Monthly Archives: October 2014

October 22nd, 2014
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How to Baton Firewood

Mother Nature often doesn’t like to play nice. While we’d hope that if we had to spend the night in the woods, it would be nothing but clear skies and perhaps just a bit cool, the reality is you are just as likely to be sitting in the middle of a steady rain with not a dry twig in sight for the evening fire. But, as they say, where there’s a will there’s a way.

If you have a sturdy knife, you can find dry wood, even in a downpour. I do have to stress, though, that the knife must be of good quality. A cheap “Made in China” knock off probably won’t stand up to this sort of abuse. Most folding knives aren’t going to have the blade length necessary, either. Ideally, your blade should be four to five inches in length or longer. Batoning firewood is an age-old technique for splitting wood in the field. The objective is to split thick branches so as to expose the dry wood inside.

To baton properly, as well as safely, you need your knife and a solid surface, such as a flat rock or a tree stump. You can do this on packed earth as well, but I’ve found having a harder surface makes the job much easier.

The branches you select to baton or split need to be thinner than the length of your knife blade. For example, if your blade is five inches long, search for limbs that are about three inches thick. As for branch length, look for branches up to about three feet or so. While I’ve successfully batoned branches upwards of five feet long, shorter lengths make things easier to handle. If need be, you can always break or chop long branches into shorter pieces.


Concentrate your search on dead wood that is off the ground, either low branches still attached to trees or branches that have fallen but are resting on rocks or logs. The reason for this is branches lying directly on the ground will have absorbed more moisture and are less likely to be dry inside.

You will also need one branch to act as a hammer of sorts. A solid piece of wood around eighteen inches in length and a couple of inches thick will do the trick nicely.

Position the branch vertically on your rock or tree stump. Place the blade of your knife across the top of the branch, with the blade edge facing into the wood, making a T shape.


The blade should extend beyond the side of the branch by a couple of inches at least. Next, pick up your “hammer” stick and gently tap the spine of your knife blade, driving the edge into the wood. As it digs deeper, strike the blade more firmly and toward the tip of the blade.

Continue driving the blade through the branch until it splits completely or until you’ve reached a point where you can easily pull the pieces apart by hand. The wood inside should be dry and ready to burn.

Batoning is an excellent addition to the wilderness survival skills toolbox.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

Via:   thesurvivalmom

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October 21st, 2014
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How to make a Pine Knot Torch for emergency light



For thousands of years prior to the invention of electricity and the kerosene lantern, pine knot torches were used to illuminate the darkness of night. Though candles and oil lamps were the preferred form of lighting, pine knot torches were sometimes used instead during times of economic hardship, or when candles or oil for lamps simply weren’t available.

An illustration of Swedish life in 1555, showing a husband and wife illuminating their cottage at night with pitchwood torches (taken from Olaus Magnus’s “History of the Northern Peoples” circa 1555).



What inspired me to investigate pine knot torches was a passage in JRR Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” in which Bilbo Baggins and the Thirteen Dwarves sneak around the dark tunnels of the Lonely Mountain, trying to figure out a way to steal back the Dwarve’s treasure from Smaug the Dragon:

“But in the end, when Bilbo actually began to stamp on the floor, and screamed out “light!” at the top of his shrill voice, Thorin gave way, and Oin and Gloin were sent back to their bundles at the top of the tunnel.

After a while a twinkling gleam showed them returning, Oin with a small pine-torch alight in his hand, and Gloin with a bundle of others under his arm. Quickly Bilbo trotted to the door and took the torch; but he could not persuade the dwarves to light the others or to come and join him yet.”

This mention of “pine torch” really piqued my interest, so I began researching old texts for references. To my surprise, I found that there were lots of references going back as far as the ancient Greeks, up until the 19th Century. Here are just a few that I found-

“In his left hand he raised his curved shield, and in his right a huge pine-torch, and near him in front stood up his mighty spear.” -Argonautica, 3rd Century BC

“And directly there came out of the cabin a white-headed old man with a lighted pine-knot in his hand, and a blanket on his shoulders.” -Jamie Parker, the Fugitive (1851)

“It gives, in pictures, with only a line or two of description, the progress of different industries — such as the locomotive, from the clumsy engine of 1802 to the elaborate machinery of the present day; the evolution of lighting, from the pine-knot and tallow-dip to the electric light; methods of signalling, from the Indian fire-signal to the telegraph; time-keeping, etc.” -Richard Rogers Bowker & Charles Ammi Cutter, Harvard College Library Journal, 1895

Another interesting thing I found was that the streets of New England were lit by pine fatwood knots in what were known as “basket torches,” as late as 1820.


