I've been prepping for a brimstone hits the fan situation for some months and I want to go over what I have before I order more supplies. The following is my preps, not the household prep.

I do not include my prescription medications in this list because there is nothing I can do beyond what I'm already doing. I'm also not including gender-specific items in this list. I think I'm covered but if I'm not, I'll live.

FIRST AID KITS

The custom kit I built using the contents of a Rapid Care first aid kit and a Chinook Home and Vehicle bag:

MEDICAL INFORMATION
(1) First Aid Guide

PERSONAL PROTECTION
(1) Biohazard Waste Bag
(2) Emergency/Survival Blanket
(2) Respirator Mask
(2) Nitrile Glove
(6) Personal Antimicrobial Wipe

BLEEDING
(1) Trauma Pad, 5" x 9"

WOUND / BLISTER / BURN
(1) Burn Dressing, 2" x 6"
(5) First Aid & Burn Cream, 0.9 g
(4) Moleskin
(55) 0.75" x 3" Self Adhesive Bandages
(3) Fingertip Self Adhesive Bandages
(1) Cloth Tape, 1" x 10 yds.
(1) Wound Closure Strips, 0.25" x 4"
(3) Antiseptic Towelettes
(3) Povidone-Iodine Prep Pad
(2) Benzoin Swabsticks
(1) Non-Adherent Dressing, 3" x 4"
(2) Petroleum Gauze, 3" x 9"
(10) Cotton-Tipped Applicator
(2) Sterile Gauze Pad, 4"x4"
(2) Sterile Gauze Pad, 2"x2"
(1) Gauze Roll, 2"

IMMOBILIZATION
(1) Cold Compress
(1) Elastic Bandage Wrap, 3" x 4.5 yds.
(2) Finger Splint
(2) Triangular Bandage

MEDICATION
(1) Eye Wash, 4 oz.
(6) Aspirin, 2/pk (Analgesic)
(6) Diamode, 1/pk (Anti-diarrheal)
(6) Diotame, 2/pk (Stomach)
(6) Diphen, 1/pk (Antihistamine)
(6) Ibuprofen, 2/pk (Anti-inflammatory)
(1) Triple Antibiotic Ointment, 0.9 g
(2) Hydration Powder
(3) Sting Relief Pad

INSTRUMENTS
(1) Irrigation Syringe, 60cc
(1) Digital Thermometer
(1) Scissors
(1) Tweezers
(1) Disposable Penlight

Three TRI first aid kits with the oldest one modified:

MEDICAL INFORMATION
(1) First Aid Guide

PERSONAL PROTECTION
(1) Respirator Mask
(4) Nitrile Glove
(6) Personal Antimicrobial Wipe

BLEEDING
(1) Trauma Pad, 5"x9"

WOUND / BLISTER / BURN
(3) Burn Jel, 3.5 g
(4) Moleskin
(19) Self Adhesive Bandage, 1" x 3"
(60) Self Adhesive Bandage, 0.75" x 3"
(50) Self Adhesive Bandage, 0.375" x 1.5"
(10) Butterfly Bandages
(2) Tape, 1"x5 yd.
(1) Stretch Gauze, 2" x 4 yds.
(2) Non-Adherent Dressing, 3"x4"
(8) Sterile Gauze Pad, 2"x2"
(4) Sterile Gauze Pad, 4"x4"
(2) Eye Pads
(30) Cotton Tip Applicators
(6) Povidone-Iodine Prep Pad

IMMOBILIZATION
(1) Cold Compress
(1) Triangular Bandage
(5) Finger Splints

MEDICATION
(6) Aspirin, 2/pk (Analgesic)
(6) Diamode, 1/pk (Anti-diarrheal)
(6) Diotame, 2/pk (Stomach)
(6) Diphen, 1/pk (Antihistamine)
(6) Hydrocortisone 1% Creme, 1.5 g
(6) Ibuprofen, 2/pk (Anti-inflammatory)
(6) Triple Antibiotic Ointment, 0.9 g
(1) Hydration Powder

INSTRUMENTS
(1) Digital Thermometer
(1) Scissors
(1) Tweezers

I plan to build a first aid kit to replace my AMK Ultralight 3.

