Getting Organized

Organizing your emergency supplies is perhaps almost as important as the supplies. Two weeks ago I bought a plastic storage container to hold my reserve of Rx medications.

Today I received the Home & Vehicle Plus Kit.

https://www.chinookmed.com/01375/home-vehicle-plus-kit.html

I was already building a kit very similar to it; it turned out I needed a little help in knowing what goes where. When I received the new first aid kit, I could then use it as a model to finish what I was doing. I used the home kit plus my project to create a near-identical Home & Vehicle Plus Kit, with a few spare parts left over.

I'm already working on upgrades. I replaced the pocket guide with Wilderness & Travel Medicine by Eric A Weiss, MD. I already know what I want to do for additional updates.

Back to organizing. I bought another MAG-LITE that will replace another MAG-LITE in an EMP-proof container. I am slightly OCD. The two MAG-LITE flashlights I had in there do not go together.

I ordered another plastic container to organize any OTC medications that are not in a first aid kit. I ordered a 9" x 12" bubble mailer to help with my bugout plans. I also worked on what I will take with me if we have to bug out permanently.

Jeanette Isabelle

One good book I remember using back in the late 70's/early 80's was "Medicine for Mountaineering". It was good because it went far beyond basic first aid. I seem to remember it including indication/contraindication/dosage information for medications that a non-medical person would not normally have access to. But if the zombies have come, and you have no doctor around (but you do have a pharmacy to pilfer), then such information would be useful. I don't know if this book is still published, or if the lawyers have gotten a hold of it and stripped out this advanced information, but if the book still exists as I remember it then it might be a good one to pick up. Caveat: When I was reading this book, I was a paramedic, so not totally what you'd consider "non-medical". The book might be a tad much for the truly non-medical.

Alternately, you could buy something like "The Nurses Drug Handbook" for when you need to play medical provider if you're truly away from civilization with no other options (still assuming you have a pharmacy you can pilfer, and at least somewhat of a brain to apply to the situation). The standard book on drugs may be "The Physician's Desk Reference" (called the "PDR" for short), but that thing is huge and expensive (unless you buy a version that's a few years old).

The 2010 edition: Medicine for Mountaineering & Other Wilderness Activities, 6th Edition

I don’t have that reference book, but it looks like it might be worth having on the shelf.

I have that edition, and two of its predecessors. This latest edition has more co-authors and is significantly expanded. Perfect for those situations where you are not next door to the ER.

One of the highlights of my time on Denali years ago was meeting Wilkerson, who monitored our efforts at treatment of a victim of high altitude induced edema and led a very useful and productive critique afterward.

Another good reference is Ditch Medicine

It focuses more on trauma, but is highly recommended by doctors with battlefield and remote area experience.

When I'm ready, I'll start a thread on modifying a medical kit. For now, may we discuss being organized?

Jeanette Isabelle

These references would serve to aid you in setting priorities and identify your needs and gaps. However, if you do not wish such assistance I will oblige you.

You brought up modifying your kit and replacing books, listing one of your specific replacement books. I thought other book suggestions would fit into what you were asking for.

As far as a bubble wrap mailer for your documents - those are not very durable. They are made of paper themselves. Plus, you don't really need bubble wrap protection for documents. I would get a heavier duty zip up protective case, of maybe even a fire bag for those documents.

I don't understand. It seems to me that buying more books heads in the opposite direction of where I need to go unless I use it in a medical kit. Even then I need to consider space.

I recognize I have gaps in my plans and I am working through them.

How would that book aid me in setting priorities and identify my needs? I know what my needs are. I would even go so far as to say Hurricane Irma was a drill, a test to determine what I'm lacking. In looking again at the description of the book you recommended, I can see how it can address a couple of those things; $74.49 for a book in addition to what I have already bought and will need to buy, I have some reservations. I could look for a used copy.

Jeanette Isabelle

Though I did spend a short amount of time on that subject, the primary purpose of this thread is to get organized. I wanted to start a separate thread focusing on the medical kit and I wanted to do it later. However, due to the recommendations stated in this thread, I started it early.


