No stimulants for me. If you really wish to stuff something in a survival kit, i'd use sugar packets. Otherwise, I rely on M&Ms or other kinds of chocolate bars.

I think sugar is a better solution for your body than caffeine.

I know for me that caffeine does pretty much nothing while if I have a LOT of sugar I can really tell. I think this is due to fast metabolism and processing the sugar rapidly also possibly why caffeine has no affect it gets processed away fast?

I know the caffeine thing runs in my family on my mothers side too.

[quote=dweste]
"I would still like to understand what other first aid purposes are served by stimulants."

Not sure that the amphetamines were in the FAK for first aid purposes, (tho both amphetamines and caffeine have been used in the past as respiratory stimulants-we had IV caffeine sodium benzoate on the crash cart in 1974, and caffeine is similar to theobromide, an old school asthma treatment). I think it got stuck there cuz thats where the aspirin and other meds were housed, and it made more sense than putting it in the toolbox.

Alternatively, there is a case to be made that stimulants improve mental acuity and physical performance in some stamina-dependent activities, and might therefore be useful in crisis response. At one level, we dress the wounds and treat the pain to improve performance in other activities-this would be analogous, perhaps, to popping a tab of caffeine. Might could make a case for a sleeping pill in the kit, to promote rest-but there is usually some benadryl anyway, and that works just fine.

I'm not a big fan of Provigil.

I believe this is no longer a standard practice. They do suggest you wake a person every hour or so to check on them, but it is no longer necessary to keep them awake.

I like to drink a tea blend called Mate Vana or Mate Lemon Blast... It is Yerba Mate with some tea or lemongrass in the 2nd case... It is a much better boost than coffee as well...

I have the same in my psk fak. For the same reason.

People who take caffeine all the time certainly build up a tolerance to it. Then it takes more and more to achieve the same results.

I stopped drinking caffeine for a while... Then I remember having a coke and boy was I buzzed.

Here's one for you:

Shower Shock Caffeinated Soap

Disclaimer, blah blah blah, etc... Not affiliated... usw...

Man, where was that stuff when I was working graveyard shift???

I find that Provigil has far fewer side-effects, for me, than caffeine does, such as nervousness and edginess, irritability, fine muscle tremors, and dyspepsia. I also find that I can return to sleep when the opportunity presents when on Provigil, but not when on caffeine. YMMV

Jeff

My blurb regarding the provigil/caffeine research didn't go far enough. IMHO the issue isn't staying awake. It is staying awake with unimpaired cognitive performance.

Again IMHO, no one (without objective testing)has a really good idea regarding such performance decreases with sleep deprivation, or mitigation with caffeine, provigil, or other stimulants. How many times have you heard of someone who had too much to drink slugging down a few cups of coffee so they could drive home safely? Nothing but a wide-awake impaired drunk! Of a driver who is sleep deprived, tanks up on nodoze, and get's "white line hypnosis" and kills someone.

So my opinion is (since most of us aren't going to spend the time and money getting this personally objectively tested)... use whatever you're comfortable with. Just don't bet your life on any substance overcoming the negative effects of sleep deprivation.