I seriously need to spend a few hours in the bunker straightening up. As of late I simply shuttle acquisitions and purchases there and leave them on the floor figuring I’ll deal with them later. Bad, bad, bad. I need to segregate them, datestamp them, and put them into their respective storage containers and then label the containers. Tedious and quite unglamourous. It aint all sunshine n’ stun grenades when youre the Zero.
I also need to do a fuels evaluation and come up with some hard and fast numbers regarding fuel consumption and inventory. Basically I just buy more and more and leave it at that. I need to research and experiment and see what actual consumption is. (How long will my lantern/heater/etc run on one gallon of kero, one bottle of propane, one gallon of Coleman fuel, etc.) Time consuming. There are a few references that give some basic rules of thumb in terms of consumption…still, there is no room for error so its gotta get done at some point. Really, a spreadsheet is in order…”If I run the lantern for 12.9 hours, the heater for 18.2 hours and the stove for 5.3 hours that will use 10# of propane”, etc, etc.
The trick is actually doing something…its too easy to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of something, compare prices, check availability, etc. and next thing you know three weeks have gone by from when you said “I better buy a …” and you still dont have it. And meanwhile The Day creeps closer and youre still sifting through catalogs. Its *real* easy to get lulled into that ‘armchair survivalist’ thing.
That reminds me, I need to polish up The List and see what I can pick up in the near future. I keep a tiny 9-point-font list with me so if I find myself at a store I can check against it.
ANd I seriously need to do some website updates.
Puttin stuff away and date stamping counts as a Zero Deed of the Day, doesnt it? 🙂
Indeed, whatever happened to the Zero Deed of the Day?
Website updates would be useful for us wanna-be LMIs.
For a Commander, the paperwork never ends 😉
Starter Kit?
So…
What would someone with your expertise and background recommend for a basic kit for the EOTWAWKI? You know, for folks who don’t live in the more sparsely populated areas of the country with a bunker and all. Just curious.
Water, cotton, gauze, dehydrated food, matches/candles/lanterns, short wave radio…
Re: Starter Kit?
it’s just a guess on my part, but i think he would advise you to have a reliable firearm(s) as part of the kit
I still do my Zero Deed For The Day..I just dont always list them. However, lets see…
Today: vaccuum sealing remaindered meat for the deep freeze
Yesterday: Putting away accumualted first aid gear into its new larger container
Monday: picked up lantern and propane at Costco
Sunday: programmed memory on the shortwave receiver
You have no idea. Its nowhere near as glamourous as it sounds…theres a tremendous amount of beancounting involved (literally and figuratively). An easy 75% of my time as Commander Zero is either gathering info and pricing on goods to be acquired or sitting in front of spreadsheets making lists. Very little of it is actual ‘hands on’ stuff like tromping out in the field, testing gear, stocking shelves, etc. For every three-day backpack trip theres a couple hundred hours of downtime doing this logistical stuff. But, its necessary and saves money in the long run.
Im very generous in what constitutes a Z-Deed. Reading “Where There Is No Doctor” before I go to bed counts. So does surfing various internet sites to research a product or idea.
What’s your feeling on first aid materials? Stockpile a lot of the more commonly useable things (butterfly sutures, things of that nature) or go for the whole minor-surgery route?
I’m personally going through EMT certification, and am going the whole minor-surgery route, but I’m curious as to your thoughts on first aid.
Also, I’m beginning a Deed of the Day myself. Today’s was reorganizing my BoB.
Re: Starter Kit?
Depends on what youre expecting. If its a three-day blackout like they had in NY its a somewhat different kit than if youre expecting a riot or the like.
For the minimum barebones, our friendly .fedgov has some lists at ready.gov … but you have the right idea.
Theres alot of factors…how many people? People with special needs? Staying put? Heading to a secondary location? Safe neighborhood? Neighbors you trust and know? Type of fuel that runs household? Type of vehicle owned? Etc, etc.
A basic 72-hour kit is a place to start…you then add to it as you see fit. Right off the bat – flashlights and battery radios and plenty of batteries (or, better, supplement with windup radio and windup flashlight), couple cases of bottled water, some food that requires absolutely no prep, spare fuel for vehicle, a supply of cash in small bills, whatever personal protection youre comfortable with, materials for patching/repairing broken windows, a heat source for warmth and cooking (kero or propane stove), basic-to-advanced first aid and medicines, extra sleeping gear (blankets, pillows, cot), toiletries, etc, etc.