FIRST AID SUPPLIES

(49) Biohazard Waste Bag
(10) Triangular Bandage
(24) Trauma Pad, 5"x9"
(24) Wound Closure Strips, 0.25" x 4"
(4) Petroleum Gauze, 3" x 9"
(4) Benzoin Swabsticks
(3) Burn Jel, 3.5 g
(2) Irrigation Syringe, 60cc
(8) Stretch Gauze, 3"x12 yd.
(?) Sterile Gauze Pad, 3"x3"
(1) Disposable Penlight
(17) Non-Adherent Dressing, 3" x 4"
(200) Alcohol Prep Pad
(100) Waterproof Adhesive Bandage, 1" x 3"
(80) Plastic Bandage, 0.75" x 3"
(100) Flex-Fabric Knuckle Bandage
(100) Flex-Fabric Fingertip Bandage
(1) Elastic Bandage Wrap, 4" x 4.5 yds.
(2) Elastic Bandage Wrap, 3" x 4.5 yds.
(1) Moleskin Plus, 4 Sheets
(3) Cloth Tape, 1" x 10 yds.
(3) AfterBite
(1) Digital Thermometer
(2) CoFlex, 2"
(50) Cough Drops
(232) Alka-Seltzer
(6) Aspirin, 81 mg, 36
(3) Pill Splitter (Two Are Used As Backups)

ORAL CARE

(10) Philips Sonicare Brush Heads
(?) Toothbrushes, 0.75 OZ Toothpaste, 4 M Dental Floss (from dental visits)
(2) Toothpaste, 5.5 OZ
(1) Toothpaste, 6.0 OZ

PERSONAL PROTECTION

(6) Lip Balm
(9) Carmex
(1) Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50, 8 OZ
(1) Bens 30% Deet Tick & Insect Repellent, 1.25 OZ

FOOD AND WATER

(288) Bottled Water, 8 OZ
(7) Premier Protein, 18 Bars
(6) Nutritional Supplement, 24 Pack
(3) Toast Chee Cracker Sandwiches, 8 Pack
(2) Toast Chee Cracker Sandwiches, 20 Pack

OTHER

(1) Case of Facial Tissue, 30 Boxes
(9) Kleenex Go Packs

I can't think of anything I need to list. I will get more bottles water, nutritional supplements, protein bars, cracker sandwiches, lip balm, aspirin and alcohol prep pads.

Other than gender-specific items, is there anything I need to add to the list, increase quantity or are there things I have plenty of and do not need to increase the amount?

Jeanette Isabelle

JI... I have in the past misunderstood some of your questions and their scope. As a long time resident of the Central Gulf Coast of Florida (since 1955), I have attempted to provide insight to readers of this forum to some of the lessons learned, and to offer suggested solutions to primarily tropical weather events, most recently problems related to the power outages of the 2004 and 2005 season.... after action reports generated by my students provide some generational perspective.

are you referring to an "end of the world" situation, like a global pandemic, nuclear event and the like... or "what do I need to ride out a CAT 3 hurricane, and the next two weeks without electricity?" or are you focused primarily on your medical needs? regards

Consider a full size SAM splint, or equivalent, for fractures. An alternative would be to look around and figure out in advance what items might be used as a splint. They are pretty darn useful gadgets...

I have a reason to believe there is a chance the middle east could go nuclear before the end of this year.

My biggest concern is prescription medication. I have a stockpile of some of my prescription medications but not all. If there is a disruption in the supply chain, I would have a problem.

I have put a lot into first aid because this is an area I have experience and interest. If the brimstone hits the fan, this will be something I can contribute.

Jeanette Isabelle

There is one SAM Splint in the home medical kit. Do I need to get additionals?

Jeanette Isabelle

You can never have enough tape or OTC meds. If you think you'll be treating injuries you can never have enough gauze. I am a big fan of vetwrap or cowrap as the outer layer for bandaging.

What first aid and other medical training do you have? I've found that as I've trained with more interventions that I start building opinions on which gear works best for me to do what I've been trained to do.

Hearty agreement with CM. I have been on scenes where all the splints were applied, and improvisations were being sought. Fortunately, rolled up magazines, etc. work quite well. Always consider that your dedicated supplies may be exhausted. Keep in mind the protocol for sterilizing bandages, etc...

Get a box or two of the super large, super absorbent feminine hygiene pads. They are a good addition to the much more expensive and harder to find "trauma pads".

Thank you for the reply. My experience has been you cannot have enough tape or alcohol prep pads. As I mentioned, I will get more alcohol prep pads. I have not experienced this with OTC medication; I plan to get more aspirin.


I have a 100 count box of 3" x 3" sterile gauze pads. The box is almost full; I don't know how much I have left.


