So you want to be a Soapmaker?

You`ve decided to take the plunge. You want to make your own soap, something else to add to your list of skills.  So you`ve studied and read, watched all the videos you can stand, even bought a couple of books.  Now what?

Well you`ve got to get some supplies together, there’s lots of stuff they say you have to have to make soap, and to a certain extent they`re probably right. Every book you`ve read, every video you`ve watched, they all seem to have been doing this for a long time, so they should know what they`re doing, right? It`s a pretty good chance that most of what you see and read will be biased towards that particular soap makers methods, but if you look past the hype, you`ll see that the basic methods are relatively similar. You`ll need to get your ingredients together, based on what type of soap you want to make. You`ll also need to start looking for a soap pot and all the other miscellaneous items that you`ll need along the way. Since you`re just starting out, visit your local Goodwill or thrift shop, this is a good place to find a lot of the basic tools you`ll need. Look for measuring cups, spatulas, large spoons (wooden ones are my favorite!), glass or stainless steel bowls, and anything else you might think you`ll need (a thermometer is real handy, I`ll explain why in a minute…). 

Next you need a pot. #1 rule, avoid aluminum. Making soap involves using lye (sodium hydroxide), which is a very volatile caustic. When lye comes in contact with aluminum, it makes hydrogen gas, not a good thing to have in your house as it`s extremely flammable! Use either stainless steel or a granite ware (enamel) pot. My recommendation is to go with the enamel, the extra mass in the pot helps to hold in heat, you`ll see why in a bit….

Now you need a scale, something to weigh your ingredients. Why a scale you ask? Why can`t I just use a measuring cup and be done with it? Well, most recipes that you`ll find are based on weight, not measure, and you`ll get a more exact quantity by using weight. And if you`re making a small batch, being off an ounce can mean the difference between soap and grease….(yuk!). Buy a good digital scale, avoid the spring loaded variety, they`re just not as reliable. The small postal scales work great, and most have a tare function (very important…), you`ll use this a lot once you start to experiment with different recipes.

Mixing. Yep, you need something to mix with, unless you really want to go old school and stir, stir, stir, and stir some more with just a spoon. Avoid the normal mixer, instead go for a stick blender. There are several reasons for this, #1 it`s easier to control with one hand, #2 it avoids getting a lot of air in your soap, and #3 it doesn`t splatter things all over (a good safety point when working with lye).

About lye…..

Lye is a caustic, very volatile and hygroscopic, meaning it readily takes to water. It`s so sensitive it will pull moisture right out of the air, just set a few granules of lye out and watch, you`ll be amazed at how fast it will change from a solid little chunk into a small pool of liquid. So when you’re making your lye measures, pour only what you plan to use immediately and keep the rest in a tightly closed container.

When shopping for lye, avoid the drain cleaner type, unless the ingredients list only sodium hydroxide. Drano and other types of drain cleaners have some lye in them, but they also have other chemicals that you really don`t want in your soap. Companies that supply the bio-diesel industry will be good sources of lye, and you`ll get a very reliable product from them.

Now a bit about safety. Always wear gloves. And safety glasses. Once the lye mixes with the water it will reach 250 degrees in about 3 seconds. You don`t want to get a caustic burn, that`s no fun. But…if you do get some on your skin, rinse it under cold water for at least 15 minutes, then air dry. This will neutralize most of the burning, but if it doesn`t stop, get to a hospital, they know how to handle these things. Don`t wait, don`t be the tough guy because caustic burns are the gift that keeps on giving. Until it`s fully neutralized, a caustic will continue to do what it does until it or you are gone.

Ok, so you`ve got your pot, now what to put in it? Here`s where the fun starts, you can mix and combine lots of different oils, botanicals, fragrances, and colorants to make many different types of soap. Everything from basic lard/lye soap just like granny used to make all the way up to French milled will be possible once you figure out the basics!

So let`s get started. We`ll go with a basic lard/lye mix that will make a very simple, long-lasting soap, and is fairly foolproof.

To start off, get all your tools ready, and make sure everything is organized and neat so you can see everything at a glance. Let`s start out by getting your lye ready. We`re looking for 6 oz of lye crystals, so here`s where the tare function of your scale comes into play. Using a small cup or bowl, place it on your scale and note the weight. Now, hit the tare button. Your weight will go to zero, this is how the tare works. Pour the lye crystals slowly into the container until you hit your weight. Depending on how fast your scale reacts, you might want to stop a bit short of the total , then add the remainder, this is easier than trying to repour some back. Get another container, this is going to hold the complete lye/water mix, so size it appropriately. Tare the container, then add 16 oz of water. Take these two ingredients to a well ventilated place (outside is best) and combine by pouring the lye slowly into the water. Never mix the water into the lye, this could cause the lye to react too fast, and possibly explode! Make you don`t lean over the container while mixing, the fumes that the mix gives off are very caustic, and will take your breath away. So avoid the coughing fit, mix outside and stay as clear of the mix as possible. Let this stand, the fumes will die down fairly quickly, but the heat will still be there, you`ll need that.

Next, we`ll measure out the lard. Using the same tare process as above, set your scale up and weigh out 3 lbs of lard. A quick word about lard, it should smell clean. If it doesn`t, then your soap won`t either. If you can`t find lard, or prefer not to use it, shortening can be used in its place (animal or vegetable, your choice). Move this to your soap pot and place it on low heat, just enough to get it melted.

