Monday, January 10, 2011

Bleach Water Treatment

Scenario: after a disaster, clean drinkable water may be difficult to find.

Solution: use bleach to purify your water.

For every 1 Gallon of water - use about a 1/4 teaspoon of your household bleach to purify the water.  For cloudy water double the amount of bleach.

Shake up the water and let it sit for 30 min.  There should be a subtle smell of bleach after this.  If you don't smell anything - repeat the process. 



Notes: In a survival situation it is critical for an individual to stay hydrated.  The average human can only last 3 to 5 days without water, and will experience effects of dehydration long before that (to see effects of dehydration visit discovery health ). The average person needs to drink about 8 cups a day. Effects of drinking contaminated water are serious and can greatly limit your ability to survive.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Treating for Shock

Scenario: After a disaster, friends or family members may be injured and may be starting to go into shock.

Solution:

1. Keep the patient laying down - face up. Open the airway and check their breathing and pulse
2. Treat obvious external bleeding
3. Splint any broken bones or joint injuries
4. Make sure patient is getting adequate ventilation
5. Place blankets under and over the patient;  do not use external heat sources such as heating pads- as they may do further harm to the patient
6. If no fractures are suspected - elevate the legs up to 12 inches
7. Seek professional medical attention

Note: Do not give the patient anything by mouth - to relieve their thirst, give them a moistened piece of gauze to suck on.


Monday, January 3, 2011

Home Defense: Bulletproof Barricade

Scenario: after a major catastrophe you must protect your house and supplies from armed looters.

Solution
Build a bulletproof barricade in or around your home, where you can go to as an area of safety and defense.  Several studies show, that a couple feet of dry sand or dirt will stop small arms fire.
Gather what storage containers you have; such as the large Rubbermaid containers, buckets, or even luggage.  Fill up each container with dirt and began to build up walls that are at least 2 feet in width and tall enough for you to crouch behind.  It would be wise to keep your most valuable supplies in or near your barricade.