CoFlex? I have two 2" rolls.


I took a class on CPR and first aid. Aside from the CPR, the course on first aid was not useful. I learned more by studying Wilderness & Travel Medicine by Eric A. Weiss, M.D. and practicing what I studied on myself. As for on the field experience I wrapped a sprained ankle, treated first and second-degree burns on myself and a security guard, wounds, bleeding and someone closing the door on my hand at work. For my hand injury, I already knew what to do: cold compress and anti-inflammatory medication (aspirin).

Jeanette Isabelle

Note that you only need sterile pads as the first covering over a wound. Once the wound is isolated with one or two of those, you can stack on the much cheaper "clean" gauze pads to absorb blood or whatever.

I'm not sure why you'd need sterile gauze. You cover the wound with a sterile pad, and then the gauze just holds the pad(s) in place. "Clean" gauze is good enough, your don't need the expense of sterile.

Also, "Coban" is absolutely fantastic for holding dressings in place. Much better then plain gauze or Kerlix. Don't buy it off of Amazon or in a retail store. You will pay a fortune for it. Instead, order it from a large animal vet supply online place (something like "Horse.com"). It's the same stuff there, but MUCH cheaper. And it comes in more different sizes. And for some reason the ones in human stores are dull and drab, but the ones for horses come in lots of pretty colors.

https://www.horse.com/item/coflex-flexible-cohesive-bandage-4-x-5yd/E006427/

(p.s. - looks like they call it "Coflex" on the horse site, but it's identical to "Coban" in a human store).

You can pick up other medical supplies that are just fine for human trauma on large animal vet sites. It's no different than human stuff, just cheaper.

There's also some really good pump aerosol spray-on antibiotic that is made with silver. I wish I could remember the name of it. We use it on ourselves often, to help heal minor wounds, and it works great. We stole it from our horse locker! You spray it on like Bactine and just let it air dry in place.

In case anyone is wondering, yeah, if you have horses, you learn a lot about wound care!

I'm familiar with that improvision.

I have a twenty-five count box of 5" x 9" trauma pads, thus far one has been used for a first aid kit. Also, trauma pads are not hard to find; they may if the brimstone hits the fan.

Jeanette Isabelle

Boiling? Other than using feminine hygiene products as trauma pads, I'm not well educated on improvising.

Jeanette Isabelle

It would be difficult to list every first aid item I have. I have two ten packs of 4" x 4" gauze.

I have two 2" rolls of CoFlex. Do I need more?

Jeanette Isabelle

That sounds similar to what I have, silver sulfadiazine cream. It's prescription only and it works miracles. It cuts the healing time of burns in half. I also used it on a sunburn and I was pain-free in two hours!

Jeanette Isabelle

Teaching ones own self is always a good start, and Weiss is not a bad book. However, since first aid seems to be a primary interest of yours, I strongly recommend you try to get some additional formal training. There are many aspects of first aid that can be learned better in a group, with a good instructor.

I'm very partial to the Wilderness First Responder course (WFR, often pronounced "Woofer"). The great thing about these classes is the emphasis on practical scenarios, where one gets to try out what you have learned. Also, a lot of emphasis on improvisation. The instructor may set up a scenario, in which you have minimal first aid supplies, but there is a whole pile of gear of the sort one might have while camping or hiking. Your problem is to improvise a solution to the problem using available materials. Then everyone in the group debriefs, about how well it worked, and alternative ways one might solve the problem. Also a lot of emphasis on decision making, like can this injury wait until daylight or better weather? Or do we need to evacuate the victim right now? Also emphasis on long term care, when it isn't practical to evacuate to a hospital. Many of the people taking WFR are outdoor professionals (guides, SAR, etc), who have dealt with some really gnarly stuff, and you will also learn a lot from the group discussions.

The downside to WFR is that it is about a 70 hour course, and costs around $600 (last time I checked). There are also 2 day Wilderness First Aid (WFA) classes that cover the same material, just in less depth. Because it is a shorter class, WFA tends to be a good deal more affordable than WFR.

There are several national outfits that sponsor these courses. Wilderness Medical Associates (WMA) is one. Wilderness Medical Institute (WMI), affiliated with NOLS, is another. I've had personal experience with classes from both these outfits, and both are good. Another organization that sponsors wilderness medicine classes is SOLO, I have no personal experience with them but have heard they are good.

However, I would stay clear of Red Cross "Wilderness First Aid" classes. In my experience they tend to be very watered down and not nearly as good as those from WMA, WMI or SOLO.

