preparedness

How to Build an Emergency First Aid Kit from Scratch

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A Comprehensive Guide to Assembling a “Total” First-Aid Kit.

It’s standard practice for many people to assemble a 72-hour bug out bag. Part of that bag always includes a small first aid kit. But there’s a problem. It’s small, and while it can deal with most simple cuts, scrapes, and minor burns, it’s mostly a collection of bandages, ointment, and maybe some medical tape.

The medical challenges that many people can face in a dire emergency or the collapse of the supply chain can be severe. This is especially true if stores are shuttered or destroyed by a natural or manmade disaster. And if you think about it, we often don’t follow through on stockpiling medical supplies the way we might stockpile food or other supplies.

Serious Times Call for Serious Planning

There are many injuries and illnesses that require significantly more than a bottle of aspirin and a box of Band-Aids:

Severe second and third-degree burns
Deep wounds
Severely sprained or broken limbs
Injuries to the eyes
Poisoning
Allergic reactions
Skin conditions from bee stings to sunburn to fungal infections

It’s unfortunate and quite possible that you or someone in your family may end up with one or more of these conditions. Our typical response is to rush them to an urgent care facility or hospital emergency room. But if you’re on your own and there are no doctors or dentists to turn to, you’ll want to have the equipment and supplies you need.

Don’t Forget to Pack Some Knowledge

Now’s the time to do your homework by exploring first aid subjects on the Internet and carefully assembling a small library of medical books for future reference. In dire circumstances, you may not have Internet access, but you’ll always have your books. Don’t forget to read them first as part of your homework.

Here are some good titles and Internet links worth considering.

First Aid Books to Consider:

Internet Resources to Explore:

As you continue to learn more about the treatment of various medical conditions, you will probably start to add supplies and equipment to your kit. That’s the best way to assemble a complete and total first aid kit, but we’ll cover a checklist to get you started.

You might also want to consider attending some first aid classes at your local community college or local chapter of the Red Cross.

Bundling Your First Aid Kit

Before we cover the list of equipment and supplies, you need to think about the situations you may encounter in an emergency. It would be nice to collect all of your equipment and supplies in a dedicated cabinet at home, and you probably should. But you also have to think about mobility.

That’s why so many of the pre-packed first aid kits available on the Internet come in backpacks. It’s the grab-and-go mentality that drives this approach.

You could assume that you’ll have time to pack, but there may be many other things to do before you go. That’s why you should pre-pack your backpack so that all you need to add are your prescription meds and any other items you might need for your medical condition if any.

The best backpacks have multiple compartments. You should also think about bundling materials in stuff sacks. This will make it much easier to find the things you need in a medical emergency. The way you pack or stuff supplies into sacks should be driven by medical conditions.

Here’s one way to think about it in terms of compartmentalizing specific supplies and equipment:

Burn kit and other supplies needed to administer first aid to someone with severe burns
Wound care including a suture kit and the supplies needed to deal with wounds from the simplest to the more severe
OTC meds
Prescription meds
Supplies for sprained or broken limbs
Dental kit
Eye care kit with eye-specific meds
Supplies for poisoning and allergic reactions
Supplies for various skin conditions
Vital signs equipment
Supplies for specialized conditions like diabetes if needed

Clearly Label Compartments and Stuff Sacks

Don’t depend on your memory to identify contents. In an emergency, you may feel a bit panicked and could be easily frustrated. Use a marker to label bags so you’ll know the contents.

You could also consider color coding to flag the severity of a condition. Pack supplies for treating severe burns in a red stuff sack, supplies for treating a skin condition like a bee sting in a yellow stuff sack, and supplies for treating a dental condition in a green stuff sack. We all know what those three colors from a traffic signal, and it could help you to quickly narrow your search as you root through your first aid backpack.

