Prudent Prepping: EDC First Aid Kit, Part The Latest

The dust has settled and the First 72 Hours have passed. Follow along as I build a long term plan via Prudent Prepping.

After wearing the kit I discussed in the post two weeks ago for almost three weeks now, I have done what Jonathan Sullivan mentioned in his Home Hardening blog (to which I linked that week): I stepped up to a larger phone holder, the Maxpedition PLP iPhone 6s Plus Pouch

Jonathan Sullivan mentions the benefits of stepping up from the PHP to the PLP:

“In retrospect, I probably should have gone with the PLP — it’s half an inch larger in every direction[sic] — but the PHP works just fine, and is low profile, both literally and figuratively. Also, this should fit fairly easily in most cargo pockets, if you don’t like belt carry.”

https://amzn.to/2EQRD5K

I wore the PHP and it fit well, but I had a very hard time getting everything I wanted to carry into it, such as a compression bandage to go along with the Adventure Medical Kits Advanced Clotting Sponge.

From the Amazon Maxpedition page:

• The overall size is 4 (L) x 1 (W) x 7.5 (H) inches. Custom Positive Grip zipper pulls make opening the pouch faster and easier;
• The phone pouch is sized to fit the iPhone 6s Plus;
• Lightly padded, felt loop-lined case.

We'll come back to the felt loop-lined case in a bit.

Current Kit Items
The basic items previously listed:

• NAR CAT Tourniquet Gen 7
• Nitrile Gloves
• Adventure Medical Kits Advanced Clotting Sponge

What’s New
With the new, slightly larger PLP case, I’m now carrying an actual bandage to hold down my clotting sponge!

https://amzn.to/2XExWp0

From the Amazon listing for the H&H Mini Compression Bandage:

• A fast, effective tool for many types of trauma and injury
• Flat folded to create a small tight package
• Less than a half of an inch thick!

This bandage is designed to cover a wound by itself or to hold down another pad, such as a clotting sponge.

From the H & H Medical webpage:

“Designed to be our smallest and thinnest trauma compression bandage, the H&H Mini Compression Bandage provides the same emergency trauma capabilities as our Thin H bandage in a smaller, more versatile package. Manufactured with a 4”x6” ABD pad, it’s vacuum sealed and flat folded to be small enough to fit in a shirt vest or pant pocket. With our 4-foot proprietary elastic strap (stretched), the Mini Compression Bandage is strong enough to provide compression to wounds on any location.

“Perfect for use in all situations, especially on children and elderly with thin limbs, the Mini Compression Bandage provides a fast, effective tool for many kinds of traumas and injuries (particularly those involving arterial bleeding in extremities). The H&H Mini Compression Bandage comes in a sterile, vacuum-sealed 5 mil barrier bag, flat folded to create a small tight package that’s less than an inch thick!”

I wanted to have something other than duct tape in my kit to hold down a dressing or pad, and the Maxpedition PHP just didn’t have sufficient room to hold everything I really needed to carry.

I gave away a PLP purchased previously (wasteful, I know) and kept the PHP... but I did nothing with it. I don’t plan to make the same mistake and not use the equipment I have on hand to carry first aid supplies. The PHP will be moved into a side pocket of my salesman bag, still loaded with everything from before, along with a compression bandage held on the outside via rubber band!

How Does Everything Fit?

Actually, it fits reasonably well. The clotting sponge and compression bandage are packaged in extremely stiff material: heavy gauge vinyl for the bandage, and thick mylar/foil for the sponge. Part of the problem in fitting everything into the old case, let alone the new one, was that packaging didn’t allow for folding items into as compact a shape as I’d like.

Now, about the ‘felt loop-lined case’ I mentioned in the initial description: with the hook-and-loop closure straps on the tourniquet, folding everything so it would slide into the pouch without adhering to the case was ‘interesting’ in the Chinese-curse definition of the word. If you didn’t care that the straps stuck to the sides of the case as you inserted them, there would be no problem. However, there would be a problem when trying to remove the tourniquet in a hurry, since those hooks on the strap really bond with the interior of the case. I needed two hands to get the tourniquet out of the case, and that doesn’t sound like a good idea in an emergency. I spent extra time folding and refolding the strap to get the hooks on the inside of the packet, so everything would slide into and out of the case without a snag. The case with everything in it is now slightly longer, wider, thicker, and weighs fractionally more than before, but I don’t think it will matter. I’m going to give this version a week or two trial before deciding if I’ll continue with a belt-carry trauma kit.

