Here’s another good reason to store food, even if you don’t think a disaster or societal collapse is coming your way: It’s a good hedge against soaring food prices.

Anyone who has spent any time shopping for groceries can attest that the cost of food keeps going up. This is especially prevalent in the cost of beef. Now I don’t eat a whole lot of beef. Chicken and fish comprise the bulk of my meat consumption (when I do eat meat). This is partly due to health considerations and partly due to the fact that beef is just more expensive. Even run-of-the mill cuts are reaching the point where I start to think of a slab of chuck or eye-round to be a “once in a while” luxury – and it’s getting more and more expensive week after week!

 “It bumps up a bit, comes down a tiny bit, then it bounces again, and when it bounces, it goes up another dime, 15, 20 cents,” said Crimi, “and sometimes that’s in a week.”

According to the Dept. of Agriculture, beef prices rose 10% in 2011 and they’re expected to go even higher this year. Chicken is still the cheaper alternative, but those prices are going up as well. I’ve noticed that these price increases are also affecting the costs of the commercially canned, freeze-dried and dehydrated foods that we preppers and survivalist store, so it’s a good idea to kick your food storage agenda up a notch before the prices really get out of control!

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This article will guide you in treating a victim for exposure to the cold and also how to deal with frostbite. This information is derived from “Advanced First Aid & Emergency Care,” 2nd edition, by the American Red Cross.

The extent of injury caused by exposure to abnormally low temperature generally depends on such factors as wind velocity, type and duration of exposure, temperature and humidity.

Freezing is accelerated by wind, humidity or a combination of the two. Injury caused by cold, dry air will be less than that caused by cold, moist air or exposure to cold air while wearing wet clothing. Fatigue, smoking, drinking of alcoholic beverages, emotional stress and the presence of wounds or fractures intensity the harmful effects of cold.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

The general manifestations of prolonged exposure to extreme cold include shivering, numbness, low body temperature, drowsiness and marked muscular weakness. As time passes there is mental confusion and impairment of judgment. The victim staggers, his eyesight fails, he falls and he may become unconscious. Shock is evident and the victim’s heart may develop fibrillation. Death, if it occurs, is usually due to heart failure.

Frostbite results when crystals form, either superficially or deeply in the fluids and the underlying soft tissues of the skin. The effects are more severe if the injured area is thawed and then refrozen. Frostbite is the most common injury caused by exposure to the cold elements. Usually, the frozen area is small. The nose, cheeks, ears, fingers and toes are the most commonly affected.

Just before frostbite occurs, the affected skin may be slightly flushed. The skin changes to white or grayish yellow as the frostbite develops. Pain is sometimes felt early but subsides later. Often there is NO pain; the part being frostbitten simply feels intensely cold and numb. The victim commonly is not aware of frostbite until someone tells him or until he observes his pale, glossy skin.

The extent of local injury cannot be determined accurately on initial examination, even after rewarming. The extent of tissue damage usually corresponds to that in burns. In superficial frostbite, there will be an area that looks white or grayish and the surface skin will feel hard but the underlying tissue will be soft. With deeper involvement, large blisters appear on the surface, as well as in underlying tissue, and the affected area is hard, cold and insensitive.

Destruction of the entire thickness of the skin will necessitate skin grafting and will constitute a medical emergency, because gangrene may result from loss of blood supply to the injured part.

FIRST AID

The objectives of first aid are to protect the frozen area from further injury, to warm the affected part rapidly and to maintain respiration. Formerly, it was recommended that victims of frostbite be treated by slow warming — rubbing with snow and gradually increasing the temperature. But recent studies have shown conclusively that much better results are obtained if the affected part is WARMED RAPIDLY in running or circulating water, unless the part has been thawed and refrozen, in which case it should be
warmed at room temperature (from 70 to 74 degrees Fahrenheit). Do NOT use excessive heat, as from a stove, hot water bottles, electric blankets or other devices.

FROSTBITE

• Cover the frozen part.

• Provide extra clothing and blankets.

• Bring the victim indoors as soon as possible.

• Give the victim a warm drink (not alcoholic!).

• Rewarm the frozen part QUICKLY by immersing it in water that is warm but not hot. Test the water by pouring some over the inner surface of your forearm or place a thermometer in the water and carefully add warm water to keep the temperature between 102 degrees and 105 degrees Fahrenheit. If warm water is not available or practical to use, wrap the affected part in a sheet and warm blankets.

