your family learn how to use the items in the kit. Otherwise, they are of no benefit to anyone. Keep in mind that there are common and uncommon uses for items in your medical inventory. So learn as much as you can about each thing.

With this kit you will be as prepared as you can be if the SHTF.

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What did you do to prep this week?

Well, folks, here we are again, another week of prepping and another week closer to TEOTWAWKI. But, before, we get started with this weeks “what did you do to prep this week” I’d like to point you to an article that I read yesterday…

From the far left liberal crap propaganda site “The Huntington Post” These Companies Are Sticking By The NRA, they also list several companies that have left and want no connection or affiliation with gun owners or the Second Amendment including; First National Bank of Omaha, Enterprise Holdings, Chubb, LifeLock, Norton,...

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15 Survival Recipes From The Great Depression

During the Great Depression, cooks scraped meals together from whatever was available. By mixing bits of food with a little creativity and ingenuity, women across the country kept their families fed and alive.

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How to Start Your 1-Acre Self-Sufficient Backyard Homestead

Life is easy today, isn’t it? You can use a tech for almost every need you may have throughout the day. Whenever you feel like eating something, you just go to the supermarket and get it or order a meal online. Although such lifestyle might appear convenient for many, there is a problem: it’s not healthy. All that food you get from the supermarket or restaurants is full of ingredients you don’t want in your body. Even when you buy fruits and vegetables, you’re practically getting some poison.

If you decide to go organic, you’ll have to invest a lot of money in your food. Is there a...

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Prepper News and Notes For Friday, February 22, 2018

I know that many of you are absolutely horrified of any type of social media but for those who aren’t I’d like to let you know about my social media pages for this blog. If you use any of the following then, please follow me there and share to help TheSurvivalistBlog.net grow.

Okay, here you go… my Pinterest Page… My Facebook Fan Page, and My Instagram Page.

1.‘We’re going to take action’: Inside Trump’s shifting stance on gun rights

In the aftermath of Florida school shooting, the president has had a week of activity, emotion and new positions on gun...

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Living in Student’s Dormitory: What to Know

Written by Guest Contributor on The Prepper Journal.

Editors Note: A guest post from Julie to The Prepper Journal. Some takeaways here for not only college bound students but for any of us being thrown into a communal situation.

Being a college student is challenging. It has multiple advantages, yet some of its disadvantages might drive you crazy. For instance, dorm living is something some students enjoy, yet many pretty much hate. In the end, it all depends on your background experience. Sharing a room with a person you’ve never seen in your entire life can be tough, but it could also be an enjoyable experience.

In order to make the best out of your college years, we’ve provided some tips on how to survive living in a dorm. What are the things that you should know? Is there anything that you could change? How can you manage conflicts? Let’s discuss all these and see if it helps you.

Buy Earplugs

College is going to drive you crazy if you are not used to a lot of noise. Loud music, loud people, loud cars, loud debates – you are going to experiment all that. Dorms are really noisy and can make your life miserable if you don’t prepare correspondingly. You might need a good pair of earplugs in order to sleep well.

If your neighbors get on your nerves, make sure you manage the situation properly. Don’t come out of the room and yell at them, nicely knock on their door and ask them to turn it down. If they don’t cut it down, talk to the RA. He or she is going to know how to handle these types of situations.

You Have No Privacy

Sorry to disappoint you, but college means a complete lack of your privacy. Your dorm is the only place where you can find your peace, but if you don’t get along with your roommate, that might be difficult too. Anyways, don’t freak out. Any campus has places where you can be alone, like spiritual rooms or the counseling center. You just need to find them!

To be honest with you, there is a high probability that you are going to spend 90% of your time with different people. You are going to share a room with someone, eat with someone else, and study in large groups. Of course, you can always choose to avoid crowded places, but where’s the fun in that? You’re going to have enough alone time after graduating, so enjoy these years!