Now retrieve the lye/water mix, being careful not to spill any of it. Place this in the sink and fill the sink up with cold water, enough to match the level of the liquid in your lye container, this will help cool the lye a bit faster. Now get your thermometer (told you I`d get to it) and check the temp of the lye. Swirl the mix about to blend the cold outer parts with the heat on the inside to balance everything. Dip the thermometer in and see what it reads, you`re looking for around 110 degrees. If it`s too hot, let it stand a bit longer, if it`s a bit cold, set it on the countertop, it`ll heat up a bit once out of the cold.

Rinse off the thermometer and check your lard. You want it to be around 100 degrees, but it`s probably a lot hotter than that by now. Here`s where that sink full of cold water comes in handy (you did leave the water in the sink didn`t you?). Set your pot in the cold water and swish it around a bit, pulling it out to check the temp of your lard every few minutes. This process will allow you to bring both ingredients to the temperature range you want very reliably.

So now we mix. Slowly pour the lye into the lard. Keeping the mixer on the bottom of the pot, start blending in short bursts, giving yourself a chance to get the feel of the mixer. Once the mix starts to come together, blend continuously, making sure to work around the edges, keeping the mixer submerged the whole time. If you want to add fragrance, now is the time to do it. 2-3 oz of fragrance oil, or a bit less if using essential oils will be just about right for a batch this size. This is also a good time to add extras. Finely ground oatmeal makes for a good exfoliant, and helps heal itchy skin, lavender buds add aroma therapy and color to the mix, the choice is yours. Oh, and there`s color too. Ground mica makes a good colorant, some vegetable pigments will work as well, or you could even try food coloring or even crayons! This is where the fun comes into soaping, trying different scents, experimenting with colorants, adding botanicals, it`s totally up to you as to how your soap turns out.

Ok, so you`ve got this mixture, and it`s starting to get a bit thick, thicker than when you started out. This is what is called trace. If you can make a line in the soap and it stays, then your right where you want to be. The soap will act just like pudding at this stage, so be prepared to pour it into your molds.

“Wait, you didn`t say anything about molds yet!!!!” Your right, I didn`t. This is another one of the parts of soaping that`s up to the individual soaper. Some people like to keep it simple and make their own molds, some prefer to buy them. For this type of soap, your best bet is to go with a silicone mold, the type they use for baking works best. This recipe will make a very hard bar, so plan on using a mold that will be in a shape you like. I`ve seen pumpkins, leaves, footballs, and many other shapes available, shop around a bit and see what you can come up with!

Pour the soap into the molds, filling them to the top. Placing the molds on trays so you can move them is always a good idea, the soap will still be soft for a day or so. Set the molds someplace out of the way and forget about them for a day or two, this will give the mix time to saponify. Saponification is the chemical process that takes place when you mix the lard with the lye, it creates a reaction that converts the mix into soap. This creates heat, so if your soap feels hot to the touch at this stage that`s okay.

Once the soap cools and had had a day or so to saponify, you can turn it out of the molds. The bars will be a bit soft still, so handle them carefully. Place them on a tray or shelf to cure, they will need about a month to fully cure out. After that, you can wrap the bars in whatever you choose, and store them in a cool dry place, or give some out as gifts. Once you`ve gifted someone with your homemade soap, they`ll be back for more!

So have fun, be safe, and make some soap! Be bold, experiment, see what you can come up with!

Materials List/Quantity:

Lard/Shortening -3 lbs.

Water – 16 oz

Lye -6 oz

Interesting fact – lye soap helps cure poison ivy, and also helps to remove cuss words from the mouths of children...

US poverty on track to rise to highest since 1960s

This was on Yahoo today, kinda reafirms what I`ve been seing around here for some time...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The ranks of America's poor are on track to climb to levels unseen in nearly half a century, erasing gains from the war on poverty in the 1960s amid a weak economy and fraying government safety net.

Census figures for 2011 will be released this fall in the critical weeks ahead of the November elections.

The Associated Press surveyed more than a dozen economists, think tanks and academics, both nonpartisan and those with known liberal or conservative leanings, and found a broad consensus: The official poverty rate will rise from 15.1 percent in 2010, climbing as high as 15.7 percent. Several predicted a more modest gain, but even a 0.1 percentage point increase would put poverty at the highest level since 1965.

Poverty is spreading at record levels across many groups, from underemployed workers and suburban families to the poorest poor. More discouraged workers are giving up on the job market, leaving them vulnerable as unemployment aid begins to run out. Suburbs are seeing increases in poverty, including in such political battlegrounds as Colorado, Florida and Nevada, where voters are coping with a new norm of living hand to mouth.

http://news.yahoo.com/us-poverty-track-rise-highest-since-1960s-112946547--finance.html

Not to be a doom & gloomer, but I`ve been watching this trend rise for quite a while now. Not sure what the tipping point will be, but it`s coming. The We/They....Have/Have Not society is being ushered in at a rapid pace, better get your ducks in a row....

Spreading my wings....

OK, so I really can`t fly, really...I can`t.

Don`t ask either, I won`t try.

But...I`ve started a new venture, trying to expand my reperotoire of skills, I`ve started writing. Nothing fancy, just a simple article for a new e-mag that`s starting up. They approached me through the APN some time ago, asking if I would be interested in doing an article about soapmaking (one of my passions), so naturally I jumped at the chance! Who wouldn`t? You don`t get chances like this every day, so I figured I better go for it!

Happy to Survive, that`s the name of the magazine, it`s currently available only through iTunes, but Dave says that will change in the future. They`re going to put my article in the next month`s edition, gonna have to track down somebody with an Ipad so I can see it!

Happy to Survive

The storm of the year.....

Headed to Dayton around 2:00 PM, bright and sunny, and plenty hot. Had the car packed, medium cooler full of drinks & ice, extra food rations, etc...good weather for driving, clear & sunny.

