Monthly Archives: September 2014

Governments Building Ebola Detention Camps to Quarantine the Infected: “Community Care Centers”

The Ebola crisis is fast approaching a point of no return and now Western nations have gotten involved on a large scale in an effort to prevent the virus from making its way to major cities outside of Africa. Currently, no infections have been detected anywhere outside of Africa but virologists and other researchers have recently warned that the virus is beginning to spread at an accelerated rate and may lead to as many as 1.4 million infections by January. With a mortality rate over 50% and no signs of progress in slowing it down, Ebola could leave more than 500,000 people dead in just a matter of months.

According to some research models, however, that’s not even the tip of the iceberg. Should the virus make its way outside of Africa and spread at a similar rate then it is possible that it would eventually make its way to all corners of the globe. This potential for an Ebola-based global pandemic has set into motion a number of different responses from officials at the World Health Organization, African governments, and western nations.

Many now believe that it is only a matter of time before cases of Ebola are detected in other parts of the world. And if what’s happening in Africa is any guide, then we can expect a widespread, heavily militarized response by officials in the West, especially in the United States. In Sierra Leone the military is doing house-to-house searches looking for anyone who may be infected with Ebola or showing similar symptoms. A similar plan is being put into place in Liberia, where the World Health Organization is rapidly establishing “Community Care Centers,” where those infected with the disease will be detained and quarantined:

The Liberian government, the World Health Organization and their nonprofit partners here are launching an ambitious but controversial program to move infected people out of their homes and into ad hoc centers that will provide rudimentary care, officials said Monday.

The effort, which is expected to begin in the next few weeks, is an intermediate step, officials said. The goal is to reduce the chances that Ebola patients will infect their own families and others while ensuring that they receive basic care — such as food, water and pain medicine — at a time when many hospitals and treatment centers are closed.

The initiative also is a tacit acknowledgment that it could be weeks, even months, before new treatment facilities promised by the United States and others are operational.

An Ebola Treatment Center (Click here for larger view)

Martial law, round ups of those suspected of being sick, and detentions in quarantine camps is the only option governments have left and similar strategies will be implemented in the United States if and when the virus starts popping up.

But Doctors without Borders, the organization that spearheaded the treatment and containment efforts at the beginning of the crisis when governments were completely ignoring it, says that WHO’s efforts are destined to fail:

One of the main organizations involved in fighting the outbreak, Doctors without Borders, is dubious about the new effort and has decided not to take part. Brice de le Vigne, the group’s director of operations, warned that the proposed community care centers could worsen the situation.

“This is not going to work,” he said. “To move people in an epidemic is a big responsibility, and it requires huge logistical capabilities” that the affected countries simply don’t have.

To be effective, he said, these care centers need to have strict infection control, adequate supplies, trained staff, regular supervision, the ability to diagnose and refer patients, and proper burial methods. Otherwise, they could turn into “contamination centers,” he said.

Similar efforts are already underway in the United States. Earlier this year Ebola bio detection kits were deployed to National Guard units in all 50 states and hospitals around the country have been given guidelines for preparing quarantine units in advance of the virus afflicting Americans.

In July, the President amended an Executive Order giving the medical emergency responders the legal powers to identify and detain individuals suspected of carrying a communicable disease. And though it’s not talked about publicly, it is widely believed the the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have already pre-positioned domestic detention camps and CDC quarantine centers in the event of a national security emergency.

Ebola appearing in the United States would likely call for exactly such a declaration from the President. In such a scenario it is highly likely that military personnel will be deployed to maintain peace, as well as to work simultaneously with medical professionals to identify and detain those suspected of being infected.

Efforts to develop an effective vaccine are still in progress, thus we must assume that the only plan to contain and prevent the spread of the virus currently available to the government is to mobilize military resources just as has been done in Africa.

And, as we’ve seen in Africa, the virus continues to spread, proving that containment efforts are too little, too late.

