Tag: first aid

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The Myth of rising to the occasion

Prepare for summer

It is important that we deliberately choose how we spend our time. After all, it is our most valuable resource. No matter what we do, we can never get it back once it is spent. Each morning we have 1,440 minutes deposited in our accounts, that we must spend, there is no saving it. We can choose to waste it or use it, it is all up to us.

There is a myth that is commonly perpetuated, but is no less a myth. It is the myth that when bad things happen to us we will rise to the occasion. This is a dangerous idea, as it could not be further from the truth. It has been proven time and time again that you or I will not rise to the occasion, we will fall to the highest level of training we have mastered.

It behoovs us to train and develop the skills we need to meet our needs during a potential disaster. This is anything from a natural disaster like a cataclysmic earthquake (The Big One) to a man-made disaster such as the next depression. These events will need an entirely different set of skills then most of us have and use on a regular basis.

Make no mistake, these skills will be needed, it is only a matter of when not if. We all need to prepare for the eventuality choosing, not to can and probably will prove to be a fatal mistake. These are skills that our ancestors used on a daily basis, yet we have lost them through lack of need. We have been spoiled by the technology of the new world. It has made us dependent on it, and we will suffer if we do not take steps to break that dependence. we need to bring back the skills of our predecessors.

Water

We need to be self-sufficient and secure our own water sources whether it be through collection or retrieval. Water is life and we will not survive more than 3 days without it. If you are on city water, what happens when you cannot pay anymore, or the lines are broken due to liquefaction? How will you provide water for yourself and your family? Do you have the tools, skills and knowledge to overcome this crisis?

Shelter

We need to have safe and secure shelter, Is your current dwelling sufficient to provide you with this need should the big one hit? Do you have the tools, supplies, and skills to repair your house to a point where it will provide the needed shelter? What happens to you and yours when you can’t pay the rent? Will you survive without shelter? Unfortunately, you will not survive without shelter for more than 3 weeks, and those will be miserable.

Food

Do you grow your own food? Do you hunt and know how to dress an animal? How will you provide food for your family when the stores are empty? In the event of a disaster there will be a run on the stores. We see it every time there is some perceived threat, remember what happened this winter? Imagine it lasting 6 months, a year, or longer. Are you ready?

Security

Now let’s just assume, even though that is a bad idea, that you have all those bases covered. What about security? How will you protect yourself and your loved ones when disaster strikes? Because most of us now live in high-density cities we will feel the sting of not being prepared much more than the rural areas, let’s face it there are a lot of rates in the cage. When the shelves and bank accounts go empty those that have not prepared are coming for what you have. It is human nature to preserve yourself and the ones you love, you will only be an obstacle to them. Are you prepared for this eventuality? What tools do you have? What skills do you have?

Conclusion

I know this may sound alarmist or apocalyptic to some. But, let me ask this question, will it harm you in any way to be prepared? Knowledge is the easiest tool to carry! Always remember, the more you know, the less you need to carry. There is no harm in preparing yourself and your family for a possible disaster, but it may prove fatal if you don’t.

As Always,
Stay Vigilant and Be Prepared

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Don’t be a taco sauce hero

I hope it has been long enough to be sensitive, but not so long that you don’t remember. I have to say it angered me greatly to listen to the news about the man and his dog that survived 5 days in the wilderness on nothing more than 3 packets of taco sauce. They not only completely misrepresented what it takes to survive, they essentially made the idiot a hero. The media going to the extreme and Taco Bell stepping up to salute the young man for being so resourceful and rewarding him is ridiculous and dangerous.

This is probably the worst thing that could have happened. It sets up a lot of ignorant albeit well-meaning people to fail in a survival situation. The facts are that this young man failed at everything but death. His situational awareness was non-existent, had he even the slightest bit he would have recognized that he was getting in over his head. He would have seen all the warning flags that were flying around his head. If he had any sense at all he would not have gotten in the bad situation in the first place. It is not as if some exigent circumstances caused the problem, it was sheer carelessness, and we paid for it. Who do you think paid for the search efforts?

Don’t get me wrong I’m happy he and his dog survived, but it wasn’t because of taco sauce. He did enough things right after the fact, that he survived, and he would have without the taco sauce! What is being missed here by the media, and all those watching it yet ignorant of reality is the rule of threes and how it relates to survival.

The rule of threes

  • You will not survive for longer than 3 seconds without staying calm
  • You will not survive for longer than 3 minutes without air
  • You will not survive for longer than 3 hours without shelter
  • You will not survive for longer than 3 days without water
  • You will not survive for longer than 3 weeks without food
  • You will not survive for longer than 3 months without community

As you can see from the list above he would have survived an additional two weeks without any food, let alone the taco sauce. It was completely irrelevant. We need to take our survival and preparedness seriously and not propagate these aggrandized misconceptions about survival, that helps no one.

I am an advocate of getting out there and exploring, pushing your limits, and expanding your skill sets. But I am wholeheartedly against being foolish and reckless, let alone the media making a circus out of such foolishness.

Remember, Knowledge is the easiest tool to carry!