HOW TO MAKE A PINE KNOT TORCH



NOTE: Before you read the instructions below, make sure to check out our “Wilderness Survival: An easy way to find Fatwood in the Rockies and Beyond….” article on how to find suitable pine knots for this technique.


*Tools for making a pine knot torch:

  • A good, sharp hatchet
  • A folding saw
  • A good, sharp knife
  • A way to light the torch (matches, firesteel, magnesium starter, etc)

A hatchet and saw are not absolutely necessary (a fixed blade bushcraft knife and a wooden baton would suffice if need be), but they make the job easier.

 

WARNING!- Do not ever attempt to carry a pine knot torch around during fire season! Pine knot torches drip flaming pitch while burning (think Mother’s Nature’s napalm) and they WILL ignite dry wood or grass almost immediately.

You will notice that the torches being demonstrated in this article are burning over large rocks and stone-lined fire pits, with both water buckets and shovels at hand in case of emergency. If you fail to heed the warning above, you will most likely start a forest fire and could be held criminally responsible for widespread death and destruction. During fire season, this technique can only be used in a true survival situation and only if you clear a wide area of dirt around the torch, or put it on top of large rocks or in stone-lined fire pits. Use extreme caution!

Ok, now that I’ve scared you straight, let’s get to the fun part- making a pine knot torch!

 

Find a suitable pine knot

 

Find a good, fatwood-laden pine knot and saw it off at the base.

 


 


 

Prepare the torch stave

 

Using your hatchet, remove the bark on both ends of the stave

 


 

On the knot end, split the stave into four sections

 

Using your hatchet, split the knot end of the stave into four sections

 


 


 

Stuff green twigs into the split to hold it open

 

Using your hatchet as a wedge to hold open the split, stuff green twigs towards the base of the split to open it up. This will allow tinder to be placed in the gap to ignite the torch, and also allows positive airflow while it is burning.

 


 


 

Score the outside of the knot-end with your hatchet to help the torch burn more efficiently

 


 

Stuff the inside of the split with fatwood shavings 

 

Stuff the inside of the split with fatwood shavings taken from another pine knot or the torch itself.

 



Also, add a large pile of pitchwood shavings on top of the torch end, at least 3 times the amount shown in the photo. I skimped when I conducted this experiment, and got lucky that the torch still ignited. In a survival situation, don’t take any chances. With a large piece like this, the pitchwood, though highly flammable, will have to heat up to release it’s combustible pitch. A large pile of shavings on top ensures that this process will take place when you need it most.

 


 

Igniting the torch

 

Ignite the pitch shavings from the top, being careful of wind gusts that could blow them away. For the first 2-3 minutes, try to keep the torch sheltered from the wind. You may have to hold the torch on its side or upside down to ensure that the initial flames heat the pitch enough to create a sustained burning process.

 


 


 


 

Once it’s going, you’ll have something that looks like this:

 


 

It will burn so intensely that neither rain nor wind will put it out. In fact, during one of my torch tests, a fast moving storm came through and dumped moderate amounts of rain on the torch for about 10 minutes. Incredibly, it managed to keep burning. NOTE: If you need to put out a pine knot torch, jam it into the dirt or snow until it is completely out.

 


 

This torch ended up burning for almost an hour and a half. It will easily illuminate the immediate vicinity of a camp site, enough to build an emergency shelter or render wilderness first aid.

 


 

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

Via:   rockymountainbushcraft

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October 20th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

US schools weigh bulletproof uniforms: ‘It’s no different than a seatbelt in a car’

Here is a older article I found interesting and wanted to share.

—————

 

Some parents and teachers are taking matters into their own hands.

 


Children demonstrate how to use bulletproof backpacks as shields in Aurora, Colorado.

Photograph: Rick Wilking/Reuters

 

The pink bulletproof rucksack that 5-year-old Jaliyah wears to school every day reaches almost down to her knees and weighs 3lbs even when empty, but for her Colorado father, the size and solidity are part of the attraction.

“If you put it on her back, it almost covers her whole body,” explains Demitric Boykin. “It was a very hard conversation to have but she knows that it’s something that will keep her safe.”

Lined with ballistic material that can stop a 9mm bullet travelling at 400 metres per second, the backpack is only one of a clutch of new products making their way into US schools in the wake of Newtown school massacre. As gun control legislation grinds to halt in Washington, a growing number of parents and teachers are taking matters into their own hands.

The Denver company that supplied Jaliyah’s rucksack, Elite Sterling Security, has sold over 300 in the last two months and received inquiries from some 2,000 families across the US. It is also in discussion with more than a dozen schools in Colorado about equipping them with ballistic safety vests, a scaled-down version of military uniforms designed to hang in classroom cupboards for children to wear in an emergency.