There are lists at various websites saying what you should have…most overlap so you can get an idea of what the ‘must haves’ are. Again it really depends on what crisis your gearing up for and what your needs are.
You obviously need a minion 😉
My feeling is that too much is not enough. Too many first aid kits are full of band-aids and Bactine….if my booboo only needs a bandaid it aint a booboo. I want stuff for handling broken limbs, sliced flesh, and the various injuries youd get from burning buidlings, falling debris, dust and smoke injuries, running around in rubble, etc, etc.
I stock the commonly useable stuff (bandaids, neosporin, rolled gauze, various dressings, burn treatments, gauze pads, tape, instant ice packs, disposable thermometer, ibuprofin, acetominiphin, aspirin, SAM splint, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, betadine, sterile water, etc, etc, etc.) I have all this on a spreadsheet actually…and, yes, I do keep the surgical stuff like sutures, suture holders, scalpel blades and holders, penrose drains, etc, etc. because even if I didnt know how to use them, someone else might.
If you dont have it, get yourself a copy of “Where There Is No Doctor” and a copy of “Ditch Medicine”. Reviews of the first book are on the website. Reposted here:
Book review:
(MEDICAL) Where There Is No Doctor, David Werner, The Hesperian Foundation, ISBN 0-942364-15-5
Apparently written for “Peace Corps”-style situations, the book covers situations, illnesses, and remedies in Third World-type countries. Its still an extremely useful book for when, as the title says, no doctor is available. The appendix in the back of the book listing various medications, their dosages and suggested uses is unique in most of the ’emergency medicine’ books that are commonly found. The book assumes a Central/Latin American locale but is still quite useful. I found it to be excellent for recommending medicines and treatments for the many things that could occur in an extended crisis (Cholera, dysentary, fevers, parasites, infections, etc.) If I were scavenging through the remains of a burned out pharmacy or a wrecked ambulance I would want this book with me to tell me which meds to take and which to leave. Its definitely one of those ‘If you can only have one book’ sort of books.
Likes:
Wonderful reference in the back giving treatments and dosages for dealing with everything from giardia to postppartum bleeding
Another appendix lists brand-name medicines and their generic equivalents
Well written and nowhere near being too technical
Focussed on Third World medical situations, it’ll probably be pretty close to what to expect in a long-term disruption or crisis
Assumes little or no external medical assistance
Assumes caregiver/responder has little or no medical experience
Dislikes:
Has a bit of political leaning to it (“social awareness/justice”)
Doesnt cover trauma situations nearly as well as it could
Doesnt cover cold weather situations such as frostbite, hypothermia, etc.
Is this book worth buying? Absolutely. It would be my first choice when buying books on medical treatment and first aid.
Dont kid yourself, thats going to make it more difficult, not less.
Re: Starter Kit?
Definitely gets me thinking. Thanks, CZ!
Re: Starter Kit?
LOL. More food for thought.
OooH. Thats an interesting spin. I have been inspired by your implementation of the Zero Deed of the Day and I have, to a point, implemented such an idea for myself (though obviously not exactly the same as your definition).
By the way, Hello. Upon recommendations of I added you to my friends list awhile back. I would be the purveyor of the cd’s you may have seen called Kits Kool Tunes! as well as other bits.
It has been a pleasure reading you.
Other Medical Books
Some other good survival medical books:
Medicine for Mountaineering
NATO Emergency War Surgery
U.S. Army Special Forces Medical Handbook
Do-It-Yourself Medicine, by Ragnar Benson
Survival Nursing, by Ragnar Benson
I would also add the following:
A recent copy of Physicians Desk Reference (PDR) – You can often find “last years” copy on clearance at bookstores.
A recent Mereck Manual – NOT the “Home Edition”
A recent Mereck Index
Gray’s Anatomy
being prepared is good
but do remember when you got to make new because it is no longer available, a good well stocked bookcase should provide the nessary information you need. Wildflower
have fun always!