Buy Essentials

College is not the place for bubble baths and scented candles! You are going to wait in a long line before taking a shower, so get used to it. If you thought living in dorms would be comfortable, surprise! It isn’t! But that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy it. You just have to be prepared for it. Therefore:

• Buy cleaning products! You should clean up the shower cabin before getting in it. You should destroy any bacteria and keep yourself healthy
• Buy flip-flops! Please don’t shower bare foot, that can be really unhealthy for your body. Bacteria can be found everywhere, especially in common shower cabins
• Keep your hair and body products with you at all times, don’t leave them in the shower. It’s college – people are going to use them
• Buy a bathrobe to wear when you get out of the shower. It is cozy and fluffy, and a great asset to help carry your showering supplies.

Prepare to Accept

You are going to meet new people and make new friends in a second! That is the best thing about college. It is always nice to make new connections and deal with new personalities. Well, almost… even though you are going to meet amazing people, you should also prepare for personalities which don’t correspond to your values.

Unfortunately, that’s when conflicts start to appear. Or should I say fortunately? Learning how to deal with difficult personalities can be a plus in the long-term. Think about your future job – you are going to meet people you don’t like for sure. So, why not practice solving conflicts beforehand? College is a great place to start. Some advice:

• Avoid fights or verbal accusations of any kind, that might really get you in trouble
• Try to figure things out and find a solution for any problem
• Explain what bothers you and act maturely
• Be patient and don’t overreact.

How About Food?

You might like the food or not. Anyhow, freshmen have only one option usually – the cafeteria. If eating there does not satisfy you enough, don’t do it. Eating food you don’t like is going to get you sick (been there, done that). Make sure you talk to your parents about options to avoid nasty food. Don’t consume too much fast-food, you are going to put on a lot of useless weight. Remember to stay active, and try to eat as healthy as possible!

Make Friends with the RA

Ken Robertson, former RA coordinator, and freelancer for one of the best resume services online, shares his opinion. “The RA is probably the most important entity in your dorm hall. Get to know him or her! Having them by your side is going to bring you important advantages. For once, you are going to make a new friend, and meet a new type of personality. You are also going to have someone to go to in case of a conflict. If the RA likes you, he or she is more likely to help in difficult situations.”

Enjoy

Even though there are difficult situations you’ll have to deal with in college, don’t forget to enjoy it. College time is fun time, as challenging as it might be. Make new friends and discover yourself! Get involved in different clubs or intramural sports! Join volunteering activities and help the people around you. Attend parties (but drink responsibly!) Embrace the experience and let it change you!

Wrapping Up

No matter the circumstances, don’t forget to have a good time. Watch out for fake friends and conflicts, study a lot, buy your cleaning supplies, and avoid nasty foods. These are the rules of surviving dorm rooms. Good luck!

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How To Build A Log Cabin Like The Pioneers Did

Building techniques have developed considerably over the last couple hundred years. But in the case of a national emergency, and without access to all the technologies we’ve developed in recent years, how many people would be able to build a shelter in the same way our pioneers did?

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How an Inflatable Kayak Can be Your Best Friend in Emergencies

Written by Guest Contributor on The Prepper Journal.

Editors Note: Another guest contribution from Derek to The Prepper Journal. As you know I am a BIG fan of kayaks.  As always, if you have information for Preppers that you would like to share and possibly receive a $25 cash award as well as be entered into the Prepper Writing Contest with a chance to win one of three Amazon Gift Cards  with the top prize being a $300 card to purchase your own prepping supplies, enter today.

Floods can be one of the most devastating things to happen to homeowners. It happens far too often and can lead you and your family to being exposed if you are not prepared. One of the most important items you can have in these types of scenarios (besides the obvious food, water, first aid) is an inflatable kayak. Now before your mind wanders to the picture of a cheap kids dingy, or a blow-up alligator, you should know some things.

Why Inflatable Kayaks?

Inflatable kayaks have taken leaps and bounds over the years and are starting to outperform the ever traditional hard shell kayaks in sales. This is because…

-Inflatable Kayaks Are Made to Be More Durable

-They take up far less room as many of them fold to be the size of a hockey bag

-These kayaks are far easier to transport

-Inflatable kayaks average cost is less

-They can usually be set up within ten minutes

-Inflatable kayaks are lighter

More and more people are getting into these kayaks because they don’t take up nine feet, they are made from strong materials such as PVC and are easier to transport over land. You can get a very solid quality inflatable kayak for about $300. This is not just an investment for preventative measures, it can also be used for recreational purposes. After all there are a ton of physical and mental benefits from kayaking. (https://floatingauthority.com/20-health-benefits-kayak-exercise/)

So what does this mean in terms of emergencies?