The mailer would be in my suitcase or whatever I'm using. I thought the bag its self would provide a lot of protection; I need the mailer to protect its contents from the rest of the items in the suitcase. Even under those conditions do I still need additional protection?

Jeanette Isabelle

I checked. Mom already has that book.

Jeanette Isabelle

In a suitcase, no, I wouldn't think so. I was envisioning a more "outdoorsy" bug-out, where you could be in rain and wind where you might want some more water resistant protection for documents.

If everything goes right, and I pray that it does, I will be bugging out in the desert.

Jeanette Isabelle

The closest desert to Florida is not exactly close. So it sounds like you're planning for "the big one", as in a semi-permanent long term bug-out. For that scenario I would be more focused on stocking up my destination in advance (and securing it) than in taking everything with me in the heat of the moment. I would also study up in advance on desert survival, which would be quite different from Florida survival. Those two locales are on different ends of the environment spectrum. And probably on different ends of the social spectrum as well.

To most, desert means "no water" and"always dry." This is not quite correct, because deserts in North America, while experiencing low precip annually, get torrential rains nonetheless, leading to flooding, often catastrophic.

Tropical Storm Bud just hit Southern Arizona with some unseasonable rainfall, as an example. In later summer, thunderstorms, with lightning and flash floods, will make life exciting.

Our SAR team eventually developed considerable capability in swift water rescue, frequently employed. Among the fatalities we encountered, drowning was the second leading cause, right behind falls. And this in Tucson, AZ!

What water comes will be unpredictable as to time and amount.

Remind me not to be checked for pupil reactivity by Hikermor and his 500 lumen headlamp. :^].

To say I'm planning for a life-changing event would be an understatement.


Unfortunately, all personal items may have to be done in one trip. I'm working on financial matters at the time being. I apologize for having to be vague for the time being.

Jeanette Isabelle

Actually, one might tone it down a bit. The beauty of a really good headlamp these days is the great range of variability in light levels (and run time) in really dependable instruments.

I promise not to use 500 lumens on you unless we desperately need the information you hold....

Today I received the basket. I'm using it to hold my OTC medication that is neither in a kit or currently being used (such as residing in my EDC bag). I'm also using it to store alcohol swabs, sunscreen and insect repellent.

Jeanette Isabelle

Another thing you could try is using a vacuum sealer to hold small pill bottles full of meds. Many items, I don't know about pill bottles specifically, tighten up and end up like a brick once vacuum sealed. Like when I vacuum seal coffee beans. I end up with a solid hard brick that I could conk somebody with. Plus, your pills would end up water and dust proof. Label the bag with contents and date using a Sharpie marker before use (it's difficult to write on those bags once they've gotten all bumpy after vacuuming). Get the cut-to-size roll of bag material so you can construct any bag size that you require - very small to large. There's lots of stuff for bug-out that might benefit from vacuum seal waterproof packaging. A box of wooden matches, trail mix, an emergency roll of toilet paper. Lot's of stuff. You mentioned sunscreen and bug repellent above. Those would be good in a sealed bag too, since mine always tend to leak on me. Just use that new box cuter knife you are looking at to open the bags when needed. Save the bags after opening for re-use. You can even buy the sealer machines that run off of car batteries (I'm sure Cabela's would carry such a thing).

I have matching flashlights, one is a 2 Cell, the other is a 3 Cell, otherwise identical in an EMP-proof container. I have two more in a separate EMP-proof container, the AA and the C Cell with batteries for the C and D Cell flashlights.

As for the other two flashlights, one is in my EDC bag. The other is on my desk.

Jeanette Isabelle

The Home & Vehicle Plus Bag arrived today. Today I was able to organize the car first aid kit.

After that, I was able to go through all the first aid supplies: extras and spare parts, old kits I don't use anymore, past projects and items I don't know why we have. I want the extras and spare parts to refill my bags, the house kit and the car kit. I wanted to get rid of the rest or use them to build kits for those who can't afford to prep. Mom said she wanted to go everything not designated for refills. She's handling that.

There are other organizing projects I need to work on; I'll figure out what I should do next.

Jeanette Isabelle