I hope you can find a way to get some formal training. I think you would enjoy it, and learn a lot.

+1 Most of what gets used in non emergency situations is Ibuprofen and band aids.

I have four boxes of self-adhesive bandages:


Jeanette Isabelle

I don't use alcohol prep pads much; they are good for use on unbroken skin before drawing blood and giving injections. They're also good for quick cleanup of unbroken skin and reusable medical devices. For wound cleaning they're definitely not the best choice, as the alcohol damages good cells and retards the healing process. BZK wipes are what I stock instead.

In addition to analgesics consider OTC meds for allergies, congestion, and digestive issues.



For significant wounds a box of 3x3s will go in a flash. Consider rolled gauze as well.



I think of one roll as being good for one wound, maybe two. Accordingly my largest home-based kit has quite a bit more



Consider training for trauma. A TCCC-based class for firearms instructors and/or law enforcement personnel will give you more life-saving capability than most first aid classes that I've taken. I've taken TCCC-based classes from several instructors now and I've learned more and better each time.

If you're preparing for longer-term emergencies consider _The Survival Medicine Handbook: A Guide for When Help is Not on the Way_ by the Altons. Be sure to get the Third Edition rather than one of the older ones, there's a lot more content in it. I was privileged to take a class from them on suturing and they're amazing in person.

Also consider the Hesperian books, starting with _Where There Is No Doctor_.

If you can (and I haven't yet) consider a Wilderness First Responder class taught by NOLS or another reputable provider.

Classes that include hands-on practicing of skills are dramatically more useful than lecture-only classes and book learning.

Someone else may be better informed about how to deal with an open sucking chest wound. Saran wrap and petroleum has been stated as an option. Others insight is welcome.

Totally agree. After I took the 2 day Wilderness First Aid course at a local REI, I had the opportunity to assist with cleaning and dressing a wound. Learning in a classroom is a good start, but even the WFA and WFR scenarios are staged. They walk you through scenarios and you work out the issues, but there are no real open wounds.

A while after I took the WFA course, I had a real test when an older lady had a rather large flap of skin ripped open on her forearm. I cleaned the wound and a former RN who was also there applied a non-stick pad and self-adhesive wrap (coban) to hold it together. It was very illuminating. Gauze was a non-starter, because the flap of skin would have stuck to it. I learned more in 10 minutes... After that I bought more non-stick pads and coban.

One thing I like about WFR is that while they do a very thorough job of covering trauma, they also put a good deal of time into common medical issues ("acute abdomen", infections, fevers, bladder infections, intestinal issues, insect bites, etc etc). In the days following a major disaster, medical problems will often be more of an issue than trauma.

I absolutely 100% agree! A well designed hands on scenario will stress you out, and get your pulse elevated. By doing it in practice, you learn to cope (to some extent at least) with that stress. That helps when faced with the real thing.

A friend of mine was out skiing, and suddenly had to respond to a real avalanche incident. She later commented that it "...felt so much like the scenarios we ran!" When faced with the real thing, she kept her head, did not let the stress overwhelm her, did the right things, and the story had a happy ending. Good practice scenarios are a crucial part of learning emergency response skills of all kinds.

WFR instructors put a lot of art into good moulage. Using various make up items, wax, fake blood, and sometimes ready made latex injuries, a good instructor can make a very realistic wound. Some outfits will give classes to instructors on how to simulate gore.

Other things can also make it very realistic. Once in a WFR class I was doing assessment on a non trauma patient. She suddenly barfed all over me. Turns out the instructor gave her a mouthful of oatmeal, told her to keep it in her mouth, then "throw up" on me at just the right moment. What was even more interesting was that the instructor was filming this scenario. Made for an interesting debrief, watching the look on my face when she "barfed"! There is a reason they tell you to wear old clothes to WFR scenarios!

Back when I was a paramedic, Saran Wrap or thin flexible foil was used. Never heard of petroleum being used (I assume you mean petroleum jelly, like Vasoline). Have patient exhale as forcefully as they can, slap your Saran Warp patch in place as they're fully exhaled, tape it down on all four sides (have the tape pre-applied to the patch). Then as the patient exhales again later, release one side and tuck the tape under so it is left open. The fourth side being left untaped acts as a valve - as they inhale that side is sucked down, as they exhale air can be forced out of the open side. You initially tape all four sides down so that you can get the patch on quickly, without fiddling with an open side, during the initial exhale so that you can exclude as much air from the chest cavity as possible. Open this fourth side as a valve later, at a more leisurely pace.