First Aid Checklist

Wound Care

Burns

Poisoning

Ipecac syrup to induce vomiting
Activated charcoal to absorb poisons

Sprained or Broken Limbs

Sterile surgical gloves
An assortment of splints for fingers, arms, ankles, and legs
Ace bandages
Rolled Gauze
Bandage tape
Full leg brace with Velcro fasteners
Arm Sling

Eye Care

Eye cup
Eye-safe antibiotic ointment
Eye drops
Saline eye irrigation solution
Eye pads and patches

Dental First Aid

Dental Picks
Dental emergency kit
Denture repair kit
Toothache and gum remedies like Orajel
Reusable Ice bag
Toothpicks and floss

Allergic Reactions

Skin Conditions

Topical skin relief spray like Solarcaine for insect stings and sunburn
Tweezers
Moleskin for blisters
Hydrocortisone
Sunscreen (broad spectrum)

Vital Signs

Over-The-Counter (OTC) Medicines

Prescription Medicines

Amoxicillin or Cipro for infections
NORCO for pain
Medicines for anyone with chronic conditions
Insulin if Diabetes plus glucose test kit
High-blood pressure meds like Lisinopril
Blood thinners like Plavix
Epinephrine for severe allergic reactions
Diuretics like Bumetanide

Slowly Build Your First Aid Kit

It could be quite expensive to try and assemble all of these items at the same time, but if you consistently add to your kit over time you can make steady progress. You can also buy one of the pre-packed kits to get started and add to it as you go.

The most important thing is to have the knowledge of how to use your first aid supplies so that when needed – you’re ready. Here are some articles to get you started:

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preparedness

4 No Cook Meals For Surviving The Pandemic And Food Supply Shortages

When it comes to your food supply, you just can’t risk not having enough. These no cook meals will be a great addition to your food supply planning. Check out the recipes below!

No Cook Meals to Help You Through the Pandemic

As of the writing of this article, there are 20 meat processing plants that have been shut down due to COVID-19 infections. We have been worrying about these types of effects on our food supply for months now, and this is the first real sign of how infections can affect the food supply.

When you walk into a supermarket, you might not see all the choices you had in the past. An empty meat case is a humbling thing for your eyes to fall upon. It’s the shocking realization that the seemingly infinite supply of chickens, pigs, and cows that are butchered for us has begun to run dry!

To deal with this issue, we are going to present four no cook meals that will help you create dinners at home that will feed your family without worrying so much about what’s available, or unavailable, in the meat case.

1. Smashed White Bean, Avocado and Salted Pork Sandwiches

Smashed White Bean, Avocado and Salted Pork Sandwiches | No Cook Meals for Surviving the Pandemic and Food Supply Shortages

As preppers we get beans. There are a bunch of ways to use beans and this a great example of how you can pack a sandwich with great nutrition and protein.

Serving: Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

Can of White Beans
Olive Oil
1 Avocado
8 Slices of Whole Grain Bread
8 Slices of Salted Pork (Prosciutto, Ham, Virginia Ham)

Instructions:

Begin by draining your beans in a colander then smashing them up in a bowl add a few glugs of olive oil, salt, pepper. This little mix is delicious. If you add some minced rosemary, you can even turn this into a delicious dip.
Pit your avocado and cut it in half and then quarters lengthwise. Leave the skin on.
Lay the bread out on a clean work surface for assembling the sandwiches.
Spread your mashed bean mix onto one side of the bread.
Peel your avocados and slice 1 quarter for each sandwich. Spread slices over the bean spread.
Add a few slices of your pork to over the top of the avocado.
You can finish this sandwich with some lettuces, fresh sprouts, or just eat it as is.

2. Delicious Crab Salad

Canned crab is a protein option that will likely be around through much of this meat crisis. It does have to be kept in refrigeration, but it’s delicious and this chipotle mayo salad is great in the spring and summer.

Ingredients:

1 Can of Crab Meat
1 Bunch of Asparagus
Chipotle Mayo
1 Bunch of Green Onions
1 Bunch of Cilantro

Instructions:

Drain your crab in a colander and set it in the sink.
Slice your asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Throw them into a bowl.
Thinly slice your onions and your cilantro and throw that into the bowl, as well.
Gently toss in the crab meat.
Squirt on enough Chipotle mayo to coat everything and toss gently not to break up the crab meat.
Chill in the fridge and serve.

3. Simple Greek Salad

Simple Greek Salad | No Cook Meals for Surviving the Pandemic and Food Supply Shortages

The combination of simple summer ingredients makes for an incredible quick salad that you could add other proteins, too, if you wanted. These could be canned meats.