We were at Wright Patterson for the summer Tattoo when this rolled in. The security folks told everybody to stay in their cars until the "storm" passed, they expected it to last until 5:30 or 6, and then the show would get started...

The storm rolled in...hard and fast, real fast. It shook everything in sight, we watched as many of the displays and attractions in the vendor area took flight...I put the car radio into seek to find a local station, just happening to run across one that was on site doing a live broadcast. They were trying their best to keep people informed of what was happening around them, but the situation was changing too fast for them to keep up. They finally went with telling everybody to just stay away until things calmed down.

The wind and rain let up pretty quick, but hit again just as fast and just as hard. The radio crew buzzed in & out until the sky finally started to clear a bit. We waited for news. The radio crew gave us updated as quick as they could, trying to keep up with the security details and the medical crews. Once the grounds were secure again the site personnel did a damage control estimate, and found that the main stage was bent about 6 feet to the right. From that point they cancelled the event, so we headed for the gate. An ambulance wwas hot on our heels, so we pulled over to let them pass, then hounddogged them through the gate and onto the surface streets. Everything was a mess, lots of debris and trees down everywhere. Picking my way through the traffic, I managed to find an alternat route to I-75, so we slipped off the main road. Traffic was slow, but still moving. We finnaly made it to the highway, then headed north.

The road was busy, but things were moving along at a pretty good clip. Every time we encountered a town we would pull off, only to find no power, lots of damage & debris. Piquia, Sidney, Troy, and all the other smaller towns up the I-75 corridor had been hit. Once we hit Wapakoneta and saw the same damage, we knew this was going to be bad, really bad. Pulling off at one of the Lima exits, we made our way through town, only to find more of the same we had just left.

And lines. Gas stations swarmed with people, long lines of people. Any restaraunt that stil had power was packed, with people waiting outside to get in. Stopping at the local Meijer`s, we went inside to check how things were, and the results were incredible. People grabbing everything they could (except water....imagine that..) and storming the checkouts. We made our way out of the meley and hit the road again, heading for home. Most of the territory was dark by this time, not a light to be seen. We stopped briefly outside of Columbus Grove to reconoiter on the situation, then took the back way into town.

It looks like a bomb had just gone off. In fact more like a lot of bombs had gone off. Trees, signs siding, you name it it was in the street. I carefully picked my way through town, trying to avoid the worst hit areas. We were heading for SR 65, but there was a train off the tracks in the middle of town....once again we took the back way, up old 65.

I tried to cut across after the first couple of roads, but the state patrol was blocking entrance to 65. A truck was on it`s side, along with a stretch of about 20 power poles that had gone down. So we turned around, back to the backroads...

We finally made it home a bit later, and could see the damage from a distance. Part of an outbuilding had lost its roof, shingles, pylwood and all, stripped down to the bare rafters. The house itself lost some shingled, a bit of flashing, and part of a wall was blown in. A brick wall. Solid brick. Two courses deep. blown into the attic. An awning over one of the windows was trashed, a could of trees down. And the plywood floor of our larger trailer was gone....just gone?

We checked the building and grounds over thoroughly, did as good of a damage assesment as we could in the dark, trying to button things up as good as we could. Then we headed back to town. I had let the gan cans run down ( poor planning on my part) so we needed to find fuel. I took a different route on the way back, still sticking with the backroads. I pushed hard until I found a Shell station outside of Cairo that was pumping. Only cash paying customers, no plastic. People were getting turned away, and not happy about it, not happy at all. We filled our cans and topped off the car, then made our way back along the same route.

I fired up the generator, plugged in the fridge & freezer, then hit the bed. Woke up early the next day, did a more thorough assesment, took lots of pics, then called the insurance. They set up a contractor to come out and secure everything, so we started setting up camp, figuring we were in this for the long haul.

The contractors showed up a couple of hours later, and did a quality job of taking care of things. I left them with fresh ICE cold bottled water and sent them on their way, then we go to work ourselves. We cut, we cleared, we stacked, finally got the yard back in shape. Then it was time to head inside. Opened every window in the house, got the fans running, and finished setting up camp. The grill was set up, camp stove in place, all the tools and utensils that were needed were at hand. Inside, we set up a water station, somewhere to corral all the empties sothey could get refilled. The weather radio got new batteries, all the flashlights and lanterns were accounted for, everybody was assigned their own personnal light (to keep on themselves at all times). All the extra appliances were moved out of the way.

OK, time for a deep breath....camp was set, fuel was procurred, now how long will this be "normal"? I called AEP, let them know about the lines down in front of our property, the girl on the phone was very glad to hear from me, a friendly voice in the midst of chaos. She explained what was happening in detail, what they were doing and when we could expect to see the crews out our way.

July 7th.

July 7th, this was June 30th. Weatherman on the radio said 90+ temps with a heat index of over 100 as far as you could see.

Not good. Time to hunker down, figure out our daily priorities. We worked in the early morning, cam in around 10:00. Slept in front of the fan for a bit, then headed for the basement. Played games and napped most of the mid-day, waiting out the worst of the heat, then went back out after the sun went down. Hauled water. I had a stash in the basement, after we used that up we started on the water heater. Took turns filling the jugs and bucket, hauling it upstairs to stage for later use. Fixed something to eat later after the heat died down, by this time it was past 9 or 10:00. Went to bed and reset for the next day.

This was life for the next few days. We did get some work done around the house wn had been putting off, so all was not lost, but the day to day chores took a lot out of us in the extreme heat. Things happened slow, nothing was rushed. We did venture into town tw odays after to check on the clean-up progress, things were statrting to look a bit better.

The we went by Arby`s. Only place in town open. Cars paked IN THE STREET and people waiting in line to get in....we went home. Back where it was safe.