At least this was the training decades ago when I was an ambulance attendant. I never actually ran into a sucking chest wound during my entire career.

If you have zero supplies, seal the hole with the palm of your hand, again, applying your hand after they forcefully exhale. But then you're kind of stuck in that position until help arrives or some Saran Wrap and tape magically falls out of the sky.

I have that as well.


Jeanette Isabelle

Good hands on practices are very helpful, but nothing beats real,inthehowlingwilderness experience. I got decent training, but actual operations as a SAR volunteer advanced my ability, such as it was, considerably. A highlight was the thoughtful monitoring by James Wilkerson as our team treated a pulmonary edema victim on Denali - this was an outstanding experience even though it screwed up our summit attempt. Wilkerson is senior author of [/u]Medicine for Mountaineering and Other Wilderness Activities[u] which is a superb guide, especially the 6th edition.

Because Mom is an officer in the gun club, I asked her if there are any near by first aid classes. There aren't.

I looked online. Even the American Red Cross does not have anything for individuals at this time.

Jeanette Isabelle

I appreciate the feedback on my first aid preps, thank you. Something else I wanted feedback on is how am I doing in other areas such as food and water.

Jeanette Isabelle

a suggestion on food storage... if you are looking at long term storage the Wendy DeWitt (LDS) food storage seminar on youtube is a must...I went with vacuum sealed quart canning jars, sealed with a vacuum food saver......store what you eat... my short term emergency foods are stews and chunky soups that can be heated in their can if needed, but typically over noodles or rice..., I would suggest that you move your pantry to an open stand alone rack, where you can see everything at once...with access to the open back, you can replenish from the rear, and use oldest first.. for power outage, a lot depends on your cooking method, I have switched to propane, but have several grill options as well as a Coleman fuel/unleaded gasoline backup... use cooking methods that limit the amount of hot water needed for clean up

for stored water I have a couple of the 20L Scepter military style cans and a couple of AquaTainers, but depending on your strength, may be a little heavy to transport... commercial water cooler carboys can be delivered filled to your location as well as being available at box stores... gallon jugs for me have a limited life span...a couple of cases of bottled water is always a good option

don't overlook water needed to shower and flush toilet (practice first... flushing by pouring, slowly, directly into the bowl)a 33 gal plastic trash can sitting in your shower is convenient, and allows access to the shower drain

don't overlook the need for a couple of good 5-7 day coolers for any perishable foods you have on hand... one to store food, one to transport ice... freeze gallon jugs of water prior to an event

One thing I noticed when assisting the RN with her first aid treatment. She did not use a standard first aid kit bag; she had a Sterilite storage container (they come in many sizes). Everything is in zip-lock bags; open the top of the container and all the contents are visible. I picked one up at Home Depot to use as the FAK in my truck. FWIW

A purpose-made chest seal is hands-down the way to go. My trauma kits have a Hyfin Vent Twin Pack -- because sucking chest wounds often have exit wounds associated with them.

Either Saran Wrap or petrolatum gauze (pre-impregnated with petroleum jelly) is way better than nothing but if I don't have a real chest seal I would prefer good tape plus a ziploc bag. Cut the ziploc open in two halves, tape three sides (the zipper side should be cut off or used as the venting side) and if you can get your patient to exhale and hold it for a moment apply it then. It's entirely acceptable to tape all four sides to create a non-venting seal if that's the protocol you were trained to use.

The thread is about my preps, not the household preps. Nevertheless, this brings up a thought provoking question. I don't have the exact date the middle east will go nuclear and I don't know how long it will take to impact the rest of the world. How can I transport ice before the event?

Jeanette Isabelle

I am starting to do this too. Water and dust proof. Add a red cross on top so others know what it is. ( Gloves on top)

I actually did that, large J&J Red Cross logo off a box of something. And yes, there are gloves on top in zip-lock bags with N95 face masks, along with towelettes to clean your hands without getting into the kit.

Embrace the limits of portable kits:
Nobody can afford to stockpile enough stuff to prepare for an extended duration mass casualty incident, not even big, well-run hospitals: capital cost, product deterioration over time, storage space and reluctance to spend scarce resources militate against it. Everybody relies on the supply chain remaining intact.