• Handle the area of the frostbite GENTLY and DO NOT MASSAGE IT. Severe swelling will develop rapidly after thawing. Discontinue warming as soon as the part becomes flushed (turning red). Once the part is rewarmed, have the victim exercise it.

• Cleanse the affected area with water and either soap or a mild detergent (NOT laundry or dishwasher detergent, though; they can be caustic and cause a chemical burn). Rinse it thoroughly. Carefully blot dry with sterile or clean towels. Do NOT break the blisters.

• If the victim’s fingers or toes are involved, place dry, sterile gauze between them to keep them separated.

• Do NOT apply other dressings unless the victim is to be transported to medical aid.

• Elevate frostbitten part and prevent ir from making contact with bedclothes

• Do NOT allow the victim to walk after the affected part thaws, if his feet are involved.

• Do not apply additional heat and do not allow the victim to sit near a radiator, stove or fire. The numbed part may be severely burned and the victim might never realize it is happening to him.

• If a person with frozen feet is alone and MUST walk to get medical assistance, he should NOT attempt thawing in advance.

• If travel after receiving first aid is necessary, cover the affected parts with a sterile or clean cloth.

• Obtain medical assistance as soon as possible. If the distance to be covered is great, apply temporary dressings to the hands if they have been affected by frostbite.

• Keep injured parts elevated during transportation. 

If medical help or trained ambulance personnel will not reach the scene for an hour or more AND if the victim is CONSCIOUS and NOT VOMITING, give him a weak solution of salt and baking soda at home or while en route (1 level teaspoon of salt and /2 level teaspoon of baking soda in each quart of water, neither hot nor cold). Do not give alcoholic beverages.

Allow the victim to sip S-L-O-W-L-Y. Give an adult about 4 ounces (a half glass) over a period of 15 minutes; give a child from 1 to 12 years old about 2 ounces; give an infant (under 1 year old) about 1 ounce every 15 minutes.

Discontinue fluids if vomiting occurs. Fluid may be given by mouth ONLY if medical help will not be available for an hour or more and is not otherwise contraindicated.

PROLONGED EXPOSURE

• Give the victim artificial respiration, if necessary.

• Bring the victim into a warm room as quickly as possible.

• Remove wet or frozen clothing and anything that constricts the victim’s arms, legs or fingers and might interfere with circulation as the frozen part is thawed and swelling begins.

• Rewarm the victim rapidly by wrapping him in a warm blanket or by placing him in a tub of water that is warmed to 102 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. If a thermometer is not available, make sure the water is not hot to YOUR hand and forearm.

• If the victim is conscious, give him hot liquids (but not alcohol) by mouth.

• Dry the victim thoroughly if water was used to rewarm him.

• Carry out the appropriate procedures as described under frostbite.

There’s plenty of good information out there when it comes to first aid and the treatment of injuries in a survival/disaster situation, but one of the topics that I rarely see covered is what to do to treat dental problems when you’re unable to get to a dentist.

Having suffered an impacted wisdom tooth myself – many miles away from the nearest dentist, or emergency room – I can tell you that it’s nothing short of pure hell when you have nothing to alleviate that kind of pain. All I could think of was Tom Hanks In the movie Castaway when he used the ice skate to knock out his abscessed tooth. Unfortunately, my problem wasn’t that easy to solve. (Not to mention; performing self-dentistry when you can eventually get to a dentist is just a really BAD idea.)

Everybody prepares for injuries like broken bones, sprains, cuts and burns, but you’re no less likely to suffer a dental emergency like a broken tooth, dislodged crown, or filling, abscess, or a simple toothache in a disaster, or survival situation.

To be prepared for a dental emergency, your medical kit should include:

Medications – Salt, hydrogen peroxide (3%), aspirin, Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), clove oil and Oragel and/or Orabase (Oral protective paste with Benzocaine available at your local pharmacy).

Supplies – Cotton balls, cotton swabs, gauze pads, tea bags, a toothbrush, dental floss, toothpicks, tweezers, some paraffin or candle wax and an ice pack.

TOOTHACHE: The most common dental emergency. This generally means a badly decayed tooth. Treatment involves gently removing any debris lodged in the cavity, being careful not to poke too deep as touching the nerve will cause severe pain. Next rinse vigorously with warm water. Then, soak a small piece of cotton in oil of cloves and insert it in the cavity. This will give temporary relief until a dentist can be reached. You can also mix 3-4 drops of clove oil with 1/4 tablespoon of olive oi, soak up the mixture with a cotton ball and pack it around the affected area.