The Takeaway

• Sometimes smaller isn’t better. 
• An actual bandage, if it will fit, is a better choice than duct tape.

The Recap

• Two H&H Medical Mini Compression Bandages: $10.50 from Amazon with free shipping.

Caveat
As I have stated before,

I AM NOT A DOCTOR, NURSE, OR EMT. THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. SEEK TRAINING IF YOU DON’T ALREADY HAVE IT.

Be safe and be prepared.

* * *

Just a reminder: if you plan on buying anything through Amazon, please consider using our referral link. When you do, a portion of the sale comes back here to help keep this site running!
If you have comments, suggestions or corrections, please post them so we all can learn. And remember, Some Is Always Better Than None!

NOTE: All items tested were purchased by me. No products have been loaned in exchange for a favorable review. Any items sent to me for T&E will be listed as such. Suck it Feds.

UST Fire Kit Upgrades

I mentioned in my unboxing video of the UST Fire Kit that I was going to capitalize on all the extra space in that box by adding some of my favorite fire-building bits, much of it is being cloned from my original fire bag. While I love my fire bag and everything in it, it's a whole lot of overkill. I'll keep it around in its current form for teaching and showing off, but I'm going to cherry pick from it for the waterproof box.

While I've lit probably hundreds of fires with a ferro rod and striker, and even a couple with actual flint and steel, the utility of an actual standing flame cannot be denied. The go-to for this purpose is, and will always be, the cheap, basic disposable cigarette lighter. For the sake of saving space I'm using the most compact model my local gas station offers.

In addition to the lighter, I'm putting in 15' of jute twine. While the kit comes with a pretty good tinder, the twine is still great for stringing a firebow, lashing small items, and dealing with all sorts of other unexpected issues.

I'm also adding a few things that are absent from my current bag, the first being a small knife. While it won't do anything for batoning or breaking down firewood, a small blade makes a great backup striker for your ferro rod. It's also vital for making fuzz sticks, splitting twigs into small tinder, peeling bark, and innumerable other fire-making tasks. The specific blade I'm using is a Kershaw Cinder; it's about the size of a fifty cent piece when closed, making it one of the smallest locking blade knives on the market. Despite its minute nature, the lock is solid and strong, and it offers just enough hand grip to do effective work.

I'm also adding a tube of lip balm. Most modern balms have a wax or petroleum base and will burn very aggressively. If you need a bit more burn time on your tinder, a bit of this balm will give it to you. This is very handy if your kindling is difficult to start, and it can make the difference between fire and frustration.

As I use up the included tinder, I plan to replace it with cotton makeup remover pads, which are my absolute favorite tinder.

Keeping this fire kit a bit minimalist gives me space to carry tinder and materials I gather through the day. It also allows me to add things in the future, as any plan you have should be constantly evolving and changing to keep up with circumstances.

Gear tuned to your skills and needs is the best gear.

Lokidude

Emergency Heat: Propane

How do you heat your home if the power goes out? You can use a propane canister like I demonstrate in this video.

If you use one, be sure to have a carbon monoxide/smoke detector combo. If you don't, you can get one from Amazon for around $30.




Bonus Video: Repurposing used olive oil for chicken feed!

Medications

There's more than one reason to prepare. Yes, we spend a lot of time getting ready for disasters and emergencies, but there are several things which don't quite reach that level that still need to be on your radar. Having a stockpile of your daily medications is one of those oft-neglected preps that I think should be kicked up a notch or two on your priority list. While not as important as air or water, a lot of the medications we take on a daily basis are life-saving.

A Little Background
My wife is disabled due to some serious damage to her spine. Surgery is not an option that any doctor we've seen is willing to attempt, so she lives with a lot of pain. As a way to manage that pain, she has taken legal opiate-based pain killers for over a decade.