First aid kits, ambulances, and emergency rooms are designed to provide care for the first hour or so of injury or illness. The rest of the plan is transport to a place where the patient can receive definitive care. If the transport piece or the definitive care piece are absent, no amount of first aid training, supplies or good will will save the patient needing more care.

If the trucks and trains stop running, we will be back to 19th century medicine pretty quickly. If you want to know what that will be like, volunteer for a medical mission trip to anywhere, or find someone who has been there.

I can do a dissertation on ether anesthesia, home-made IV fluids and epsom salts, but nobody really wants that...

What did you want to say regarding Epsom salt?

Jeanette Isabelle

warm soaks with epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) will speed wound healing, reduce swelling in orthopedic injuries > 48-72 post injury, soothes tired muscles, and improves foot health
Given intravenously, mag sulfate prevents seizures in patients with eclampsia and porphyria, and improves heart attack outcomes. Taken orally, it is a dandy laxative, which could be an important consideration for people subsisting on a survival diet rich in mre's and datrex bars, poor in dietary fiber. cheap to buy, easy to store, and it is what we will be using to treat skin infections when we run out of antibiotics or are confronted with antibiotic resistant bacteria.

I built a kit to replace the AMK Ultralight 3. The following are the supplies I currently have, not including what I have in my first aid kits:

FIRST AID SUPPLIES

(1) Emergency/Survival Blanket
(1) Respirator Mask
(98) Nitrile Glove
(49) Biohazard Waste Bag
(10) Triangular Bandage
(23) Trauma Pad, 5"x9"
(24) Wound Closure Strips, 0.25" x 4"
(4) Petroleum Gauze, 3" x 9"
(4) Benzoin Swabsticks
(2) Irrigation Syringe, 60cc
(7) Stretch Gauze, 3"x12 yd.
(?) Sterile Gauze Pad, 3"x3"
(1) Disposable Penlight
(15) Non-Adherent Dressing, 3" x 4"
(200) Alcohol Prep Pad
(98) Waterproof Adhesive Bandage, 1" x 3"
(78) Plastic Bandage, 0.75" x 3"
(98) Flex-Fabric Knuckle Bandage
(98) Flex-Fabric Fingertip Bandage
(1) Elastic Bandage Wrap, 4" x 4.5 yds.
(2) Elastic Bandage Wrap, 3" x 4.5 yds.
(2) Cloth Tape, 1" x 10 yds.
(2) AfterBite
(2) CoFlex, 2"
(50) Cough Drops
(232) Alka-Seltzer
(6) Aspirin, 81 mg, 36 Count

ORAL CARE

(10) Philips Sonicare Brush Heads
(?) Toothbrushes, 0.75 OZ Toothpaste, 4 M Dental Floss (from dental visits)
(2) Toothpaste, 5.5 OZ
(1) Toothpaste, 6.0 OZ

PERSONAL PROTECTION

(6) Lip Balm
(9) Carmex
(1) Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50, 8 OZ
(1) Bens 30% Deet Tick & Insect Repellent, 1.25 OZ

FOOD AND WATER

(288) Bottled Water, 8 OZ
(7) Premier Protein, 18 Bars
(5) Nutritional Supplement, 24 Pack
(3) Toast Chee Cracker Sandwiches, 8 Pack
(2) Toast Chee Cracker Sandwiches, 20 Pack

OTHER

(1) Case of Facial Tissue, 30 Boxes
(9) Kleenex Go Packs

Here are the supplies I plan to get.

(80) Bottled Water, 8 OZ
(3) Nutritional Supplement, 24 Pack
(1) Premier Protein, 18 Bars
(400) Alcohol Prep Pad
(4) Aspirin, 81 mg, 36 Count

I may or may not get more lip balm.

I was told I need more self-adhesive bandages. Here again is my supply of self-adhesive bandages. I think I have enough.

(98) Waterproof Adhesive Bandage, 1" x 3"
(78) Plastic Bandage, 0.75" x 3"
(98) Flex-Fabric Knuckle Bandage
(98) Flex-Fabric Fingertip Bandage

I have two 2" rolls of CoFlex. I was told I need more. I have not worked with CoFlex. I don't know how many rolls I will need.

I was told I could never have too many rolls of tape. I agree.

Jeanette Isabelle

Mom and I are leaving town on September 17 and will be returning around the time I believe the brimstone will hit the fan. That gives me less than two weeks to finish my preps.