At times the pain may have a more obscure location such as decay under an old filling. This can be only corrected by a dentist, but there are two things you can do to help the pain:

1. Administer 600 milligrams (3 tablets) of Ibuprofen, every 4 hours. Ibuprofen will help with the pain and reduce swelling, and won’t irritate your stomach like aspirin will. Also high doses of Acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be damaging to your liver in high doses (especially if alcohol has been consumed).

2. Dissolve a crushed aspirin in about 4 oz of warm water and hold it in the mouth for several minutes before spitting it out. – DO NOT PLACE A WHOLE, OR CRUSHED TABLET ON THE TOOTH OR AGAINST THE SOFT GUM TISSUE AS THIS WILL BURN YOUR GUMS AND CHEEK. (Trust me, I know this from experience!)

SWOLLEN JAW: This may be caused by several conditions.. The most probable being an abscessed tooth. In any case the treatment should be to reduce pain and swelling. An ice pack held on the outside of the jaw, (ten minutes on and ten minutes off) will take care of both. If this does not control the pain, take 600 mg of Ibuprofen every four hours.

OTHER ORAL INJURIES: Broken teeth, cut lips, bitten tongue or lips.

Rinse the mouth with warm water and place cold compresses on the face. If there is a lot of bleeding, apply direct pressure to the bleeding area. If bleeding does not stop, stitches may be necessary.

PROLONGED BLEEDING: Place a gauze pad or better still a moistened tea bag over the socket and have the patient bite down gently on it for 30 to 45 minutes. The tannic acid in the tea seeps into the tissues and often helps stop the bleeding.

PAINFUL ERUPTING TOOTH: In young children teething pain can come from a loose baby tooth or from an erupting permanent tooth. Some relief can be given by crushing a little ice and wrapping it in gauze or a clean piece of cloth and putting it directly on the tooth or gum tissue where it hurts. The numbing effect of the cold,along with an appropriate dose of aspirin, usually provides temporary relief.

In adults, an erupting 3rd molar (Wisdom tooth) – especially if it is impacted – can cause the jaw to swell and be quite painful. Often the gum around the tooth will show signs of infection. Temporary relief can be had by giving ibuprofen or some other painkiller and by dissolving aspirin in half a glass of warm water and holding this solution in the mouth over the sore gum. Again, do not place the tablet directly on the gum or cheek to prevent burning. The swelling of the jaw can be reduced by using an ice pack on the outside of the face at intervals of ten minutes on and ten minutes off.

No one can predict accidental trauma, like a broken tooth, but the best way to avoid dental problems in a survival situation is prevention. Make sure you take care of any dental issues before they become a problem. No one hates going to the dentist more than I do, but if you ignore it, it’ll only get worse. Dental problems can affect your over-all health, and you don’t want one to come up when medical attention is unavailable.

Disclaimer – I am not a dental or medical professional. The information in this article is based on research and personal experience. I accept no responsibility for the misapplication of these remedies, or the reactions (allergic, etc) that certain individuals might experience.

I was just having a conversation with a friend yesterday about the dichotomy of thought in survivalism. Particularly, the “prepper vs. survivalist” mentality.

For some time, people who considered themselves “preppers” would concentrate mostly on food and water storage, gardening, and fortifying and equipping their home to “shelter in-place” in the event of an emergency, grid failure or some other calamitous event. Maybe they would also own firearms and have a bug-out bag in their house or car, but they still clung to the notion that if something disastrous happened, they were staying put. Or if they were forced to leave their home, surely they’d be able to come back after the dust settles (after say… 72 hours or so?), and the importance of learning wilderness survival or bushcraft skills rarely entered the picture.

I’ve spoken to many self-proclaimed “preppers” who adamantly rejected the title of “survivalist”. Some due to the negative perception of what a survivalist is, while for others, it was a statement of honesty – in other words; they really didn’t know the first thing about surviving in the wilderness (and weren’t really too keen on learning).

Conversely, there is a paradigm among some who describe themselves as “survivalists” who concentrate more on bushcraft skills and outdoor survival gear than on long-term food and water storage and other “prepping” concerns, as their plan is to “head for the hills” when disaster strikes and “live off the land” when the SHTF.

These two schools of thought occupy the far extremes of the spectrum and there’s a fallacy in both ways of thinking.