The only option for Americans concerned about the virus showing up here is to take preventative measures now, including stocking up on the supplies that will disappear the minute an Ebola infection in the United States is announced. As we’ve noted previously, this should include similar equipment to what you see doctors wearing in Ebola treatment centers:

But just as important is understanding what such an emergency will do to our systems of commerce. If and when people panic, we could well see a breakdown (even if temporarily) of the regular flow of goods to grocery stores, or even people going to work to maintain things like utility plants or other essential services. Assuming we are faced with such a scenario it would be in our best interest to be prepared to deal with the fall-out by having reserve food, water, and other essential supplies on hand to weather the storm.

We don’t know if Ebola will hit U.S. shores or exactly what kind of response to expect. What we do know is that it will likely cause panic, a government mobilization of military resources, and shortages of the most basic essentials we’ll need in a crisis.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

 

Via: shtfplan

How a person with Health issues can Prepare for Disasters

For those with health issues, preparing for any type of disaster or crisis can be quite a challenge. I receive a lot of email from worried people, asking how they can prepare for disasters while at the same time dealing with a wide range of medical issues and health problems.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it; if you have significant health problems you’re going to be at a major disadvantage. You’re going to have to work even harder than most people to be prepared to face the challenges associated with surviving a crisis or disaster situation.

I encourage you to not give up. I talk to a lot of healthy people who have already given up, because they fail to put plans in place to protect themselves and their loved ones from the very real threats and disasters that are out there. The simple fact that you are reading this puts you ahead of most people. Even if you have health issues to contend with, your willingness to do something says a lot about your mental ability to cope with a crisis. It’s this will to survive that is often the most important factor during a survival situation.

Things you can do to prepare for disasters when you have medical problems.

Stock up on medication.

If you or someone in your family depends on any sort of medication or medical devise to stay alive, you need to make sure you have an ample stockpile stored up and ready to go during a disaster.

  • Ask your doctor to give you an extra prescription. While some doctors may be reluctant to give you extra medication, it’s probably not a bad idea to discuss your concerns with your doctor.
  • Find out if there are supplements to your medication that you can take to extend your supply. During times of crisis, you may have to find alternative ways to manage your health. Start researching what you can do to build your immune system, or supplement your medications during an emergency.
  • Ask your doctor for samples at every appointment. Doctors often have loads of samples which they get for free from pharmaceutical companies looking to push their brand. These samples can be added to your emergency stockpile without costing you a cent.

Stock up on medical supplies.

Take an inventory of everything you use on a daily basis, and then start to build a stockpile of those supplies and a set of backups for your important medical devices.

  • If you rely on it, back it up. Consider adding backups of all your medical supplies to your preparedness stockpile. Things like extra eyeglasses, hearing aids and hearing aid batteries, wheelchair batteries, and oxygen should all be considered.
  • Build an Emergency Medical Kit: Everyone, no matter what condition their health is in, should have an emergency medical kit on hand at all times. What goes into your kit will vary depending on your medical condition, but having one is an essential part of being ready.

Find out what Emergency plans your doctor has in place.

If you undergo routine medical treatments at a hospital, talk to your doctor about what emergency plans they have in place. Work with them to identify back-up service providers that you can incorporate into your personal emergency preparedness planning.

Learn how to manage your condition.

While your ability to manage your health without medical assistance will depend on your unique situation, start looking into what you can do to manage your medical issues without a doctor. During a crisis situation, the more you know about treatments, and alternative ways to manage your health, the greater your chances are of surviving a disaster.

  • Ask questions at every appointment. Ask your doctor what you should do during an emergency where medical help and medication may be hard to come by. Ask, for example, if you can stretch out your supply of medication by skipping every other dose, or cutting your pills in half.
  • Look into emergency medical classes. Find out how you can treat yourself or your loved ones during an emergency where medical assistance may not be available. The Red Cross and a lot of local hospitals offer a number of different life-saving medical courses to the general public.
  • Research, research, research. You are you’re number one advocate when it comes to your health, take the time to research and learn everything you can about your illness or medical conditions.