Jeanette Isabelle

As promised, here is my updated list:

FOOD AND WATER

(384) Bottled Water, 8 OZ
(9) Premier Protein, 18 Bars
(8) Nutritional Supplement, 24 Pack
(3) Toast Chee Cracker Sandwiches, 8 Pack
(4) Toast Chee Cracker Sandwiches, 20 Pack

Jeanette Isabelle

How are you set for dealing with severe laceration / bleeding?

Can anyone on this thread recommend, not recommend products like QuikClot? Would acquiring / learning how to use a suture kit a worthwhile endeavor?

Your food situation seems limited. Have you thought about Mountain House type products either pouch or cans (which last much longer in storage). A case or two of MREs? I fear the protein bars, crackers, supplements will not really sustain you. Additionally, menu fatigue with such a limited amount of food is be a drawback.

Thanks for the reply. As mentioned, these are just my preps, not the household preps. The home medical kit has items for more severe bleeding such as a SWAT tourniquet, compressed gauze and Israeli bandages.


I asked Mom what she thought about getting a suture kit, like the ones travelers bring with them when going into third-world nations. She felt sterile strips would be adequate.


Again these are just my preps, not the household preps. The food items I listed are what I have in my room and consume regularly.

Jeanette Isabelle

Perhaps more information is needed.

At my current rate of consumption, the protein bars will last me four and a half months. The nutritional shakes will last me three months. There is no pattern to determine how long the cracker sandwiches will last.

Jeanette Isabelle

Those are mighty lean rations, in my opinion....

Lean as in how long they will last?

Jeanette Isabelle

I learned how to use one. Having a skill is having a skill (plus there was some bad influence from the movie "First Blood"). It might not be worth the effort for you:

• Suturing is a perishable skill
  
• A suturing kit has only a limited shelf life, instruments may not stay sterile as long as the sutures
  
• On some partsof the body you can do additional damage
  
• If the wound is contaminated, you must not suture
  
• If there some swelling, you should not suture
  
• If you do not have anesthetics, suturing might involve a bit of pain
  
• In most cases less invasive gear is adequate

Quick Clot and similar products work if used properly, and they must be removed by a doctor (surgeon). If used improperly they can exacerbate the problem. They must be placed directly on the laceration on the bleeding artery for it to work, otherwise they will not stop the bleeding and make it very difficult to perform other attempts to stop the bleeding. Doing some research and getting some training on the product is highly recommended.

No offense intended. "Lean" as in low on calories. Not enough dietary balance, in my opinion. Not a large supply and the lack of variety is definitely going to get old quick.

You might consider procuring some Mountain House meals to break monotony and they will better round out your choices to prevent boredom.

This is just my opinion. You know your needs better than I do.

Again what I listed are my preps, not the household preps.

Jeanette Isabelle

The instructors I've taken classes from are united on a few issues. One of them is the efficacy of QuikClot Combat Gauze. All of my kits have this. The sponges are not very useful in comparison.

I have used it for real, and it does work. I prefer the gauze as well. You just need to make sure you really need it before you stick it into a wound.

Not to take this off-topic... and there are a lot of threads here on this... but I have to comment: I've found no experts (real experts) who think it is ever a good idea to suture in the field. While I DO know how, I've also resolved to never suture. Really clean, then tape or steri-strips, bandage, and go to a sterile setting in an ER to let someone suture under proper conditions. Any medical professionals on the forum who want to contradict this... I'll stand corrected.

BACK on topic: Jeanette - you're about the most dedicated prepared person I read here, but PLEASE get the heck out of Florida and away from this storm. "flee danger" has worked for me for a lot of years.

Suturing in the field is always a bad idea.

It may be a little late for Irma, but you may want to add an old-fashioned (non-digital) thermometer to your kit.

If your brimstone scenarios include long term outages or EMP, anything dependent on electronics or batteries should have a non-electric alternative.

You may also want to add a sphygmomanometer.

Thanks for the reply. I know that my digital thermometers would be toast if I'm still around during an EMP attack; how would a long term outage be a problem for battery-powered devices as long as I have batteries? That and an old fashion thermometer is hard to find.

At my level of experience, I don't see how knowing the exact blood pressure would be beneficial.

Jeanette Isabelle

If you track BP over time you may see signs of your patient getting better or worse.

Training is a good thing.

BP levels may not be at all significant when rendering first aid in the field, but the record will be useful for those caring for the patient further down the line. Keep a written history of vital signs and measures taken and see that it stays with the patient...

It might even be helpful to include contact info so that the ER can contact you later. This has happened to me as a first responder.