Tensions are understandably high in this part of America. “I live in Aurora and the shooting here really hit home; it was a huge thing,” says Boykin. The new mood, however, can be felt far from the scenes of recent gun violence.

Barry Tull, headteacher of Worcester Preparatory School in rural Maryland, has 80 ballistic shields deployed in his classrooms disguised as whiteboards and clipboards. Some teachers use them to assign homework, others lean them up against the wall, but most of Worcester’s middle and high-school children know what they are for.

“Our teachers were concerned to begin with about whether they were expected to be first responders, but at least they feel they have something now as opposed to cowering in the corner with their kids,” says Tull. “The former secret service trainers we had in showed us how they can deploy them; how to hold them in front of their body defensively or use them offensively where the teacher charges at someone with the shield as cover.”

A spring-loaded bolt was used to show school employees what it would feel like to block a bullet with one of the shields.

The US manufacturer that supplied this equipment, Hardwire, has sold similar white boards to schools in North Dakota, Pennsylvania and California. Elite Sterling Security also sells sheets disguised as rainbow-covered posters to hang on the back of classroom doors to prevent someone trying to shoot their way in.

Scott Staska, superintendent of schools in Rocori, Minnesota, scene of another shooting in 2003, says Hardwire’s ballistic shields are just one part of the precautions his schools are now taking: “We have door locks, safety cameras, and emergency procedures all designed to assist with an emergency situation and we see the marker boards as one additional tool to help in the process.”

 

Another option to look at is: Bulletproof Backpack Panel

 

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

 

Via:   theguardian


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October 19th, 2014
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U.S. Refuses Close Boarders when Every Country in Africa that has stopped Ebola did so

As the federal government refuses to take the necessary steps we need to take to protect the public from Ebola, a number of West African countries have either stopped the disease or limited its spread; they did so by closing their borders.

Health officials in West Africa are crediting tight border patrols for limiting the spread of Ebola to only five countries. Both Sengal and Nigeria have successfully stopped the spread of Ebola in their countries by isolating all Ebola patients, and closing down their borders to countries with active cases of Ebola. In fact, the World Health Organization on Friday will declare the end of the disease in Senegal if no new cases show up.

Nigeria, another country that has managed to stop the spread of Ebola inside their borders, has had no new cases since Aug. 31st. This is after 20 cases and eight deaths were tied to a Liberian-American who flew from Liberia to Lagos in July.

While our country refuses to stop air travel from the affected countries, Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal, all of which share borders with at least one of the three most affected countries, have closed their borders and stopped the spread of Ebola.

A number of African Countries have started restricting Air Travel

Authorities in South Africa and Zambia have enforced strict air travel restrictions. Kenya Airways, the country’s main airline, stopped flying to any country with an active case of Ebola.

Countries that have implemented Ebola-related travel restrictions:

  • Gambia has banned the entry of flights from Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
  • Gabon has banned the entry of flights and ships from countries affected by Ebola.
  • Senegal has banned flights from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. They have also closed their land border with Guinea, and closed their sea and air borders to vessels and aircraft from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
  • Cameroon has banned flights to and from Nigeria.
  • Chad has suspended all flights from Nigeria.
  • Namibia has blocked all foreigners traveling from countries affected by Ebola from entering the country.
  • Nigeria has suspended flights to the country operated by Gambian national carrier Gambia Bird.
  • Equatorial Guinea is denying entry to any traveler who originated in countries affected by Ebola.
  • Mauritius banned entry to all travelers who have visited Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Senegal and Congo (DRC) in the last two months.
  • South Sudan has placed a ban on travelers coming from Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia or Congo (DRC), or those who have traveled to those countries in the previous 21 days.

Airlines that have restricted flights to Ebola-affected countries:

  • Air France suspended flights to Sierra Leone.
  • Asky Airlines has suspended flights to and from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
  • Arik Air (Nigeria), Gambia Bird and Kenya Airways have suspended services to Liberia and Sierra Leone.
  • British Airways has extended their suspension of flights to Liberia and Sierra Leone until December 31, 2014.
  • Emirates Airlines has suspended flights to Guinea.
  • Senegal Airlines has suspended flights to and from Conakry (Guinea) until further notice.
  • Korean Air suspended flights to and from Kenya.

 

When so many countries in Africa start restricting air travel and closing down borders, we need to really start asking why our government won’t.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

 

Via:   offgridsurvival

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October 18th, 2014
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How to Make a Simple Snare

Knowing how to make a snare can be very helpful in an emergency situation. Imagine that you are stranded in the woods and need to find food quickly. If you have some snare wire in your backpack or emergency kit, you can easily catch some dinner.

Follow these instructions to learn how to create a snare in order to catch some food!