About four years ago, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) started threatening small-town doctors who were prescribing opiate-based pain medications with “Stop writing prescriptions (Rx) or face the wrath of the federal government.” They swooped in and made examples of a couple of known pill-pusher doctors, which scared the rest into submission -- which isn't really hard to do when there are three corporations that run every hospital and clinic within 75 miles. Instead of a 15 minute drive to our local clinic, we had to find a pain specialist and the nearest is an hour away.

The DEA also changed the prescription rules: No more than a 30 day supply on a single Rx, and opiates require a paper Rx (no faxing or emailing), so every month we have to drive to the city to pick up a piece of paper.

Three weeks ago, the DEA led a “raid” on the pain management clinic we've used for those four years. They gathered up all of the patient charts (records) and computers and took them away, effectively shutting down a clinic that has been running for 25 years without a problem. No arrests, no indictments, no reason given; they just shut the clinic down without having to go through the hassle of pulling licenses. This is a form of “lawfare” that is being used to fight the “war on drugs” and battle the “opiate epidemic”. The process becomes the punishment, without any need for frivolous things like actual evidence of a crime. These imaginary wars and epidemics are great for funding and time in the spotlight, so I don't expect them to ever be won or cured, but that's getting close to our self-imposed prohibition on politics so I'll leave it alone.

This is an emergency on several levels for us:

• Without any control of her pain and the likely withdrawal symptoms from running out of a very addictive medication, her life becomes torture.
• We're looking into other local options as there are a few other pain clinics around, but the DEA still has all of her charts. This means that any new doctor has to start from scratch, something which isn't going to be pleasant.
• Being a bit pig-headed, my wife has not been listening to me and only had about a week's worth of pain meds left, so it's been a scramble to find another doctor.
• The DEA now has my wife's medical records and that doesn't fill me with joy. No politics, I know.

The same thing could happen to anyone who takes a life-saving medication. Blood pressure meds, diabetes supplies, anti-rejection drugs for transplants, and the like are all things that you don't want to run out of. Certain common anti-depressants come with a warning that you should never stop taking them abruptly, as the withdrawal effects can be deadly. It might not be a federal agent cutting off your source of the medications you need to get by (or stay alive); disruptions caused by any major disaster would have the same effect. Losing your job and/or health insurance will also put a crimp in your medications (been there, done that for two years.)

How to Prepare

• Have a stockpile if at all possible. If you take a medication on an “as needed” basis, it's possible to set aside a few doses every month until you have a safe stockpile. I like 30 days, but you need to decide for yourself.
• Talk to your doctor, see if they will write your Rx for several months at a time. Many insurance companies require mail-order Rx service and they like to deliver several months worth in one box.
• Renew your Rx as soon as they will let you, and you should gain a few days each time. For example, my insurance will let me renew a 30 day RX after 28 days
• Look into alternative sources for your meds. I did an article a long time ago about mail-order meds. The information is still valid, even if the names have changed over the years. 
• Look into alternative medications. Not every ailment is treatable by herbal or alternative medicine, but some are. Medical marijuana and derivatives are spreading, so check their many uses. Don't forget the less-than-legal options; what they may lack in quality control they can make up for in lack of records. Getting meds from someone who no longer needs them may be possible as well.This is generally illegal, but you have to be alive for them to charge you.

If you take any medication on a daily basis, you should know as much as possible about what it is, how it works on your body, how it's made, what can be used as a substitute, and where to get it. Supplies and gear aren't going to do you any good if you're not around to use them.

Prudent Prepping: Splinter Removal

The dust has settled and the First 72 Hours have passed. Follow along as I build a long term plan via Prudent Prepping.

I went to my local knife shop last month to hang out and see all the cool things I couldn't (and still can't) afford. I've been doing a little metal working lately, and while using one of my knives to dig out splinters is always an option, seeing them has been getting harder and harder. I need glasses to see down the road, and lately the close-up stuff has needed 'cheaters' for the fine print... and okay, some not-so fine print also.

I saw these on the shelf and took a set home.