Keep detailed records with your emergency supplies.

Ask your doctor for copies of all your medical records, medications, and treatment plans. During a disaster, where you may have to be treated by someone unfamiliar with your condition, these records can help first responders and doctors better treat your condition.

  • List the names (including generic names) of any prescription medications you’re taking and the doses.
  • Have detailed records of past treatments and current treatment plans.
  • Have a list of all emergency responders, hospitals and treatment centers in your area.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

 

Via: offgridsurvival

Mystery Virus Causing Paralysis in Children- CDC WARNING


States with Lab-confirmed Enterovirus D68 from cdc.gov

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a warning about a mysterious polio-like virus that’s causing acute neurological illness and paralysis in children. The virus seems to be related to the nationwide epidemic of EV-D68 that we reported on during the first weeks of the outbreak.

The CDC is investigating nine cases of muscle weakness or paralysis in Colorado children to see if enterovirus 68 (EV-D68) might be the virus responsible for the neurological symptoms.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Health Advisory to doctors about the polio-like cases in Colorado, and said EV-D68 was detected in four out of eight of the sick children who were tested for the virus.

The CDC says the mysterious illness is characterized by “focal limb weakness and abnormalities of the spinal cord gray matter on MRI.”  The cases, which are just now being made public, occurred between August 9 – September 17 among children aged 1-18 years old (with a median age of 10 years-old).

The nine children who have been confirmed to have this neurological illnesses all had fever and respiratory illness about two weeks before developing varying degrees of limb weakness. Health officials don’t think its polio because eight of the nine children are up to date on their polio vaccinations.

The CDC, in their health advisory, confirmed that they are looking into the possibility that the nationwide outbreak of EV-D68 is causing the polio-like illness. They are asking doctors form around the country to be on the lookout for similar cases and to report any similar neurological illnesses to the CDC.

The Mysterious Virus that really isn’t a Mystery!

As we reported in our first article on the EV-D68 outbreak, the CDC and our Federal government is completely ignoring the fact this this virus seems to have been spread by illegal immigrants who’ve been dumped throughout the country – thanks in large part to the Obama administration.

Although it’s received very little mainstream media coverage, the current outbreak of EV-D68 is common to El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, three countries where a bulk of the illegal immigrant children come from. These unaccompanied illegal immigrant children have been allowed into the nation’s school systems without medical screenings, and without required vaccinations.

The CDC may be pretending that they have no idea where this outbreak came from, but for months now similar neurological illness outbreaks have been occurring in border towns throughout the U.S.. In fact, back in February of 2014 an outbreak of a polio-like illness caused as many as 25 children in California to come down with paralyzed limbs and little hope of recovery. According to the BBC, at least five of these cases were directly linked to enterovirus-68, proving the CDC has known about this outbreak for quite some time now.

In July of 2014, the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that communicable diseases were being spread throughout detention centers setup to house incoming illegal immigrant children. These children were then being dumped in unsuspecting communities around the country.

The report said, “Many UAC and family units require treatment for communicable diseases, including respiratory illnesses, tuberculosis, chicken pox, and scabies,” the IG report said. “UAC and family unit illnesses and unfamiliarity with bathroom facilities resulted in unsanitary conditions and exposure to human waste in some holding facilities.”

Unless this government starts to control the crisis at the border, this is only the beginning. When you allow entire populations of people into a country without medical screenings, the results are actually quite predictable.

This isn’t a mystery; it’s well-known medical science. This is exactly why we once required medical screenings of all incoming immigrants, and why we built special islands in New York’s Harbor to quarantine incoming ships. When you introduce new populations to a country, you introduce diseases that have not been seen in that area. You also immediately increase the risk of deadly disease outbreaks.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

Via: offgridsurvival

Ebola Virus Cases May Hit 1.4 Million by Winter, U.S. Warns

CDC and World Health Organization Say Cases Could Balloon Without Significant Action.


