Tag: prepare

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Superbowl Sunday

Good morning, It is Superbowl Sunday. I am sure half of you care and the other half couldn’t care less, this is for the latter. It is easy for us to let our guard down and have a great time when surrounded by friends and family with a common interest in the spectacle that is Superbowl Sunday.

I don’t want to rain on that parade, but this is when you are most vulnerable. I say have a great time, relax a little and enjoy yourself. Just remember, if your are out and drinking, you shouldn’t be armed, that just isn’t being responsible. So this puts you at greater risk, we must always be cognizant of our surroundings.

Here is an idea if you have a designated driver, which you should, make them your designated eyes and ears, they have already committed to protecting your welfare just expand their responsibilities. Remember the average response time for emergency services is 12 minutes, a lot can happen in 12 minutes.

 

As always,

Stay Vigilant and Be Prepared

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There is No Promise of Tomorrow

Good evening,

I visited my fathers grave today, it is his birthday. I try to visit his grave every year on his birthday, rather then the day he died, that way we celebrate his life, not his death. So by now you are wondering, what does this have to do with survival. Well, it has everything to do with preparation, you see my father died suddenly, with absolutely no warning, in fact just 6 months before his death he had a complete physical and passed with flying colors. He was an athlete his entire life, went to college on a athletic scholarship, was drafted by the CFL, but decided to play pro golf, OK, you get the picture. He died when he was 54 years old, just died, like someone turned off a switch.

So, I guess where I am going with this is, when it comes to getting prepared, there is no tomorrow. you cannot predict what will happen or when. Will you have what you need when disaster strikes?, are you prepared?, do you have the training you need?

Live with purpose, say what needs to be said, love with all you are and live today likes it’s your last. Now is the time to act, there is no promise of tomorrow!

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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The Five C’S of survival

The 5 C's

Never go into the wilderness without these 5 C’s

 

(1) Cutting Tool: Ultimately, this means a sturdy, full tang knife, something that is always on your person in the backcountry. A four to five-inch carbon-steel blade and a flattened back edge is the most dependable and versatile. Well-made survival knives allow you to do everything from clean fish to split kindling.

(2) Combustion: A fire is critical in a survival situation during foul weather, it’s fundamental to maintaining your core temperature. Carry tinder material such as Wetfire or dryer lint with a ferro rod and a good lighter.

(3) Cover: We don’t get to decide when disaster strikes, this is important to remember. Always carry some sort of emergency shelter, a large garbage bag, a tarp, a poncho or even a wool blanket will do. You need to be able to setup some sort of shelter from the cold, rain and even sun. I would say forgetting this, is the most common mistake of outdoor enthusiasts.

(4) Container: Staying hydrated is essential in the outdoors, let alone an emergency. It is important to carry a container that can serve you in multiple ways. A large single walled stainless steel container is ideal, it not only allows you to carry plenty of water, in an emergency you will be able to boil water in it to make it safe for drinking. The are also very durable and well dent before the break

(5) Cordage: Carry a 100 feet of paracord, it is incredibly strong and has a myriad of uses, I never leave home without it.

As always,

Stay Vigilant and Be Prepared

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The Rule of Threes

Emergency - The Rule of Threes

In an emergency, you will not last more than …

Three seconds without staying calm
Three minutes without breathing
Three hours without taking shelter
Three days without water
Three weeks without eating

Numbers are not concrete because they depend on the situation, environment, and person, but the rule of three gives us a solid base

Stay Calm, Apply First Aid, Find shelter, Find water, Find food

As Always,

Stay Vigilant and Be Prepared

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Life is fragile

As the title suggests I am examining the fragility of life. This is a reaction to the imminent loss of a loved one, it spurs us to action when death knocks.

My focus is to try to reach for life not when it eludes us, but always. We tend to take for granted the breath we are given, and the spirits we share. Then death knocks and we long for the days lost and the love not shared.

So reach for life now, when the fruit is ripe, don’t wait for it to fall. Glean from life all the delicious harvest while it is fresh. Love, Laugh and Share like today is the most important day.

Because it is!!

As always,

Stay Vigilant and Be Prepared

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Everyday Carry

It is my philosophy that each of us should make a habit of always carrying a few basic tools.

1 – A good sharp knife.

2 – A flashlight – rechargeable

3 – A length of cord

4 – A lighter

5 – A basic first aid kit

6 – A bottle of water

7 – A backup power source Anker

8 – A pen or pencil

9 – A small pad of paper, preferably water proof

These items should go with you everywhere, they will empower you.

As always,

Stay Vigilant and Be Prepared

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