  • Know where you are going.
  • Know who you are going with.
  • Know what you are taking with you.
  • Know the limits of your own skills.
  • Know when to turn around.
  • Know better than to foolishly put yourself at risk.

As Always,
Stay Vigilant and Be Prepared

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Will A Bite From This Snake Kill You?

Venomous Snakes in North America

 

When the weather gets nice, it’s time for the hikers, campers, and outdoor enthusiasts to come out of hiding… which happens to correlate with an uptick in snake activity (including venomous ones).

First things first, I’ll say that I’m not one of those people who believes all snakes should be killed on sight. If a snake is non-venomous, I’ll let it slither on it’s way every time. If it’s venomous, and too close to my house or yard, that’s when a decision has to be made.

In order to make that decision, I first need to identify the species of snake and determine whether or not it’s a venomous snake.

Despite the fact that we only have 4 major species of poisonous snakes to deal with in North America, it can be surprisingly difficult to calmly ID these snakes in the heat of the moment. In fact, that’s why I’m writing this article, to make it easier for the non-snake experts among us to avoid a nasty and potentially fatal bite.

The 4 Big Ones

These are the 4 groups of poisonous snakes that you may run across in the US:

  • Rattlesnakes
  • Cottonmouths
  • Copperheads
  • Coral Snakes

When I say that there are 4 major species of venomous snakes, that’s a bit of an oversimplification, BUT that actually makes the identification process easier.

You see, it doesn’t matter much if you’ve spotted a Texas Coral Snake or an Arizona Coral Snake, both are deadly poisonous. So stay away.

As always,

Stay Vigilant and Be Prepared

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Back from the batcave

Good morning,

Sadly it has been awhile since you have heard from me, but that doesn’t mean I have NRA Training Logo Suite-INST-3CSPOTbeen stagnant, I bring word from the batcave.

 

I have been busy in the field, we have completed a couple of gun safety classes. I really enjoy these classes because I feel very strongly about how important they are. If you feel that you need to own and/or carry a firearm, I believe it is your responsibility to become highly proficient with its use and safe handling. I believe you should have to show competence, not just a written exam. Just like an automobile, show me you can parallel park.

Backpack

 

My steadfast partner in crime has been insistent that we start offering pre built Bug out Bags. So we have been doing a lot of research so we can be sure to offer what we feel are the best solutions for the different type of bags we all should have. In the not too distant future you should see a selection of prebuilt solutions being offered. We believe everyone should be prepared for the unforeseen, and look forward to offering the best bags you can get. Stay tuned.

 

As always,

Stay Vigilant and Be Prepared

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Morale and your B.O.B.

Attitude is everything

I think that food, especially comfort food is the most overlooked part of a B.O.B. let’s face it, in a situation that causes you to grab your B.O.B. and go, the single most important tool you will have is your attitude, it will carry you when others won’t or defeat you before your time.

For me, something yummy goes a long way toward a good attitude, especially when the norm is to go without. I can’t tell you how many times I would see disheartened troops do a 180 when I produced a John Wayne bar or a pack of freeze dried strawberries for them, it is a field proven motivator. Like it or not, we need to think more about morale.

For others, perhaps it will be a pair of dry socks or a clean cotton t-shirt. If you have never been in the field for an extended period, then you just don’t know how good a clean cotton t-shirt is at raising morale. Perhaps, a pair of ear muffs, is what you need to change everything for that one loved one.

So, I’m leaving you with this, spend some time thinking about, what one or two items, preferably small and light weight, could possibly be a game changer for you or yours in an otherwise terrible situation, they will be worth their weight in gold.

 

As always,

Stay Vigilant and Be Prepared

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Trauma Kit – blood loss management

Good morning, we are constantly scouring the internet for information and better ways to do things or be prepared, so I can’t guarantee that our articles are filled only with original thought, in fact quite the opposite, they are collections.

Back on topic, today I want to talk about an often overlooked section of preparedness, especially concerning everyday urban carry, the trauma kit. Now this does not have to be some elaborate, full blown “Combat Ready”, tension pneumothorax, put in a chest tube, make an airway, kit. It just needs to provide an adequate method of managing two common conditions found in medical emergencies.

1 – Compressible arterial bleeding – arterial bleeding in the extremities, arms and legs, not your neck!

2 – Non-compressible arterial bleeding – arterial bleeding in the torso, like your armpit, your groin area or you neck.

If you or someone else are in an accident, and suffer from either of these injuries without  the proper tools to manage it, death is very likely. Help will probably not arrive in time, your survival may depend on it.

So, an urban trauma kit should have;

1 – A tourniquet

2 – An Israeli bandage

3 – A roll of 4″ gauze

4 – A 3″ elastic bandage

5 – A pair of nitrile gloves

Now, the proper application of these items and care of the mentioned injuries is another topic all together. We highly recommend you get these items, make yourself a trauma kit and learn how to use it. Here is a good article To bleed or Not to bleed, that is the question

All of these items will fit in a quart sized freezer bag and may just save your life, or that of a loved one, someday. We don’t get to chose when disaster strikes, but we do get to chose to be prepared for it.

As always,

Stay Vigilant and Be Prepared

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