Location
The first thing you’ll need to determine is where the prey is located. It’s not going to do you any good to set a trap where no animal will be.

You’ll want to look for signs of animals like tracks, droppings, plants that have been eaten, flattened vegetation, etc. The best area is probably around feeding areas or watering holes.

Noose and Loop
The simple snare is the basic tie behind any trap. Ideally, the animal would walk straight through the loop and set off the trap. You can start creating a simple snare by following these instructions:

Wrap the end of the wire a few times around a stick.
  Twist the ends of the wire together and over each other a few times.
  Remove the stick and you should have a nice loop.
  Thread the other end of the wire through the loop. You should be able to tighten the snare by pulling on one end.


Engine
You’ll want to set up your snare near some type of tree or shrub. A young tree is always a good engine because it’s bendable and quick to snap back into place.

You’ll be bending the sapling over and tying it down to the snare in order to act as tension. If you find yourself in an area void of trees or shrubs, you can always use dead weights like rocks.

Trigger
The trigger consists of two parts: The hook and the leading line. The leading line connects the trigger to the engine – usually a wire of some sort.

The trigger is connected to the noose and should tighten very quickly when pulled by the engine.

You can build an effective trigger by finding two pieces of wood and carving interlocking notches into the sides of each. The base of the trigger should be sturdy and stay in the ground. The hook in the trigger should be able to slip out at the slightest touch, so that if an animal passes through the noose, the trigger will slip out and tighten up by being pulled with the engine.

You can also modify the trigger to connect directly to a fishing line. When the fish pulls on the bait, the trigger will release and the engine will tug on the fish – hooking it in. However, you have to be careful not to have an engine that pulls too hard and rips right out of the fish’s mouth.

Here are a few different options when building a trigger:

Carved Trigger. This trigger is very effective but requires a knife or some type of carving utensil.
  Y Trigger. This trigger is great when you’re stuck without a knife or carving tool. You can simply find two sticks and roughen the two edges.
  Peg Style Trigger. Rather than having a base that sticks into the ground, you can stick a peg into a nearby log, tree or stump. This also allows you to apply bait to the peg.

Some other things to consider:

Remember … your human scent will be all over the wire and any trigger you may incorporate in your snare. Hold all parts of your snare in the smoke of a fire. And, before “smoking the parts” be sure to rub in dirt/mud and take off the “shine.”

A word of warning though. While rabbits would be a seemingly obvious target for capture with a snare a diet of rabbit meat alone will kill you. Seriously, it will, unless you can introduce fat into the diet as well as vegetation. It is a condition known as rabbit starvation where the hopeful survivor starts with diarrhea that dehydrates the body. A continued diet of rabbit and water will hasten the death. Food for thought. Lesson learned? Fat is an essential part of a survival diet.

Another great place to buy gear and for free manuals and videos on using snares is snareshop.com as well some great videos on youtube such as this:


 

Thanks to Willow Haven Outdoor for many of these ideas.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

 

Via:   thereadystore

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October 17th, 2014
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Patient #3 CONFIRMED In Dallas: Total Breakdown in Ebola Control Protocols

A report out of Dallas, TX indicating that a third Ebola infection had been identified in the United States. It was originally believed to be the boyfriend of Nurse Nina Pham, who tested positive for the virus earlier this week.

Pham’s boyfriend is still believed to be in isolation and it is not clear whether he has tested positive for the virus.

A second health care worker in Dallas, however, has tested positive for Ebola this morning, making her the third person in the United States to have been identified.

The infection of a second person who had been caring for Thomas Duncan suggests a total failure in CDC and hospital containment protocols.

A second Dallas hospital worker who provided care for the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the U.S. has tested positive for the disease, pointing to lapses beyond how one individual may have donned and removed personal protective garb.

It’s not clear how the second worker contracted the virus. Authorities declined to say what position she holds at the hospital or the type of care she provided to Thomas Eric Duncan, who was diagnosed with Ebola after coming to the U.S. from Liberia. Duncan died Oct. 8.
…

“What happened there (in Dallas), regardless of the reason, is not acceptable. It shouldn’t have happened,” Anthony Fauci, director of the Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of NIH, said on MSNBC Wednesday.

The worker at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital was monitoring herself for symptoms, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said. The unidentified woman reported a fever Tuesday. She was in isolation within 90 minutes, Jenkins said.

“We are looking at every element of our personal protection equipment and infection control in the hospital,” said Dr. Daniel Varga, chief clinical officer for Texas Health Resources, which operates Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.

Dr. Tom Frieden, head of the CDC, has acknowledged that the government wasn’t aggressive enough in managing Ebola and containing the virus as it spread from an infected patient to a nurse at a Dallas hospital.