Inflatable Kayaks in Emergency Situations

Inflatable kayaks open up many possibilities not the least of which is YOU can be a life saver (literally). Many of them can take up to 500 pounds of cargo. This means that you can fit family members, food, pets and gear all on one inflatable kayak. I want you to think about floods for a second. Often times people who are not prepared are forced to perch on the roofs of their houses and wait for help for hours, sometimes even days. Why would you want to put you and your family in a vulnerable position like that?

Instead, with an inflatable kayak, you can paddle with your most important belongings, cover more ground, and paddle to a safe and secure area. Best of all you can fold it up when you are done and put it in its carrying case as opposed to having to cast it adrift like so many had to during Hurricane Harvey.

Survival Gear You Should Bring in the Event of a Flood

-Water (at least a 3 day supply)

-Food (at least a 3 day supply)

-Flashlight

-Hand Crank Radio

-First Aid Kit

-Extra Cash

-Extra Batteries

-Cell Phone with Charger

-Copies of Personal Documents (like medical information, insurance policies, Birth Certificate )

-Pet/Baby Supplies (If Applicable)

-Extra Clothing

-Sanitary Items

-Rain Gear

-PFD’s (Life Vests Preferably)

-Kayak Bilge Pump

-Whistle

-Paddle Leash

While this may seem like a lot, much of it can be stored in a backpack or extra storage bags. Only bring what is necessary for your situation.

Inflatable Kayaks for Off the Grid

If you are living off the grid, particularly near a body of water such as a lake, chances are you have started to get the hang of fishing. There’s only one problem though. You can only fish around the perimeter of the lake which can be a very small area compared to the rest of the lake. Think of all the fish that you could be missing out on! Sure you can get a canoe but, you have to haul it around with you and find a way to transport it which can be a real pain, especially if there are no roads and you are in a relatively isolated area.

In comes the inflatable kayak and the problem is solved. Inflatable Kayaks are ideal fishing vessels and not just because they are portable. They also are great for sneaking up on fish. In many types of canoes and hard shell kayaks water often thumps against the side of the boat making noise and essentially announcing to all fish within that radius that you are there. Definitely not ideal. In an inflatable kayak you can go to all the areas in the water that you could not go on land and also be rather stealth about it as well by creeping up on unsuspecting fish. This could increases your catch rate by a significant margin. Kayaks like the Sevylor Coleman Colorado are ideal for this type of activity. When you are finished you can simply deflate it , fold it and pack it back up into its carrying bag. No back breaking heavy lifting and awkward maneuvering required.

What Should I look for in an Inflatable Kayak?

There are a ton of models that are out there and it can be very confusing, not to mention time consuming for the average user to mull over all the options. To clear all the clutter you should ask yourself one question..

What are you using it for?

Is this going to be used for emergency just in case scenarios or are you planning on getting more use out of it?  Chances are if you are an adventurous family you will be using it more often than not for recreational purposes. Could you really buy something like this and not play with it? So things to consider in either case is how important is on water performance? How far do you plan on paddling? Where are you going to paddle?  If you are looking for more performance based inflatable kayaks like the Advanced Elements AE1017 they will end up costing you more money because of the quality materials used. If you plan on having a more recreational kayak or one for strictly emergencies the Sea Eagle SE330 is a good cheap model made with quality materials.

Either way you want an inflatable kayak that can be durable, hold a good amount of equipment (look at the maximum Capacity rating of the manufacturer) and one that is stable and sturdy in the water.

Inflatable Kayaks can become one of your best friends in survivalist conditions because they give you additional safety and access when conditions get tough. They are built to be durable, light, transportable and space friendly and ready when you need them.

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The Positive Impacts of Law-Abiding Citizens Owning Firearms

by Brian Ford

The debate over the place of firearms in modern American society continues to rage, much as it has for decades. While many arguments focus on specific types of arms, some question whether people even need a gun. Negative events and their lurid details capture the headlines, overshadowing many responsible owners. It is so important for gun owners to advocate the positive impact of being a law-abiding gun owner. Read on to learn more about the positive impact legally owning a firearm can have.