Red Cross health workers carry the body of a victim of the Ebola virus on Sept. 12 in Monrovia, Liberia.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the disease could balloon in the country.

Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

 

Two leading public-health agencies issued dire warnings about the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, estimating that the number of cases could grow exponentially unless measures to tame the outbreak are implemented on a large scale soon.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that from 550,000 people to as many as 1.4 million people when underreporting of cases is taken into account could be infected by mid-January in Liberia and Sierra Leone, in a worst-case scenario generated by a computer modeling tool the agency constructed. Around 21,000 cases would occur by Sept. 30.

“Reported cases in Liberia are doubling every 15-20 days, and those in Sierra Leone are doubling every 30-40 days,” the CDC said in its report. (Further reading: Ebola death toll nears 3,000).

The bleak estimate was made at the end of August, before big pledges of aid started rolling in and before the U.S. military hit the ground in Monrovia, as it has in the past few days, to help lead a beefed-up U.S. response.

Experts from the World Health Organization and Imperial College, London, also predicted that the number of cases in West Africa would climb exponentially, saying more than 20,000 people would have been infected by early November, in a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

“Without drastic improvements in control measures, the numbers of cases and deaths…are expected to continue increasing from hundreds to thousands per week in the coming months,” the authors wrote.

The differing numbers illustrate the range of scenarios that could occur—and the difficulty of predicting what might happen over the next several weeks and months.

Officially, 5,864 cases, including 2,811 deaths, have been reported in five West African countries, according to the WHO. But the United Nations agency says that toll is vastly underestimated.

Both agencies agree that the situation is grim without an imminent surge of aid.

More Ebola treatment centers, medical staff, health educators, training in safe burial practices and other help are needed urgently, they say.

Yet if 70% of Ebola patients are cared for in treatment centers or community settings where they can’t transmit the disease to others, then the epidemic in both countries “would almost be ended” by Jan. 20, according to the CDC report.

“What the modeling shows us is that even in dire scenarios, if we move fast enough, we can turn it around,” CDC Director Tom Frieden said. “And I’m confident that the most dire projections are not going to come to pass, given what we’ve already seen on the ground in terms of the response and what we’re beginning to see in terms of some of the data coming in.”

Dr. Frieden added that “a surge now can break the back of the epidemic. It also shows that there are severe costs of delay.”

The U.S. plans to bring in 3,000 military personnel to help build Ebola treatment centers and train health workers to staff them.

The CDC has about 120 staff in West Africa, and is beginning a training program in the U.S. for health workers preparing to deploy to the region.

 

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

Via: wsj


10 Ways to Use Dried Beans

Dried beans keep for a long time and are often included in our preps.  They are lightweight, nutrient dense, and easy to prepare.  We all know beans and rice is the perfect protein. High in fiber and full of good fats, beans are a healthy addition to our diets.

However, beans and rice might get boring after a while. Thankfully, beans are an extremely versatile food that lend themselves to many adaptations.

Here are 10 Ways to Use Dried Beans:

  1. Pinto Bean Oat Waffles
  2. Southwestern Breakfast Burrito
  3. Navy Bean Gravy
  4. Cherokee Bean Bread
  5. Basil White Bean Sandwich Spread
  6. Savory Bean & Cheese Oatmeal
  7. Rosemary Leek Cannellini Cakes
  8. Chickpea Zucchini Brownies
  9. Black Bean Fudge
  10. Oatmeal Chocolate Chip & Bean Cookies

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: thesurvivalmom

Shelf Stable UHT (Boxed) Milk


Shelf-stable milk? Bwaaaa?

They’ve had UHT pasteurized milk over in Europe for a looong while–like the 70s. In many countries, the majority of milk consumed is UHT milk.

I’ve had some in past during living stints in Switzerland, and then promptly forgot about it upon returning to the U.S., where it hasn’t been readily available for sale until recently. Something about shelf stable milk weirding us Americans out.