“We could’ve sent a more robust hospital infection control team and been more hands-on with the hospital from day one about exactly how this should be managed,” he said Tuesday. (Breitbart)

***********

The previous report is below and discusses the possibility of another potential Ebola case currently in isolation. It was originally believed that Nina Pham’s boyfriend was the third confirmed Ebola case in America.

Various reports now making their way through social networks and alternative media sources claim that Nina Pham’s boyfriend may have been admitted to a Dallas-area hospital. It is not clear whether the individual was showing symptoms of the virus or if he has been quarantined as a precautionary measure. According to NBC DFW, “Texas Health Presbyterian is monitoring the patient based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocol.”

Ms. Pham is the first person to contract the virus in the United States after being one of several medical personnel to provide care for the late Thomas Duncan, who arrived in America from West Africa two weeks ago.

According to reports Pham’s boyfriend works for Fort Worth-based eye care firm Alcon. A letter from Alcon CEO Jeff George sent to employees on Monday says that one of the company’s associates was admitted to Texas Health Presbyterian. George specifically notes in the letter that the individual who has been admitted was not showing symptoms of the virus, but there are contradicting reports with some suggesting that the individual admitted to the hospital was showing Ebola-like symptoms.

Letter to Alcon employees:


It is believed that Nina Pham’s parents and boyfriend are employees of Alcon.

A follow up report from Got News indicates that two Alcon sources confirm the legitimacy of the letter and according to NBC the company says it is not worried about further infections:

Alcon officials said they are confident that there is no risk for their associates after a consultation with the Texas Department of Health.

The Ebola virus has an incubation period of 2 to 21 days according to the CDC. This means that even though Pham had only been showing symptoms for a short period of time before being admitted to the hospital, it is possible that the individual identified by Alcon could have been exposed to the virus before Pham realized she was getting sick. With a two day incubation period, had her boyfriend been exposed it’s possible that he could have showed a more rapid onset of symptoms than Pham or Duncan.

The Centers for Disease control and Texas Health Presbyterian have yet to confirm if the new patient has tested positive for the virus, but some scattered reports online say that tests have actually confirmed infection. These reports have not been independently verified or confirmed.

If it turns out that this individual has Ebola he would be the first non-medical person in the United States to contract the virus, a development that could further stoke panic across America.

The CDC has maintained that they are prepared for Ebola even though director Thomas Frieden admitted yesterday that they have to rethink the way Ebola control protocols are implemented. It’s an admission that has brought further criticism to the agency, which has a $6.6 billion yearly budget, for their failure to implement effective quarantine and control procedures.

The latest potential case in Dallas highlights fears that the Ebola virus may have spread from Thomas Duncan, who was symptomatic two weeks ago, to the general population. With the high end of the incubation period being 21 days, if Duncan infected others then those cases will start showing up at hospitals within the next week.

Should this be the case, and more people become infected with the virus, it is only a matter of time before it makes its way to other major metropolitan areas. It’s also possible that, because of a lack of sufficient screening procedures and flight restrictions, more infected individuals from West Africa or elsewhere could eventually arrive in the United States.

Other than repeating that they have things under control, the CDC has failed to issue any pandemic preparedness guidelines to the general public. Even hospitals across the country lack a single standard for dealing with the virus.

The lack of information from the CDC and a concerned American public has led to panic buying of critical medical supplies like WHO-recommended respirator masks, protective body suits, goggles, gloves and pandemic kits to prevent the spread of contagious diseases.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

 

Via:   shtfplan

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October 16th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

2nd Nurse Comes down with Ebola: Flew across Country While infected

As a second case of Ebola stemming from the original Ebola patient is now confirmed inside the United States, some very troubling news is coming out about how ill prepared this country is to stop Ebola. According to the nation’s largest nurses’ union, National Nurses United, the hospital that treated Thomas Eric Duncan was learning how to contain the deadly Ebola virus on the fly.

Conditions were so bad in the Dallas hospital that blood, vomit and diarrhea-soaked hazardous materials were left in open hospital rooms piled to the ceiling – a far cry from the CDC assurances that U.S. hospitals were ready to treat and stop Ebola in its tracks.

There will be more infection…

The National Nurses Union is warning that more infection are likely, as information leaks out about what really happened during the treatment of this country’s first case of Ebola.

The initial patient was left in an open area of the Dallas emergency room for hours, potentially exposing hundreds to the deadly virus. When nurses finally started working on the patient, they worked for days without proper protective equipment, at times being told to just use medical tape to cover open areas of skin.

According to the Nurses Union, the hospital had no real safety protocols in place, and the CDC did absolutely nothing to stop the outbreak within the hospital. In fact, the patients’ blood samples were actually sent via the hospital’s pneumatic tube delivery system, opening the possibility of contaminating the specimen delivery system.