Went out to check the genny last night about 2:30, the road just east of us had power! Lucky bastards (I do remeber saying a few choice words in their direction...must have been the heat...). Topped off the fuel and went to bed thinking we would be next.

Today. 3:00. Got power back. Rather a nice feeling, having the AC running again.

Learned a few things along the way..

You can never have enough water. Never.

You can do without a lot when you put your mind to it.

You can survive through a lot if you plan well, and adjust your plans along the way to meet changing circumstances...

So that`s my story and I`m sticking to it....

the meditation garden...

It`s not big. It`s not flashy, but it`s a good spot when you need a quiet moment.

Everyone should have a meditation garden. A dedicated space just to zone out for a bit, take a bit of me time. A place where you can stop, stop all the daily endeavors and just be....

This took us about a year to finally get to this point, lots of planning, lots of patience. The main outline was laid out a year ago, the stones were ones that were collected over time as they became available. Whenever I drove past a field or construction site and saw a pile of rocks, I would stop and ask if I could take some. Most folks were more than glad to get rid of them, especially the farmers.

The area was tilled, and mulch  was collected from the city building for the base layer. Our town has a dump station where people can drop off their yard waste, so when they collect enough they hire in a grinder to reduce it to mulch, and give it back to the community. Irises and lilies were collected from the old home place and given new homes along the border. Creeping junipers  were planted around the base of each tree. Columbine and more lilies were added at the base of each tree, and thyme was put in place to anchor each end of the park bench. Solar lights from the Dollar Tree were added at roughly five foot intervals around the perimeter to add a warm glow in the evening.

Large pavers were purchased from the local Lowe`s and used to create a pathway to the old park bench. The white garden bench was a shop project, just some used lumber found in a junk pile and repurposed into something useful.

The angels are gifts that I have purcahsed over time for my wife, they now have a fitting home. So for minimal cost, and a bit of time, we now have this oasis of tranquility right outside our door. When you need a time out from the world, just step across the threshold and enter a new world.

Here`s the link to the pics on Flickr...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/edthepilgrim/sets/72157630289951276/

I`ll add more as time goes by, this project should take on a life of it`s own after a bit....

What Are the Symptoms of Heat-Related Illnesses?

What Are the Symptoms of Heat-Related Illnesses?

Heat exhaustion symptoms include:

·         Severe, sometimes disabling, cramps that typically begin suddenly in the hands, calves, or feet.

·         Hard, tense muscles

·         Fatigue  

·         Nausea

·         Headaches

·         Excessive thirst

·         Muscle aches and cramps

·         Weakness

·         Confusion or anxiety

·         Drenching sweats, often accompanied by cold, clammy skin.

·         Slowed or weakened heartbeat.

·         Dizziness

·         Fainting

·         Agitation

Heat exhaustion requires immediate attention but is not usually life-threatening.

Heat stroke symptoms include:

·         Nausea and vomiting

·         Headache

·         Dizziness or vertigo

·         Fatigue

·         Hot, flushed, dry skin

·         Rapid heart rate

·         Decreased sweating

·         Shortness of breath

·         Decreased urination

·         Blood in urine or stool

·         Increased body temperature (104 to 106 degrees)

·         Confusion, delirium, or loss of consciousness

·         Convulsions

Heat stroke can occur suddenly, without any symptoms of heat exhaustion. If a person is experiencing symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, GET MEDICAL CARE IMMEDIATELY. Any delay could be fatal. Seek emergency medical care for anyone who has been in the heat and who has the following symptoms:

·         Confusion, anxiety, or loss of consciousness

·         Very rapid or dramatically slowed heartbeat

·         Rapid rise in body temperature that reaches 104 to 106 degrees Fahrenheit

·         Either drenching sweats accompanied by cold, clammy skin (which may indicate heat exhaustion); or a marked decrease in sweating accompanied by hot, flushed, dry skin (which may indicate heat stroke)

·         Convulsions

·         Any other heat-related symptom that is not alleviated by moving to a shady or air-conditioned area and administering fluids and salts

Galtstrike...

Ok, so you wanna know what a Galtstrike is don`tcha ?

Go here....and read the ***READ THIS FIRST*** post, this will explain a lot.

http://www.galtstrike.com/forum/index.php

It`s a way for people to reduce what the government takes from them, and do it in a legally. Something we all need to work on, as the powers that be take way too many liberties with our money. Reduce what they can take and reduce their power. They need money to fuel the political machine, so lets cut their supply lines...

Small steps, you don`t have to go underground or anything like that (unless you wanna...). Anything you can do to reduce your "tax footprint", from taking your money out of the bank to reducing your taxable income.

That`s not a knife.....

Mate...

Immortal words from our hero "Crocodille Dundee". He did have a rather hefty blade at his disposal, that`s for sure!

So on to my new "croc skinner"...

Just got this today at Harbor Freight, on sale for less that $10.00! It`s a bit over 13" long, the blade is around 8" alone! It has the prerequisite button compass in the end cap, and their version of a "survival kit". Some matches (nothing to light them on...), fishing line and hook, sewing needle and three colors of string, and some BUTTONS!!!!!

aHEM...

Well if I ever loose a button in the woods, wouldn`t want to end up looking like a bum now would I???? Gonna have to rework this survival kit thingy, should have space enough for what I need, some firestarting goods, maybe some first aid, not much more than that.

Book Reveiw....It`s A Disaster...and what are you gonna do about it?

OK, my first actual book reveiw.

I posted about this book earlier, but this was previous to my reading it. Now that I`m done (had to go back through it again!) here`s my thought`s....