Taste-wise, it’s somewhere around skim. Dramatically better than powdered milk. You can’t tell the difference pouring it over a bowl of cereal or using it in a recipe. It’s even good enough to drink on its own.


I’ve found it at local Target and Wal-Mart stores as well as the local Dollar Tree, which means it’s probably in your local grocery/mega-marts, too. Prices are $2/quart average, so more expensive than regular milk, but not highway robbery.


Recommended shelf life is going to range from six months to a year, though as usual, your mileage may vary. We just bought some (September ’14) that has a Best By date of April ’15, so that’s 8 months. Like most shelf life/best by dates, those are probably pretty conservative.

In terms of food storage, a year is a fairly short shelf life, so it’ll need more frequent rotation. Unlike non-fat powdered milk, this isn’t something you can throw in your basement and forget about for the next 20 years.

But, unlike powdered milk, this is one of those “store what you eat” things that is really easy to rotate.

Running low on milk? Crack open one of these to keep the family tided over ’till you can get to the store.

With little ones in the house, you can find yourself in that situation pretty frequently. That’s when this stuff rocks. Since most kids have a Spidey-sense for when we’ve changed up something with their food, but most can’t tell the difference with UHT milk.

Super convenient, super easy. Never again find yourself with a fresh batch of cookies/brownies and no milk.

After some trials and taste tests with the family, this stuff has a thumbs up from me. I’m going to stock up on around a month’s worth of milk for our family, and then rotate out regularly from there.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: teotwawki-blog

Walmart Customer Killed By Cops for Playing With a BB-Gun


In early August John Crawford III went to Walmart on what was supposed to be a normal shopping trip. While there, Crawford happened across an unpackaged BB gun that he picked up off the shelf in the sporting goods section of the store. He proceeded to walk around the store and make a cell phone call.

A concerned citizen at the Walmart had apparently thought Crawford was holding a real rifle. According to an Infowars report, the man called 9-1-1 and reported that an individual was walking around with a gun in the store.

The witness who phoned police, ex-marine Ronald Ritchie, reportedly told 9-1-1 he saw Crawford “walking around with a gun in the store,” and that he was “loading it right now,” and pointing it at customers and children.

He “was just waving it at children and people. Items…. I couldn’t hear anything that he was saying. I’m thinking that he is either going to rob the place or he’s there to shoot somebody else,” Ritchie said.

Two police officers responded to the call. According to the officers, Crawford failed to comply with orders to drop the weapon when police approached him.

Seconds later he was dead.

But a new surveillance video released just days after a Grand Jury found that the officers had acted appropriately and chose not to level any charges against them shows a slightly different set of events. In the split screen video below, which shows officers approaching Crawford, it appears that Crawford did drop his weapon and subsequently dove for cover. Crawford then gets up and runs around a corner, at which point he is shot at near point blank range.

Watch the raw footage for yourself and decide if police were justified in their actions:

The video shows that Crawford immediately dropped his weapon and dove for cover when he spotted someone coming towards him. As another officer flanked him from the other side, Crawford may have panicked, jumped up and ran for cover down the other aisle. It just so happened that the other officer was coming towards him at the time. Perhaps that officer, who had his weapon drawn, was startled as Crawford came around the corner.

“It was an execution, no doubt about it,” alleged Crawford’s father, John Crawford II. “It was flat-out murder. And when you see the footage, it will illustrate that.”

 

The video of the incident seems to bolster the family’s claims, as there is absolutely no reaction by Crawford until he is hit by gunfire presumably.

Additionally, preliminary autopsy findings show that Crawford was shot in the back of his left arm and in his left side, which supports the claim that he was never even facing the officers that shot him, as shown in the video. These facts support a narrative that officers never made verbal contact with Crawford, but instead simply gunned him down on sight.