Making the assumption that no matter what happens, you’ll always be able to stay in your home is unrealistic. If your home is destroyed in a disaster (with your food storage and all your preps with it), or it simply becomes unsafe to stay where you are, you’ll be lost without the knowledge, skills and gear that’s required to survive in a more austere environment. You also can’t assume that your 72-hour bug out bag is all that you’ll ever need. If you’re forced to leave your home, chances are pretty good that you won’t have anything to come back to after 3 days.

If your plan is to beat a hasty retreat to the wilderness at the first sign of trouble thinking you can simply hunt and forage for your sustenance, you’ll be in for some unpleasant surprises as well. Most chiefly of which is that surviving in the wilderness is a lot harder than most people think. This isn’t going to be like a camping trip or an outing with your buddies, or an episode of your favorite survival show. It’s going to be arduous and long-term… Day-in and day-out, without rest for the foreseeable future. Even those of us who are experienced outdoorsmen and hunters would have a rough go of it.

There’s nothing simple or easy about hunting for your survival. The critters aren’t going to just come right out and let you shoot them just because you need the food. It takes a lot of energy and you will fail more often than not. Furthermore, you won’t be the only one out there with the same idea, and it won’t take long before whatever wild game is out there is depleted. Not to mention the added danger of being accidentally shot or injured by other survivalist hunters and the territorial conflicts that are sure to arise when someone (or a group of someones) gets the notion that you’re encroaching on their territory.

So if you’re subscribing to the romantic notion of the self-sufficient survivalist, living in the wilderness, you might want to develop some other options to pursue before it comes to that. Such as setting up a well-stocked wilderness retreat, making plans to go to stay with friends or relatives who lives out of state or at least out of the immediate danger zone (with a few different escape routes), as well as stocking and prepping your home, in the event that you will be able to stay put. Just because you are capable and have the know-how to survive in the wilderness, doesn’t mean that it should be your resort of first choice.

Fortunately, it’s been my observation over the last year or so that there’s a greater overlap between preppers and survivalists and the line between the two schools of thought has gotten a lot blurrier.

I would say that most “survivalists” these days are also “preppers”, but I don’t see as many preppers learning wilderness survival and bushcraft skills.

The truth is; you really need to be well-rounded in both areas. That’s why I recommend that all preppers get some kind of bushcraft training, if they’re not experienced at surviving in the wild. There are bushcraft classes and schools in just about every state these days, and you’re sure to find something going on in a county or town near where you live if you look for it.

Many bushcraft skills will also come in handy even if you don’t end up having to bug out into the wild. You don’t have to invest in a lot of fancy or expensive gear, either. In fact, you’ll learn a lot about improvising tools and getting things done with what you have at your disposal. There’s an old expression in survivalism: “The more you know, the less you need to carry”. Those who are experienced in the wilderness know exactly what that means.

We have lost so many of the skills and knowledge for being self reliant in our own natural environment over a relatively short period of time. For about 200,000 years, (not counting Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon) modern humans knew how to live and survive in the natural world, but since the industrial revolution, with all the comforts and conveniences it brought us, we as a species have abandoned all that. What percentage of people today know how to start a fire without matches or make improvised tools, or even hunt and dress game? How many people do you think knew those things 100 or 150 years ago?

I think a lot of the problems we have in this world stem directly from a sense of separation from our environment. We look at the natural world and wilderness as being “out there”, like it’s some other world that we don’t belong to. We feel more at ease in the artificial world that we’ve built for ourselves, and that just ain’t right.

So go out and learn some wilderness skills! You’re gonna need ‘em for TEOTWAWKI, no matter what your particular “plan” is.

To read more about why you should take a bushcraft course, CLICK HERE.

This post comes from the “let nothing go to waste” file…

A few days back, I posted about how to make an olive oil lamp. Today, I came across a post on our friend; Lisa Bedford’s blog: The Survival Mom that takes the homemade oil lamp one step further. Using the greasey drippings from your meatloaf pan, hamburger grease or bacon grease, an empty can, and some wick material, you can make an improvised lamp (or I guess you could call it a “candle” after the grease congeals) that will serve as emergency lighting for your home during a power outage or at the campsite.

I love stuff like this. Making something useful out of what most people would throw away, and improvising with whatever you happen to have at your disposal is the true spirit of survivalism.

There are a few caveats, though…

Grease burns hot, which will heat up the can. So make sure you put your grease candle on a stable, non-flammable surface (and away from flammable materials) where it’s not likely to get knocked over and spread into a grease fire.