The Importance Of The Second Amendment

The Second Amendment of the United States...

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MD Creekmore’s Recommendations of the Week

Well, folks, you asked for it so here it is my recommendations of the week – I will be posting this blog segment every Wednesday. Products that I recommend here are products that I personally own and use. Okay, here we go…

Books:

Why Civilizations Self-Destruct by Elmer Pendel: After reading this book you’ll understand what we now see happening in America and why it will lead to our self-destruction.

Gardening Without Work: For the Aging, the Busy, and the Indolent by Ruth Stout: Garner smarter now harder.

Saving Seeds: The Gardener’s Guide to Growing and Storing Vegetable...

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Prepper News and Notes For Monday – February 21, 2018

A sad day for Christians – Billy Graham, America’s pastor, has died. Rest in Gods arms, you’re in a better place now…

1.Trump, citing ‘evil massacre’ in Florida, starts talking about gun control

President Donald Trump on Tuesday signaled an openness to gun-control measures following what he called an “evil massacre” at a South Florida high school last week that left 17 dead and prompted passionate calls from teenagers for reform. As reported by The Washington Post: Trump, citing ‘evil massacre’ in Florida, starts talking about gun...

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How to Make Your Garage The Ultimate Pepper Storage Unit

Written by Guest Contributor on The Prepper Journal.

Editors Note: Another guest contribution from Megan Nichols to The Prepper Journal.  As always, if you have information for Preppers that you would like to share and possibly receive a $25 cash award as well as be entered into the Prepper Writing Contest with a chance to win one of three Amazon Gift Cards  with the top prize being a $300 card to purchase your own prepping supplies, enter today.

Thanks to the media, prepping gets a bad reputation. Those who prep — collecting food, water and equipment to prepare for the inevitable — are portrayed as paranoid at best and crazy at worst. When it comes down to it, though, prepping isn’t such a bad idea — it’s better to have it and not need it, as the old saying goes. You don’t even need a barn or a shed to start prepping. If you’ve got a garage, you’ve got everything you need. How can you turn your garage into the ultimate prepper storage unit?

What Do You Need?

Before you start setting up your garage for storage, how much food, water and other supplies do you really need?

• Food — Start with at least 72 hours’ worth of shelf-stable food for each person in your household. Once you’ve got this established, you can start adding to your food storage
• Water — The average adult needs a gallon of water per day, half for drinking and half for washing and other sanitation needs. Again, start with 72 hours, and then plan for long-term needs, with water filtration, sanitation and storage
• Fire building — Even if you’re not storing firewood, make sure you have everything you need to start a fire
• First aid — Include medicine, first aid supplies, antibiotics — where available — and iodine tablets. The latter only becomes necessary in the event of a nuclear strike
• Sanitation — Toilet paper, bleach, peroxide and items for sanitation and waste disposal are necessary, especially in the event of infrastructure collapse
• Other supplies — In the event of a pandemic, for example, you will need masks, respirators and other personal protection equipment
• Equipment — Gather generators and fuel, air compressors for powering tools and other equipment that you might need to survive until the crisis is over and normality restored.

Now that you have a basic idea of what you need, where are you going to put it all? If you’re limited on space, storage can be tricky. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

First, Declutter

If you’re using your garage to store all the stuff you don’t have room for, your first step is decluttering. Go through your garage and separate everything into three piles: keep, sell and trash. Only keep things that are necessary, that will serve you in the future or that you can’t bear to part with. Anything you can sell, set aside for a yard sale. Anything you’re just hanging onto because you haven’t bothered to get rid of it can go in the trash.

This step has two purposes. First, it gives you more room to store your supplies. Second, you can use the money you make from your yard sale to purchase storage and supplies.

Buy and Prep Equipment

Heavy equipment can take up a lot of space, so it’s a good idea to purchase any equipment first and plan your storage around it.

Generators can help keep your equipment powered, as long as you have fuel. Look for a generator that can easily be stored when not in use but provides all your power requirements.