Ingredients:

2 Large Tomatoes
1 Cucumber
1 Red Onion
¼ Cup of Feta Cheese
A Few Sprigs of Fresh Mint
½ Cup of Kalamata Olives
Balsamic Dressing

Instructions:

I like to cut the tomatoes in large chunks and have them kind of be the main course in this salad. Peel and slice your cucumber in half. Remove the seeds and either dice or slice in half-moons.
Peel and slice your red onion in half. Julienne your, or thinly slice, your half onion.
Add all these ingredients to a bowl. Finely slice your mint.
Add your olives, crumbled feta, and mint to the bowl and add enough dressing to coat everything.
Stir it up and allow this to chill for at least an hour for the flavors to really blend.

4. Mediterranean Tuna Lettuce Wraps

Mediterranean Tuna Lettuce Wraps | No Cook Meals for Surviving the Pandemic and Food Supply Shortages

Using some similar ingredients and adding a protein like tuna, you can create some delicious lettuce wraps. The key to a good lettuce wrap is to have most of the items around the same size. So, consider that when you are preparing this dish.

Ingredients:

Iceberg or Butter Lettuce
Canned Artichokes
Canned roasted Red peppers
Fresh Cucumber
Feta Cheese
Minced Olives ¼ Cup
2 Cans of Tuna
Green Onions
Basil

Instructions:

Start by peeling all the full leaves from your lettuce. Set them on a plate either cover them with a wet paper towel or put them back into the fridge.
Dice the peppers, artichokes, and cucumbers into cubes. Go no larger than ½ an inch.
Thinly slice your green onions and basil and add them to a bowl with your diced vegetables. Add your loves to this bowl and mix them thoroughly.
Crumble your feta cheese over the mixture.
Drain your tuna thoroughly and then add that to the bowl, as well.
Gently toss this mixture. Try not to break up the tuna and the cheese too much but incorporate it thoroughly.
If you want, you can add some olive oil to the mix or a few glugs of balsamic vinegar. It’s also delicious just how it is.
Scoop a few tablespoons into a lettuce leaf, wrap it up and eat up!

These no cook meals should help lessen the stress you feel when thinking of what to feed your family. If you don’t have the specific ingredients, use your creativity, and use what you have. You might discover a new recipe while you’re at it!

What’s your favorite no cook meal recipe? Please share it with us in the comments section!

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This Article Was First Found at survivallife.com Read The Original Article Here

preparedness

Billionaire Whistle Blower: Wuhan Coronavirus Death Toll Is Over 50,000

Exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui recently revealed leaks from Wuhan crematoriums. He claims based on the number of bodies their furnaces are burning, the death toll could be as high as 50,000.

A Chinese billionaire and whistleblower who lives in U.S. exile says Wuhan crematoriums have burned 50,000 coronavirus victims. | Credit: Chinatopix via AP

The official coronavirus death toll in China is a little over 800. But an exiled Chinese businessman says crematoriums are leaking the real figure.
A billionaire whistleblower alleges Wuhan has crematoriums working 24/7. He claims they’ve cremated some 50,000 coronavirus victims.
Guo Wengui is a Chinese billionaire living in exile in the United States.

The official coronavirus death toll is some 800 people in China. The current official death toll worldwide, outside of China, is 774. But a Chinese billionaire with a history of blowing the whistle on his former government says the real figure is much higher.

Exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui recently revealed leaks from Wuhan crematoriums. He claims based on the number of bodies their furnaces are burning, the death toll could be as high as 50,000. Wengui made the bombshell allegations in an interview with former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.

Whistleblower: 1.5 Million Coronavirus Cases In China, 50,000 Coronavirus Deaths In Wuhan

He also claims to have inside information that there are 1.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases in China. Wengui is emphatic that these are not merely quarantined or “under observation” but confirmed cases of coronavirus infection:

China has struggled to contain the coronavirus. But it has also struggled to contain public outcry against censorship and tight control of information. Dr. Li Wenliang, who sounded the alarm about the disease, succumbed to an infection and died this week. The Chinese government arrested him for blowing the whistle.

Then officials tried to suppress news of his death. Afterwards, millions of Chinese citizens saw the hashtag #IWantFreedomOfSpeech on Mandarin language social media. But the Chinese government censored that too.

Are Wengui’s Crematorium Claims Credible?

Watch VICE’s 2017 profile on Guo Wengui. At the time, he published bombshell documents alleging corruption in the Chinese government. He got the attention of the media and reportedly the U.S. State Department.

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