When reviewing the video, Crawford neither points the weapon at anyone, nor does he have any type of body language suggesting that he ever heard any commands given to him to drop the BB gun if they were actually given. It’s much more likely, judging from the surveillance video, that officers simply shot Crawford on sight without giving him the opportunity to drop the toy gun.

There are many problems with this case, but one glaring problem is that open carry is fully legal in this jurisdiction, so the notion of officers approaching and simply shooting someone that is carrying something that resembles a rifle is very troubling for all open carry supporters.

In addition, the man who initially made the call to 9-1-1 to report that Crawford was carrying a weapon around the store and pointing it at people, Ronald Ritchie, has already admitted to lying about the facts regarding his 9-1-1 call.

During the initial call, Ritchie claimed that a black man was “walking around with a gun in the store.” He told the dispatcher, “He’s, like, pointing it at people,” and later told reporters, “He was pointing at people. Children walking by,” according to The Guardian.

But a month later in an interview with The Guardian he had changed his story stating, “At no point did he shoulder the rifle and point it at somebody.”

Additionally, in the initial call, Ritichie told the dispatcher that Crawford appeared to be “trying to load” the gun, which the 9-1-1 dispatcher relayed to officers telling them that they thought the gunman had “just put some bullets inside.”

With all information available, and the video now being released, it seems that officers were jacked up and ready for confrontation and there seems to be little doubt that they simply ran up on Crawford and gunned him down.

Though the Grand Jury chose not to charge the officers, the Justice Department has promised to look into the matter.

 

Did police act within the law when they shot and killed John Crawford? Or is this another case of overzealous cops making a choice to shoot first and ask questions later? Or, was this just a situation that went awry when both parties – Crawford and the police officers – panicked?

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: shtfplan, The Daily Sheeple, The Free Thought Project

30 Things you should have in your Medical First Aid Kits

First Aid Kits are one of those preparedness items that people often neglect. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to get the same attention that things like survival knives, guns and bugout bags get. But when you think about it, a first aid kit is something that’s probably going to get more use than any other item in your survival stash.

A Way to Stop bleeding and Close wounds:

Every good medical kit should have items that can be used to help stop bleeding, close and protect cuts, and help prevent infection from setting in.

  • Duct Tape – Yes, duct tape. It can be a life saver when dealing with a cut or wound where medical help may be too far off to quickly reach. Duct tape can quickly and safely pull together an open wound, and can buy you time until you can reach medical help.
  • Butterfly Sutures – Another great way to close up small wounds is to use something know as a butterfly suture. These types of adhesive strips pull the edges of a small cut together in the same way as a doctor’s sutures.

When using duct tape or butterfly sutures to close a wound. Carefully clean the wound and wash out any foreign materials or debris. If you have some sort of antiseptic, apply it to the wound and dry the area. Start in the middle of the wound and apply strips to close the edges. Working your way towards the edges, gently bringing the two sides together and taping them shut.

Ways to Prevent Infection:

During a survival situation, where sanitation issues may become a problem, keeping your wounds clean and covered is extremely important. Infection can set in quickly, so you need to stay on top of any open wounds. That means it’s important to carry the following items:

  • Gauze
  • Adhesive wound dressings
  • Antibiotic ointments and creams
  • Broad spectrum oral Antibiotics – This may be difficult to come by since you need a prescription, but some doctors may be willing to prescribe them as a preventative measure if you’re going to be on an extended trip out in the wilderness. Erythromycin, Ciprofloxacin and Amoxicillin are all broad spectrum antibiotics.
  • Antiseptics and Disinfectants – Peroxide, Isopropyl Alcohol, PVP Iodine Ampules and Antiseptic wipes are all things that need to be in your kit.

Pain Management Items

Depending on you condition, pain can be a debilitating and even deadly thing if it causes you to lose hope or give up. Having a way to treat and manage pain, as well as decrease inflammation, is an important part of every emergency medical kit.