Air compressors can be useful as well — they can be used to power tools, refill tires and even clean, depending on the adaptors you have for them. Make sure you’ve also got everything you need to maintain the compressor — tools, oil and even repair manuals can be useful to keep your equipment running.

Use All Your Available Space

A decent supply of food, water and other items will take up quite a bit of space, so the first thing you should do is look at your garage and see what kind of available space you actually have. Don’t just look at the garage itself — look under stairwells, in attics and even in closets.

In the garage itself, you’ve got walls and even your ceiling that can be altered to use as storage — all while still allowing you to use your garage for its originally intended purpose, parking your car!

Areas that already have equipment in them can still be used for storage — put shelves and storage containers above your washer and dryer and under your sinks for your growing prepper supply without filling your house from floor to ceiling.

You can even store supplies, cash and important papers in plain sight, if you’re clever with how you store them.

Don’t Forget Your Bug-Out Bag

Having a supply of food and water at home is great, but if you’re not able to stay in your home, you might not be able to take all of it with you. Creating a bug-out kit can give you a few days of supplies if you have to pick up and bug out. It should contain everything you’ve collected in your prepping — food, water, medical supplies, communication equipment — in addition to cash, important papers and anything else you can’t bear to leave behind.

Again you should have at least 72 hours of food and water for each person in your party. If carrying that much water is restrictive due to the weight, include water sterilization tablets or filter straws to protect you from any water contaminants in the water supply or in any natural water that you might find.

Give your bug-out bag its own special storage place in your garage. That way it’s on hand if you should ever need it. All you have to do is grab it, hop in your car and go.

Hopefully, you’ll never need your prepping supplies, but in the event that you do need them, it’s better to be prepared for any and all eventualities. It doesn’t matter if we’re facing a little hiccup or a full infrastructure collapse — having enough supplies could mean the difference between life and death. Even if you don’t opt for all the extra equipment, just having enough food and water and the ability to cook it can make all the difference.

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Is South African Violence A Sign Of What’s Coming To The United States?

The ending of South African apartheid was a great victory for human rights, supposedly signaling an end to the racism that ruled that country. During apartheid, the white minority held complete control over the economy and the politics of the country.

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Things That Drive Preppers Crazy

Written by Wild Bill on The Prepper Journal.

Editors Note: This post might be better titled “ramblings from a mind turned to mush by our “information highway”. I had the luck to be on ARPANet before it was opened to the public in the great “explosion” of information (the “dis” being optional but applicable in the too many cases.) As people, and especially as Preppers we make decisions based on the facts we are presented and our interpretation of their accuracy, so this hits us at home every minute of every day.

I still tell a story I heard from a Civics Teacher in High School that goes like this – There was a horse race between a Russian horse and an American horse. The American horse won and the newspaper headline the following day at the New York Post read “American Horse WINS!” Pravda’s headline that same day read “Russian Horse Places Second, American Horse Finishes Next to Last!”  – both are factual, both tell the truth. (The story was told to me with the American newspaper being the New York Times but I just could not bring myself to type that. It was awhile ago, when reporting the news was their agenda and the means by which they promoted their circulation.)

I am sure you have also all read or been told the theorem that if you put enough monkeys at enough keyboards eventually they will turn out the….Bible, or The Works of Shakespeare, or some other great historical accomplishment. I contend that the “internet, information highway” has disproved that theory.

My notes on what to point out, just the notes, are about to exceed 2,000 words so I will just put a couple in here and save the others for another day.

My Top Two: The Media and History

The Media, the Fourth Estate.

“It used to be that the media was called “the Fourth Estate” to accentuate the freedom of the press, not to be confused with the term “fourth branch” which proposes that they are not free from the government. The press is called the fourth estate in the United States usually because they observe the political process.” No longer, they are the political process, I believe they own the DNC as opposed to the other way around, but that may be the mush I alluded to earlier.