CDC was not monitoring the Nurses: Nurse Flew Commercial Airline Flight day before coming down with Symptoms.

This morning, the criminally incompetent CDC – who assured us they were monitoring all potential Ebola cases – announced that the second nurse diagnosed with Ebola traveled by air Oct. 13, the day before she first reported symptoms.

The nurse traveled on Frontier Airlines flight 1143 Cleveland to Dallas/Fort Worth. Over 132 passengers were on the flight; the CDC is now asking them to immediately contact the CDC.

The CDC has no real Plan to Contain Ebola, and if they do have one they have allowed political correctness to trump their plans.

At this point it’s pretty clear the CDC has no idea what they’re doing. From continuing to allow passengers from the hot zone in West Africa to board flights to the U.S., to completely failing to keep healthcare workers in Dallas safe, the CDC has lost all credibility. They’ve allowed political correctness to trump common sense safety protocols that would have never allowed this infection in the country to begin with. And now that Ebola has reached the U.S., they’ve dropped the ball at every step of the way.

 

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

 

Via:   offgridsurvival

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October 15th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

Ebola: The Year Of Living Dangerously

Guest post from our Friend – Dr. Bones


Hemorrhage Under the Skin in Ebola Patient

When I first wrote about Ebola early this year, I was hoping that it wouldn’t be a news item 6 months later. In my March 2014 article, I mentioned my concern about 86 cases and 59 deaths reported in the country of Guinea. The article you’re reading now counts more than 8000 cases and 4000 deaths in several countries. Dire projections by some experts predict more than a million cases by January.

The biggest headlines have gone to a man named Thomas Eric Duncan, who was admitted with Ebola after arriving in Texas. Although he came into this country by false pretenses, I, of course, hoped that Mr. Duncan would survive. I wanted to believe that our system of disease control was so strong that we could overcome any illness if we could just put our high technology and resources to work.

I was wrong. Mr. Duncan succumbed to the disease Oct. 7. Would he have survived if he were admitted to the hospital when he first presented, instead of being sent home due to a failure in the chain of communication? Possibly, but mistakes happen. Could our medical system trump both infectious disease and human error? In the case of Thomas Eric Duncan, apparently not. And now, it appears that it has failed again.

One of the health care workers assigned to Mr. Duncan’s case has contracted the disease. This person worked with the patient in full protective gear. It’s thought that a breach of infectious disease protocol is at fault, which makes it clear that the average hospital may not be able to handle cases of highly contagious illnesses such as Ebola. There are 4 centers in the U.S. that can: Nebraska, Atlanta, Montana, and the NIH. Given the inadequate pandemic training that medical personnel get in your average hospital, these are the only places that victims can go without threatening medical staffs and the community. Sending U.S. Ebola patients for treatment anywhere else is, at this point in the game, foolhardy and, perhaps, criminal.

In other developments this year, Ebola, like many viruses, has shown an ability to mutate. A team of Harvard scientists published a study in the journal SCIENCE in which they claimed to identify 250 different mutations in the Ebola genome. Most of these had little effect on the virus, but even the United Nations is concerned that a future mutation may cause the virus to be airborne.  Airborne transmission is different from transmission by inhalation.  If you inhale blood splatter, particles of vomit, or phlegm cast into the air by an Ebola patient, you can get the virus.  The difference is that the conventional wisdom believes that you can’t get it simply by breathing the air in the same, say, airplane, as an ebola patient.

Before the U.S. cases, I was regularly asked why it should matter to Americans that there is an Ebola epidemic in West Africa. Once Mr. Duncan hit the headlines, it was clear that we have plenty of reason to care. We have to care for humanitarian reasons and we have to care for selfish reasons as well. The U.S. should send as many resources as possible to the affected countries but must consider the protection of its own citizens as well.

Have political considerations regarding “fairness” to West Africa trumped public safety in the eyes of our health officials? We can’t expect our politicians to wage the battle between fairness and public health, but those in power at the CDC shouldn’t shy away from the hard truth: More U.S. Ebola cases mean resources must be spent here that could have gone to West Africa.

It’s been a long and winding road this year on the Ebola front, yet there are multiple fronts in the war on infectious disease:  Enterovirus D68 has invaded 46 states. Mosquito-borne Chikungunya is ravaging the Caribbean and Latin America, with sporadic cases from New York to Texas. Malaria is a long-standing issue in many areas. Yet, most of us aren’t prepared to meet the demands of preventing the spread of contagious illnesses. We depend on our top doctors to protect us.

