OMG, my thread has become a battle field <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />
he he he he

Guys and gals the issue here is "how to overcome womanly problems in a survival situation".

The word "women" in this thread has nothing to do with women being less or weaker than men. I only used it becasue they are the ones who can be pregnant , breastfeeding, or giving birth. If anyone finds men with these qualifications we'll include them in the discussion as well.

Sometime somewhere in this world, a woman will be looking at this forum trying to find a solution for (what if) when it happens. Can we help a bit >> pleasse.

OK ??? Back to subject ( I hope).

Does anyone here knows some pregnant ladies or women giving birth among those escaping Katrina ? Can anyone report problems or solutions in that case ?

Anyone saw any such cases in shelters with less-than-adequate facilities ? Any thoughts or ideas gained from such experiences ?

(I am trying to leave the "solo" thing behind us)

I've only browsed the thread, but I'll add this

SOLO ANYONE - in a long term situation, is at a huge disadvantage. This is one of those situation is to find a like minded group (or even one other person) and team up - the initial approch will be VERY risky, and there are risks dealing with other people, but there are huge advantages to banding together

One comment on the gender-wars debate: Train for the skills you have aptitude. If you're strong, train for brute force. If you're dexterious, then train for skills that use precision. Gender has no bearing on the individual level. There are diminuative men and there are hulking women. And personally I definitely think that one should avoid being solo if at all safely possible. A lone wolf is a dead wolf, especially over the long-term.

That being said, here are some women-specific and not-often-thought-of-by-men suggestions:

For monthly cycling:
--------------------
Get a Divacup/Keeper/etc.. its one small item made out of medical-grade silicon, that with some soap (which you should have in your kit anyway) is more sanitary than other method. Nothing wrong with a small amount of back-up products, but to lay in a long term supply is costly and wastes space.

Potential for Pregnancy:
------------------------
First of all, in an emergency situation, you definitely want to avoid being pregnant until you are in a safe circumstance. You should have some kind of birth control method, and preferably more than one -- condoms, pills, etc. Both are light-weight, pack well, and can be multi-use/barter items.

If you know or have good reason to think you are pregnant, especially in the first trimester, you should know how to SAFELY prepare an herbal 'menstral regulator'. The big emphasis is on it being safe. There are many herbs that can be used to end an early pregnancy, that have been used for hundreds of years, some of them are relatively dangerous, some will virtually sterilize you, others will make you more fertile later, and all of them will make you at least a little sick for a few days if not worse. But, in a dangerous situation you may need to make harsh choices. Or, you may need to counsel someone who's already made the choice so they do not hurt themselves in the attempt. All that being said, if you have access to a modern medical abortion, this is the safest route for the mother. I am not going to even debate the morality of all this, just putting it out there as suggested necessary knowledge.

So, beyond that, you are pregnant, or have any other gynocological problems and no access to normal health care - then I would suggest you get the book 'Where Women Have No Doctor: A Health Guide for Women' by Ronnie Lovich. Its available through amazon.com. This is also a situation where you really should be focusing on finding other people. Alone and pregnant is just asking for trouble.

Susan mentioned the social conditioning that women in general have against doing violence, even when it's necessary. I whole-heartedly agree. Sometimes it is very necessary. Get over it. Take a self-defense class, or martial arts, etc, where you get to practice judicious use of controlled violence. It's always best to avoid a conflict, but don't lay down and expect to be rescued if its unavoidable. Brute force means a lot less than thought, speed, accuracy and the ability to dodge/get away. Most community education programs or women's shelters have self-defense classes of some kind, often for free.

One last thing, everyone should know some herbal basics. You should know how to treat small skin wounds against infection, treat a cold/flu and maintain your nutrition -- all from the plants local to your area. The stereotypical camophlaged hunter, even with all the meat they can eat, is still going to get really sick in a couple months if they don't know how to find a source of vitamin C. You may not have access to orange juice, or neosporin, or nyquil, etc..

Okay, that's my thought-dump for now. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I don't know what happened during/after Katrina, but I was told by several people that in (I think) 1964, a massive snowstorm hit the Eugene/Springfield, OR area (probably a much wider area, but this was my info source). This is a mild-winter area, and if they have snowplows, I've never seen them.

I was told that when the snow finally settled at an average depth of four feet (not counting drifts), the whole area was paralyzed. Many women who were anywhere near to giving birth must have worried themselves in to going into labor.

The whole area became dependent on those people who had 4WD vehicles and, to a lesser extend, CBs. I don't know if there was some central info receiving/disseminating or not, but I heard that when a woman went into labor and needed to get to the hospital, they sent out the nearest person (we'll say 'guy') with a 4WD who had volunteered his services, he would pick her up and transport her to the hosptial.

I am assuming that this same system was used for injuries, etc.

Ah, Mother Nature's idea of a big joke!

Sue

Here is a few links that a woman could find useful in a survival situation.

http://www.alpharubicon.com/med/womengottago.htm

http://www.alpharubicon.com/med/homebirthingchief.htm

http://www.alpharubicon.com/med/pregchildpalehorse.htm

http://www.alpharubicon.com/kids/prepforbabies.htm

As far as one thing goes, there is always the classic book on the subject...

I think , all things being considered , a SOLO woman will have a harder time than a SOLO man .
Let's say a badguy or a group of bg's are looking for a victim . They see a lone man with a backpack full of supplies in one direction and a solo woman with a backpack full of supplies in the opposite direction . Which one do YOU think they will go after ?

I know men, especially because I am one. And there is one thing I know from talking with lots of other men and observing the news over the years - you never know what someone is thinking. I don't care if the man is a boy scout leader, a church elder, your bank president, or whoever - a woman has to be VERY careful in such a situation.

And this is precisely the reason a woman needs to be in a safe group of people and not try to go it alone. A woman alone is inviting an attack. If the wrong man or group of men know your whereabouts you could be in grave danger.

Having seen Deliverance long ago, it stands to reason that a solo male has to watch his back too...

Chisel
As a woman, I feel I would go solo more than join a group even if they appeared 'apparently good'. If they meant me personal harm they would of course act inviting at first and groups are not necessarily safe if they panic or fight(ie over limited water/food,stress of circumstances). I would take extreme precautions as to low profile, alertness, etc while on my own. Not that I wouldn't offer assistance to others, I would just be very careful.

I frequently carry my keys through my fingers like a weapon and carry pepperspray in regular spray and also have a pepperspray that looks like an ordinary ink pen. A ring, like you would wear on your finger, that sprays is also available and I would like to get one eventually. These can easily be carried on my person most of the time even in plain sight. To trust only in strength/size is foolish because you may be injured or outnumbered.

I would like to take self defense classes with and without weapons because weapons can't always be carried in all places and the more I can do with just my mind and body only, the better.

Women have reusable alternatives and so can carry less if they choose. Someone in this thread already mentioned that (Lily) and I think more women should be aware of this.

I agree with No (Wo)Man is an Island and Safety in Numbers, but caution and alertness and self reliance is something I try for in my personal life. Sorry to ramble but this kind of subject always gets me going. If I have offend/got to far off topic just let me know.