Second the motion for training!

I assumed that given the contents list, the kit was not mobile, and at that point, knowing BP for victims helps when they get beyond the basic ABC treatment.

I'd think that non-electric thermometers are still available at places like Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, etc. If not, they're fairly cheap online from Walmart or Amazon.

For your brimstone planning, you may want to add a copy of Dr. Alton's "Survival Medicine Handbook". http://amzn.to/2bEExXR

Dr. Alton writes from the position that there may be an interruption of service for some time, and modern medical treatments may not be available. As such, he includes some older treatments that are better than not treating at all.

Training, Training, Training.

Very well said.

I was privileged to take a suturing class from Dr and Nurse Alton and it was excellent. They were very clear that suturing is not to be done in the field and not to be done when higher levels of medical care is available.

My kits are mobile. I used the Home & Vehicle Bag to make one of my kits.

http://www.chinookmed.com/01385rd/home-vehicle-bag.html

The Traveler Bag to make a second.

http://www.chinookmed.com/01422rd/traveler-bag.html

And I modified this kit.

https://www.samsclub.com/sams/first-aid-kit-351-pieces/prod20200504.ip?xid=plp:product:1:1

Jeanette Isabelle

I am making more checklists because they work...

I will be back at Sam's Club soon, like next week. I plan to get two more cases of bottled water, one box of protein bars, three cases of nutritional shakes and a box Zone Bars. Zone Bars come in handy for electrolyte replacement.

Jeanette Isabelle

in addition to checklist, it is nice if you have the room, to place all of your weather related equipment in the same closet or shelving area

I have my jacket, long coat and gloves in the coat closet.

I'm in north-central Florida, now. I don't need as much as I did as when I lived in Texas.

Jeanette Isabelle

One of the BIG reason for checklists and labels on boxes is if we have to pack and I'm not home.

Not including other sources, I now have 460 8 oz bottles of drinking water. If I drink four a day, the supply will last me 115 days. That is a quart a day which is half of what a person needs. Should I get more?

Jeanette Isabelle

Situations vary, but I believe your daily needs are more like a gallon a day. I would recommend acquiring items and procedures so that you can upgrade questionable water sources to drinking quality. Your capability will be much greater then.

For most sources, all you need to do is boil the water - that will kill everything. Chemical contamination, if that is an issue, is more complex.

I believe it depends a bit. If you're sitting at home and not exerting yourself you likely don't need a gallon of water per day for drinking. Probably more like two quarts. Depending on what you eat a lot of the water can come from food. Of course, if it's very hot or very cold, or if you're working hard...you'll need more water.

It seems prudent to have a mix of stored water and water treatment options. Larger containers are much more economical than bottled water but for convenience a mix of both is probably good. In my current home I have a mix of larger Aquatainers and gallon jugs of water purchased at Wal-Mart. The latter is about $.88/gallon and has a shelf life of a year (and of course, after that it's still water- I can boil it, use chlorine/chlorine dioxide, etc). I don't store as much water right now as I did at my last place but I live very close to the largest reservoir in the state of SD.

just a comment about the role of ice when dealing with summer heat and humidity in Florida, which coincides with the times of most likely weather events...I've been a year round shooting competitor for the last 35 years, and up until the last one primarily oriented on 3 gun competition... as I age (just turned 70) the ability to drink small amounts of ice cold water has greatly improved my overall adjustment to the heat, by lowering my core body temp...I drink about 1/2 liter per hour in small amounts... freezing a couple of bottles along with 3 chilled bottles for a standard 6 stage monthly match... for a 2 day area championship, I carry a about 12# of ice on the gun cart...for Irma I did not get any ice before the event... I should have...I will for the next one.... regards

It looks like the Middle East won't go nuclear this year after all. With that being the case, I have more time to prepare. With space I do have, some reorganization and a plan, I could shelter in place for up to eight months if it is not possible to get additional supplies (which I don't believe would be the case).

During this time we can discuss bug out plans. I'm all for bugging out. Mom, on the other hand, needs a sign from God (such as the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea) before she is ready to bug out.

Jeanette Isabelle

God not only sends signs but arranges life so that his people end up where he needs them to be. One must only listen and watch.

An inventory list is nice too - as I just discovered I have four nearly identical tents ( sales, you know)

Can anyone recommend some checklist apps? Packing list?

You can also get some serious 10"X 30" dressings from specialty suppliers OR Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Trauma-Dressing-1...rauma+dressings