They won’t. They can’t, truthfully, if the number of infectious cases becomes so numerous that they strain the ability of a nation’s medical system to handle them. It’s happening in West Africa with Ebola right now, and the financial cost of more victims in the U.S. might become astronomical.

As I write this, I’m hearing about immense hurricanes striking India and Japan. For the United States, hurricanes and Ebola have one thing in common: We get warnings that allow us to prepare for them. If our top health officials listen to the warnings about Ebola, we may still avoid becoming its victims.

Joe Alton, M.D., aka Dr. Bones

The Definition of Geezer

Are you prepared to deal with an epidemic if it came to your town?  What about other medical issues related to disasters?  Our new Pandemic Preparedness DVD and our #1 Amazon Bestseller The Survival Medicine Handbook
will give you tons of step-by-step information, IN PLAIN ENGLISH, that will help you become a medical asset to your family, even when the ambulance ISN’T heading in your direction.

Got your medical supplies in order in case of disaster?  Check out our entire line of medical kits:  MEDICAL SUPPLIES

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

 

Via:  doomandbloom

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October 14th, 2014
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A Single Ebola Patient Has Overwhelmed The System: Dallas Hospital Forced To Close Emergency Room

Despite numerous procedural missteps over the course of the last several weeks, the Centers for Disease control want the American public to believe they have everything under control.

But with a second case now being confirmed in Dallas, one can’t help but consider that these so-called ‘protocols’ set forth by the CDC are either inadequate, or they are being wholly mismanaged.

Where were the Hazmat suits for the police officers and clean-up crew that were first to arrive at Duncan’s Ebola-stricken apartment? Or what about the ambulance that carried numerous patients and personnel for 48 hours after Duncan was dropped off at the hospital before anyone realized it needed to be isolated? Or how about the quarantine procedures, which left Duncan’s extended relatives in an apartment with no established procedure for  supplying the detainees with food? And why were others who were living in apartments adjacent to these, who had close proximity to  Duncan’s ventilation systems, not moved?  Moreover, why did the Obama administration wait almost two weeks before suggesting that we should be screening passengers arriving in the United States from flights originating in Africa?

These are just a handful of the inconsistencies which suggest, among other things, that the CDC was caught completely off guard and unprepared.

But if that’s not enough to convince you that we have a serious problem with emergency response protocols for pandemics and outbreaks, then perhaps the fact that a single Ebola patient in Dallas overwhelmed the system to such an extent that Texas Presbyterian had to shut down their emergency room to new patients.

The CDC now is recommending that the Dallas hospital, Texas Health Presbyterian, keep the number of workers treating possible Ebola patients to an “absolute minimum,” Frieden said. The agency also wants the hospital to provide a full-time infection control officer to ensure that safety measures are followed with Ebola patients.

Varga did not identify the worker and said her family has “requested total privacy.”

The hospital announced Sunday that its emergency department had stopped until further notice accepting patients brought by ambulance “because of limitations in staffed capacity,” a step known as “diversion.”

“While we are on diversion we are also using this time to further expand the margin of safety by triple-checking our full compliance with updated CDC guidelines,” the hospital said. “We are also continuing to monitor all staff who had some relation to Mr. Duncan’s care even if they are not assumed to be at significant risk of infection.”

The infected woman sought care immediately after her symptoms developed and was placed in isolation at the hospital, Frieden said. (News Observer)

That’s right. The hospital literally closed its doors to new patients.

Consider for a moment what something like this might look like if  several cases popped up throughout a major metro area simultaneously. Would all of the hospitals to which those infected with Ebola were taken then shut their doors to new patients?

What this means for you is very simple and it’s something that members of the preparedness community have been warning about since before Ebola was even on the CDC’s domestic radar.

If this virus (or any other contagion) spreads like it did in Africa, our entire health care system will be paralyzed.

This means that whether a person needs medical attention for a viral infection or a broken arm, they will have nowhere to go for help.

Of course, CDC director Thomas Frieden would disagree. Ebola, as he so adamantly stated back in July, is simply not in the cards for America.

We are sure that the medical professionals at the CDC and other government agencies are the cream of the crop. It’s not that they are incapable of doing their jobs. The problem lies at the top of the decision-making hierarchy and one government emergency manager claims that these officials are are not only violating all containment and response protocols, but they are doing so on purpose.

Whether their reasons for this are politically motivated – like causing a panic so they can run GOP-blame commercials – or something even more sinister, they are playing a very dangerous game with the lives of 300 million Americans. Alarmingly, the CDC’s director admitted today that they’ve completely dropped the ball, despite every assurance that they were ready for Ebola. “We have to rethink the way we address Ebola infection control,” Frieden said at a press conference.