SZCO Supplies Magnifying Tweezers 
I needed a set of tweezers that day and couldn't wait to see if Amazon had some. As with most things, Amazon carries the complete line of SZCO tweezers.

https://amzn.to/2Ss8Y8B

From the SZCO Tweezer Amazon page:

• A powerful 3X magnifying glass and needle-tipped tweezers combine to make this one of the handiest items in the tool box or first aid kit
• This product is easy to use easy to install and highly durable
• Item is manufactured in Pakistan
• 3.5 Inches in length
• Magnifying glass
• Stainless steel composition

I reviewed a set of tweezers many years ago, but these are different and maybe even better, since I can now easily see even the finest splinter in my hand. The points are sharp and fine enough that I think I could easily remove anything buried in my skin, although I haven't yet needed to try. The tweezer part collapses down to sit close to the glass, so they fit into a very slim pouch and take up no more room in my bag than my pen and pencil set.

I'm going to order at least one more set to keep in my GHB first aid kit.

The Takeaway 

• While tweezers aren't a necessity, I like being able to remove irritants easily.
• I'd have no hesitation loaning these to someone, since not everyone wants to dig for splinters with your (or my) Tacti-Cool folding knife.

The Recap

• One set of SZCO Supplies Magnifying Tweezers: $4.86 from Amazon with Prime.

Just a reminder: if you plan on buying anything through Amazon, please consider using our referral link. When you do, a portion of the sale comes back here to help keep this site running! 

If you have comments, suggestions or corrections, please post them so we all can learn. And remember, Some Is Always Better Than None!

NOTE: All items tested were purchased by me. No products have been loaned in exchange for a favorable review. Any items sent to me for T&E will be listed as such. Suck it Feds.

How to Change an Automobile Air Filter

Automotive maintenance is a necessary evil for folks who own cars, but it can also be incredibly expensive. While certain maintenance tasks require special tools or skills which justify the cost, some tasks extract their price based solely on convenience or ignorance. Today, we'll look at one of those tasks.

While I was doing seasonal maintenance on my truck, I noticed that my engine air filter needed replacement. A clean and unclogged air filter helps extend the life of your engine and maintain fuel mileage and power. Replacing it is a quick and easy task that requires no special tools, so I headed to my local parts house to get a replacement. As I did this, it struck me during this that people actually pay for this service, and I was curious what the charge would be. From the estimates, I could expect to pay in excess of $100 for a $13 part and 5-10 minutes of my time. Since this is a task that has to be performed at least yearly, those dollars add up quickly.

Also note that when purchasing an air filter for your vehicle, prices can range wildly. For my 2005 F150, a basic paper element filter costs the aforementioned $13. Since my truck is being prepped to regularly haul 6000 pound loads, and since I come from the land of the sand and snow, I chose to upgrade to a washable, cotton-element K&N air filter. (If you drive in extremely dirty conditions, or work your engine harder than the average Joe, this is an easy and worthwhile upgrade.) However, for your average A-B commuter vehicle (such as my wife's car) the basic paper filter matches what comes from the factory and will work just fine -- don't spend 3-5x the money if you don't need to.

To replace your air filter, follow these simple steps:

1. Locate your air filter box. Locations vary by model, but expect it to be on top of the engine and readily accessible. If you aren't certain or can't find it, the location should be listed in your owner's manual.  Mine happens to be above the engine in the rear-center of the engine bay.
   
   
2. Open the box and remove the old air filter. On most cars, the top lifts off and the filter lifts out, but on my truck, the filter is contained in a sliding tray. Some vehicles use clips to hold the air filter box together, while others use screws and will require a basic screwdriver to open.
   
   
3. This filter is obviously dirty and in need of replacement.
   
   
4. Insert the new filter into the air box and close it back up. Your filter box should go back together easily with almost no force needed. If you feel like you're having to force things, check that your filter is fitting into the box correctly and that nothing is obstructing the lid.

There is no reason to pay exorbitant prices for basic work and inexpensive parts. Do simple work like this yourself to save substantial money.

Lokidude

Tips on Filling Your Emergency Pantry

Many beginning preppers want to know how to create a food reserve but don't know how.

Fortunately, it's easy to do. Watch this video and I'll show you how.