  • Aspirin, Tylenol or Ibuprofen
  • Codeine or some type of pain killer
  • Chemical Ice Bags
  • Lidocaine

Dealing with Allergies

Even if you don’t think you have allergies, there are certain things that can still cause an allergic reaction. In some cases, especially in people who have food allergies, allergens can cause life threatening anaphylaxis reactions that need to be treated immediately.

  • Antihistamine – Benadryl, otherwise known by its generic name Diphenhydramine HCl, is one of the best antihistamines on the market and is something that should be part of everyone’s kit.
  • Antihistamine creams
  • EpiPen or Epinephrine – For those with a life-threatening allergy, having an EpiPen with you at all times is essential. They can help stop an anaphylaxis reaction and buy you time until medical help arrives.

Items Specific to Your Unique Medical Needs

No one kit is right for every person. That’s why special attention needs to be put into developing a kit for yourself and your loved ones. I advise staying away from prepackaged kits, unless you’re using it as a foundation to build off of.

  • Make sure your kit is stocked with extra prescription medications if you have a medical condition that requires you to take medication.
  • OTC Meds – If you routinely take Over the Counter medications to treat conditions like arthritis, nausea, etc… make sure you have an ample supply in your kit.

Your Kit should also contain at least some of the following items:

  • Emergency dental kit
  • Sterile needles and surgical blades.
  • Splints – SAM and air splints
  • Quick Clot Gauze
  • Grooming and cleaning tools – Finger nail clippers, soap, Antiseptic wipes.
  • Tweezers
  • Scissors
  • Disposable thermometers
  • Disposable gloves
  • Sterile eyewash & eye dressings
  • Sunblock
  • Vaseline
  • Burn creams and dressings
  • Medical manuals and basic first aid instructions.
  • Moleskin
  • Honey (natural antibiotics)
  • Superglue

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via:  offgrdsurvival

A Breast Lump Led Me to Homemade Deodorant

Timing is everything, and a friend found a lump in the armpit the same month a friend died of breast cancer.

One of the questions the doctor had asked was if they had changed to a new deodorant, and they had recently started using the Famous Brand SUPER STRONG deodorant. It worked really well, but…. Not worth the risk of giving who-knows-what in the armpits.

I’ve changed to Amazon-bought natural deodorants. We finally found one with colloidal silver in it that works well, but I still wasn’t 100% sold.

My Lucky Discovery

I don’t know about you, but my wife’s is a sucker for “spa products” on sale, especially a nice sugar or salt scrub. I often even use them before they dry out completely. At some point in the summer when my pits were particularly stinky, I decided to try a sugar scrub on them. Miraculous! So much less stinky!

When I ran out of my purchased sugar and salt scrubs, I decided to try making them with my son, who loves mucking about mixing things together. While we were at it, I figured we might as well try homemade deodorant. I used the emptied containers from my store-bought spa products, and also an empty vaseline container for some leftovers.

Both were as easy as can be to make! I needed coconut oil (solid at room temp), which I found at a local grocery store. The deodorant also calls for Arrowroot Powder, which we had on hand courtesy of a recent attempt to eat healthier.

After I started using these, I stopped having problems with stinky pits, even on super-hot days when sweat was pouring off me. Woo hoo! It’s really a blessing for the whole family.

There were a few days when I wasn’t as hot that I did notice a bit of stinkyness at the end of the day. I realized that on those days, I hadn’t used the sugar scrub at the end of my shower.

So, from my experiences, I recommend using a sugar or salt scrub on your pits in the shower, then using homemade deodorant. Both are so simple to make. I was able to buy all the ingredients from my local health-conscious grocery store, no special orders required.

Deodorant:

This recipe originally came from the website Passionate Homemaking.

Mix dry ingredients. Add coconut oil gradually until it is smooth and well blended. The texture should be similar to commercial deodorant, soft enough to go on easily but firm enough to hold its shape.

You can put it into an old, empty deodorant container or any other sealable container.