From bee stings to biological terrorism, dog bite to dirty bombs, there`s something to cover it here. Very well laid out, Bill and Janet lead you through how to develop an emergency plan, listing out items in a very logical and straightforward manner. Developing emergency plans, creating a kit, supplies to stock, how to personalize it to meet your needs, its all there. There are even sections dealing with special needs, inculding the elderly, disabled, and even pets!

What to do before a disaster strikes, how to mitgate your losses. This is it`s own section, very thorough and to the point. They explain the who what where when and why`s of mitigation, making it easy for the reader to follow. This leads into specific sections on how to deal with whatever comes your way, be it fire. flood, or a whole other host of issues.

From there the reader is given specific instruction on how to work within each type of event. What to do beforehand, how to deal with the situation during, then how to recover once it`s over. Each section is item specific to the type of event you would be dealing with, so no fear of any over generalization here!

First aid. This is a section near and dear to my heart, being in the emergency response field for over 8 years now...all I can say is WOW! This part reads like a training manual given to new responders during their initial training classes. ABC`s, CPR, and a whole host of other topics are covered. Things to watch for, what to do, the procedure listed will guide you in the right direction, and impress the squad when they arrive! By following the instructions given, and you could save a life, I have no doubt about this. Much of the info listed in here is straight out of training manuals, I feel I could teach my squad refresher classes with this book!

A simple, straightforward, easy to follow format. Every family needs to have a copy of this book, to use as a guideline on how to be ready when disaster strikes.

I give this one 5 stars! I keep my copy in my EDC bag, it goes everywhere I go!

When You're The Doctor: Over The Counter Medicines

Another great post, this time from Dr Bones, a big contributor to the APN on medical issues.

When You're The Doctor: Over The Counter Medicines

Author:  Dr. Bones
Website: DoomAndBloom.net

Hey Preppers,

We spend a lot of time talking about natural and alternative remedies, and have made recommendations of what herbal medicines to have in your storage. We’ve also discussed antibiotics and a number of other prescription medications you should stockpile and how to obtain them. We haven’t spent much time, however, on which over-the-counter medications are important to stockpile now.

Over the counter (OTC) medications deal with a wide variety of problems; many of them were once prescription medications. These medications are widely available, and easy to accumulate in quantity. As such, they are ideal for the survival medic’s cache of medical supplies. Given the complexity of manufacturing pharmaceuticals, these drugs will be nearly impossible to produce after a collapse. Even aspirin, the oldest manufactured drug, won’t be available (at least not in a form you’ll recognize).

The Physician’s Desk Reference puts out a guide to OTC medications with descriptions, images, risks, benefits, dosages, and side effects. Consider this book for your survival medical library.
Let’s put together a list of what you absolutely must have in quantity as part of your medical supplies. The medications will be listed by their generic names, with U.S. brand names in parenthesis where applicable. Adult doses are also listed. Here’s our list, in no particular order:

Ibuprofen 200mg (Motrin, Advil): A popular pain reliever, anti-inflammatory, and fever reducer. This medication is useful for many different problems, which makes it especially useful as a stockpile item. It can alleviate pain from strains, sprains, arthritis, and traumatic injury. As well, it can help reduce inflammation in the injured area. Ibuprofen is also useful in reducing fevers from infections. The downside to Ibuprofen is that it can cause stomach upset. Ibuprofen can be used 1 or 2 every 4 hours, 3 every 6 hours, or 4 every 8 hours.

Acetaminophen 325mg (Tylenol): Another popular pain reliever and fever reducer, this medication is known as Tylenol in the United States. It can be used for all of the problems that you can take Ibuprofen for, with the added benefit of not causing stomach irritation or thinning the blood. Unfortunately, it has no significant anti-inflammatory effect. This drug is excellent for treatment of pain and fevers in children at lower doses. Tylenol comes in regular and extra strength (650mg); adults take 1-2 every 4 hours.

An Aside: Patients with heat stroke receive no benefit from efforts to reduce their body core temperature with Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen; these drugs work best when the fever is caused by an infection, and don’t work as well when infection is not involved (e.g., heat stroke).

Asprin, 325mg: If you have Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen in your medical storage, why consider Aspirin? Aspirin has been around since the late 19th century as a pain-reliever, fever reducer, and anti-inflammatory, but it has blood thinning properties as well, as may be all we have to help those with medical issues that require the use of anti-coagulants It also useful to treat older folks with coronary artery disease. If you suspect someone of having a heart attack, have them chew an adult aspirin immediately. The ingredient in Aspirin can also be obtained by chewing on a cut strip of the underbark of a willow, aspen or poplar tree. Take 2 adult aspirin for pain, fever, and inflammation, 1 baby aspirin (81mg) daily to help with coronary artery disease and as an anticoagulant. In a collapse situation, higher doses may be appropriate to replace drugs like Coumadin, but have not been fully researched. Watch for stomach upset.

Loperamide, 2mg (Imodium): There’s a high likelihood of food and water contamination issues in a collapse situation, so this medication is essential as an anti-diarrheal. By slowing intestinal motility, less water loss and, thus, dehydration, will occur; dehydration due to diarrheal disease killed more soldiers in the Civil War than bullets did. With diarrheal disease, you often have nausea and vomiting, so you will want to have:

Meclizine 12.5, 25, 50mg(Dramamine, Antivert): Mecilizine is a medication that helps prevent nausea and vomiting. Often used to prevent motion sickness, Meclizine also helps with dizziness, and tends to act as a sedative as well. As such, it may have uses as a sleep aid or anti-anxiety medication. Take 1 25mg tablet 1 hour before boarding , or 50-100mg daily in divided doses for dizziness, anxiety or sleep.