These candles will produce more smoke than traditional candles or oil lamps, but keeping the wick trimmed should mitigate that a bit.

You’ll also probably want to store them in the refrigerator or in a sealed container when not in use, to avoid attracting animals or flies, and keep them away from sunlight or heat to prevent them from “melting” and creating a mess.

Oh, and save some of that bacon grease for cooking. Mmmmm boy!

CLICK HERE to view the original post.

I’ve been getting the sense that there has been a steady increase in the number of people getting involved in preparedness and survivalism over the last couple of years, but so far, that has just been based on personal observation and dead reckoning. There is now a growing number of economic indicators over the past few months that show Americans are joining in the prepper movement as concerns over a global economic collapse increase.

Besides the catastrophe that has been developing in the EU, with the failures of economies in Greece, Italy, Spain and Ireland over their massive debt issues, a new agreement yesterday between India and Iran over the trade of gold for oil (instead of U.S. dollars) is causing even greater concerns. Already last year, China and Russia agreed to stop using the dollar for trade between those two countries, starting a new paradigm shift away from the dollar as the global medium of exchange. As these agreements increase, the chances of a dollar collapse, or outright rejection of US control over the reserve currency also increases.

The FBI has reported a record number of background checks for gun purchases over the Christmas season and sales of survival and disaster preparedness gear were top items bought by Americans during the holidays. Also, as I posted last Friday, economist and trends forecaster Gerald Celente listed economic martial law by the government as the number one concern on his list of trends for 2012.

People living in rural areas who are more self-sufficient tend to be more aware of the need for long-term preparedness than those living in cities and urban environments. Self-Reliance has been replaced by reliance on the government in America. A new report that came out yesterday shows that 15% of the U.S. GDP is now being spent on welfare programs to almost 50% of the American people!

The single most disturbing statistic: in 2011 nearly half of the population lived in a household that receives some form of government benefit, which in turn accounted for 65% of total federal spending, or $2.5 trillion, and amount to 15% of GDP.

                                                                                                                                                                                       -Zerohedge

And that’s just the way the oligarchy wants it.  People who are dependent on the gov’t for their day to day survival are easier to control and manipulate and they’re much less likely to see the dangers of a collapse.  While those who are self-reliant and don’t need gov’t handouts are much more aware of the sobering realities of the world around them and much more prepared to survive.

“Unfortunately, given the increasing complexity and fragility of our modern technological society, the chances of a societal collapse are increasing year after year,” said author James Wesley Rawles, whose Survival Blog is considered the guiding light of the prepper movement.

“We could see a cascade of higher interest rates, margin calls, stock market collapses, bank runs, currency revaluations, mass street protests, and riots,” he told Reuters. “The worst-case end result would be a Third World War, mass inflation, currency collapses, and long term power grid failures.”

                                                                                                                                                                                      – Reuters

Natural disasters, economic crisis and war can occur at any time, and are no longer limited to just a few regions around the world. The uprisings we saw in the Arab world last year showed us that governments can be toppled in just weeks or days. Our world is on the cusp of a global economic meltdown, or a new economic paradigm shift, and those who live a self-reliant life stand a much better chance of survival, and they are being joined by a growing number of preppers for any number of reasons.

One item you’ll hear every prepper or survivalist recommend for your car or bug-out bag is a space blanket. These thin, reflective, Mylar sheets were developed for NASA to be used by astronauts in the cold of space (hence the name) They may not look like much once they’re unfolded – in fact, you may wonder how in the world one of these could keep you warm at all. But they can retain up to 80% of body heat, keeping you nice and warm in an emergency, when you don’t have anything else.

You’ll have a powerful pocketful of warmth with an Emergency Blanket. The Emergency Blanket unique reflective material maintains up to 80% of your radiant body heat to help preserve crucial warmth. The emergency blanket is large enough to cover from head to toe, yet small enough to fit in a pocket. It’s lightweight and waterproof.

Not only can you use these to cover your body, but they’re also good for lining the interior of your expedient wilderness shelter. You may have seen an episode of Dual Survival where Cody Lundin uses space blankets and plastic sheeting to keep himself and Dave Canterbury nice and toasty in their primitive shelter in the dead of winter.

For this reason, I recommend having a few of these on hand. And right now, Amazon has a special deal on a pack of 10 for only $8.10 (regularly $39). That’s only 81 cents each!  This price could change at any time, so CLICK HERE to check check it out and stock up!