I know I am speaking to a lot of like minded people on this matter and won’t bore you reaffirming things we all know about the quality, or rather, the utter lack of journalistic integrity in America from the Fourth Estate. What you may or may not know is that it singularly poisons the world. I make no secret that I have traveled the world, been to every US state but one (Iowa), have been to 6 continents (I can see penguins in zoos), dipped my toes in the five major Oceans (though they are really just one), been to 7 Muslim ruled countries and on and on AND their news sources about America, and Americans, are AP (Associated Press) and all the alphabets – CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC and on and on as well a Reuters and all the others services.

Fox News and Breitbart and Drudge might as well not exist as they don’t really outside of North America and that isn’t 100% bad, I will expand on that in a little while. And yes, I know about Fox News Europe, and Breitbart Europe, but their market penetration in those markets is very low.

The media is a business and it sells content, period. It is just another channel on the TV or the internet trying to garner viewers to get improved Google Analytics to be used to sell advertising. Anyone who thinks that the Fourth Estate in America is doing it for any other reason is a candidate for, well, you fill in that sentence. Their are journalists with integrity, and a passion for what they do, I am sure, but if you want to succeed, you are an employee of the corporation and instructions come from the top like everywhere else. And there are shows hosted by people who care here and there, but it is still all show business and all about capturing advertising dollars. Am I cynical? Most likely but only from years of the droning, mock debates and the news outlets spinning news stories out of every current and over-the-hill celebrity’s tweets. Since I don’t spend a lot of time on the alphabets I will use Fox News and Breitbart as examples for this.

Any celebrity of any status in any industry is given the stage by them, their national pulpit as long as they can be quoted saying something that will infuriate their base, as determined by the Google Analytics they track and use as a determining factor in the generation of their SEO – Search Engine Optimization:

noun

COMPUTING

1. the process of maximizing the number of visitors to a particular website by ensuring that the site appears high on the list of results returned by a search engine.

   “the key to getting more traffic lies in integrating content with search engine optimization and social media marketing”

This is taught at the college level, degrees in SEO are available from major universities across the country. In fairness I have taken college level courses in it to bolster my market penetration to reach more people. It is a normal business practice of all media outlets to have producers write incendiary comments on their posts on social media just to increase the number or responses they get as this too is a Google Analytics measure of success. When you see a post about say a successful NASA launch you can bet the comments on the post that go right to politics and attacks on politicians and have no relation to the subject matter are that producer looking to increase the number of replies to show that their content brought value to the business. It IS that crazy. It is spin in my opinion.

 

Fox News just today put out posts from members of the ensemble casts of the TV shows Grey’s Anatomy and The Big Bang Theory as “news” because they sent out tweets against the NRA and against Conservative reporters in this weekends trending analysis. THIS is what is being spun as “news” and promoted as a “fair and balanced” alternative to the lock-step mindset of the mainstream’s slighted view. Just how does one fathom this as news in the first place, and, as an American, how does one defend this as the historians of our age, because that is how our history will be recorded. And to that point, I’ll go a little deeper.

When I was an avid skier I subscribed to the big industry magazines – Skiing, Downhill, Ski and on and on and like all sports they put out their “annual review of what’s new” for the coming season. For skiing this was an August release. None of the products reviewed were ever given any criticism as the advertising for that issue of the magazine and other issues as well, was from these same manufactures. The beginnings of my skepticism (Yes, I can be a slow learner.)

I could go on and on about this as I am sure we all could. My hope is that we never take things at face value, that we do our own due diligence, that we question even when we see something that “exactly” expresses what we were thinking. The enemy of my enemy is NOT necessarily my friend. Be open, but never accepting without your own due diligence.

History: What is No Longer Taught

I asked the question of a learned friend last week “Just how does one learn from the past when they are never taught the past?” The measure of an education after all is that you acquire some idea of the extent of your ignorance. By this measure our education system is excellent.

The teaching of History at every level of the American Education System now leaves a lot to be desired. I apologize to that singular history teacher that is out there a voice in the wilderness, they do exist and we should exalt those that do and try. When my two children were in high school “history” was the assistant football coach showing PBS reenactment movies of historical events and people. I almost got arrested for my reaction to this, more correctly my reaction to the stonewalling and apathy I got when I tried to change this. I lobbied in vain through the PTA and directly to the district. At the time I was a single father with two kids in high school and did not have the financial means to put them in private school, but had the sense to know when they were being severely limited in their ability to compete for college with peers who were receiving a well rounded education. In hind sight at least there weren’t taught from the viewpoint that our founding fathers were rich white elitist slave-owning murderers, that came after.