Triple Antibiotic Ointment (Neosporin, Bacitracin, Bactroban): In situations where we are left to fend for ourselves, we’ll be chopping wood and performing all sorts of tasks that will expose us to risk of injury. When those injuries break the skin, it puts us in danger of infections which could lead to a life threatening condition. Triple antibiotic ointment is applied at the site of injury to prevent this from happening. It should be noted that triple antibiotic ointment won’t cure a deep infection; you would need oral or IV antibiotics for that, but using the ointment immediately after an injury will give you a good chance at preventing it. Apply 3-4 times a day.

Diphenhydramine 25mg, 50mg(Benadryl): An antihistamine that helps alleviate the itching, rashes, nasal congestion and other symptoms of allergic reactions. It also helps drain the nasal passages in some respiratory infections. At the higher 50 mg dose, it makes an effective sleep aid. Use 25mg every 6 hours for mild reactions, 50mg every 6 hours for severe reactions, anxiety or sleep.

Hydrocortisone cream (1%): Speaking of rashes, this cream is used for various types of dermatitis that causes redness, flakiness, itching, and thickening of the skin. It’s a mild steroid which reduces inflammation and, as such, the various symptoms of allergic dermatitis, eczema, diaper rash, etc. Apply 3-4 times a day to affected area.

Omeprazole 20-40mg, Cimetidine 200-800mg, Ranitidine 75-150mg, (Prilosec, Tagamet, Zantac, respectively): In a situation where we may be eating things we’re not accustomed to, we may have issues with stomach acid. These antacids will calm heartburn, queasiness, and stomach upset. Calcium Carbonate (Tums) or Magnesium sulfate (Maalox) are also fine in solid form. These medications are also useful for acid reflux and ulcer disease. Look for my article on these issues and medications in the near future.

Clotrimazole, Miconazole cream/powder(Lotrimin, Monistat): Infections can be bacterial, but they can also be caused by fungus. Common examples of this would be Athlete’s feet (tinea pedis), vaginal infections (monilia), ringworm , and jock itch (tinea cruris). Clotrimazole and Miconazole are examples of anti-fungal medications that would be useful to treat these conditions, which will be just as common in times of trouble as they are now, if not more. Apply twice a day externally, or once daily intra-vaginally. Some vaginal creams come in different strengths. In some, the whole treatment course is over in one day; in others, 3 days or a week.

Multivitamins: In a societal collapse, the unavailability of a good variety of food may lead to dietary deficiencies, not just in calories but in vitamins and minerals. Vitamin C deficiency, for example, leads to Scurvy. To prevent these issues, you should have plenty of multivitamins, commercial or natural, in your medical storage. You won’t have to take these on a daily basis; many multivitamins give you MORE than you need if taken daily, and you’ll just excrete what your body can’t absorb. In a collapse, once a week would be sufficient to prevent most problems.

The good news is that you can probably obtain a significant amount of all of the above drugs for a reasonable amount of money. To retain full potency, these medications should be obtained in pill or capsule form; avoid the liquid versions of any of these medicines if at all possible. When storing, remember that medications should be stored in cool, dry, dark places. A medicine stored at 90 degrees will lose potency much faster than one stored at 50 degrees.

Over the counter drugs are just another tool in the medical woodshed; accumulate them as well as prescription drugs such as antibiotics. Essential oils, herbal supplements, and medical equipment are also important. With a good stockpile, you’ll have everything you need to keep it together health-wise, even if everything else falls apart.
Dr. Bones

What would you do in a survival situation when help is NOT on the way? The Doom and Bloom™ Survival Medicine Handbook is a must-have addition to your survival library! If you're responsible for the health of your loved ones, you'll want this medical guide to keeping it together, even if everything else falls apart. See the trailer at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb3vdQecUPM

The origian was published here on Sunday, January 29, 2012....

 

http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.com/2012/01/when-youre-doctor-over-counter.html

 

The 10 Rules For Your Emergency Food Pantry

Here`s a great post I found that was published on the APN by Tess Pennington. There`s a lot of good information here, things you should consider when building up your pantry stores....

The 10 Rules For Your Emergency Food Pantry

By Tess Pennington 

Those of you who plan to take the first steps toward preparing for emergencies may feel a bit overwhelmed at where to begin. After all, there is a lot of food to choose from at the grocery stores. Many websites, including this one encourage families to start buying small amounts of food related preparedness items each time they go shopping. This way, your budget is not dramatically affected.

Food storage calculators are a great tool to incorporate in your preparedness planning, and can help you understand how much food your family will need for a given emergency. The food storage calculations can also be printed out and used as an inventory list to keep you on track in terms of what preparedness supplies you have and will need.

To make the most of your emergency food supply, keep these essential food pantry rules in mind before purchasing:

1. Caloric intake is an important factor in survival. In any disaster situation, you want to avoid malnutrition. Having foods stored to prevent this health issue will keep you at your optimum health. Stock up on foods that provide you with essential nutrients to maintain body functions, proteins and carbohydrates, fats for energy, as well as foods that are not high in salt (the more salty your food is, the more water you will drink). To calculate how many calories you will need in your diet, click here.
2. Consider buying multifunctional food items. Items that can serve more than one purpose will help your finances, as well as save precious space in the food storage pantry. Items such as oats, pasta, rice, wheat and beans are some great low-cost foods will serve a variety of uses.
3. Store high energy snacks to help boost energy levels. Eating snacks that are high in complex carbohydrates and protein will provide you with a guaranteed energy boost. High energy snacks such as nuts, peanut butter, crackers, granola bars and trail mix can be stored for up to 1 year and will help keep energy levels and spirits high in an emergency scenario.
4. Bring on the protein! Protein is an essential ingredient in our daily diets and cannot be omitted out of a survival diet. Canned meat is a good source of protein and can also help you maintain your energy level. Meats such as tuna, ham, chicken and spam are great additions to the food pantry and are multifunctional. (Remember, the oil in canned meat can be used as an emergency candle.) Beans are another great source of protein, and when beans are accompanied with rice, it makes a complete protein which provides all the amino acids needed to survive. One serving of beans and rice provides 19.9 g, or 40 percent of your daily vitamins.
5. Don't forget the basics. Essential staples such as cooking oil, flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, spices, baking soda, baking powder and vinegar should not be overlooked.  If they are present in your kitchen, they should likewise be present in the emergency food supply.
6. Convenience helps in stressful situations. Many moms know that boxed dinners can be a lifesaver when you are in a time crunch. Having some pre-packaged dinners and meals-to-grab during emergency scenarios will help you being acclimating yourself to cooking in a grid down scenario as well as can help provide some comfort at the same time. Personally speaking, my family has the "just add water" pancake mixes, corn breads and drink mixes that are a great convenience.
7. Variety's the very spice of life, that gives it all it's pleasure. Variety in your food pantry is important and can prevent the monotony of the same type of food. Having a well rounded food storage will cut down on culinary boredom, as well as balance your diet. Further, stocking up on a variety of spices will also enhance your food pantry.
8. Find comfort in the little things. Have some comfort food items that provide enjoyment to the family. Items such as popcorn, sweet cereals, hard candy, juice boxes, pickles, applesauce, pudding, cookies could be a great way to provide a bit of normalcy to the emergency situation you may face.
9. Have backs up for your backs ups. Compressed food bars are lightweight, taste good and are nutritious. Having food bars as a back up to your existing food supply can provide you with piece of mind knowing you have an alternative to turn to if you run out of food. Further, these are great additions to your 72-hour bag or bug out vehicle. A review of the different types of bars can be read here or you can practice your survival skills and make your own with this recipe. MRE's are another alternative food choice to turn to if you happen to run out of food in your pantry. Although many have turned their nose up at MRE's (due to their high amounts of preservatives), it will provide you with sufficient calories and nutrition when it counts. Note: These should not be the only items in your food supply. Overtime, you could become nutrient and vitamin deficient. Need a Kit? click here
10. Rotate and resupply when needed. Any items bought to the food storage closet should be used, rotated and resupplied. This is the best way to have the freshest foods available in the event that a disaster occurs. When organizing food reserves place the item that has the earliest expiration date in the front so that it is used first. FIFO is a well known acronym used in the restaurant business that stands for, “First In, First Out,” and can be incorporated in your food storage endeavors. Do an inventory check every 6 months to make sure that canned goods, preserves and other storage items are within their expiration dates.

Keeping the above considerations in mind when purchasing your food supply will provide your family with a well rounded food pantry stocked with an array of foods that will assist in promoting a healthy diet. Not listed in the suggestions is water. You must have water to survive. To learn more about potable water, click here. It would be prudent to have a 2-week supply of water on hand, as well as a water filtration device to rely on for extended disasters.

Prepping is a passion for some. For others it is the most efficient way to keep their family as safe as possible. For further resources and a list of essential items for your emergency supply, click here.

The original was posted here on January 28, 2012....

 

http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.com/2012/01/10-rules-for-your-emergency-food-pantry.html

The American Preppers Network is conducting a Network-Wide Roll Call....

These Network-Wide Roll calls only happen a few times a year and serve a few purposes. They remind people that haven't been to the forum in awhile to come back and check us out and see what's new, plus they also serve as a membership drive. But it's much more than that. They help you, our members, to better network with each other. Members who haven't been back in awhile can reconnect with members that are still active. New members can network with more experienced members, and members who've been trying to start meetup groups and get-togethers have a better opportunity to connect with each other. But most of all, there is a huge brainstorm of tips, ideas and information that we all share with each other.

Please respond to this post and let us know what you've been doing to prepare lately. Share any tips, ideas or educational information that you might have for others. The information you share is especially helpful to new members who are checking in.

In addition to responding to this post, please also respond to your states group as well and check to see if there are any new meetup plans.

To respond to your states roll call, follow this link to the state directory:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewforum.php?f=36

Then click the "Check In Here" link for your state and respond to the most recent Roll Call.

It`s a Disaster....

Gotcha dint I!

Really it`s not that bad, just putting up a post for FedHealth, to promote their book "It`s a Disaster"

No matter where you live there is a chance some type of disaster or emergency can (or at some time will) occur. Whether it’s a flood, wildfire, hurricane, a chemical spill forcing an evacuation, or your child getting a bloody nose – stuff happens.

The question is … what are YOU gonna do about it?

"IT'S A DISASTER!..." helps families and businesses "be aware, be prepared, and have a plan" for most types of emergencies and disasters (including Terrorism). The 268-page paperback provides quick-reference instructional bullets in 2-color format. It is not written to alarm people, rather it suggests tips on what folks should think about and do before, during and after specific types of scenarios, as well as how to administer basic first aid.

There is a lot of information in our book … possibly more than some people may want to read, but it's a handy reference tool to keep on the shelf, in kits, desk drawers and vehicles. We believe if more people take responsibility and learn what to do ~ it could alleviate some problems, fear and stress on ourselves, our First Responders and nation.
Most books combining both disaster preparedness and first aid can run $30 - $50, but our $14.99 paperback is available here for only $14.00 U.S. (for 1 to 4 copies) .. or .. $7.00 (for 5 to 20 copies)! Need over 20, please call.

If you would like to order the book, there`s a link on the top right of my page that takes you directly to their site...

thanx,
Ed

Cooking with Cob, Part II.....cooking vessels

So you`ve built your oven and developed a bit of a homesite for your rag-tag group...