I recommend making sure the container has a good seal because this does have a low melting point. Left in a tent at Scout camp, it liquified when the temp was “only” in the low 90s. If it hadn’t had a good seal, that would have been quite the mess to clean up.

Vanilla / Brown Sugar Scrub:

  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 cup of granulated sugar
  • 1 cup sunflower oil
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Mix the sugars together until there are no lumps. Add sunflower oil and vanilla. (Sunflower oil does not carry the strong scent that Olive Oil does.) Store in a sealed glass container until ready to use.

Salt scrubs will work as well, they just might sting if you nick yourself while shaving.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: thesurvivalmom

Top 10 Foods for Stocking Up

To get started with the basic building blocks of food storage, these are the top 10 foods I recommend. If these aren’t a good fit for your family, for whatever reason, stock up on the alternatives that you’re currently using. Be very aware of the enemies of food storage and always try to store your food in the most optimal conditions possible.

Wheat

Once ground, wheat is the building block for varieties of bread, tortillas, flat bread, pizza crust and more.  I’ve stocked up on hard red wheat for hearty breads, general purpose hard white wheat, and soft white wheat for pastries.

Rice

On its’ own, it’s a side dish.  Mixed with herbs and a vegetable or two, it’s a simple main dish.  It’s a great meal-stretcher when topped with, or served alongside, main dishes such as a stir fry.  Note: brown rice contains oils which will eventually become rancid. If you can keep it stored at very chilly temperatures, say below 60 degrees, it will be fresher, longer. Otherwise, plan on a shelf life of about a year or so.

Dried milk

Without electricity, fresh milk will go bad in hours.  In an emergency situation, fresh will be difficult to come by unless you own a cow or a goat.  Dried milk provides not only milk to drink, but milk to use as an ingredient in other dishes. Also look for shelf-stable milk that comes in cardboard cartons. It’s a very good option to dried milk.

Salt

Stock up on table salt at your local Costco.  It’s inexpensive and has multiple uses. I’ve purchased boxes of Kosher salt, along with the regular iodized table salt.

Beans

Buy canned beans and dry beans in different varieties.  Versatile, economical and a good source of fiber. Dried beans can be ground into a powder and added to everything from cookies to soups.

Tomatoes

Canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, tomato puree, etc.  Watch for them on sale and then grab a few dozen cans.  Learn how to can and dehydrate tomatoes. They’re the basis for salsas, soups, stews, and sauces. I’ll bet you’ve eaten something made from tomatoes in the past 48 hours!

Other canned veggies and fruit

These will help provide important nutrients, variety to your recipes, and have a very long shelf life.  If you can’t stomach canned veggies, try dehydrating your own or purchasing freeze-dried.

Peanut butter

High in protein, yummy on warm, freshly made bread!  Add some honey and you have a winner! Keep a new, sealed jar in emergency kits for a quick dose of protein when you might need it most.

Oil

Without oil, you’re pretty much stuck with boiling your meat and veggies. The problem is that oil goes rancid very quickly. Most oils have a shelf life of only a year. Some food storage experts recommend packing vegetable shortening in canning jars and then using a Food Saver jar sealer to vacuum out all the air/oxygen. Stored this way, shortening can stay fresh for years as long as it’s stored in a cool location. When the time comes to use it, just measure out what you need for a recipe, melt it, and you have oil. While many of us have moved away from the use of vegetable oil, this is probably the best option for having a supply of oil on hand, long term.

Dried pasta

Another meal stretcher and a kid-pleasing dish any day of the week.  My own kids have been known to dip bow-tie pasta in ranch dressing. I really, really like the egg noodles from Ready Reserve Foods, which are actually dehydrated. As they cook they expand and become thick, hearty noodles, much like the homemade noodles my mom used to make.

Sugar and honey

Okay, that makes eleven, but I’ve known women who were ready to kill when deprived of sugar for too long! Both honey and sugar will last indefinitely.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: thesurvivalmom