Today I come across people almost daily who look at me like “who?” when I mention some historical figure and then they go right to their smart phones and Google the information, getting those same impeachable media sources I ranted about above. My laptop has the words “Who is John Galt?” on it’s top and whenever I bring it to a meeting I can see the strangers in the room googling John Galt.

I was a scientist, I have the periodic table app on my iPad called “The Elements” which was done by Theodore Gray. The graphics are amazing. Click on “U Uranium 92” and arrow to the description and here is the first sentence “It is impossible to discuss uranium without acknowledging that the first atomic weapon used in anger was a uranium fission bomb, built in secret lab deep in the deserts of New Mexico and detonated over the unsuspecting city of Hiroshima on the Honshu island of Japan.”  While it certainly is possible to discuss this element, in the same context as all the others are discussed as opposed to the author’s revisionist view of historical events, it is of interest that there are blatant errors in this first sentence alone – there was a warning, it was ignored by the Imperial Japanese Command, just when was the first atomic weapon NOT used in anger used, Los Alamos is on a mountain top in north west New Mexico, I have property near there. BTW it has one of the most interesting interactive museums you will ever visit in the town itself. I have skied Pajarito Ski Area while visiting, it is managed by the labs, both my late wife and I did business with the labs which are still owned by the University of California. And following the first sentence you get 7 more paragraphs so laced with opinion and incorrect “facts” that no one could really learn much from this other than mankind is evil. This is just one obscure writing in a iPad app that probably isn’t on a lot of devices. But it is published as the truth. I almost suspect I will find Bitcoin mentioned in the description on Au Gold 79.

We have all seen example of how revisionist history is being taught, I can only imagine what it must be like to have kids in school today and seeing what they are taught, what homework assignments they are bringing home. Weekly we can read about yet another classic piece of literature “being dropped because it is offensive or non-inclusive.” Again, I don’t want this to be an indictment of teachers as there are great ones out there.

In my opinion the REAL power in America is wielded by educators. Period. They create and control everything your child sees, hears and reads in school and are only aided by the Fourth Estate which controls everything else they see, hear or read. Parents have been reduced to the lone voice in the wilderness. Once they enter the education system the education system gets the majority of their waking hours. In order to compete they must conform. If they question they may be subjected to ridicule, or worse. Most major school districts have an almost 1:1 ratio of administrator to classroom teacher.

My point is again, “Just how does one learn from the past when they are never taught the past?”

Sometime my rants run away with me….I look forward to your comments.

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Craft Holsters What You Should Know: Weekly Product Review

Holsters, we all have them or we all need them. Even if it is for our knives, money and or things the idea of carrying our belongings in a secure, comfortable manner is important. I am a fan of polymer holsters (having worn them for many many years and used them in many formats and under many conditions) however, I also enjoy good leather holsters as well.

Craft Holsters is a European company that supports the NRA and the culture we ascribe too. This holster was sent to me in exchange for my reviewing it. I have since this time purchased another for my wife to use!

While I do carry Glocks and...

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Prepper News and Notes For Monday – February 19, 2018

I’ve had a couple readers ask where my Amazon.com affiliate link is – okay, look over to the right side of the blog in the sidebar, there it is right at the top with a big check-mark in front of it. Please use that link as your entry portal every time that you shop at Amazon.com. It costs you NOTHING extra and I’ll get a small commission that I use to keep this site online and free for you.

Using that link is the best way for you to help support this website and what we do here and like I said it costs you nothing extra at checkout, you will pay exactly same for whatever you...

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How To Reuse Rifle, Pistol And Shotgun Shell Casings

The need to shoot well is central to survival, as far as I’m concerned and the challenge of learning to shoot well is diverting, as well as excellent stress relief.

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Wilderness Survival: Bushcraft Projects To Practice With Your Kids

Should SHTF day come, kids may very well have to depend on what you teach them now, as that knowledge may be the only thing that keeps them alive.

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