You`ve learned you CAN build with only your bare hands and maybe a camp shovel (if you’re lucky enough to have one…)

Now, how do you cook with this thing?

  Direct contact. Place your raw food directly on the floor of the oven. This will work best for bread or similar items. You will need to fashion a peel to load/unload the oven, so on to the next step.

  Get your axe….you did remember to grab it didn`t you? The tools and utensils you will need can all be made with just an axe, and refined a bit with a hatchet if you have one along...everything can be made by riving (splitting along the grain lines). Even the carving part can be done by a bit of judicious splitting.

  Planking. This is an old method of cooking, mainly used for fish or meat. Start with a piece of wood approximately 1” thick, and as long/wide as the food you will be cooking. Typically people use cedar, but many woods are good like alder, oak, maple, cherry or apple. You can make planks rather easily by splitting them down from logs, riving out the size you need. Give the planks a good soak in water for around an hour or so before use that will keep them from bursting into flames when you put them in the oven.

  Trencher. A carved wooden plate, the name coming from the Old French tranchier; "to cut". When you’re splitting out planks, save some of the more straight grained pieces to be carved out for trenchers. They work well for porridges and stews, or you could make them a bit small and make a basic pie using them for the serving dish. If you carve them deep enough you can fashion loaf pans for bread baking.        

You will also need utensils, so whoever in your group is handy at a bit of woodworking will be the one to take on this task and teach the others. First item is to make a peel. You`ve probably seen them in the pizza commercials or on the cooking shows, the long handled gadget that they reach into the oven to get the pizza out with.  Your probably won`t need to be quite as big right now, you`re working with a smaller oven.  You`ll also need a hook, something long enough to reach the back of the oven and pull out planks or trenchers.

By dividing up the tasks, you can make short work of all this, and build confidence in the group by delegating out work to those best suited. This seems like a lot, but your new “family” will need to stay busy. Too much free time and people start to worry about their situation. Keep them busy and productive, at the end of the day they`ll feel like a more cohesive unit, the ties they develop during this work will help to foster the strength to get them through the hard times.

You`ve built an oven, a place to feed the group. You`ve made tools and utensils, and things for people to eat off of. You`ve done this as a group, with hardly any tools.  An axe, maybe a hatchet and a shovel are all you need for this.

The heart of every home is always considered the kitchen….guess what?

You just gave your new “home” a heart…

Cooking with Cob...

So you`ve made the great escape, made it out of dodge with your BOB intact. You didn`t have enough time/money/whatever to develop a BOL, and you have a group of people along that you`ve collected along the way. Everybody has contributed something in the way of supplies (food mostly...). So, now they look to you as their “leader” to figure everything out.

They`re getting hungry, and not everybody will be willing to take their turn waiting on dinner to be cooked in the one little pot you managed to salvage along the way, so how to feed this mob? This is where cob comes in.  Lots of food can be cooked at one time, and rather quickly. No need for a large fire, this method is from ancient days and is still being practiced today.

So what is cob? Cob is an earth based building material, normally fashioned from mud, clay, straw, grass, rocks, or whatever else you have on hand. Think adobe, mud hut, just on a smaller scale. To build you oven requires only time and manpower, all the materials can be found in nature. Straw/grass can be cut & dried from any field or roadside.  Rocks…well everybody can find rocks, they`re everywhere. Mud/clay, this is the part you might have to hunt/dig for. Most regions of the US have natural clay deposits; you just have to know how to find them.

Once you find your clay, dig a lot of it and move it to your chosen building site. Start a “pit” to mix the clay and mud, add the straw/grass as a binder. Mixing works easiest when done by foot traffic, so pick a few people to stomp around in the goo. Send everybody that`s not mixing on a rock hunt, the more the merrier.  Find as many as possible, the bigger the better. If you can find a pile of discarded bricks even better!

Now you`ve got your rocks, you`ve got your clay/mud/straw mix (cob), now to get building. Start by stacking your most stable rocks in a ring, fill the inside with the smaller ones and dirt, and pack it down good. Once you get up to a workable height, make a level platform with your flattest rocks (or bricks if you have any). This will be your cooking surface, make it as nice a possible using your best materials. Build a ledge on one side; this will be the entry/exit for your oven. Now,  build up a dome shape using sand or something you can remove later without too much trouble, size it to hold a small fire and what you will be cooking. Cover this with paper, straw, old fabric, or what you have, just something to keep it from sticking to the next layer.

Now comes the cob. Cover your dome with a generous layer, several inches thick. Form into whatever final shape you desire, most of these I have seen are simple mounds, but here`s where the artist in your group can flourish. Let them have free reign to finish the final coat, adding whatever decoration they might fancy.  Allow this to dry for a few days, maybe up to a week. Then dig out the inner dome, smooth the inside faces of the oven while you’re at it. Let this dry for another day or so, and then build a series of small fires inside the oven to help speed up the curing process. While working through this stage, fashion a door for the oven, this will help speed the cooking process by controlling heat loss.

You can cook with the fire inside of the oven, or dig out the coals and let the residual heat do the job, this will allow for more food to be in the oven at one time. Remember, wood burns at over 400 degrees, so once you have your oven fired and warmed up; this will be the temperature range you will be working with. Plan ahead on how you will be cooking, as the oven will hold heat for a long time.

Once all this is said and done, you will have a very serviceable oven capable of cooking a wide variety of foods. You have also established a sense of order and permanence in your group; this will help to build the bonds of community and family, as they are your new “family”.

Here`s a link to one of my favorite ovens I have found on the web…

http://sourdough.com/building-cob-oven