This ‘rethinking’ should include real, actionable preventative measures that can be taken by the American public, something the CDC has failed to provide thus far in any serious capacity. Given the (mis)handling of Ebola in the United States thus far, it’s probably about time each individual and family take it upon themselves to establish a pandemic preparedness plan and protocols to deal with this crisis if it continues to spread.

Or, you can just sit back and relax knowing that President Obama has you and your family’s interests at heart while he’s taking a swing on the Back Nine for the 200th time in his Presidency.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

 

Via:  shtfplan

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October 13th, 2014
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3 Herbs for SHTF Hygiene

I have a confession: I don’t use coupons much. I know, I know. They can be a great way to help stock up on extra personal hygiene products to round out your preparedness kits. But my main focus has always been having a back up plan for the backup plan.

Herbal Hygiene

Rather than keep ten years’ worth of deodorant and toothpaste on hand, I’d rather just keep one or two extras in the medicine cabinet and know what I can use from my garden instead. Part of this is because space is at a premium in my living quarters, partly because I’m a stubborn minimalist, and partly because I’m a kooky herbalist. Take your pick.

So, let’s take a look at the three most basic components for personal hygiene: something to wash skin, hair, and clothes; something for oral health; and something to keep the arm pits from getting quite so stinky. Three easy to grow, perennial herbs that fit these functions perfectly are soapwort, licorice, and sage. Being able to use these three herbs in a pinch can be handy, or they can supplement an existing daily routine as a more natural option.

Soapwort- Saponaria officinalis

Soap Substitute

Soapwort is a beautiful perennial plant that is hardy in US zones 3-9. It grows to be about three feet tall, and prefers rich, compost-heavy soil. It can be a little finicky about light requirements, as it likes sun but not too much afternoon sun. If it likes its growing location it can become invasive, but if that happens, just harvest more of it. Soapwort leaves and roots can be dried for later and still lather when used.

To make a soap solution with soapwort, use 1 tablespoon of dried leaves or roots (three tablespoons if the herb is fresh) per cup of water. Bring the water to a boil, add the herb, and allow to simmer for ten to fifteen minutes. Strain and cool before use.

Soapwort solution can be used for hair, skin, and clothing. It is very gentle, and is often found in high end organic facial care products and used to clean antique textiles. So by all means, don’t wait for SHTF!

Soapwort is toxic to fish,
so don’t wash with or dump soapwort solution directly into a pond or stream where live fish are present.

Licorice Root- Glycyrrhiza glabra

Toothbrush/Toothpaste Substitute

Another perennial in the three to four foot tall range, licorice is hardy in USDA gardening zones 7-9. It prefers full sun and moist soil but doesn’t appreciate clay.

The plant will need to grow for two or three years before the roots are large enough to harvest. Once they have matured, they should be harvested in the fall, when the plant has focused all of its resources down into the roots before winter. The flavor and chemistry of the roots will be at their peak during this time.

Not only does licorice root contain antibacterial and anti-inflammatory components, it’s also shaped perfectly for turning into a simple toothbrush substitute. I use them in addition to a regular toothbrush/toothpaste routine, but some people successfully use licorice root alone.

Licorice root typically grows in a long, thin shape. Once it has been dried (this technique won’t work on a fresh root), choose one end of the root and soften it by standing in a glass with a half inch of water or by sucking on it until the root softens (usually about sixty seconds either way). Peel back the outer root bark (the brown looking skin on the root), and gently chew the root until there is a quarter inch or so of “brush” at the end. Gently rub along the gumline and over each tooth to clean the mouth.

Licorice has a sweet taste, so there’s no need to fear that your brush will taste like pencil shavings. After each use, trim away the used “brush” with a knife or scissors and store in a clean place until next use.

Sage- Salvia officinalis

Deodorant substitute

Sage is a small to medium perennial herb that prefers a very sunny location with dry, well-drained soil. It will grow from zones 4-8 in the US. Many people are familiar with sage as a culinary herb, but it also has more medicinal uses.

Make a strong infusion of the fresh or dried herb to spritz or splash the underarms and help control body odor. For best results, make the infusion in the evening and allow to sit overnight before straining. It will need to be applied more frequently than a store bought deodorant, because it will not be as strong. It is not an antiperspirant, either, so it won’t keep you dry.

Fresh sage leaves can also be added to an oral hygiene routine with licorice root. Simply rub a fresh sage leaf over the gums and each tooth. Sage has a stronger flavor than licorice, but the leaves can be harvested more often and more easily than licorice roots, so it’s a good option to know.

Soapwort, licorice, and sage have many other herbal uses, but they are definitely botanical all-stars when it comes to personal hygiene. Knowing how to grow and use them will mean you always have a backup plan for soap, toothpaste, and deodorant.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

Via:  thesurvivalmom

 

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